If your home is your sanctuary, then your backyard can be turned into your own private area to de-stress and unwind from the hectic events of the day. Designing and building a meditation garden is the perfect way to beautify your home as well as provide yourself with a quiet place to meditate and re-center yourself. By designing it yourself, you are able to include the things that you enjoy. You create the atmosphere you need to relax and rejuvenate your mind and body.
Creating Your Own Personal Oasis
Before you set about creating your own little getaway area, you will need to determine how big you want it to be and the general layout of the area. If you want the area to remain private and secluded, adding a fence of lattice or wood planks would be a nice touch. It will keep pets and children from invading your quiet time and gives a firm background for ivy and other climbing plants to attach and cling to.
If you plan on adding a fence, you may want to have it professionally installed. Although it might make a nice DIY project, part of the goal is to help you relax – not create more hassle. Once the fence is in place, however, you can begin to add the finishing touches that will make your meditation garden a peaceful area to relax in.
Relaxing Effects
Everyone has their own idea of what is relaxing. Some people prefer total quiet, while others like to have soft music playing in the background. Areas with low or muted lighting are commonly thought to be the most relaxing. Relaxing effects are what helps to create the mood. A light, soothing atmosphere includes things you like, as well as things you believe are beautiful or have spiritual meaning.
A few of the most relaxing effects are:
- Clusters of candles
- Hanging plants
- Climbing vines
- Soft, plush chairs
- Soft music
- Wind chimes
- Fountains or small ponds
- Soft or muted earth tones
- Religious/spiritual statues and symbols
Creating a meditation garden is a personal endeavor. Every person in the family may have something different they like to do when it comes time to relax. Creating a general area that a person can add their own personal touches to can be extremely important. If everyone can agree on the basics when creating the meditation garden, then each one can add things to the area when it is their turn to use it.
The important thing is to remember the neutrality. A meditation garden is meant to allow people to let go of the stress that builds up throughout the day. When another family member is using the garden respect their privacy and allow them the time they need to rejuvenate and re-center. If the place is large enough, the garden can be the perfect place for two people to escape the world and just relax.
Privacy
If you live in a highly populated area, you may have to compromise on the amount of privacy you seek. For the most part, you will be able to set aside a small area away from the prying eyes of the neighbors. The issue becomes reducing the level of noise from outside sources and blocking out neighbors and family members. While adding the fence keeps prying eyes from observing you during your meditation, it will not reduce the noise level.
One way of reducing noise levels and controlling disruptions is to wear ear phones. A small stereo system installed in a cabinet or speakers that are strategically placed and camouflaged will help add to the persona and beauty of the small meditation garden. If there is still an excessive amount of noise, you may want to invest in a pair of headphones or ear buds that will allow you to listen to things you like instead of constantly being distracted. Recordings of nature sounds are ideal for this type of setup.
Meditation gardens can be as simple or as complex as you like. Know what you like and what you consider to be extremely relaxing and add it to the mix. This is your private meditation garden. Use the space to create your own small Shangri-La and enjoy the time you have to yourself.