And then there’s the problem that even though in theory this room would be a clean, quiet room, there’s always street noise and roommate noise, and supers who set off firecrackers on the roof. There is no totally quiet and clean space, and that’s not the point of meditation anyway – to shut out noise. Noise is a part of daily existence. Notice that I want to shut it out. Maybe for me a meditation room would be a step in the wrong direction. Maybe I need to stop dipping my toes in the pond and instead jump right in to the depths of my mind, noise and clutter and all. The principles of meditation are ones that, I hope, I’d be able to use in my daily life when I’m not on the cushion. Setting myself farther apart from that is maybe not the best way to go.

And yet it seems strange to just plop my zafu down on the rug in any old spot on my bedroom floor. This practice that we do is an important one, and I’d like to use it as a way to nurture myself. I put care into preparing a meal. I have meticulous dental hygiene (I hope – I’m going to the dentist next week so we’ll see if all that flossing has been paying off). Shouldn’t I put thought into my meditation space as another way I take care of myself?

I’m curious how other people have set up their meditation spot in their home. Is there one spot in your room that you use? A particular rug you sit on? Do you have a picture or a shrine there? is it a permanent set-up, or is the act of setting it up part of your process? Are the lights dim or bright?

How do you set the stage?