Convert Your Space into a Meditation Sanctuary for a Day
Creating a mini-meditation retreat at home requires just a bit of organization! Set up your space, make your plan, and set the intention to nurture your mind, body, and spirit.
Set up your meditation space
- Find a room in your home where you can spend some time meditating. Make sure it is a space where you can feel at peace and eliminate distractions.
- Take the time to remove clutter.
- Dust, wipe down, clean; give your space the extra shine so that your eyes can calmly move around the room.
- Choose a place where you can sit or lay comfortably. Gather whatever you need to be comfortable: cushions, props, bolsters, blankets, and a yoga mat.
Make your plan
- Write a menu for your mini-retreat. Plan to eat small, nutritious meals. Shop for your ingredients a day or two before and make what you can ahead of time.
- Arrange to have the space to yourself.
- Set gentle alarms on your phone to wake up, and note the start of each new activity.
Set the intention to nurture your body, mind, and spirit
A mini-meditation retreat doesn’t have to be all-meditation all the time. Here are two sample schedules for an at-home retreat.
Retreat schedule examples
For a two-hour mini-meditation retreat, your itinerary may look like this:
6:00am — Wake up, shower
6:30am-6:45am — Seated meditation
6:45am-7:30am — Mindfully prepare a light breakfast and eat slowly. Finish your meal with a cold glass of water.
7:30am-7:45am — Walking meditation
7:45am-8:00am — Journal your thoughts
8:00am — Go gently into the world
A full-day at-home meditation retreat could have a schedule like this:
6:00am — Wake up, shower
6:30am-6:45am — Seated meditation
6:45am-7:15am — Mindfully prepare a light breakfast, eat and drink slowly. Finish your meal with a cool glass of water.
7:15am-7:45am — Walking meditation
7:45am-8:45am — Read
8:45am-9:00am — Guided meditation
9:00am-9:30am — Prepare and eat a light snack. Drink a refreshing glass of water.
9:30am-10:15am — Seated meditation
10:15am-11:45am — Guided meditation
11:45am-12:15pm — Prepare and eat a light lunch and herbal tea
12:15pm-12:30pm — Walking meditation
12:30pm-1:00pm — Journal
1:00pm — take a breath, express gratitude, and take time to move yourself back into the world
Music Playlists for Your Meditation Retreat
Walking Meditation
A walking meditation can be performed just about anywhere. If you’re able to take a walk outside, dress comfortably for the weather. Step gently, naturally, slowly. Focus on your breath, feel the motion of your arms, enjoy the sun or the breeze on your face. If you’re doing a walking meditation around your home, stream Calm Radio’s meditation music channel: ONE. ONE is a soft, ambient drone-like sound journey to help you stay focused on your breath and your heart. As you walk in your home or hallway, feel how the earth supports your bare feet with each step. Count to ten steps, pause slightly, and start back at 10. Soften your gaze, focus on each footfall as it happens. Let the colors, sounds, objects, and smells of your walk flow in and out of your focus.
Seated Meditation
Set the tone in the room, soften the lights, stream ambient sounds, such as Calm Radio’s meditation music channel DRONES, to help keep a single focus to your meditation practice. Breathe naturally, focus on your breath and the gentle rise and fall of your chest. Feel the weight of your hands on your legs. Appreciate the support of the earth beneath you. Let any discomfort, distraction, or thoughts drift in and out of your mind like passing clouds. Always come back to the breath.
Food preparation
Stream calm music, such as Calm Radio’s TRANQUILITY — a gentle meditation music channel that will encourage you to slow down while you prepare and eat your food. Practice being mindful as you assemble your meals. When handling your fresh fruits and vegetables, take a moment to acknowledge how they were grown, how they feel, how fresh they smell. Make deliberate movements as you wash your food under cold water, chop or slice, or mix ingredients together. Express appreciation for the sunshine that encouraged these plants to grow, and the hands that brought this food from the fields to your plate. Take small bites, chew slowly, savour and smell every morsel.
Go gently into the world
As you finish your meditation retreat, come back to your intention. Express gratitude for the time you’ve taken for yourself, your mind, and your practice.
Browse the full list of Meditation Music Channels on Calm Radio today.
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