We’ve discussed before how much meditation can make a positive impact on your life, and if you haven’t already started your own meditation routine then you’re falling behind. Meditation is scientifically proven to help relieve stress and improve both mental and physical health, so why not go for it?
If you’re already into meditation, then consider what can make your routine better. Meditation is about letting go of the right now and all of your swirling, stressful thoughts – this means the more you can detach from the world around you, the better. It can be hard to completely let go in a gym or even your living room, so creating a mood and atmosphere specifically for yoga is crucial.
When meditation, these four accessories can help you create the perfect ambiance that sets your mind free.
Incense or Essential Oils
Our sense of smell is heavily tied into our brain’s ability to recognize where we are and our memory receptors. For instance, if you just brewed coffee and sit down to do some light morning yoga, that scent can comfort you – but also prohibit you from letting go of your surroundings. Many yoga studios include incense as a way to create ambiance, but a specific and unfamiliar scent can help you disassociate from your true surroundings and help you get into the meditation mod.
Essential oils can also help you in this area. Essential oils, scent diffusers and incense supplies are also relatively cheap, so they won’t break the bank.
Better Clothing
While we may like the idea of meditating in whatever we’re wearing at the moment, remember that meditation is still a form of exercise for both your mind and your body. Yoga and meditation can also be very interlinked, so it’s important to wear comfortable and flexible clothing for both exercises.
The Right Music
Some find that music takes them out of the meditation mindset, but for others it only helps to further relax them. Many music you hear played in yoga studios are very Asian-influenced, but they also have a very subtle, trance-link quality to the tracks. The intent is that you focus on the music and let it lull you through a light form of hypnosis. Focusing on the music instead of one your everyday thoughts can help you let go and transport you somewhere else, helping the meditation process along.
The music you need for yoga shouldn’t be your everyday, in-the-car playlist. Find light, easy listening music with little to no vocals. You can also try meditation tapes if you find those more helpful.
Earplugs
When you close your eyes in an empty house, sitting completely still on your living room floor, you create a sort of sound vacuum within your mind. Your ears pick up on every small sound, from your breathing to your dog walking on the kitchen tile. Even the slightest noise can take you out of your meditation mindset – so if you aren’t a fan of music, go in the opposite direction. Earplugs can completely eliminate any outside noise that can disturb you or prevent you from letting go.
