My Meditation Essentials

The thing I love about meditation is what you can do it anywhere with absolutely nothing at all. You don’t need any fancy props, somewhere quiet may make it a bit easier but essentially all you need is your mind. That being said, there are a couple of things I enjoy having on hand during my practice to help me out a bit.

1. Meditation Timer

For the most part, I like my meditations short and sweet. Meditation Timer for iPhone is a free app which allows you to set an overall meditation time, and shorter intervals in between. I find this useful, for example, if I’m incorporating different types of meditation or techniques to a certain time. The app allows you to set your timer alert to a bell or other relaxing sounds, which are a lot nicer sound to bring you out of a meditation than a blaring ringtone. It also gives you a few seconds of preparation time before and after your practice, because we all know it takes a while to get comfy and to find your seat.

2. Yoga Mat

A yoga mat sets the mood and an association with my meditation practice. Every time I roll out my mat I know it’s time to quieten my mind, and this allows me to pack it away and take it anywhere with me if I want to. It also comes in handy for, you know, yoga. And exercise and stuff. You can buy one anywhere, but I got my pretty purple one from Amazon (surprise, surprise – 90% of everything I own comes from that damn website).

3. Cushion

Not only is the floor uncomfortable after a while, especially if you’ve got a bony bum like me, but I find my posture is naturally of the Mr Burnes kind. I read somewhere that the optimal way to sit is with your hips raised, and your legs hanging down in a diagonal position. This improves your posture dramatically and is a lot more comfortable than a yoga block. You can spend around £20 for a special ‘meditation cushion’ or you could just grab one off your bed and pound it into place at the beginning of every practice like I do.

4. Candle

I like my meditation practice to feel spiritual. I like to make it ‘me’ time, and a candle is another way to get myself into the right mindset. It creates a lovely atmosphere and makes it a lot easier to relax. I also sometimes sit the candle directly in front of me and use the flame or the scent as a focus point for attention based meditation. I’m gifted with candles every Christmas and birthday so I’m never exactly running low on the things.

And there you go! These are my essentials, however there are other meditation ‘props’ you could also use:

❁ Prayer beads

❁ Crystals

❁ Essential oils

❁ Buddha Statue/Shrine

❁ Meditation Apps (Headspace and Calm are my favourites)

❁ Anything else you can think of, be creative!

Thank you for reading,

Chloe