I love weekends! Don’t you? Last week when I posted photos of my meditation corner, I got a lot of mails from you guys (please comment too?) about all the ideas and questions. Love your email people – keep them coming.

So after answering all the emails I found that there was a common thread going on in all the emails. I just answered different emails each one with at least one tip to be more effective meditator. So I thought, why not put them together and share them with you? Here they are:

1. Practice Meditation Daily: I cannot emphasize this point enough. Many people start with meditation but don’t practice it enough to make it a habit. It usually takes doing something for 30 days to make it a habit. That’s how long you need to use your will power.
2. Make New Friends: Meditation is not just about sitting in closed closet – go out and mix with people. Why not talk to people you find here on Meditation Rocks!? Comment on their comments and start a discussion. You can also make meditation buddies.
3. Read Good Stuff: Reading is a must for every meditator, it gives you a chance to explore the depths of your intellect and bring out the power you see in meditation to reality. Read books, blogs … anything cool.
4. Make Meditation Corner: It’s a great idea to dedicate a part of your room/home/garden to meditation. You need not to do anything to that part, just make space for you to sit, stand or laying down. You are good to go. You can try our guide to minimalist meditation corner.
5. Collect Music for Meditation: Nothing is more popular then music to go with Meditation. It’s amazing how it enhances our experience of meditation. Try our Ultimate Guide to Meditation with Music or Guide to Meditation with Rock Music!
6. Travel: Go on holidays, discover new places, meet new people. You will develop compassion which is very essential to take your meditative state to next level.
7. Yoga: Meditation is integral part of Yoga. Practice yoga and see your life transforming.

Those were cool tips. Weren’t they? Wait! Before you go add your 2 cents: Do you have a tip to share with others? Do you follow some or all tips I shared here?

Photo Credit: Happiness – Summer 2008 by Raúl A., on Flickr

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This was an exceptionally busy week for me. Exams and all, how about you? You know, I really love to look back at week and all that I achieved – I use that as an excuse to be happy. Try that, it really works.

I wanted to do this earlier but I don’t have a camera (otherwise I’d have a new video for you every week). Anyways, I wanted to share what my meditation corner looks like. I am so proud of it.

I am sharing some photos with you. These photos are on our facebook fan-page too, so do comment and above all – Add your photos! PLEASE PLEAS PLEASE!

Click a photo with your cell phone or whatever, or just draw it and upload it to either our facebook fanpage wall or ImageShack and link me in the comment. I will add the photos to this post. It’s fun guys – let’s do it!

That's My Simple Meditation Corner - Cushions are such that I can take them anywhere. What do you think?

That's Full Size View of My Meditation Corner - My dad and me are paiting the wall behind. So you know why all the mess.

My Meditation Corner often turns into workplace. So now you know where I write all the awesome posts for Meditation Rocks!

Ok, I don't know when my dad took this pic. It was morning perhaps - that explains my wierd look. Thanks to exam - I've grown bad mustache.

That's dear Buddha, always in Meditation! What an inspiration to have in your meditation corner.

I’ve taken a step and shared it with you all. Now c’mon don’t be shy and share your meditation corner pics.

If you want a Buddha Statue for your meditation corner you can try here and here. (Affiliate Links)

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I’ve kept a journal (diary) since my junior school. God knows what I used to write in there when I was that young, but nowadays I have 3 journals  – one for ideas, another for the regular ‘keeping a diary’ thing and another one which I call my meditation journal. And when I look back at what I wrote in there in past year – I can’t believe that I have come so far. It has really improved so much in me – as a person and mind and soul. It’s always good to see yourself progress.

What’s a Meditation Journal?

Journals are like recordkeeping and talking to oneself and in doing so we reflect on our thoughts. All the major thoughts we have had in a day, and then we know all what happened much more clearly.

And that’s exactly what a meditation journal is like. You keep a record of meditation, how did you feel when you meditated today, what were the sensations in body like, how long did it take you to drift off to meditation? What insights did you have? What problems were solved? What miracles did you experience afterwards and so forth.

What to Write

Just write what you feel like writing and after a month of writing you can go back and look how far you’ve come since and you will be amazed at your progress. You will feel proud of yourself – it will become one part of your life where you are progressing no matter what and that too so easily. There is not hard work in it – in fact there is no work – that’s what we call meditation.

January is good time to begin with. Why not just pick up a nice looking journal and start writing? Just write whatever you want. Someday you might feel like writing a song, or a poem or drawing something after meditation so just put that in.

When to Write

Best time to write is just after meditation. But don’t make a work out of it. It’s completely optional. Usually I pick it up before going into meditation and add last few words to previous day writing whatever extraordinary experience I had during that day after I made an entry to my journal. Then I go into meditation and write for today.

Here are some more tips:

1. Keep your journal near your meditation corner so you won’t loose it and you won’t waste time looking for it everywhere.
2. Keep it simple, don’t make work out of it. On some days you won’t feel like making an entry at all – so skip that day.
3. Don’t be shy – write it all even if it’s weird and gibberish.
4. Keep a separate pen/pencil with the journal – again so you won’t waste time looking for one.
5. Write what you feel – there are no rules, no should’.
6. Do share some of your entries with us here. It’d be inspiring to others.

So go ahead and give it a try. Don’t wait till you get a new journal. Just write on a piece of paper, later when you have the new journal you can paste those in. But important thing is doing it. And do let me know how you felt.

Photo Credit: Journal / Diary  {Feb 2009} by sushi♥ina, on Flickr

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I’ve wanted to talk on this topic since so long. Finally, the day has come. It’s good practice to dedicate a corner or a room to meditation. Since you will gain so much out of this sacred practice, it makes sense to create this space with your personal sense of being.

Why Meditation Corner?

There are many reasons but mainly because:

• It will help you discipline yourself to meditate everyday.
• It will create a sacred sense of being.
• It will soon be filled with positive vibes and spiritual energy by just being around that space.
• If you are a teen, your mom will be deeply pleased by a clean corner in your room. (Caution: She might try to hijack it, mine did!)

You will discover more and more and more reasons on the way.

So you have decided to dedicate a corner? If yes – brilliant! If no – superb! Stick around, we have cookies for you (err.. both of you, yeah!)

How Big Should Be A Meditation Corner/Room

As the title says- it can be a corner and even a room. And by corner I mean a small space in room not necessarily the four corners. It depends on how big you want to, you can and you feel like making it.

So if you are a teenager who constantly fights with your parents for bigger room – you can throw some stuff in another corner and just empty a corner. Voila! You found your lost iPod under the clothes!

And if you are a grown-up child, you can try creating a space anywhere (I’m jealous!) but preferably away from drawing room/living room as they are barely personal.

What Should I Put There?

For starters: just a mattress, and a few cushions or maybe something a bit more comfortable. Nothing fancy, we will decorate it with positives vibes and sacred objects later. First, let’s give ourselves a prize for doing and learning so much – the cookies :

Let’s Meditate.

Photo Credit: Allston slays me by Sean Future, on Flickr

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Make a Meditation Corner

Choose the least used corner of your room and keep it for meditation so you don’t waste time cleaning up the room for meditation and leaving both the ideas. Overwhelming isn’t it? That’s why. Have a corner… just a cushion to start.

Avoid the Manholes

Make a Play-list

This feature is present in all media players on computers and most of MP3 players have it. Make a list of soothing meditation music you want to play while meditation so next time you don’t sit down to choose songs and forget to meditate.

Empty the Bladder

I know how many times people want to get it over and in that mixed feeling of rushing and excitement, they want to go to the loo and bingo! You just got out of meditation. So use the toilet before you sit for meditation.

Use the Alarm Clock

Are you one of those lucky people who sit in meditation for 15 min. and get up after 4 hours? Me too! And I regret it later. So now I use the alarm. And yes remember to meditate more on holidays as you remember to sleep more.

Shut that Cell Phone

Just put it on silent, all my friends call me up when I am meditating. So keep that phone on silent.

Forget these tips

If you will try to remember them all, I am sure most of you will actually forget to meditate so just chill and take it easy. Just do it now. Yes right where you are close your eyes for a moment…. CLOSE YOUR EYES!

Off to readers

This post is incomplete without you; can you add more to the list? What keeps your from meditating?
Photo Credit:Manhole by Joe Shlabotnik, on Flickr/ CC by 2.0

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