Sitting in a tree-shaded area with sun beaming between the leaves. A small glimpse of the beautiful blue sky and fluffy white pillows of clouds. A cool breeze slides across your warm face. The sound of water trickling, birds chirping and every so often a soft chiming in the distance. You close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose, filling your lungs. You smell Fall, the decomposing leaves and crisp air. You hold your breath for a few seconds. Then you breathe out slowly bringing you a sense of calm and peacefulness, Zen.
Zen- what does that mean? How do you get “Zen”. Well, Zen (in my own words) means being calm, relaxed and at peace. You can achieve this through breathing techniques and meditation. If you have never done meditation before, you can find tons of great articles online with different types of breathing exercises and tips as well as a deeper explanation of Zen.
The purpose of this article is to help you create your own little piece of the world to relax and find peace. So you ask-what will help me feel calm? Well you came to the right place! I have listed ideas for your very own “Zen Den”. Keep in mind, you will have to tailor your space to fit your needs and what your space allows for.
So what is a Zen den anyway? It’s a place you can go that is quiet and peaceful. A space you can just be still to go within yourself. I’m sure you’re wondering why I chose to do this outdoors. There are two reasons. First, I live in a very small house, and there really is not room for me to create the space I really wanted. Also, the outdoors brings so many extras that you just cannot achieve indoors, such as birds, and a breeze or natural sunlight
When you’re trying to choose a spot, think about what it would feel like to be sitting there quietly. What sounds would you hear there? What would the lighting be like? Are there bugs? Is there any natural water running nearby? These are all questions that will help you find the best please to call your own.
I bought my family home when my parents moved to Tennessee a few years back. The back corner of the yard was beautiful, but there really wasn’t anything to do with the area. There were roots growing all over the ground, and it was separated from the rest of the yard by trees. I had always envisioned an area to relax back there, but I never dreamt it would turn out as amazing as it did. This project is my favorite one so far. I get so much use out of it.
Once you’ve selected where you want to put your Zen Den, you have to figure out what base you want. You can add rocks like I did, dirt or pavers ect. I ordered a truck full of the #2 rock from a local landscaping company. If you’re putting down a hard surface like rocks, you will want to have a plan for where you will meditate. I chose to put a small deck. I sit on a meditation pillow or use a yoga mat depending on what I’m doing. Depending on the size of your space, you may want a small conversation set for bistro table to be able to sit and have coffee so you don’t have to sit on the ground all the time.
Now that you have the main area set up, I can move on to the fun part-decorating. This is your own project. You can get as creative if you want you can also keep adding to it over time.
Let’s start with the basics. Greenery. Trees and bushes provide clean air. It’s nice that setting up your space outdoors gives you lots of free trees. The area I chose is a very shaded part of the yard so when it’s very hot out and you walk in there, it feels like an air-conditioned room. In the afternoons, the sun shines brightly in the corner. Just enough sunlight. My deck and furniture s holding up nicely because even when it rains, it’s covered by an umbrella of trees. If you don’t have a lot of greenery in the area, you can plant some bushes or plants. I planted a beautiful Azalea and a couple blueberry bushes. Flowers are in nice condition or some color.
There are some things that just instantly bring you peace. One of those things as water. The sound of water running, has a certain calmness to it. Whether it’s a river flowing, fountain or a waterfall. Water is so fierce and can be so strong yet it can heal. That’s why you want to include water in your Zen Den. I decided on a waterfall. It’s very important that if you are not near in electrical source, make sure to use the proper outdoor extension cords. I purchased a waterfall that had lights in it so that when I’m out there at night I can still enjoy it.
That brings me to the next item on the list. Lights. If you are somewhere near a patio or other source of light, you may not need any extras. If you are further from the house like mine is, it would be pitch black in the evenings. I purchased a set of Solar Edison String Lights. There are a bunch of settings, they automatically charge during the day and come on in the evening. It’s the perfect amount of light back there at night. And a bonus is, I don’t need to shut it off either. I also added a couple of Large Lanterns on the deck and put remote control battery operated candles in them. Not only are they decorative, but also functional. They create such a cozy setting.
It’s probably starting to look more and more peaceful. We are just getting started-keep on reading! Everyone is different when they meditate. Some people enjoy quiet sounds around them, others listen to guided meditation and others listen to calming music. I like the sounds of nature. One of those sounds is birds. There is just some thing amazing about birds. Have you ever just sat and listened to the sound of birds chirping? It’s mind blowing to me that they communicate like that. I can get lost in the sound. Some areas don’t have quite as many birds. If you would like more birds to visit, you have to make it welcoming. You can increase the chance of little visitors with a birdbath and some food. I found the easiest route to go was to hang suets on a couple of the trees. The birds do visit often now. If there is a specific bird that you like like such as a hummingbird, you can buy a hummingbird specific birdfeeder.
Another sound that can really elevate your meditation experience is wind chimes. If you have a fence nearby, you can put a hook right on your fence and hang one. Another option is a Shepard Hook that go in the ground. Of course you’re going to want to put it in a place where the wind can hit it or you won’t get any sound!
Something else to think about it some type of storage. A deck box or storage cabinet is convenient to store your meditation pillow, yoga mat,extra bird suet, bluetooth speaker ext. You will need something to store all the small items you use for meditation such as crystals or essential oils.
How exciting to have it all come together. I hope you are inspired to create your very own sanctuary. Let’s keep going- decor. Outdoor rug, signs, pictures, outdoor bluetooth speaker, outdoor clocks and thermometers and other furniture.
The important thing is that you make it your own. This is your personal space to shut out the world and go within yourself. You will feel such a sense of accomplishment when it’s complete. Now all that’s left is to just breath. Check this video out to see the entire Zen Den
~Passionate Pisces
What an absolutely beautiful place! You’ve created peace and tranquility in the middle of a city, I love it!