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Originally Posted On: https://www.blufashion.com/lifestyle/homes-and-interiors/creating-a-zen-den-that-maximizes-comfort-and-relaxation/

The home is a space that should fit many purposes. Aside from sheltering you from the wind and rain, and giving you a comfortable and safe space to sleep, it should enrich and enhance your life. It can do this with a home office, or a gym, or perhaps what you really need is a space that can better help you get away from the stresses of the day. You can make any room in the home better at busting stress, but for those who want a space for yoga, and meditation, or who really want to emphasize relaxation, making your own zen den could be just what you need.

You might not have a lot of choice in where you situate your zen den. It might be that every other room in the home is already taken up. Where you have the option, however, you want to make sure that it’s a space that gives you positive feelings when you step into it. This can be due to how light comes into the room, the space available, or even simply how easy it is to reach from the front door when you come in. It’s best if the room isn’t one that is too heavily trafficked, you don’t want constant footsteps from others living in the home passing by the door, for instance.

Depending on how you’re going to use your zen den, you want to make sure that you have the right place to park your rear. If you’re looking to use it as a meditation room or as a place to do yoga, then you may want a high-quality yoga mat that can support you sitting on the floor and help you push back any sense of discomfort. Otherwise, there are plenty of options for plush, comfy chairs that allow you to sink into them, close your eyes, and forget the stresses of the day. Meditation chairs can offer a good cross between both, and may even help you improve your back health by aligning your spine (source: Zen by Design).

Aside from a place to sit, and a surface to be able to put your things on, you don’t really need a whole lot of furniture in a meditation space. You might want, for instance, somewhere to put a radio or speaker for music or meditation sounds but, in general, you want to keep things as minimal as possible. You want to create an open, fresh, and clean space that helps you relax and it’s well-known, by now, that clutter does the exact opposite. Clutter creates stress by constantly distracting the mind and the eye. The benefit of a minimally furnished space is that it’s also much, much easier to clean.

A lot of people have been catching on to the benefits of aromatherapy, as of late. The right natural scents can do a lot to enhance and influence our moods, and there are various ways to incorporate them in your room, whether you’re making space for a diffuser, creating your own spray to use whenever you want to relax, or even applying essential oils to raw wood so that they can soak in and carry that scent. There are a range of different scents that can help with stress, so take the time to find those that agree best with your sense of smell.

Neutral colors are often seen in magazines and the like, but they don’t get quite enough love when it comes to real home design. A lot of people find them bland or boring, even if that isn’t the case. You just need to find the right use for them, and your zen den could be the perfect use for them. If you want to paint the room, then you should opt for the right neutral colors. If a splash of color in the furnishings makes you feel more comfortable, there’s nothing wrong with that, but a good neutral base is a good place to start.

It has long been found to be true that the signs of nature can help alleviate stress and anxiety. The sounds of water, the scent of the right flower, and fresh air can all have that impact. So, too, can interior plants (source: Greenleaf). CHouseplants are able to lower anxiety and stress, have been shown to have a notable impact on reducing depression in mild cases, and can even lower your blood pressure, directly contributing to your well-being. A lot of people get a sense of satisfaction and growth from nurturing and caring for a plant, but you can also look at low-maintenance options that aren’t going to take as much time or effort to raise.

Meditation and relaxation can be a five-sense experience. You might have the right neutral shades and plants for your sight, aromatherapy for the sense of smell, soft seating for touch, and meditation sounds for hearing. You can integrate taste into the experience by setting aside space for a tea station. It doesn’t need to be overly big, simply a place to keep a pot of tea and a cup. Having a cup of herbal tea or infused water before or after your meditation session can help you create a warm sensation of calm. It can become part of the routine and ritual that helps you ground yourself, or a reward for taking the time to invest in some self-care.

Creating the right space around you is important. This goes for the walls, floors, and roof, as well. There are ways to make your walls better suited for a feeling of peace and relaxation, for instance, and you don’t have to clutter them up to do it, either. Grasscloth wallpaper, for instance, is a type of wallpaper made from organic fibers that gives off a natural, grassy scent that can improve the quality of relaxation in a given space (source: Wallpaper Boulevard). People naturally feel more comfortable and relaxed around the sights and sounds of nature, as mentioned above, but if you don’t want to incorporate houseplants into your home, want to save a little space, or even want to maximize that effect, your walls can help you get the same effect.

In order to be able to feel truly relaxed, we also need to be able to feel safe. For a lot of us, that means being alone and comfortable. To that end, sometimes it can be difficult to be truly alone in your home, but setting the right steps to isolate your space can help you at least create the feeling that you are alone. For instance, you can add a partition either directly over the door, or around the space where you meditate, relax, and rest. You should also look at how you can isolate sound in the room, such as with draft excluders, so that any noises from the outdoors can’t infiltrate quite as easily.Pic – CC0 License

Sometimes, a dim space can feel comfortable and cozy, but when it comes to meditation and true relaxation, sunlight can do wonders for you. You should look at the ways that you can maximize natural light in the space, whether it’s by opting for light window treatments, or not at all, or making use of mirrors and reflective spaces that can help light bounce around and fill a space a lot more effectively. Natural light is good for the body and mind in a lot of ways, able to improve your mood, your sleep, and your connection to the natural rhythm of the sun. The neutral colors and natural touches, such as grass walls and indoor plants, all emphasize that feeling of lightness, too.

We’re leaving this tip for last because, honestly, it’s not one that’s going to be very practical for everyone. If you’re living in a third-floor apartment, it’s not going to be easy to get a water feature up there, for instance. Indoor water features are becoming more popular, but they’re certainly not cheap, and they do require some work to maintain. For most people, the most practical option might be installing a fountain outside the window of your meditation space. Not only does the sound of water create a deep sense of tranquility, and serve as an excellent focal point to help you hone your mind when meditating, but it also adds a sense of acoustic privacy, so you’re less likely to be distracted by noises from the outside.

Whether you create a space that is custom-built to help you relax, or you take the tips above to integrate into your studio, bedroom, or another space, finding the combination that works for you can do wonders for your feelings of stress.