My meditation practice has been very inconsistent. I always think about wanting to meditate and just never make the time. Excuses. I thought that maybe if I dedicated an area of the house to my meditation practice, I would be more likely to meditate. So that’s what I set out to do.

I had been wanting to create a meditation nook for a quite a while. The problem was that I wanted a small, short table that I could use as an altar. It was nearly impossible to find one that was appropriately sized, decent looking and affordable. I became discouraged and put the idea on the back burner for a while. When I finally started looking again, I decided to think creatively and stop being so picky.

First I checked out Ikea, but I couldn’t find anything practical. I thought about using an Expedit wall shelving unit on the floor, but I wasn’t crazy about that idea so I decided to keep looking. I browsed the furniture section at Target. Again, nothing. Then I walked down the storage/organization aisle and found this:

A shoe rack! Why didn’t I think of that before? Well, maybe because a shoe rack isn’t the most obvious choice for a meditation table… :) The color is espresso, and the dimensions are 11.63″h x 24.13″w. I wasn’t sure if it would be a good fit, but it was only $9.99, and I could easily return it if it didn’t work. Nothing to lose.

It’s the perfect size and exactly what I was looking for. I love that there’s a little shelf where I can hide extra candles and tuck away my mala bag. I found the placemat with tassels at World Market.

I decided that the theme of my altar would be “love + inspiration”. I added a favorite photo of my dear grandmother, young, beautiful, and full of light.

Glass elephant decoration my father-in-law had recently given me. I love elephants. Wise, strong, and kind.  Need proof?

Gidget’s urn and my lucky bamboo. Gidget was our Chihuahua, and she was a part of the family for 12 years. She passed in 2010. I realize that some people might think it’s strange to have her ashes displayed… or even the fact that we have her ashes at all. All I can say is that our dogs are like family to us. Gidget will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Meditating Buddha.  I admire the story of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, of how he let go of all attachments and discovered truth. I chose this statue to remind myself of the inner stillness that can be achieved with meditation.

So that’s my new meditation table. I made a place for it in the sacred space where I read, embroider, practice yoga and make music. I am meditating more often, but my mind continues to wander. I have found that it helps to recite a mantra while counting mala beads. “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha” has become one of my favorite mantras. It’s about removing obstacles, which is so very relevant to me right now. I have recently been struggling with my fear of failure. This obstacle comes as no surprise considering my deep-seated perfectionism issues. I will not tell you how many times I edited this post. :)