The rule that garages are only suitable for vehicles and storage is simply no longer the case. These days, many people choose to turn their garage space into an extra room in their house, and there are many fun ideas to consider. If you’re a homeowner who enjoys relaxation and meditation, then turning this area into a retreat space is a great idea.Â
You can update and design your garage in numerous ways to make it quieter and to allow you to find the peace you desire. Follow these steps, and you’ll have a tranquil space to re-center and take on the day.
Why Turning Your Garage Into A Meditation Space Is Worth It
If you already love practicing meditation and mindfulness, or you often feel anxious and you’re unsure how to calm your nerves, then turning our garage into a retreat space is a no-brainer. There are numerous benefits of meditation that can help with your everyday life. Meditation forces you to stop what you’re doing, take a seat, and just relax. When you do, you ease the amount of adrenaline and cortisol that’s in your system, which can cause you to feel stressed. Also, more relaxation often results in better sleep. Finally, when your body is more at ease, you can experience physical benefits, like lower blood pressure and a relaxed heart rate.
Another perk of remodeling your garage for your meditation suite is that, though you may need to make some tough decisions along the way, remodeling your home can also be good for your mental health. That’s because you can modify the space just how you like it with the best lighting and calming color schemes. You can have a blast turning the garage into your own personal oasis.
Finally, the modifications you make to your garage can also be beneficial if you ever sell the home. When you go all-in while converting a garage by fixing the floor so there are fewer cracks, finishing the walls, and upgrading the lighting, you can list all those as selling points and make more money. Just pointing out that your house includes a garage and meditation studio could be a major selling point.
Design Ideas
While the space doesn’t need to be perfect, you can create an inspirational meditation space by trying your best to mimic a professional studio. To start, try to remove unnecessary clutter from the garage or organize it to create enough room to at least lay down a comfortable yoga mat for your exercises. If you find there’s a lack of space to move that clutter, consider installing shelves or hooks on the walls so you can get boxes and sports equipment, like bikes, off the floor.
Next, think about the ground. You’ll likely have a concrete floor, which can be uncomfortable, even with a yoga mat. Instead, consider installing a large mat that covers the entire floor. In addition to providing more comfort for sitting, this solution is also helpful if you park your car in the garage. If liquids pour onto the mat, it’s easy to clean. The soft floor can also provide a comfortable space to practice other relaxation techniques, like yoga, which helps you to focus on your breathing and can put you at ease.
To properly meditate, you should be able to sit without distraction. However, garages are often also storage spaces for lawnmowers and oil cans, and they can have an odor that can distract you from your inner peace. To enhance the peaceful environment, try to offset those smells by adding scented candles, potpourri, and incense. Just don’t go overboard because if the scents are too strong, they could also be distracting.
Modifying The Walls
Finally, there’s a lot that you can do to the walls of the garage to make the space perfect for meditation. What you do can depend on how the garage is set up. If you have windows, avoid heavy drapery and move shelves out of the way, and let the sunlight in. Basking in sunlight increases your vitamin D levels, which can help with mood regulation so you feel better. If you don’t have windows, consider installing them to add some brightness to a damp and dark garage.
This is also a good time to paint the walls with soft colors that can instantly put you at ease when you enter the garage. You can stick with white walls if you don’t want to go overboard with your garage modification. White is a neutral color that can put you at ease and give you a mental blank slate for your meditation session. Blue is another great calming option. Green is great, too, since it’s associated with nature and can provide a sense of harmony.
The key to meditation is to focus on your breathing, especially the sensation as your lungs fill with air and you breathe in and out of your nose. That can be tough if you’re listening to traffic outside and the neighbor’s lawn mower. So, the solution may be to soundproof your garage. You can DIY this project by taking sound-dampening material, such as moving blankets or acoustic blankets, and putting them near the areas where sound can sneak in. That includes around the garage door, the space around the side door, and around the windows. Soundproofing can block noise from outside, but it can also prevent people from hearing what you’re doing in the garage, which can be a bonus.
Conclusion
These are the essential steps to turning a dark garage into a bright and cheerful meditation space. See what’s possible in your garage and have fun with it, and you’ll find the experience rewarding and relaxing. When you’re done with your meditation space, use it often and enjoy your happy place.
Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash
