Flex Room Ideas: Create the Ultimate Meditation Space
When you buy a new home with Shea Homes®, not only do you get quality craftsmanship, but you also benefit from the latest in modern design. For example, in addition to open floor plans and indoor-outdoor living spaces, many Shea homes now offer flex rooms that you can personalize to your needs. Learn more about what flex rooms are, and how you can make them work for you.
What is a Flex Room and How Do You Use It?
A flex room is a multi-purpose space that can be utilized in a number of different ways. From an office, to a game room, to a cozy reading nook, flex rooms allow you to live in your home the way you want to. What’s more, flex rooms are made to be versatile and can “flex” with you throughout your changing stages of life. For example, the play room for the kids might turn into a library once they’re grown, or maybe your craft area becomes a guest room for the holidays—whatever the need, flex rooms are designed to accommodate a range of different functions.
Furthermore, while flex rooms can change with you over time, they can also serve two or more purposes at once, what HGTV calls “making your room work smarter.” Whether it’s an entertainment area/office or a guest room/sewing station, there are numerous ways for you to get creative in this space.
Outside of having another functional living area for your family or guests, one way you can use your flex room is as a personal meditation space. In the busyness of life, this kind of room would allow you your own special retreat, so you can refresh and recharge before taking on another day.
What is Meditation and How Does It Help to Reduce Stress in Your Life?
According to the stats, Americans on the whole are more stressed out now than ever before—a 2018 Gallup poll showed that we reported the highest levels of stress, anger, and worry in a decade, and U.S. News says that more than 19 percent of the population suffers from an anxiety-related disorder.
However, as stress levels continue to rise, so, too, has the focus on mediation and other calming activities. From the use of essential oils and natural products to the spiked increase in yoga participation over the past several years, more and more people are adopting stress-relieving practices in their daily lives. Even workplaces are starting to prioritize mental health by implementing wellness programs, providing access to in-house sessions with professional psychologists, massage therapists, chiropractors, etc., and overall offering more flexibility with employee personal days.
What’s great about meditation and other restorative practices is that it can look different—and work differently—for everyone. Whether you’re wanting to learn simple steps on how to mediate in order to increase calmness, or trying to perfect the best yoga poses to reduce stress, making time for meditation in your daily routine can help ward off anxiety and unnecessary negativity.
Why Having a Meditation Space in Your Home Is Important
Understanding all the benefits of having meditation in your life, it’s clear why it could be important to create room for it in your own home, your most sacred and personal space. In fact, by making your home your own private sanctuary, you can forego the fancy gym or studio and practice mediation whenever you want, or enjoy a restorative staycation that fits your style.
5 Steps to Creating a Meditation Space in Your Flex Room
Ready for your in-home retreat? Here are some steps for how to use your flex room as your own meditation space.
-
Determine how you want the room to work for you. Transforming your flex room doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive—it just has to be right for you. Whether you want a designated room to practice your yoga flow, or a quiet area to getaway to, or simply a place to sit, pause, and rejuvenate, your mediation space can be whatever you need it to be.
-
Declutter your room. However you want to use your meditation space, the key is that it promotes calm—and that means no mess or disorganization. Tidying-up guru Mari Kondo says that decluttering is the key to having more control in your life. Here are some very practical tips you can take to start simplifying.
-
Create your calm. Once your space is free from clutter, it’s time to bring in those elements that make you feel at ease. Whether it’s switching out darker colors for light and neutral shades, adding live greenery to the room, or purchasing an essential oil diffuser and some fluffy throw pillows—this space is yours, and should be filled with those elements that help you unwind.
-
Feng shui your way. As you put the last finishing touches on your meditation space, consider the placement and orientation of your furniture and items—do they create good flow? You don’t have to be a feng shui master, but simply put, the arrangement of your room should allow for easy movement, helping you to create good energy that supports relaxation. Find some quick feng shui tips you can do at home.
-
Keep your space sacred. Just as your form of meditation will be different from others, the way you keep it sacred will be different, too. Ultimately, the goal is to keep your mediation space as distraction free as possible, and to maintain its intention as a place of retreat—don’t let it revert back to an extra storage area, or where you bring in your work. Need ideas on how to use your meditation space? Mediation apps such as Headspace, Simple Habit, and Calm might be a good way to start.
Find the Right Flex Room Floor Plan
Now that you have an idea of what your dream meditation space might be, it’s time to find the right home to make that dream come true. When you choose Shea Homes, you get to be part of the design process, so your home—and flex room area—is built to your needs. With our comprehensive home search feature, you can quickly discover communities near you, or filter to explore our available floor plans with flex/bonus rooms. Want to learn more? Sign up below to be the first to know of other design trends and ideas.