What is a meditation altar?

Contrary to popular belief, altars are not solely used for religious purposes. An alter can also be essential for the development of your spiritual practice. Of course, for most of us, the first thing that comes to mind when you think of an altar might be in a catholic church or a Tibetan Buddhist temple. There are many different ways in which an altar can be utilized – even for your meditation practice.

On a Wiccan altar, you might find an array of incense, gemstones, utensils for smudging, and probably some different colored candles. A Catholic altar is where the bread and wine are kept, and a Buddhist altar might have singing bowls and a Buddha statue. Ultimately, an altar is a sacred space that you go to when you want to connect with your spirituality. It is the place where your spiritual or religious offerings, prayers, or rituals are performed.

A meditation altar is your safe space. It is the quiet and tranquil area in your home that you put love into. This love then facilitates a beautiful meditation space. Ideally, you will have a meditation room where your home altar will be found. but, it can be anywhere that you can get some peace and quiet.

How and where should you place meditation tables?

Some people are lucky enough to have enough rooms in their homes to dedicate to a meditation room or spiritual sanctuary. If this is you, this will be a great place to create your personal altar. Others are not so privileged, but that is not the end of the world. So long as your altar is situated somewhere away from the chaos at home. You need to be able to find peace and quiet for the betterment of your meditation practice.

Feng shui is quite important for your altar. it needs to fit in energetically, otherwise, your meditations and other rituals or prayers might feel disrupted.

What to put on a meditation table altar

the following are the items that you might find placed on an altar. Take your pick from the list, or you could find an altar big enough to fit it all.

• Pieces of nature represent the elements
• Incense and incense holders
• Tealight candles and candle holders
• Palo santo or sage stick for smudging
• Essential oils
• Prayer beads, or mala, or rosaries
• Crystals
• Paper and pen
• Singing
• Yantra – an image of the deity of your belief.
• Images that trigger a happy place within yourself.
• Affirmations, Mantras, or a scared text.

Meditation altar table ideas

If you are thinking of creating a meditation table in your home, but are not sure of what table to use, or what to put on it. We have compiled a collection of meditation altar ideas – for your inspiration.

Buddha altar table

Here is one example of the many different Buddhist altar tables. In front of it, you will see two meditation cushions which would make your prayers, rituals, and meditations much more comfortable. If you prefer, you could have a meditation bench instead. On the Buddhist altar table top there is a statue of a Buddhist deity, a string of prayer beads, and some dried sage bound as a stick, used for clearing away negative energy.

Small meditation table

This small altar table is small enough to be transported to the meditation destination of your dreams. This makes it super convenient. Not only that, but it will also fit into any room you wish to meditate in. That means it is suitable for small apartments.

In this example of a small meditation altar, there is a shell being used s a tray for the sage once it is lit. That way you will not scorch the table top accidentally. There is a small statue of a Hindu deity, but you could have whatever suits your spiritual preferences. There is an assortment of crystals. Aquamarine, rose quartz, smoky quartz, and clear quartz – all are used to help clear negative energy and create a pathway towards connecting to your spirituality.

Altar for meditation

This altar is perfect to use for your meditation practice. You could set this up in your bedroom, or your living room. Or, if you are fortunate enough, in a meditation room. On the far right of the altar, there s a Buddhist singing bowl, commonly used for meditation purposes. On the far left, there is a crystal ball on a stand to keep it from rolling off the edge. This is also a powerful meditation tool.

Below the second level of the altar, there is an amethyst crystal and some smoky quartz. On the second level, here is a jar that you can fill with incense, oils, dried herbs, or anything that will help you along your journey.

Corner meditation table

A table that is built to fit into the corner of a room is great if you want to set up a meditation station in your home without taking up too much space. It fits perfectly into the corner of any room and preserves a sacred area in your home where you can wind down from the day.

This example also has a meditation cushion for comfort during your practice. There is an incense burner, a statue of a deity, prayer beads, and a candle. This one seems to be set up for Buddhist practice, but you can choose what item you place on your corner meditation table.

Modern altar table

This altar is a modern version of the altar tables. It is set up inside a cupboard so it can be closed up and kept out of the way. This also protects the items on the surface from any bumps and bruises. In the modern world, many homes are too small for an altar, so this makes an ideal option for those tiny apartments. The modern world also thrives off a ‘less is more’ or minimalist attitude, which this altar shows off beautifully.

Meditation desk

For the busy folk, meditation needs to be convenient as time is of the essence. A great way to make sure you get your meditation in for the day might mean your work desk needs some meditation influences. This desk sports a computer for when you are working from home. Beside it, there is a zen garden, which is a great method for inducing meditation.

How to make a meditation altar

If you are trying to avoid spending money on your altar, and you don’t have a small wooden table lying around your home somewhere, there are many different ways you could make your own altar. A wooden altar table might seem more traditional, but it is not the only option to go for.

Some people have a small wooden tray that has raised edges to create a little wall. This prevents anything from sliding off so easily. On this tray, you will find their crystals, incense, singing bowls, bells, mortar and pestle for grinding herbs together, and anything else they use for their spiritual practice. Other people have even placed all their items inside jars. Both of these options provide a transportable altar.

If you are keener on stationary altars, then a slice of a tree trunk might be the best option! Wrap a brick in some fabric and lay the tree trunk slice on top.

Another method would be dedicating a small bookshelf to being your altar. Replace all the books with your altar’s items, unless the books are based on your spiritual practice.

Key takeaways on meditation altars

There are many different kinds of altars that you can choose from. No matter what religious or spiritual belief you follow, there is an altar to suit your needs!

Resources

1. https://www.thedailymeditation.com/ultimate-guide-to-meditation-altars-and-shrines
2. https://chopra.com/articles/sacred-space-how-to-make-an-altar-in-your-home
3. https://lonerwolf.com/meditation-altar/