Like it or not, we are creatures of our environment.
As much as you might cultivate a legendary Buddha-like ability to keep your mind calm and above any circumstances, a screaming baby or a putrid smell or a really annoying TV show on loud are likely to affect your Zen, especially over time.
Recognizing this, we might pay some attention to the spaces and places in which we seek to be our best. Daoists study what they call “wind and water” to look at the ways particular places might inspire our inner voices, creativity and wisdom.
Places of worship are often designed with this kind of inspiration in mind, the quiet, the soaring ceiling, the focal point of the meditation.
There’s ample scientific evidence that our brains undergo significant change when we’re exposed to nature, or walk in a forest.
And sometimes, there are really special places. Places that speak to us, and where we can go to listen to ourselves and the world. It might be a spot that someone else would barely notice, but it can be special to us.
The criteria might be too complex for there to be a formula, but I highly recommend listening to your intuition. Let it guide you to a place that feels right, one step at a time. It might say, for example “go outside”, and then “walk down THAT road” and then “stand right here”. The place you stop might be close by your home, or even inside your home. You’ll know when you get there.
When you do, I would respectfully suggest that you just breathe, and listen for your inner voice, without expectation or judgment. Your intuition might pose a question that echoes into the space, or it may not. You might adopt a certain body posture, standing taller, or lying down, or kneeling. Just keep listening, giving your intuition just a few moments of your day to fully guide you.
If you get something wonderful back - whether it be a few words of inspiration, a valuable insight or reflection, a calm or deepening or just a feeling, then you may have found your special spot, or at least one of them. Try coming back another time, see if you have the same experience. If you do, you might make a ritual of it.
That could change your life. It has mine.