By Amy Underdown, London, UK

Regular meditation has many benefits: reduced anxiety, better control over your emotions, enhanced concentration, decreased stress and even greater bonds with others and the world around you. However, this doesn’t mean that the practice is an easy thing to jump right into. Whilst it is something everyone can do, even those that have been practicing for years will often need help with meditation.

Finding exactly how to help with meditation can be difficult, as everyone will have a unique technique and journey. In the Buddhist tradition, however, bringing a Buddha statue into the home can often give meditators the help they need with the practice. 

But how exactly can a Buddha statue help with meditation? First and foremost, having a Buddha statue in the home is the closest many can get to replicating the serenity of temple, which represents the ideal space in which to meditate. Having this temple-like tranquillity can build a strong foundation for meditative practice and help to build a space in your home which is dedicated to your art.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, certain statues of the Buddha can act as physical and spiritual guides to your meditation journey. In a physical sense, focusing intensely on a Buddha statue can help meditators shift into that state of profound serenity which is core to meditation. Having a statue in the home is also a physical reminder to take the time to meditate, something which can often slip away when life simply gets in the way. Spiritually, a Buddha statue can help you to cultivate the right energy and serenity in order to get the most out of your meditation session, much like a spiritual guide. 

There are many different types of Buddha statue, meaning you can select a statue which feels most aligned with what you are trying to achieve from meditating.  A Calling the Earth to Witness Buddha, for example, can assist you with overcoming specific obstacles as it depicts the moment the Buddha was able to defeat his demons to reach enlightenment. Or you might opt for a Teaching Buddha, which helps people wanting to increase and focus on their spirituality. 

For those who really want to focus on their meditative practice, a Meditation Buddha is ideal; there are deep meanings behind the Buddha’s pose and hand position, known as the mudra. The Buddha sits in the lotus pose, which is the position taken up by meditators across the globe. This gives the Buddha a triangular silhouette, reflecting the balance and tranquillity of his meditative state, echoed by his half or fully closed eyes. Having a Meditation Buddha will therefore strengthen an individual’s spiritual resolve and set them on the right path of meditation. The positive energies of the Buddha statue are said to encapsulate a room and therefore make the meditation journey deeper and more meaningful.