b-Home Studio: Claudia Newell's Meditation Shed

Prefab Meditation Shed for Catskill NY

Our environment is permeated by Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) in unprecedented amounts. These unseen and often unacknowledged forces contribute to stress and fatigue, and diminish our capacity for insight and reflection. Spending time in a rural environment like Catskill, we find immediate relief away from the grid of a large city, but given the proliferation of cell phone and satellite communications, we may wish to take extra steps. How will we address these modern challenges? Some techniques from the past are in order.

The ancient yogis intuitively recognized the benefits of meditating in caves; this orientation informed the massive stone edifices of Hindu and some Buddhist temples. Although they had no electronic communications, they recognized the massive electromagnetic impacts of the sun and earth, and created an insulating environment. Fast forward to the discovery of the Faraday cage, a chamber that could ward off charges. When we are in an elevator and lose cell phone service, we are essentially experiencing a Faraday cage; these structures are regularly used to protect equipment in industry. Similarly, Wilhelm Reich built Faraday-like Orgone Accumulators, where the body could concentrate life force (chi or prana).
Modern day scientific studies of subjects living underground show the profound changes when one is isolated from the usual earth-surface, geomagnetic influences. See a Faraday cage below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUWxYesR5Wo

There is an efficient way for you to construct your own meditation shed. Purchase an affordable steel 8 x 10 shed at a large home center, (or better yet, from someone who is selling a used structure. A metal shipping container would also be an extra durable solution). Inside, one can use standard framing skills to construct a wood floor inside the shed (floor kits are available for some of these sheds).

A stud wall is constructed – put the wooden sheathing of your choice on the inside, and copper sheeting or mesh on the outside. This will make it comfortable within and provide an extra layer of EMF insulation. For climate control, you will probably want to put some sort of non-conductive, insulating material between the two walls. Discarded insulation from building demolitions comes to mind, although dedicated and deep-pocketed builder s may want to follow Reich’s method of layers of foil and wool insulation.
http://www.orgonics.com/humorac.htm
http://www.orgone.org/articles/ax2001-grnfld-aa.htm

Consult the web for more information and inspiration on these topics.
There is a metal lic fabric bed canopy at http://www.lessemf.com/personal.html
This could provide a fast Prefab solution for the inside of your shed instead of building the walls; of course, the usual inverse relationship between time and $$$ is a factor.

Use the same techniques to fashion a ceiling and complete the faraday cage within.
Your shed will have a door included – it’s up to you if you want to make a screen door to complete the small room-within-a-room. A small window to peer outside on the door does not make a huge difference in the effects.

Remember to use a ground stake on the metal walls to send charges, like those from a thunderstorm, to the earth.
http://www.lessemf.com/ground.html#291

Yogic tradition often recommends sitting on a wool rug or sheep skin. This provides natural, comfortable insulation between you and the earth.

If you need a light inside, run an extension cord from your local source, and use incandescent lights ONLY – fluorescents produce EMFs.

Happy Samadhi, and enjoy the sunshine and refreshed focus when you emerge!