THREE WAYS TO CREATE A SACRED SPACE

Creating a place for yourself to engage in your daily spiritual practice is not necessary; it’s essential. When we designate an area in our living domain to be the seat of our spirituality, we are claiming an energetic space and preparing to imbue it with our commitment, discipline, dedication, and devotion.

Many clients have asked me over and again, how do I start, what do I do? The answer often is, “It depends.” How ornate or simple do you wish the space to be? How much space can you carve in your home? Creating a sacred space in a studio apartment in a crowded city is going to be more challenging than a large house in a rural area.

However, there are several basic things to keep in mind if you want to create a sacred space in your home where you can come each day and connect to your body, mind, and Self.

⦁ Make it Quiet - away from the hustle of the rest of the home, and where you won’t be disturbed.

⦁ Make it Comfortable - add a shag rug, pillows, a soft blanket, or meditation shawl.

⦁ Make it Inviting - create the space for your peace.

⦁ Make it Bright - natural light from a window can add energy to your practice.

⦁ Make it Appealing - Oil diffusers offer welcoming smells, as do candles and incense

1. Keep it Simple - Create an Altar

Going out and buying expensive Balinese teak altars or fancily decorated Japanese chests is unnecessary. Of course, if you want to and can afford to, by all means, do. But over the years, I have found that creating a simple altar or spiritual space is inexpensive, easy, and meaningful. You can take a piece of wood, place it on two bricks or orange crates, and cover the wood or the whole thing in a piece of colored fabric, and you have an altar. Another option is to lay a small rug in the corner of a room as a space designation. Place a cushion that you will sit on in the middle, and you have just created a meditation space. A small chest or trunk found at a consignment store or Goodwill can be repainted and serve as storage and as your altar. 

Creative options know no bounds. What is essential is to make something that you will treasure and treat with a certain reverence. No matter how simple or ornate, when we recognize that our altar is the spiritual bookmarker for our daily practice, we welcome the time to be there every day.

2. Make it Special - Objects and Artifacts

Anything can be placed on an altar. Statues, photographs, or pieces of art. These are very personal items that speak to our self-energy. Candles and incense are lovely staples as they can be used as an invitation to our daily practice. Or perhaps a rosary or mala beads laid out can be the reminder that your practice is waiting for you. 

Nondenominational altars support a myriad of items from nature. Stones found in a river or brook, feathers found on the beach or in the woods, shells, crystals, and driftwood can all serve as items that will draw you to your practice each day. Or perhaps just a journal and an inspirational book are all you need. In the Japanese Zen tradition, there is very little on the altar’s surface, signifying simplicity and the importance of emptying the noise from our internal and external world.

3. Use it Daily - Commit to Sit

One of the most important things about a sacred space is that it be comfortable and inviting. Whether your intention is to create a space for yoga practice, meditation, journaling, prayer or contemplation, make it a space that you want to go to on a daily and committed basis. Otherwise, part of you will resist being there, and from the resistance will then come guilt at having missed days in a row, circling into negative self-talk and self-criticism. Avoid this at all costs!

A daily practice means just that. Engage in something for 10 to 20 minutes each day and become disciplined about doing so. That discipline will soon turn into dedication, which in turn evolves into devotion. Set yourself up for success by choosing a reasonable amount of time and effort. Challenge yourself to engage in a practice for 40 days. Accomplishing this will bring an enormous sense of satisfaction, confidence, and increased self-worth. 

Why 40 days? Research shows that anything that is done consistently for that amount of time will become a positive habit - with the brain re-wiring new neural pathways that override old ones. Giving ourselves this amount of time affords us the opportunity to experience the rewards and satisfaction of facing the challenge and succeeding.