Creating Sacred Space

This episode explores the importance of having a space set aside for your spiritual practice and offers simple ways to help you create a space to support you as you deepen your spiritual growth. Experience a guided meditation to assist you in creating your sacred space. Credits: Intro/Outro by HarumachiMusic from Pixabay, Meditation by REDProductions from Pixabay, Photo: Jay Castro.

Transcript

Welcome to Ask, Learn, Heal. I'm Mary Jo Feeley. In this episode, I'm going to be talking about how to go through the steps of creating sacred space. So let's think about that term for just a moment, Sacred space. You know, Just hearing that, It invites us into a place of pause. It invites us into a sense of slowing down, A sense of wonder. And so regardless of where we physically are within our home, Or if you're traveling, Where you're traveling, Having an ability to create a sacred space can be very helpful. Because we know that when we slow down, When we simplify, We open to a state of awareness, Stress begins to shift, And we are healing ourselves much more holistically body, Mind, And spirit. Most of us do not have the luxury of having a room dedicated for our spiritual practice. So it means we get to be creative with where that will be and what it will look like. So it may be for you that it's a corner of a room or a bedside table. If you travel a lot, Perhaps for school or for work, You can actually create a sacred space kit that you can take with you. And then as you get into the hotel or the Airbnb or wherever it is that you may be staying, You can create a sacred space simply by opening up your sacred space kit and setting the intention that sacred space and the awareness and that wonder and that pause all meets together. I find it helpful to have several items in my sacred space. So I thought I would tell you about them. And it may be that you already have some of these in your sacred space, Or it may be that you think, Hmm, That's not a bad idea. I'm going to think about that. One of the things that I really like having is something that has some kind of a sound. So it could be a singing bowl, It could be little chimes or little cymbals or little ting shaws. Essentially, It's a sound that's going to help us shift. It's going to allow those vibrations to move through us. And it may be that if you don't have any physical item, You may have some wonderful, Lovely music that you find very, Very relaxing and very sacred and have that playing. So there are all kinds of ways that we can have sound support that shift from the busyness of our life into a time set aside for meditation, For reflection, For prayer, And for pause. Do you have some kind of ritual object that you really love to work with? Do you have a statue? Do you have some kind of beads that you use for counting prayers and recitations of mantras or meditation practices? There are different forms of beads that many, Many world traditions use to keep track of the various offerings of celebration, Of gratitude. And so that may be something that you find really helpful. It could be that you have a particular statue, It could be a particular object that was gifted to you that you want to have in your corner or in your meditation space, In your sacred space to remind you of a particular person. So those are beautiful examples. It could be a photograph as well. There are times when you might want to work with some kind of a fragrance and that can be done working with essential oils, It could be done with resins or some kind of dried herbs. So perhaps you have some native herbs within your environment that you love and you want to bundle those together and offer them as a way to shift that, Again, This sense of busyness in our day-to-day life and allowing that smudging, That incense, Those dried herbs to be able to help us shift into more of that sacred space. Having some form of writing or reading material can be really helpful. It could be that you have a sketch pad, You're an artist, Perhaps you write poetry. It may be that you have a set of scriptures that you find or some kind of prayer books, Spiritual readings and teachings. Having something within your sacred space, Not only for you to be able to work with during your meditation and prayer time, But also it represents that invitation that there's always more knowledge, More insight, More wisdom that can be gleaned as we connect with others who are considered teachers. So it may be that you have a really powerful poetry book or you have something from your childhood that maybe a grandparent gave you that you find very comforting. Consider bringing some kind of a reading or writing material into your sacred space. It can be a lovely way to support your overall healing. I also work with things that I find in nature. Sometimes there is a rock in my yard that I have found or in one of my gardens. Sometimes I will see a branch that the wind has blown down or a feather that has been dropped by a bird. Sometimes it's working with a specific form of a healing gemstone or crystal. Again, Something that's important to you is really helpful. And so you can imagine if you're traveling, You could have a small little box that could be a very fancy box. It could be a very simple box that you carefully and very mindfully create. And you can place some of these items or all of them into your box. And so that as you travel, You open the box up and then you're able to set your sacred space up and so that you're carrying it with you. The important thing I think when it comes to creating sacred space is to not get overcomplicated. Don't add something just because somebody said it was a good idea. Consider what you think could be really helpful as you are creating your sacred space. Now in just a minute, We are going to be shifting into a guided meditation. And this guided meditation is going to be specifically offered to help you touch into what are some of the various types of objects or items that could be really helpful to either supplement or use to create a sacred space. So as we begin to shift into this guided meditation, I would want to remind you, Of course, That if you're driving, Simply pause this episode and turn it on again once you're able to listen to the meditation from a place of safety and relaxation. So now very gently close your eyes and settle into a comfortable position. And simply allow yourself to breathe in and notice the breath moving in and the breath moving out. And notice if there are any areas where there is some tension or pressure or any kind of pain or ache. And allow yourself to shift your body and breathe into those spaces, Allowing the process of breathing in and out to help bring relief to those areas. And now as you are continuing to focus on your breath, Bring your awareness to your heart center. And imagine within your heart space, This is a representation of your sacred space. And as you're within this heart space, Allow yourself to focus on the question, What might sound look like if I were to bring that into my sacred space? And to notice if there's an image or a word or a sound, Perhaps. That you are becoming aware of. And now from within this heart space, Ask the question, What objects would be helpful for me to have in my sacred space? And allow your inner spiritual nature to provide you with the answers. And now within your heart space, Once again, Ask the question, What am I able to bring into my sacred space in the form of an oil or herbs that through their fragrances, I may shift into a state of peace? And simply notice what awarenesses are arising. And now from within your heart space, Once again, Ask the question, How might reading and writing and creative expression present itself in books, In sacred readings, In prayers? And allow the answers to emerge. And now bringing your awareness to your heart space once again, Ask the question, What objects are important to me and will help me by including them in my sacred space? Allowing yourself to see or feel or know or hear your answers. And now within your heart space, Once again, Envision the items and objects that have come to you through awareness, Resting together in your sacred space and see yourself within this sacred space. Slowing down, Entering a state of awareness, Healing, And being transformed. And from within your heart space, Look around and see what else you notice about your sacred space. And now very slowly and gently begin to bring your awareness once again to your breath and allow your breath to help you slowly shift from a state of spiritual connection into a more grounded state of awareness. And begin to feel your body, Wiggling your toes and your fingers if that is helpful. Feeling the edges of your body as you become more aware of your physical awareness, That physical body. And draw in the sacred space with your breath and allow it to permeate throughout you, Helping to open you to wonder. As you have become still, You now carry that stillness forward. So take a final breath and very gently open your eyes. My hope is that this guided meditation has helped you first and foremost to slow down and shift out of a busyness that life invites us into all the time, Into a state where you are able to be more mindful and more aware of the connection that exists between you and your inner spiritual nature. I'd like to have you think about, And perhaps even jot down, What sorts of experiences did you have when you were inviting in the question around sound, What showed up? It could be a reinforcement of something that you already are working with, With your sacred space, Or it could be something new to you. The same question I would ask for you to do is make note of what kind of ritual objects, May have appeared? Where does the role of plant medicine, Essential oils, Resins, And herbs come into the picture for you? And how is it that you are not only working with some form of reading and writing material so that that aspect can be supported? Yet also, How is it that some of those important pieces within your life, It could be, As I mentioned, I like to find rocks and branches and feathers and gemstones and crystals. It could be that there's something that you hold very near and dear, And was that something that you were reinforced during the meditation to call in and bring into your sacred space? There is no right or wrong way to create sacred space, Yet it is really important to have that so that you are able to let your guard down and simply be present to whatever's arising within you. If you live with others, Particularly if you, Maybe you have a lot of little hands and feet all over your home, Make sure that people know who you live with, That this is your space and that you would greatly appreciate that it not be disturbed. The reality is if you have very small children, It may be that this sacred space needs to be lifted up a little bit until they can know how to touch with their eyes and not be too messing around too much with your things. And there is, As I mentioned, No right or wrong way to create sacred space. The important thing is that you have a place where you can take some time simply to unwind, Simply to connect with your inner spiritual nature and be at peace. Be well.