It can
restore peace of mind and reclaim personal power
A Place
of Sanctuary - Creating Sacred Space
by Gwen Nyhus
Stewart
The World
Health Organization (WHO) describes health as "the condition of
perfect bodily, spiritual, and social well-being and not solely the
absence of illness and injury." As described by the WHO, how many of
us feel emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy
on a daily basis? We work in structures called 'sick-buildings;' we
go home to care for families so tired we are almost unable to
function; and we increasingly lose our connection with any sense of
our place in the universe. How do we reclaim our life and start to
think that our life matters and that we are important in the overall
scheme of things? One way of doing this is to create our own
sanctuary/sacred space.
Creating our
own sacred space restores our peace of mind and enables us to stand
back from the turmoil in our lives in order to provide a place where
we can reconnect with our sense of self and reclaim our power.
Exploration of sanctuary is to create a link to the Divine as our
soul asks us to love, accept, and provide hospitality to ourselves
when we are spiritually hungry. Spirituality is more than a
psychological and emotional need: it is an inherent biological need
as our energy, our spirit, and our personal power is all one and the
same force. We need daily sanctuary as our heart and soul depends on
it. When we give ourselves the gift of sacred time in a special
place, we are feeding our spirit. Theodore Roszak writes, "We can
now recognise that the fate of the soul is the fate of the social
order; that if the spirit within us withers, so too will all the
world we build about us."
Creating
Sacred Space in your Home, Workplace, and Garden
The first
consideration in creating a sacred space in your home, workplace, or
garden is defining the purpose in doing so. Some of the questions
for consideration include:
1. What
is it that you want your sacred space to provide for you?
2. Where
will your sanctuary be located?
3. What
feelings do you want?
4. What
attracts you to your sanctuary? 5. What features do
you want?
6. What
colours do you want?
7. What
sounds do you want?
Ideas and
Options for Creating Sacred Space in your Home, Workplace, and
Garden
In your place
of sanctuary, some of the items you could include are:
Candles - you
can use candles to provide colour and when burning provide a point
of focus for meditation. Scented candles can add a touch of
fragrance to your environment.
Plants - your
plants will require care, and not only will make the air more
healthy, but will encourage you to attend your place of sanctuary.
Plants can also be used to enhance particular colours and fragrances
you wish to add to your well-being.
Water - adding
desktop water fountains to your place of sacredness will not only
provide the soothing sounds of water, but will also block out other
noises in your environment.
Music - music
as my Dad used to say, "feeds the soul." Use music you like, such
as, sounds of nature or instrumental music, to provide a place of
soothing for your soul.
Aquariums -
live fish and the sounds of water provide healing energy for your
sacred space. In the Chinese culture, live fish are thought to be
'good energy.'
Rocks and
stones - are considered in many cultures to be sacred. Use in your
place of sanctuary and, when you are tired or stressed-out,
re-arrange your 'rock garden.'
Walls - walls
can be used to act as, or hang notice boards on, where you can post
favourite pictures, quotes, and ideas.
Spend at least
10 minutes a day (20 is better) in refreshing and renewing your
spiritual self.
Finally, in
creating your sacred space, remember you are unique. There will
never be anyone on the planet like you and you have a right to spend
time caring for yourself. As Richard Bolles in his book What Colour
Is Your Parachute says, "You are God's gift to the planet and your
uniqueness is the gift to the rest of us."
About the author: Gwen Nyhus
Stewart, B.S.W., M.G., H.T., is an educator, freelance writer,
garden consultant, and author of the book The Healing Garden: A
Place Of Peace. To find out more about the book and subscribe to her
free Newsletter visit
www.gwenshealinggarden.ca Gwen Nyhus Stewart © 2004 - 2007. All
rights reserved.
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