“Wherever you are—be all there.” Jim Elliott
Creating a sacred space can be as low-key as choosing your favorite spot on the couch, or as involved as setting up an alter. There are lots of ways to do it, and all of them are right. Just as there is no wrong way to meditate, there is no wrong place to do it either. Where and when you meditate is personal, but it is much more likely that new habits will “stick” if you practice them at a consistent time, in a consistent place.
When I began meditating I would wake up, use the bathroom, and sit right down on the edge of my bathtub. My tub has a step on it and I would put a towel under me and behind me so that I had a cushion for my back and backside. Now that I think about it, I have no idea why I thought that was a good idea! It wasn’t comfortable, it was definitely unusual, but it worked for a while.
A few months later I turned my closet into my sacred space. It became my quiet little cocoon, and I hid in there every morning with the door closed. I began to collect special things on my dresser and before I knew it I had an alter filled with spiritual books that spoke to me, crystals, pictures of loved ones, my vision board, and my worry box. I was cozy and comfortable there for about a year.
When I began teaching meditation from home I turned the front room of my house into my “Zen Den” teaching studio. It transformed from a room that nobody ever used to a sacred space. My keepsakes, adjustable floor cushions and beautiful art turned this room into a peaceful and serene haven for my students and myself.
I have certainly moved through a few sacred spaces in my meditation practice, but let me be clear that nothing is necessary except setting a time, finding a place that you are comfortable, and actually meditating. You don’t need essential oils of any kind, crystals, or spiritual anything. You need a desire to get quiet and focused, bottom line.
Nothing else is necessary, but sometimes people do enjoy creating a small routine involving lighting a candle, using an oil or a crystal, or enjoying a page of inspirational reading. If something speaks to you, do it, and if not, no worries!
No matter where you meditate or for how long, remember that you are honoring yourself during this time. You are filling up your own cup so that you have more love and joy to share with others that you care about. These five, ten, or twenty minutes that you spend by yourself each day do truly fuel you. I love the way that Joseph Campbell puts it: “Your sacred space is where you an find yourself over and over again.” Whether it is your couch, your closet, your bed, or your favorite chair…find the spot that makes you feel comfortable and secure, because what could be more sacred than that?