Creating a Sanctuary
Like the bower bird who collects all manner of tiny things to bring back to it's home ~ leaves, feathers, twigs from mother nature, bits of plastic from humans, shiney stones. It's so important to surround ourselves with objects that speak to our souls. In our homes, our nests, our spaces where we come home to ourselves, our creative or spiritual practices. These items we collect should not be chosen for material reasons, like trends, or whether anyone else sees them as valuable. They should be chosen and gathered for how they make us ~ feel ~
Have you ever found something, in nature, or a vintage shop, or a thrift store that you felt connected to, fascinated by, drawn into, something you bought for no rational reason. These are the things to create your sanctuary - things that feel like they resonate with something beautiful inside of you.
Spiritual places are always adorned with frames of saints, which so many people over the years have looked deeply at, with open hearts, silently wishing their prayers to. It's something that reminds me of my childhood, I always wondered if these images, hung in smokey churches gained a special power from all the energy poured into them. And if that is true, would that work if it were a framed photo of a loved one? This is the reason we designed our faux-tin travel frames. So we can keep special photos close, offline, create a sanctuary of tangible, beautiful, shiney things, and pour love into them, so that they may reflect that back to us.
If you are wanting to create a sanctuary in your home, choose a spot where you feel most calm, away from the tv, away from technology, somewhere with natural light, or a window. A small table in front of a meditation cushion on the floor is a nice way to create a space, without needing to take up too much area. From here you could try adding a candle, or natural incense to ground and connect with your sense of smell, placing objects that feel like treasures to you, maybe a vase of flowers or vessel to hold something you've gathered from nature, photos of memories, photos from places you dream of visiting, images that give you a sense of peace, calm and connection to a grounded, inspiring feeling. Enjoy the process of decorating, finessing, cleaning, adding to, and taking away items if they no longer resonate.
Enjoy the sanctuary you've created, returning to it, again and again.
