Create a space to be reborn and renewed every day — a place to find rest

I love to create quiet, inspiring spaces for rituals like meditation or yoga —  places where I feel more connected to what's meaningful in my life. I find inspiration in places where I can connect to oneness, and places that give me energy. Nature best inspires me and helps me get into the ritual of meditation, yoga, prayer, and sacred practice. But I have several indoor spaces as well.

I think that creating our own sacred space lets us express our very human need for ongoing spiritual nourishment. Everyone can benefit from creating places where they intentionally choose what surrounds them. Your sacred space might contain a single object such as a time-worn chair at the end of a boat dock, a garden sculpture or a dish garden that you deliberately place in a special location. It may be an entire room arranged with plantings, lighting, furniture, objects and sounds that have special meaning for you and tangibly connect you with the sacred or spiritual side of yourself.

I sometimes hike to a secret grove where I keep a few natural, magikal elements. I sit within a medicine wheel on my beach every morning surrounded by crystals. In my meditation room where I do healing work I use chimes, drums, rattles, there are piles of beautifully woven cushions, heady incense. Sacred is my office where I am surrounded with photos of my children, their trinkets and treasures, technology, itunes. But perhaps my most sacred space is my kayak, where the only sound I need to connect with my essence is the rhythmic dip of my paddle, the wind and the waves keeping me mindful of constant change...

If "God is in the details," as the saying goes, the places you live and work can make your spirituality more a part of your everyday life. And that can go a long way toward helping you feel more centered, grounded and happy. Your definition of what's sacred is as individual as a fingerprint. Yet unlike a fingerprint, your personal ideas and expression of what is sacred can evolve and change over time. Mine do. My needs also shift. I love to start fresh, begin again. By rearranging what is on the outside I rearrange my inner wold in the process, every time!

I invite you to create a sacred space today. Start by defining what "sacred" or "spiritual" means to you and what you want from your sacred space. Before you begin, think about what you're seeking and decide how you want to use it. Do you want to:

• Create a private sanctuary for meditation and prayer, healing, or simply for quiet reflection?
• Designate a shared space for connecting with others, or for ritual or ceremony?
• Co-create a family altar that continually evolves with spontaneous contributions from each of you?

Creating a sacred space can be something you do once in your lifetime or every day, alone or with loved ones. I love to make new spaces to consecrate a new journey, or transform existing ideas, to celebrate an important decision or change, and to be more present and conscious in any aspect of my life.

You can create a special place for simple reflection, traditional meditation, or creativity. It all starts with a desire to make something beautiful, and meaningful. Again and again.

May you be blessed!