Cultivating Sacred Space

Happy Sunday, friend!

When we consider the sacred, we often have visions of grand cathedrals that dwarf the surrounding architecture and temples as old as the dirt they were built on, but scarcely do we think of ourselves and the spaces we inhabit daily.

By all means, “give unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s” and whatnot — especially if you are religious and know you have a spiritual duty — but what about giving unto ourselves? As you read and resonate, recommend this story to someone you think can benefit by paying themselves in some self-care.

If we are to live our best lives, we need to be our best selves. What better way than to create a space where we can simultaneously elevate and humble ourselves in an upward cycle of becoming better?

Intent

The intent of the sacred space I propose is twofold. The first is to inspect and repair any damage to your esteem and spirit; the second is to collect yourself and understand the ways you can do and become better.

You must have it in your mind that you deserve to elevate yourself, but also that you have faults that only you can work on. We are all works in progress. We are always becoming. (What we are becoming, though, is a sweet mystery.)

To create your sacred space, you have to first believe that you’re worthy and capable of the tenants of personal luxury — that is, carving space, squeezing time, and creating opportunity. With these simple and powerful steps, you will have cultivated a beautiful and serene space that’s all yours.

Carving Space

To carve space, you must embody your body. Not to sound arcane, but you can’t really do it if you’re distracted. With your full focus (will, intent, Presence-with-a-capital-p — whatever you want to call it) you must confidently project yourself into the space and make it your own. Sit in it for stretches of time, examine it to get to know it more intimately, bring in a favorite symbol or trinkets put you at ease.

Squeezing Time

When it comes to time and making it work, the biggest challenge we have in a time-conscious world is, ironically, being conscious of time.

Make time to just Be (that’s capital on purpose) in your sacred space. It can be for two minutes or two hours. Make it a regular ritual to sit in your space at a certain time, or at a certain frequency that works for you. Having the space means nothing if you don’t inject yourself into it, right?

Creating Opportunity

This is where the magic happens. Allow yourself to exist as you are when nobody is looking. Unclench your belly that you always tighten in insecurity; wear that shirt you love but that you dare not wear because of shame; unabashedly love the scars that carry stories only you know. It is a time to put yourself on high; it is also a time to reflect and ask yourself, “baby, what is you doing?” when you know you’ve been falling off. And as you gently walk yourself through that reflection, end on a high note — how you’re gonna do better next time; how you will make better choices; how you’re going to take the peaceful feeling you feel in your sacred space with you throughout the day.

The Spirit of Sunday

By creating a sacred space, you directly engage in the spirit of Sunday on your own terms. You dedicate yourself to personal luxury by casting yourself in metaphorical gold and, hopefully, becoming a wellspring of joy and positivity for those around you and, most importantly, for yourself.

As always, vibe higher.

Thanks for sundaying with us today! Since you enjoyed this piece and crave more, follow @ArtOfSunday on Medium and Twitter! Also join our pre-launch mailing list if you cant get enough of us: www.ArtOfSunday.com.

Happy Sunday!