What is a sanctuary? And what makes them necessary today more than ever?
A sanctuary is you, and at the moment you realize it, you are. The place where everything is simply in place and that allows you to deliver yourself with no suspicion, and to free yourself. There, you are yourself, in your most genuine sense of the word. With nothing to hide, and no one to compete with, with no expectations to meet or generate, you just are and, in doing so, give yourself to a fullness that’s always there, ready to embrace you. A sanctuary is the exact point where you can resonate with yourself and from yourself.
For millennia, the figure of the sanctuary has been with us, in all ages, cultures, and societies. Temples, gardens, squares, paths, or specific places that had emerged naturally are but some of the materializations of this archetypal “space.”
Sanctuaries are necessary to the art of existing. We cleanse and regenerate this experience to continue to honor that way. Here we find sacred sites and elevated states of consciousness that represent the ultimate sanctuary: in impeccable physical or psychic spaces. But beyond a physical and radiant space, a sanctuary is a point that inhabits and is inhabited on multiple dimensions: a warm memory of childhood, an everyday ritual that protects you, a recurring dream, or a graceful and grateful mood. We’re speaking here of states that both comfort and shelter, of sites that induce processes of self-knowledge, and that permeate one with gratitude and serenity. They’re places where we assure ourselves: you’ve already been here (and it’s here where you should always return).
Sanctuary as ubiquitous territory
At its most accessible and, perhaps, fullest form, a sanctuary is open to everyone. It doesn’t depend on time or space. Remember that you’ve already been there. And you may know what we’re talking about here: we mean the state in which all your senses, and your flow of thoughts and emotions, harmonize perfectly. That is when you experience the original calm from which we all emerge. The sanctuary is always there, for anyone who decides to stop for a moment and come in. A simple pause, a specific inhalation and exhalation, or even a harmonic accident, are enough to come in: the instant is, literally, an ubiquitous sanctuary.
The time for sanctuaries
You may have noticed that many of us live today according to rhythms that are hardly biological. They’re full of information and far from nature. Seeking a center of refuge and togetherness is perhaps more important than ever. The challenges of today are enormous: maintaining calm and clarity and resonating healthy frequencies for yourself and others requires an ability to re-locate the center, and that center is a sanctuary. Perhaps that’s why, and in perfect correspondence, sanctuaries are flourishing — for the simple reason that they’re indispensable to our time.
In the face of the imbalance of the programs operating much of our reality, sanctuaries have taken on vital importance; nature reserves, “sanctuaries” for animals, and “sanctuary cities” for migrants. Having a territory inclined toward healing, that reconnects you with all that’s original, and where forces like regeneration and creativity are cultivated, is vital today.
A sanctuary has no doors. Its essence is generosity: the moment you want to, you can go in. You’ll always be welcome.
