Every Space can be a sacred space; more than a space where you live, spend time with family, work …it is  a state of mind and heart, a reflection of the soul

 
The first step to achieving your sacred space is to allow yourself to go with the flow and let go of resistance. Life can be like a stream with many boulders. But if we relate ourselves to the water, rushing through and between the obstructing rocks, we see that there is a perfect path carved out for us. Struggling against these boulders can waste our precious energy, so as we learn to go with the flow, we see that though the rocks seem like something to be struggled against, it is not actually necessary to take part in this struggle. Most of us have had this experience when trying to learn to swim. Once we relaxed, we were able to float, without expending very much energy. In fact, the less energy we expended, the calmer and more still we remained, and were able to float more easily.

In Feng Shui we talk about how to arrange our environment for optimal flow, least resistance, and a healthy flow of chi, which is our life energy at optimum performance. But in Creating Sacred Space we will go one step back and take a look at feng shui from the opposite perspective- how we ourselves operate within our environment. So first we will discuss some attributes of a sacred space that nurtures our minds, bodies and souls. And then we will discuss attitudes of being, inside the most sacred space, which is ourselves, and how keeping this attitude of being in the flow, along with our outside environment creates an ideal situation in our lives in which we are able to accomplish more meaning and expend less energy.

Clear the Clutter
The first step is to clear your home and life of unwanted and unnecessary clutter. Clutter is like a blood clot. It creates a physical block in your environment, but also a mental block that stands in the way of resolving life issues or making progress. Last week we did a clutter clearing workshop and there are many great books on the importance of clearing your clutter. I recommend Clear Your Clutter by Karen Kingston.Some things to think about are, functional furniture and equipment.Lets take an example of wanting to create a small meditation space.
You may choose to create this in a walk-in closet.

Perhaps this room is simple and you only need a few key pieces of furniture. Maybe a beautiful rug on the floor to anchor your feet and help you feel grounded.

An arrangement of throw pillows, and floor cushions will help to create a soft relaxing atmosphere. Maybe you would like to change the light fixture to something very special that when lit, is subtle and reflects refracted light onto the walls. A small table with candles and your devotion book would be nice against the wall. This gives you a place and time to record your important thoughts, any recent dreams you would like to remember or place a symbol that directly relates to a current goal or prayer request. Maybe you’ve really been into a certain color. This is the perfect space to paint the wall any color you desire. Certain colors are better facilitators of certain moods. For instance pale greens and blues are calming while orange and yellow are more energizing. Red is also more energizing, and these colors may be too agitating for a meditation room. Purples, blues and neutrals may be good choice but choose a color that feels good to you and use your intuition when choosing.

You may want to hang nothing on the walls. This may give you more room to notice your thoughts and feelings while spending time in this type of room.

You may want to create a shrine and hang lots of pictures of family, inspirational figures. Whatever is important to you at the time. And these objects can be changed around or rotated.

A meditation room is a good example of a room created with intention, but even an everyday room like the kitchen can be a sacred space for you. Maybe you have a practice of coming home and cooking a healthy meal for your family each evening. What do you really love and enjoy to have around you as you do this? Maybe classical music and a few candles. Many kitchens a re painted warm colors like soothing yellow neutrals. If you find these colors feel nurturing to you while cooking, take the time to paint the walls. Put a little effort into organizing your cupboards so that cooking is simple and pleasant. Light the candles, turn on the music, and enjoy what you are doing fully.

If there is anything you find yourself doing daily that you truly do not enjoy, ask yourself if this activity is necessary, if it brings anything good into your life and if not, try to let it go and replace it with a different activity that is more nurturing. You can continue to try different things until you find an activity that nurtures you.

For instance if you ever feel like you truly need a break, need to fully unwind, try turning off all the noise. The fan, the Tv, the radio, any computers that aren’t being used. You can also unplug all the power strips to stop electricity from running through your home as much as possible. This will give you a mini break from all the noise. You will feel a difference and your body will respond to this quiet time.

Remember the most important thing within the space is you. As you out effort into creating a supportive environment you will naturally want to find ways to enjoy your environment more fully.

Create Your Special Space- Decorating with Meaning
Since we spend so much time in certain areas in our home we may have a special idea in mind for a bedroom, a home office a meditation room or even the kitchen. Any room in your home can be sacred. The less clutter and stagnant energy around us, the more sacred our daily lives become. Ancient cultures that had no tradition of collecting clutter were usually more attuned to nature and spirituality.

A few meaningful objects in a space do more to support you and your goals than having too many things around, just in case you might need them. Begin by deciding what you want the main purpose of the space to function as. Some rooms are obvious, like the kitchen, and other rooms, like a den, a hobby room, or an extra bedroom give you more options.

Colors
Fabrics
Themes
Meaningful Objects