Recently a client asked, “How do you create a sacred space for meditation and quiet.”  These are some tips to create your own sacred space be it an entire room or a small shelf.

 I like to think of sacred spaces as being attached to your senses…

 1.       Visual – Color.  Colors trigger emotional responses from the inside.  Think of it, seeing “red” when you are angry or feeling “blue” when you are sad.  Try painting the sacred space or even the shelf, a calming color to help “queue” your internal response to “relax.”  My office is painted a gorgeous, blue-lavender hue and often my clients will comment how it feels like walking into Springtime upon entering the room…Use color as a way to sooth yourself, instead revving it up.

2.       Smell – Palo Santo and candles.  Whenever I smell burning Palo Santo, Holy Wood, I am instantly connected to divine peace. It smells like nature and mother earth to me.  I like lighting candles and Palo Santo before I meditate or spend time in my sacred space.  I’ve created my own ritual of sorts.  By lighting candles and burning holy wood, I intentionally mark a transition into my sacred space.  This in turn, creates a higher vibration thus more “sacred space.”

3.       Touch – images and photos.  I like to think of this as more about “touching” your heart then physical touch.  What are some images that immediately calm you when you look at them?  Mother Mary?  Angels? Frogs?  Pretty knit-knacks from long ago adventures?  Friends?  Anything that you adorn your sacred space with must be centered in love and tranquility.  Your sacred space is yours alone, a place that speaks to your own heart quietly.  Be creative and even open to what is important…Maybe a favorite rock or two will show up.

4.       Taste – water.  I like balance in sacred spaces.  Water balances fire – candles.  Water nourishes us.  It reminds us to be flexible and that our emotions can be fluid like the ocean.  I have a wonderful Kuan Yin statue that drips water.  Kuan Yin is an Eastern goddess focused on compassion for self and others.  (Kind of like the Mother Mary of the East without the virgin-birth story attached.)  Some clients leave small bowls of water with flower blossoms floating in their meditation spaces to keep the energy fresh.  A nice fountain can also do the trick which also leads to the last tip – sounds.

5.       Hearing – what are you listening to?  This is where things can be interesting…Are you listening to guided meditations?  Great, but what else?  Are you quiet in this space sometimes?  Have you opened the windows to hear what is going on outside – birds?  Have you tried listening to ocean sounds or relaxing music while you are sitting in your sacred space or looking at your shelf?  Try some different things and you will discover how your sacred space can support you in many ways.

 These are just a few suggestions to help you create your own sacred space.  I bet if you look around already in your life today, you can see that you’ve have already gathered your “sacred” tools…It’s really just you allowing yourself the space to blossom. 

3.  Intuition.  Do you listen to your hunches?  When you get that feeling – do you follow it?  Do you look for signs?  Intuition is directly linked to faith.  Intuition just takes faith one-step further – it becomes a two-way street, spirit helps YOU. 

I had a minister that used to say intuition is the whispering of God’s voice directly to you.  I like that.  It speaks to my belief that God wants each of us to be happy and to live gorgeous, abundant lives.  It’s a partnership.

The stumbling block is often understanding the messages or even seeing the signs in the first place.  There are no direct phone lines to spirit – it’s more complicated.  The messages can be confusing, but more often than not, you are the problem.  The truth, or the intuitive message that is staring at you seems too hard, so you deny it.  That’s the easy part, denying it.

Usually intuition doesn’t involve a flaming bush or an old man with tablets.  It’s a knowing.  It’s hearing in the spaces between the words.  You can’t explain why you know something – it’s just true.  Hence the choice is yours to either enhance your life with your own intuition, or ignore the gift.  Ignoring seems easier somehow.

Unfortunately it has been my experience that spirit starts with a tap on the shoulder to get your attention, but invariably applies more and more strain to get you to see the full picture. 

Look at your life right now – is there some truth you are trying to avoid?  Could you let go and ask for help?  What is your intuition trying to tell you?  Listen.

2.  Faith.  What is faith?  Simply, to know you are always held; you are not alone, support is always available.  The support may not be seen at this moment, but it is there, waiting for you. 

Therefore when trouble comes and it will, it’s faith that helps you hold on ‘til morning.  Yes, life will flow with its ups and downs, but what do you do when tragedy beats a path to your door?  Do you roll with the waves or clutch onto whatever looks solid?  Do fears force you into decisions that are not good for you?

Quickly in life, you discover fear eats faith.  Fear is such an easy commodity to pedal too.  A well placed word, a frightened look; it’s an easy emotion to trigger in others…and most especially, in you.  I once heard a quote about fear; ‘fears are the dragons that keep you from your dreams.’  What fears keep you from realizing your dreams?  Will you have enough?  Money?  Love?  Support?

However if faith answers the door to fear’s call, fear disappears.  But I can’t give you faith.  It’s a gift you choose to give to yourself when either all else fails or you have some kind of spiritual awakening.  What I can do is invite you to open the door to more…

So today ask spirit for support.  Ask for direct and clear guidance to be revealed to you today about a specific issue you need help with.  Now here’s your part – watch for it and listen.  Chances are humor will be used; so remember not to take yourself too seriously.  And listen, really listen, don’t let the ‘doubting Thomas’ inside of you think yourself out of the message…Can you accept the gift?  The message?  The support?

I read this book on New Year’s Eve/Day and I was surprised.  My husband had given the book to me as a Christmas gift.  I had never heard of it before, but my husband has a way of knowing my heart – so I gave it a try…

 Interestingly, I really enjoyed the book when I read it and have referred several friends and clients to it, but now that I look at the book in hand – again, I’m surprised…Upon my first reading a couple months ago, I was fascinated by her many different techniques to bring intuition and spirit more present in you life.  I still am and think some techniques are very useful.

 However, as I look at the chapter titles, I remember nothing of her words, her beliefs.  Well, actually one part of her writing does stand out and always will – her discovered root meaning of the word magic is “to bring light to.”  Being also a lover of words and magic – this definitely resonated with me and gave her writing voice authority as I continued to read.

 I don’t think less of the book; I am just reminded that what is important will rise up.  Yes, now that I reflect further, she did reveal a bit about her life and how she came to her beliefs, but it is the techniques to incorporate magic into your daily life that is the importance of the writing.

 I encourage anyone interested in living a more magical life to read this book and even try out a few of her techniques – like me, you will be surprised.