The idea of creating a sacred space for Yoga or any other spiritual practices is to thoughtfully assign a dedicated space and embellish its ambience in ways that are soul-stirring and evocative.
Have you noticed that there is often a spot in your home that you feel a connection with? A place where you always settle down with your evening cup of calming tea? Or maybe, places where you like to sit in self-inquiry that make you feel peaceful?
Find a spot in your home that you can convert into a space of healing and self-attainment. It could be a balcony, your garden, a room or just a small section of the room. Create an altar or a similar makeshift arrangement where you can place votive and parabolic belongings like photo-frames of family members or deeply meaningful symbols. Piece together a purposeful and redolent décor that can help you connect, identify or belong.
This doesn’t have to be viewed through the lens of religion or any spiritual traditions (although if you wish to, that works equally well). A devoted space that is consecrated with your aesthetic and subtle energies can enhance your daily spiritual practice. It will help you achieve a deeply relaxing and calm state of mind just by its very existence.
A Checklist for Beginners
- Make sure the space is well-ventilated and well-lit; natural lighting is ideal.
- An altar or a small table for items you can use for inspiration or focus. This can include photo-frames, statues, incense holder, crystals, fresh flowers or lamp/candle.
- A good quality and non-slip yoga mat and a throne or cushion for your meditation.
- Ensure that the space is tranquil; you don’t want outside noise like traffic or people talking to disrupt your concentration while you are relaxing.
- Don’t forget, this is neither a lady-lounge nor a man-cave. Restrain your inner interior designer and follow the mantra ‘Simple living and high thinking.’
Fuel for the Five Senses
We perceive the outside world through our five faculties but in our spiritual practice, these same five senses are to be appeased so that they do not hinder or distract us while we journey within. Here are some ideas on how you can create an ambiance that will pacify your senses:
Ears: This one is quite simple – ensure that you have silence, music or the ability to toggle between both. Since musical tastes are highly subjective, we only suggest that you listen to something non-intrusive that doesn’t distract you from your practice. Use music, not for recreation, but to enhance your concentration or to help you enter deep relaxation. Today, there is a vast section of music that provides content especially for yoga, meditation and relaxation.
Eyes: In your sacred space, your sight will primarily be informed by the lighting and the décor. A cluttered, unkempt or dirty room can greatly diminish the feeling of peace and relaxation. Everything your sight has access to can be a visual clue that can trigger a stream of consciousness that could escort you away from being relaxed and centered. As for décor, choose profoundly meaningful things. You can place the photograph of your spiritual guru, family members or a symbol that helps you achieve a deeply reflective state. Avoid artworks unless they serve a spiritual purpose. Remember, less is more.
Nose: The woody scent of patchouli, the effervescent tinge of peppermint or the grounding scent of lavender – aromas are believed to hold a great sway on your mood and have an incredible ability to reduce anxiety, promote wellness and calm you down. You can call upon your favorite pick from a wide variety of aroma oils, incense sticks, reed diffusers and flowers to subtly enhance your practice. Alternatively, you can light some loban (gem benzoin) or sage and disperse the fumes through the room or similar aura-cleansing rituals prevalent in many cultures. You may want to include essential oils in your sacred space. To learn more about which essential oils are best for your Sacred Space, check out DoCalm’s article: The Best Essential Oils for Tranquility.
Touch: We ingest a lot of information through our skin and yet we tend to overlook the importance of this because it is so subtle. Your skin registers everything from the breeze that kisses your face to the fit of your clothing, from the texture of your yoga mat to the hair brushing the side of your cheek. Make sure that you are suitably dressed and design your space with natural fabrics, sustainable materials and comfortable paraphernalia.
Taste: Instead of being literal and chomping on gummy bears in our sacred space, it would be more beneficial to interpret taste as a metaphorical representation of a ‘soothing aesthetic’. In that case, you must construct your space in tandem with your persona.
Consecration in Traditions and Rituals
As a beginner, you don’t want to get entangled in the more advanced and intricate methods yogis and ancient practitioners used to create ideal spaces for spiritual practice. There are many texts in yogic science, Buddhism, Native American and other cultures that outline the significance of color, geomagnetic fields, directional orientation, acoustics and other characteristics that create a consecrated space. But as you continue your journey you will encounter some of these organically and you can delve into them if they appeal to you. Also, consider the power of the ritual that can become a part of your space and time in your special room. Whether you choose to light a candle each time you meditate or sound a bell, or enjoy an herbal tea in your space; your space will allow you this pause. Click here to learn more about The Power of Ritual from The Art of Manliness.com.
Take Your Time To Create:
You don’t need to pack up the space from tip to toe on the very first day. The spiritual path is a lifetime of seeking. As you move forward on your path, your idea of meaning and purpose will also change. You will add things that ‘come to you’ as and when they are meant to and “let go” of what does not serve your space.
There is no one path, only the one destination. The whole idea of a sacred space is to build a place where you can wind down and strip away the bondages of your past and anxieties of your future.
The most important part of that space should always be you. Remember, the ultimate goal is to not to be attached but to be liberated. There is no need to overspend to create this haven. Sometimes, finding something readily available in nature can add so much meaning to your space if you can find the symbolism and synchronicity of life.
Sacred Space & Subtle Nuances
What does sacred space mean to you? Consecration and vibration? A means to self-inquiry and realization? Or something healing, relaxing and uplifting?
Creating a sacred space for yoga, meditation and spiritual traditions will help you explore and express your inner self. It can be a great learning experience to discover and unravel your preferences. Think of this space as the temple and your body/spirit as the statue. With music and art, through rituals that anchor our mind, this can serve as a place so familiar that the senses come in to harmony and allow the ego to melt away; for worldly anguish to quietly disappear, and for the chatter to make way for self-inquiry – so that we may access the sacred space within.
You can seek inspiration for your Sacred Space from different lineages and faiths. To learn more about the Baha’i structures that incorporate some of the principles above, check out this video with a video by Siamak Hariri.
Hope you make the best of your space to inspire each new beautiful day.
