What is a sanctuary space?
A sanctuary space can come in many different forms and under many different names.
Altar, Sacred Space, Soul Space, Zen Zone, Meditation corner … the list goes on.
It really doesn’t matter what you call your space, the most important thing is that it is yours. That it is filled with beautiful energy, meaningful objects and that it is somewhere you alone can go to at any point, as a place of sanctuary.
A place filled with magic that belongs only to you.
A sanctuary space is an ever changing, constantly evolving area. It can be as small as a matchbox to keep with you all of the time, or it can fill an entire room. Your space is a place where you can centre yourself, meditate, create magic or simply prepare yourself for the day with a morning ritual.
The energy around you can either support and lift, or drain you. Creating a sanctuary space gives you a permanent area for us to be where we always feel comfortable, calm, supported and loved. Sacred spaces are also vital containers of positive intention and action.
The power of intention is incredible
Practising ritual or meditating with a space filled with intentional objects and energy can be a great way to manifest your intentions into reality.
Creating a sanctuary space to express gratitude for the blessings in your life, to focus your intentions and goals toward where you’d like to be and what you’d like to achieve is a great practice to keep focused, grounded, steady and on track.
The importance of having a sanctuary space
How often do you set aside time to rest, recharge and reflect?
How different might your health, energy levels and mindset be if you did create time to do these things?
Personally, I have found that dedicating time at each New Moon and Full Moon is essential to my health, energy and mindset as it ensures that once a fortnight I check in and tune in with how I am feeling, and where I am heading.
Having rituals/ceremonies/practices can lead you to feeling more aligned and more likely to embody your fullest and brightest self. Your rituals and your space are about you and what you need most. Having a space that you can feel at peace in and can fully relax in is essential to living your most wild and full life.
Benefits of creating a sanctuary space include:
- Having a physical expression of your personal goals or desires
- Having a symbolic collection place for tools to enhance your spiritual practice
- Gaining a ‘spiritual centre’ in your life that you can return back to every day
- Having a source of positive energy that fills your home or room
What should your space contain?
The most important thing is to have your sanctuary space in a place where it won’t be disturbed.
You don’t want someone else’s fingers (or energy) all over it. If this is tricky, you can keep it high on a shelf, in a cupboard or drawer. If space is an issue you can even make yours in a large glass jar.
But wherever it is, it should be somewhere that feels like it is truly yours. A place where you can express yourself and your spirituality freely, without judgement or other people disturbing it.
The actual foundation of your sanctuary space can be a plate, a tray, a throw, a piece of wood. It can be on the floor, a table or shelf. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you like and as big or as small.
When choosing objects for your sanctuary space, it’s good to keep in mind a few questions:
- What will my space be used for?
- Why am I creating a sanctuary space?
- What do I want to reflect or express within my space?
- Does my space have a theme or is it spontaneous/changeable?
Ideas of objects to include
Rocks from special places
Healing crystals
Dried flowers or petals
Meaningful jewellery
Vision board
Singing bowls
Candles
Feathers
Inspiring quotes
Your journal
Plants
Shells from special places
Symbols
Photos of loved one
Oracle or tarot cards
Essential oils
Incense
Dried herbs for burning
Symbolic elements which have a place in your rituals are the most important pieces to include.
For example, I personally like to write out any negative feelings I have of anger, anxiety etc. This helps me to accept and process those feelings. I then burn what I have written to symbolically release it back to the universe with gratitude for the lessons that experience has brought me.
Therefore I always have paper, candles and a fire proof bowl as they are both wonderfully symbolic and practical for my practise of burning away the old and releasing what no longer serves.
Another example of this could be to include a big mirror. Mirrors reflect and therefore are symbolic of expansion, amplification, brightness and light. Having mirrors around your space could amplify the feeling of whatever you do in the space, including intentions being magnified and protected.
Ideas to inspire you
The Four Elements of Nature
To feel connected to mother earth, it’s nice to include the five elements within your sanctuary space. It’s a beautiful way of harmonising with the nature around and within you, for keeping your practice grounded and earthy. For example plants, especially succulents and cacti can represent water. Wood and crystals can represent earth. Candles or smoke can represent fire or air. Feathers and incense can represent air.
Something for each of the five senses
Feel connected to your physical body via your senses by placing something for each of them within your sanctuary space. Colours and beautiful objects for the eyes, a singing bowl or meditation music for sound, incense or scented candles for smell, cacao drink for taste, fabrics and textures for touch. Perhaps a specific cushion or shawl that you always use when you engage with your space.
Changeable decoration
If you like to flow with the seasons, the Moon, the months etc you can change the decoration of your space as often as you like. This could be with specific candle colours, plants or crystals. You can display certain cards from your oracle or Tarot decks to signify certain energies. Even small pieces of art that inspire and encourage you to bring positive energy to your space.
Your sanctuary space is your spiritual workplace and your physical space of power.
It is completely yours to create, build, and transform as often as you like. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to create a space that is significant to you but taking care of it, nurturing it and spending regular time with it is important.
Keeping your sanctuary clean from cobwebs, dust and other residue is important: it shows respect for your practice and after all, it is supposed to be your sacred space. Do this as regularly as you feel necessary.
You are free to change, adjust, add to or take away from it whenever you choose. As your inner work develops, you will probably find that certain items on your altar are no longer relevant, necessary or hold the same meaning to you. This shows growth and transformation, so flow with whatever feels right for you.
As much as it is important to keep your space physically clean, it is equally important to keep your space energetically clean. It will likely be the place that you go to in order to do release work, to calm down when you feel anxious or agitated. So it’s good practise to regularly perform smoke cleanses, crystal cleanses or any other type of energy cleansing which feels good to you.