CREATE YOUR SANCTUARY

Find a place in your home where you can be quiet, calm and undisturbed, a spot that will feel like home for your practice.  You may be fortunate to have an entire room available.  Most likely, it means finding a small space in your study, living room or bedroom where you can leave your yoga mat unrolled, your meditation cushion ready to use, ritual tools ready and inspiring objects displayed.  Ideally you should be able to close the door and practice in seclusion, without distractions.  Any space you can dedicate to your practice will help make it easier and more motivating to practice every single day. 

Honour yourself by choosing beautiful, meaningful and inspiring items for your sanctuary.  Decorate with care and mindfulness, ensure that everything works together harmoniously.

Honour your practice by keeping your sanctuary fresh, clean and uncluttered, practice regular space clearing rituals.  Treat your sacred space with reverence.

Hang a special sign, a note or a particular scarf on the door that will politely indicate to others sharing your home that you are practicing and should not be disturbed.

Each prop you choose should be useful to you in your practice.  If you choose well, you will use and love your props for years.  Prefer props that are high quality, made by eco-conscious and socially-conscious companies.  Choose beautiful fabrics, textures and colours that will contribute to the harmony of your sanctuary.  

Can you choose the paint colour for your space?  Choose colours that create a serene, peaceful and calming atmosphere, like the benefits of a contented quiet mind, like the benefits of meditation.  Quiet and calm can also be joyful.  Here are some ideas.

Connect with nature through colours: natural linen, sandy grey, pearly white, eggshell blue, lavender, lichen, 

A palette inspired by the sunrise, by the beauty of a new day dawning with endless possibilities ahead: blush, orange, red, indigo, shades of grey.

Pay homage to the roots of yoga and meditation, create a serene and peaceful space with a palette inspired by the colours of you might see in an ancient Indian temple: ochre, saffon, red, orange, stone, slate, gold, white.

Or perhaps you'd prefer a blank canvas of pure white, a place to simply rest your eyes with no particular focus.

Choose any piece of art that sparks your imagination, makes you feel joyful, inspires you to action.  The possibilities are endless...photos, prints, mandalas, paintings etc.  Choose something special and meaningful.

Don’t let the word “altar” make you nervous.  An altar does not have to be a place of devotion or have any sort of “religious” flavour at all.  An altar is simply a personal place to focus your intentions and is essential for any journey involving a spiritual practice such as yoga or meditation. In fact you could call it a “meditation table”.  Your altar can be a small table, a low chest, a corner of your desk, or even a shelf, something you can comfortably sit in front of on your meditation cushion.  It is place to hold objects that are meaningful for your practice and symbolic of your journey.  Make it your own source of inspiration, a tiny personal oasis of beauty. 

What you choose to place on your altar becomes symbolic of what is happening in your heart and head.  But your altar is not just a place to collect objects.  There is a certain energy created by your focus and intention that turns your altar into a very special and powerful place.  So choose your objects carefully.  They should be personal and inspirational for your practice.  It could be images of people who inspire you, your carefully chosen ritual tools, elements found in nature, crystals, statues etc.

It is so important to pay careful attention to every aspect of your sanctuary.  Everything, including the decor, the objects you choose and the props you use, should turn your practice into a mindful, sensorial experience.  Awakening and paying attention to all five of your senses is a wonderful way to ground yourself in the present moment and to stay focused on your practice and it's a beautiful and personal way to practice yoga and meditation.