Step Two: Create Your Sacred Space

"You must have a room or a certain hour of the day or so where you do not know what is in the morning paper. A place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. At first you may think nothing's happening. But if you have a sacred space and take advantage of it and use it everyday, something will happen. Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again."-- Joseph Campbell

My favorite spot in my house is my sacred corner. It is in my bedroom, around a non-functioning, stone fireplace that I have painted white. The fireplace sits slightly off the ground, and features a large ledge just a few feet above the floor. I've taken over that ledge and placed on it a collection of objects that have most significance to my spiritual practice. It is like my own personal shrine, a very small version of the kind decorative altars that I have seen in temples of all kinds of religions around the world. There are miniature stone statues of gods and goddesses that I find beautiful, images of Paramahansa Yogananda, the Indian mystic and author of Autobiography of a Yogi, who created the particular meditation technique that I follow, one or two candles, metal bowls, and tiny vases with fresh flowers. The combination of all these things is incredibly pleasing to me: each thing I've selected brings peace to my spirit and pleasure to my eyes.

I pass by this corner many times a day, and because it sits diagonally across from my bed, it is one of the first things I see upon waking and last things I see before turning out the light at night. Its purpose is not simply decorative: it is a very useful prop that serves me in my quest to slow down and live more mindfully. When I am moving too fast and caught up in my thoughts, my sacred corner invites me to take a time out -- even if it's only for two minutes of calming breathing, or sometimes just ten seconds to carefully place some fresh-cut blossoms in the pretty vessels. It gives me permission to put down my to-do list and pause the rush of thought. As I place the flowers there, or sit gazing at my pictures, I breathe, I remember to acknowledge how I'm feeling, I remember to be grateful for all that I have. In essence, it's like a large-scale mindfulness trigger; looking at it inspires me to carry through the important practices in my life. It reminds me to find fulfillment in quality, not quantity: to do the small things in my life as creatively and beautifully as I can.

Not surprisingly, I use this spot to sit in meditation. Since I have created it specifically to resonate with all that my deepest self finds peaceful, simply sitting in front of my corner helps to orient my mind inwards. I have deliberately placed it in an area that has plenty of space all around, so this combination of decorative beauty and emptiness holds a certain energy that I find tranquil and conducive to inner quiet -- not dissimilar to the way I've felt in Hindu or Buddhist temples, where the beautiful altar is surrounded by plenty of space that invites you to come closer. I've found that by having a dedicated spot for reflection and contemplation, the act of sitting still is invested with more significance; I commit to my practice because I have committed to making a space for it.

Even though it is quite small, the effect that my sacred corner has over the rest of my environment is quite powerful. Because my little shrine stands for consciousness, creativity, and beauty, it sets the tone for my whole home. It helps my environment feel like a haven.

Everyone can benefit from having a sacred corner somewhere in the home. It's a simple way to create a slower-paced, more intentional energy in your environment. When something is sacred, it means dedicated to a higher purpose and worthy of respect. By devoting a bit of space to whatever idea you consider sacred, you set the intention to fill your life and your environment with the spirit of mindful living. Some people create an entire sacred space -- a whole room devoted to mindful practices such as yoga, meditation, prayer, or even journal-writing, scrapbooking, and crafting -- where they can close the door and "find themselves again and again." That's great if you happen to have the space, but you can get great effect from devoting one small shelf in a relatively quiet section of your home plus some empty floor around it, to the same purpose. It does not necessarily have to contain objects of a spiritual or religious nature, of course, but it should hold a few things that are symbolic of whatever makes you feel calm and makes you smile. Your collection may start with one or two special things that have personal meaning, like a card from a loved one and a candle, positioned in a deliberate and attractive way. And it can grow from there. You add objects that represent what you love in your life and where you want to go, or that represent the values you want to stay in touch with.