"Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again."
~ Joseph Campbell
My mother is a talented home decorator. She knows how to create a "mood" and a "tone" for a room. I did not inherit one iota of her skills. Despite the fact that I've lived in a house that I own for over two years, I still find people gazing around curiously wondering what I'm going to do with the place. Um...do with it? What do you mean -- it's already done! I like things clean and simple, so offering that up as an explanation for the lack of decor in the house seems to quite people down.
There's precious little on the walls (some folks have used the word sparse but I just smile because I'd rather have sparse than cluttered) and the house is far from being packed with furniture or knick nacks in every corner. While it doesn't earn me any Martha Stewart points (Who cares?!?!? I never proclaimed myself a domestic goddess nor do I care to be one -- there, I admitted it in public. So to all my friends -- you know who you are -- inviting me to Tupperware parties, please stop the insanity!), it makes for an airy and spacious house, which is my preferred style of abode. Then there' my yoga room...
This is THE only space in the house that I delighted in decorating. The walls boast quite a few hangings and there's lots o' furniture in the room. My computer is tucked into a simple wood armoire and my yoga mats and props are stored in a lively wicker trunk. The walls are filled with bookshelves to house my extensive library of yoga and yoga-related books. I even have a few bamboo plants, stones gathered from various hikes, and a gurgling water fountain to represent the elements. In short -- I've made this room my sacred space, complete with statues, candles, Tibtan Singing Bowls. Needless to say, I avoid showing this room to guests first, as they will expect that the rest of the house is decorated with the same care.
Despite all of the wonderful items and decorations in my yoga room cum office, I think that my true sacred place resides in myself. It's wherever I unfurl my mat, whether that's here or thousands of miles away. It's wherever I sit cross-legged to meditate or practice pranayama. It doesn't require decorations, statues, plants, nicely framed training certificates, or anything of the like -- it just requires my presence in the moment. There have been times that I've been hiking in my favorite preservation land and felt that those miles were my sacred space. Later this week I'll be in South Carolina and I won't bring so much as a yoga mat with me. Yet as I unfurl a borrowed mat I'll feel what I typically feel when I step onto the mat -- a sense of homecoming.
Just this weekend I was at the store buying new sheets for my bed. While I was there I realized how much we're trained to decorate our house. I walked past aisles of color-coordinated goodies that apparently, no home should be without. When I was recently at the home of friends for dinner, I couldn't help but admire their lovely decor. Their furniture was lovely (and comfortable, I might add), their place settings funky, and their rooms filled with homey, yet classy, bric-a-brac. It gave me pause for thought a minute or two -- perhaps I should do a little home decorating of my own? Nah! The thought passed in a few short hours.
There's nothing wrong with making your surroundings beautiful. Heck, I encourage that. I live in a lovely house with lots of windows and beautifully painted walls, so I don't feel the need to clutter it up with ornamentation (I happen to think it's beautiful as is). I tend to splurge on the things that matter to me -- bedding (I've developed a penchant for high-end sheets since I spend a sizable amount of my time in bed), clothing (now I only wear materials that I adore and feel amazing against my skin), books to fill those bookshelves I mentioned, and a few other pampering body items. As for the rest -- the tone and the mood -- well I regulate that from the inside out.
I still have those days when I consider decking out my house in zen-like fashion, complete with Buddha garden statues. I walk into my yoga room and while I enjoy the decor, I don't need it. I'm happy without the decoration. If my yoga room consisted of bare walls, one sparse desk and my yoga mats on the floor, then I'd be a happy gal. I guess I'm someone that finds sacred space on the inside. For once, rather than chastise myself for not being home decorator extraordinaire, I celebrate the fact that my sacred space is within.
And for those of you that love decorating -- no, that doesn't mean that you don't have sacred space inside. It just means that you enjoy decorating. Embrace it and decorate on. I admire anyone that has the skill and the eye for it (since I'm hopelessly challenged in that area). Here are some very cool resources that I've used in the past whenever I've felt the need for a little decoration:
And for those of you (like me) who like to find sacred spaces on their computer (I have a few delightful screen savers that I rotate), check outLime.com's Meditation Rooms. There's one for every mood. You can even download them to your iPod.
Just remember -- no matter what it looks like on the outside, it's the inside that counts.
Namaste!
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"Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again."
~ Joseph Campbell
My mother is a talented home decorator. She knows how to create a "mood" and a "tone" for a room. I did not inherit one iota of her skills. Despite the fact that I've lived in a house that I own for over two years, I still find people gazing around curiously wondering what I'm going to do with the place. Um...do with it? What do you mean -- it's already done! I like things clean and simple, so offering that up as an explanation for the lack of decor in the house seems to quite people down.
There's precious little on the walls (some folks have used the word sparse but I just smile because I'd rather have sparse than cluttered) and the house is far from being packed with furniture or knick nacks in every corner. While it doesn't earn me any Martha Stewart points (Who cares?!?!? I never proclaimed myself a domestic goddess nor do I care to be one -- there, I admitted it in public. So to all my friends -- you know who you are -- inviting me to Tupperware parties, please stop the insanity!), it makes for an airy and spacious house, which is my preferred style of abode. Then there' my yoga room...
This is THE only space in the house that I delighted in decorating. The walls boast quite a few hangings and there's lots o' furniture in the room. My computer is tucked into a simple wood armoire and my yoga mats and props are stored in a lively wicker trunk. The walls are filled with bookshelves to house my extensive library of yoga and yoga-related books. I even have a few bamboo plants, stones gathered from various hikes, and a gurgling water fountain to represent the elements. In short -- I've made this room my sacred space, complete with statues, candles, Tibtan Singing Bowls. Needless to say, I avoid showing this room to guests first, as they will expect that the rest of the house is decorated with the same care.
Despite all of the wonderful items and decorations in my yoga room cum office, I think that my true sacred place resides in myself. It's wherever I unfurl my mat, whether that's here or thousands of miles away. It's wherever I sit cross-legged to meditate or practice pranayama. It doesn't require decorations, statues, plants, nicely framed training certificates, or anything of the like -- it just requires my presence in the moment. There have been times that I've been hiking in my favorite preservation land and felt that those miles were my sacred space. Later this week I'll be in South Carolina and I won't bring so much as a yoga mat with me. Yet as I unfurl a borrowed mat I'll feel what I typically feel when I step onto the mat -- a sense of homecoming.
Just this weekend I was at the store buying new sheets for my bed. While I was there I realized how much we're trained to decorate our house. I walked past aisles of color-coordinated goodies that apparently, no home should be without. When I was recently at the home of friends for dinner, I couldn't help but admire their lovely decor. Their furniture was lovely (and comfortable, I might add), their place settings funky, and their rooms filled with homey, yet classy, bric-a-brac. It gave me pause for thought a minute or two -- perhaps I should do a little home decorating of my own? Nah! The thought passed in a few short hours.
There's nothing wrong with making your surroundings beautiful. Heck, I encourage that. I live in a lovely house with lots of windows and beautifully painted walls, so I don't feel the need to clutter it up with ornamentation (I happen to think it's beautiful as is). I tend to splurge on the things that matter to me -- bedding (I've developed a penchant for high-end sheets since I spend a sizable amount of my time in bed), clothing (now I only wear materials that I adore and feel amazing against my skin), books to fill those bookshelves I mentioned, and a few other pampering body items. As for the rest -- the tone and the mood -- well I regulate that from the inside out.
I still have those days when I consider decking out my house in zen-like fashion, complete with Buddha garden statues. I walk into my yoga room and while I enjoy the decor, I don't need it. I'm happy without the decoration. If my yoga room consisted of bare walls, one sparse desk and my yoga mats on the floor, then I'd be a happy gal. I guess I'm someone that finds sacred space on the inside. For once, rather than chastise myself for not being home decorator extraordinaire, I celebrate the fact that my sacred space is within.
And for those of you that love decorating -- no, that doesn't mean that you don't have sacred space inside. It just means that you enjoy decorating. Embrace it and decorate on. I admire anyone that has the skill and the eye for it (since I'm hopelessly challenged in that area). Here are some very cool resources that I've used in the past whenever I've felt the need for a little decoration:
And for those of you (like me) who like to find sacred spaces on their computer (I have a few delightful screen savers that I rotate), check outLime.com's Meditation Rooms. There's one for every mood. You can even download them to your iPod.
Just remember -- no matter what it looks like on the outside, it's the inside that counts.
Namaste!