More and more I am creating room in my life for Sacred Connection. I find myself craving it. The pull to figure out how to allow the human part of me to experience more of the divine part of me is undeniable.
Many people I work with are looking for this connection too. Maybe even you? They yearn to feel connected to their Vibe Tribe, to their Soul, and to God. We used to be able to quench this desire by going to church, but for some of us, the church feels too formal, too structured, or too opinionated. So, we are learning to cull out time for Sacred connection in our everyday lives. Cutting out the middleman and going straight to Source ourselves.
Below are lots of ideas to make room for the Sacred in your everyday. I have tried them myself. Some work better for me than others. Some I use every day. Some I used to use and don’t anymore.
Try these suggestions. See which ones fit you and where you are on your journey. Try them all or try only one. You may surprise yourself by what resonates with you. Feel free to follow the pattern I have created here or skip around. It is up to you. You know what works.
Below is a handy-dandy planner for you—a cheat sheet of sorts to keep you focused. 28 Day of Creating Sacred Space. Also, included are brief explanations of how to create sacred space that day or information on why the suggestion is useful.
Have fun with it! If you have any questions for me, please ask them here.
Meditate—We begin with my favorite! Quieting your mind and temporality shutting out the physical world gives you the opportunity to adjust your attention inward. Within you is the connection that you seek to the divine. Sit quietly with your eyes closed for 5, 10, 15 minutes. See what happens.
Light a Candle—When you light your candle remind yourself that you are also a light to the world. Silently or out loud say, “I promise to shine my light whenever possible.”
Walk in Nature—Nature is an organic balancer of energy. A short stroll outside automatically calms your nervous system as you tune into the rhythm of the outdoors.
Dance—Put on your favorite tunes. Pump up the volume. And, dance all out. Be silly. Be spontaneous. Allow your inner groove to take over. Be joy in motion.
Pray—Talk to Source. Talk to your Vibe Tribe. Talk to your Soul. They are listening.
Appreciation Journal—Keep a short daily list of what went right for you today. Quick notes to remind you of how the Universe is constant showering you with love when you choose to look for it.
Read—Inspiring quotes, uplifting books, feel-good stories, the Sunday comics. Anything that lightens your load, opens your heart and creates space for goodness to grow.
Day Dream—This is one of my favorite practices! Daydreaming leads to all sort of connection. Ideas, inspiration, action steps can all bubble up when you stop rushing around and allow yourself to linger and dream.
Create—Create something for fun. Just because you can. I make really bad pottery, but I don’t care that it’s terrible. I love doing it. I love putzing around and making stuff. Creating puts you in the flow. A flow of not thinking but experiencing.
Breathe Deeply—Breath automatically connects us with our bodies (which are sacred vessels of our essence). When we take a deep conscious breath, we come back to the present. Back to the here and now. Back to our physicality.
Check in with your Emotions—Checking in with how you feel connects you with yourself. Ask yourself these questions…What am I feeling? Do I want to feel this way? How would I like to feel? These few questions will help you to connect in with your true desires.
Sit in Silence—Another one of my favorites! Sitting in silence or contemplation allows us to create distance from our constant output. It allows you to feel what it is like to just be. To be without doing. Powerful stuff to just be.
Slow Down—Where are you rushing to anyway? Slow down today. Way down. Slow your driving, eating, thinking, talking. Slow it all way down. Pause before making a decision. Stop before speaking. Sit before moving.
Pet an Animal—Find an animal and pet it. Hug it. Let it lick you in the face. Animals are natural energy balancers. Why do you think there are way more of them than there are of us? We need help. Allow them to do their job by being with an animal today.
Journal—Be gentle with today’s suggestion. If you are naturally wordy, go for it. Pour your heart out in your journal. If you are less poetic, try journaling in bullet point fashion-almost like taking notes. (This is my style, by the way.) When we write down ideas, inspiration or occurrences, it makes them more real in this world.
Watch a Sunset—Mother Nature has a fantastic way of putting the punctuation point on the end of a day. Pause. Watch the sun go down on another day of your life. Allow yourself to be grateful despite what did or did not happen today.
Look into the Eyes of a Stranger—now, you don’t have to be creepy with this suggestion. It can be super easy. Look into the eyes of the guy who gives you your change at the grocery store, or your co-worker making the coffee for the office, or the waiter bringing your salad or your neighbor walking the dog. Seeing someone. Really seeing them is a gift to them.
Spend time Alone—This is a must for me. For me to recharge my batteries, I need alone time. I use my alone time to notice my energy levels, to come back into harmony with myself and my Vibe Tribe.
Check in with your Body—How does your body feel right now? What hurts? What is calling for your attention? Do you need to pee? Do you need to take a break? Are you listening to your body’s needs? Treat your body like a beloved pet and see how it responds.
Speak Less—I find myself doing this more and more. Only speaking when it matters. Speaking with intention and connection in mind. Speaking with love.
See Everyone as God—This suggestion might be a stretch for you. But, we are all divine. All of us. Yep, you read it right. All of us. Try seeing everyone as a Soul today. Notice what happens when you look through their personality to their core.
Create an Altar—An altar can be a physical reminder of prayer, meditation, ritual or a place for the Divine to dwell. If creating an altar creeps you out, try my version. I use the bookcase in my office to remind me of what is important to me. On it, I have pictures of family and friends, souvenirs of places that I love, inspirational books, and keepsakes. It reminds me of all the things that are important to me.
Listen to Uplifting Music—Music awakens the Soul. Use it to take you higher and higher. Nothing is off limits. Love Jimmy Buffett? Beethoven? Metallica? Listen to whatever puts you in the groove of feeling good.
Find Reasons to Laugh—Anne Lamott sums up my feeling on laughter. She says, “Laughter is carbonated holiness.” Allow your giddiness to rise up out of you and fill you with joy!
Listen—Sacred connection rarely happens without listening. I often tell people that praying is when I talk to God. Meditation is when I listen to her. Tuning in to the answers in an essential part of the equation.
Be Present—Put down your phone. Close your laptop. Shut down your iPad. Look around you. Take a breath. How does it feel not to be distracted? As often as you can today repeat this exercise.
Smell a Baby—Babies are fresh into this world. They have just come from Source. They have not forgotten who they are…yet. Spend time with small kids. They are wise teachers.
Ask Why Not…A Lot—You came with intention into this world. You are here for a reason. As Mary Oliver put it, “Tell me. What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”