Week 1 Days

Find Your Sanctuary | Day 3

What if carving out space for your joy were not a luxury but a necessity?

Please read that question a few times—maybe even write it down and put it somewhere prominent if you have a tendency to end up at the bottom of your own priority list.

We all have certain ideas that spring to mind with that word sanctuary. Some of you might see a temple or church; others might imagine a luxurious weekend to yourself, doing whatever you want. I know that my sanctuary can be just about anywhere in the world, doing anything I want. It’s more about the way I feel, and giving myself whatever I need to create that feeling. And the specifics change on a daily basis.

For me, sanctuary is about getting back to a sense of wholeness that is too often disrupted by the demands of daily life. It’s going to look different to every single one of us, so today is all about figuring out what it means to you. For some of you, that might mean a cup of tea and a few minutes of solitude every morning; for others, it might be listening to your favorite music on your commute to work. Or maybe it’s a space on your desk where you place beautiful objects that are meaningful to you, and that remind you to stop and smell the flowers every once in a while. Whatever the case, your sanctuary should be something that puts you into a state of ease and enjoyment, even if it’s only for a few minutes out of the day. Remember, it’s the experience of the sanctuary that matters.

Activity

Find a sanctuary in your surroundings that you can spend at least a few minutes in each day. This might be a window seat in your living room or your car on your commute to work. Do what you can to beautify this space and fill it with things that you love. When you aren’t able to be in this space, make sure you’ve taken a mental snapshot of it so that you can return to it in your mind in any given situation. My sanctuary is the fireplace in my backyard, or the ocean; in their absence, I just call them up in my mind! I remember what it’s like to be there, and I then extend this feeling to other places in my life. Sanctuary isn’t merely physical or environmental. It’s more about the ritual you create, and the time and energy you are choosing to spend taking this course or relishing pretty much anything in your life. Let your sanctuary extend to every possible environment you can think of—from that one overstuffed corner in your bedroom closet to your state of mind. Now, create your sanctuary on a daily basis, and let it be here for the duration of this course and beyond!

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