Sacred Space, Sacred Place

Many are realizing the benefits of a sacred space as a place for spiritual development and peace. Setting aside a special place in our homes to meditate, relax and connect with our higher selves helps us to include spiritual development into our daily lives while balancing the demands of everyday living.


What is a sacred space?

A sacred space is a place to which we can retreat for peace, awareness and spiritual development. A sacred space provides us with a place where the energy and atmosphere are conducive to achieving a very peaceful and relaxed state as required for meditation. A sacred space can be as small as a home altar or as large as an entire room, a garden or even a purpose built temple.

A sacred space is not about religion. It is a spiritual place that reflects who you are spiritually, whether you are a devout follower of a particular religion, an atheist or agnostic. How you use your sacred space will also reflect your spiritual self. For many it will be a place of meditation and contemplation. For others it may be a place of worship, or to practice their beliefs in ritual. It may a combination of both.

Locating Your Sacred Space

The energy of a place builds up over time. An area takes on the energy of the events, feelings and thoughts that have occurred there. Over time, this energy can become strong if the same activities and feelings are repeated. A room, place or space where only meditation, spiritual practice and peaceful activities take place will become a place of peace. The calming energy will influence the way you feel when you enter that place and relaxation will come more easily to you. This, I believe, is an important aim of a sacred place.

Although, in some spiritual practices, the home altar is traditionally located in the main living area of the house, I believe, that in our modern world, a sacred space will serve you better if it is located away from the main living and utility areas of the house. This will give you an opportunity to create the desired energy for your sacred space without the influence from the buziness of your daily affairs.

Decorating Your Sacred Space

The decorations chosen for a sacred space will be a unique mixture of pictures, furniture, ornaments, cloth, cushions, color and whatever else appeals to you and others who use this special place. The important thing is that the decoration of a sacred space resonates with you and your belief system.