How 10 minutes of sanctuary can turn it around
Sometimes it takes only a few minutes in the right environment to get back to what is truly beautiful and deeply important.Tonight was one of those nights I came home from work, changed my clothes and needed to have a meditation to transition from my day at work to my evening at home. My head was spinning with things half done, the mess I left in my design library, the call I forgot to return. I was tired from staying up too late last night. I wondered how I would make it through the simple preparation of dinner, let alone clean up, dog walks and bedtime rituals for my daughter.As I walked into my house, I noticed my sweet girl was sitting out in the back yard, writing in her journal. The sight of her writing out her thoughts and feelings always fills me with happiness. I love to see her using coping mechanisms from the toolbox we’ve put together so that she can soothe herself. I took this as a divine sign, dove into my reading chair and set a timer. Even just a few minutes of meditation makes an enormous difference to my energy level and frame of mind.After a bit, although I was far away in some heavenly clime, I heard the door slide open and allowed my eyes to do the same. She walked in gingerly and sat in my husband’s reading chair, right next to mine. She smiled at me and said “Hi Mommy. You look calm.” I smiled back and thought she looked wonderfully calm as well. I asked about her day and as she told me about all the important things that happened -- who she sat next to at lunch, the test she took, the gross things the boy behind her pulled out of his nose. I chuckled and had one of those crystalline moments where all of life pauses.Suddenly I actually noticed the feel of the chair cushion under my legs, the kitty purring warm and soft on my lap. I saw the books on the shelves behind my chair and the golden evening sunlight illuminating the grass behind my house. I heard the chirping birds in our back garden and the low tones of the wind chime as a light breeze moved the musical tubes. I smelled the lavender, chamomile and balsam aromatherapy oil I had dabbed onto my wrists and neck earlier.I saw my daughter happily chatting and thought to myself, Yes. This is what sanctuary is about.It’s about connecting, relaxing, taking a few minutes to pause and care gently for yourself and the people you love. It’s about surrounding yourself with things that are meaningful and comfortable and beautiful to your eye. It’s about returning to what is important to you, whatever that might be. And it only takes a moment to get back to the place where we can do that. Having a sanctuary makes that possible.So tell me, what do YOU do in your sanctuary to relax? What helps you transition through different parts of your day? I am collecting stories. Don’t be shy -- share yours with me below.With gratitude,Lisa