Sanctuary Solutions for Turbulent Times

I had a few moments of unexpected rawness this week and found myself almost despondent — from what? It could have been one of a hundred big things that are happening right now, or even the combined weight of a bunch of little, annoying things. Who knows? When I read an add for a bath oil company that offered “deeply soothing antidotes for intensely turbulent times,” I nearly placed an order on the spot. 

Yes, I would like a soothing antidote please. 

And then I looked up from my computer, realized it was 10:00 a.m. on a weekday and a relaxing bath was not on my schedule for the afternoon. Ok, so bath oil is not my solution for right now. 

But what is?

Sanctuary (as you might have guessed) is my solution to most things. But it requires a shift for it to work. That shift is in my mind. I wrote last week about the power of stillness (those 3 words link to last week’s post) and aligning with the present moment. So I start there. 

Sometimes I close my eyes for a minute just to feel my breath and the “aliveness” in my inner body (thank you Eckhart Tolle for this expression and understanding). Other times I pause and just stare at something in nature. On this day, I chose to look at the bird feeder right outside my kitchen window. It was teeming with fluttering birds, and there was even a funny squirrel that jumped over a baby bunny to get at the seeds scattered on the ground beneath. The little bunny freaked out, hopped straight up in the air and both of them darted off in different directions. I found myself laughing at their antics. It was exactly the distraction I needed and the shift I mentioned above began to happen. 

I poured hot water over my tea leaves and carried my cup back to my desk. I lit a candle and looked around with fresh eyes, with reverent eyes, and realized how beautiful the morning light was as it filtered into my sanctuary through the leaves of the tree behind my house. I wish I could share the utter beauty of that moment with you. My heart lifted and I realized that all was not lost. 

No. 

In fact, I felt my shoulders relaxing and some of the tension dissolve. I turned on one of my favorite sacred soundtrack to sanity, an album called Sleep (Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube) by Max Richter. If you haven’t listened, you must. It’s a must-have for everyone’s sanctuary toolbox. My favorite track is Path 3 (7676). The purity of the soaring female voice gives me goosebumps on goosebumps. As I listened, my entire body calmed down, my heart stopped racing, my mind quieted and I stepped out of the mania and into the moment. 

Ahhhhhhhhh. 

This is sanctuary as a practice. This is how we tap into the frequency of love and healing and goodness that we invest into our spaces when we recognize them as sanctuaries, as temples to our souls. That higher energetic frequency waits there for us to notice, to call it forward, to tap in. 

I once wrote in my morning pages that sanctuary is the embodiment of love in our spaces. Oh indeed it is. The loving arms of our sanctuary spaces enclose us, embrace us and call us back to who we really are. And what a relief it is to come back to that truth. 

I’d love to hear what you do to get back to yourself. What helps you find center again, especially in these intensely turbulent times? Send me a note — you know I love to hear. 

With love and gratitude,

Lisa