I don’t know about you, but the past few weeks have brought a lot of messy situations and “crunchy” feelings to the surface for me. The negative voice in my head has been quite loud and I’ve been feeling the fragility and precariousness of the world.
Heading into a holiday weekend, I’m reminded of loss and expectation, which usually has me feeling like a triggered child half an hour after arriving for Thanksgiving dinner with the family. What’s helped me cope and have awareness of my inner turmoil has been a special space I’ve claimed as my “zen den” or devotional alter.
An altar is usually a small table or shelf that is intentionally arranged with objects that hold personal or spiritual significance. Altars have been used throughout history in both religious and spiritual contexts and can be found in shrines, churches, temples, and natural settings such as caves. Religious altars usually hold bibles, candles, and crosses. The objects on a spiritual altar are determined by the person creating the altar.
The genesis of an altar in your home is to provide a space of respite from the world; a safe, sacred area for meditation, quiet contemplation, or prayer. It doesn’t have to take over a whole room, and in fact most altars I am aware of are located in a corner or on a bedroom shelf. It’s helpful if your altar is in a place where you can close the door and have privacy. The creation of an altar space in our master bedroom with a lockable door was a place to retreat from the chaos when our children were little.
Now that the kids are grown and out of the house, my altar helps me stay dedicated to my meditation practice. When I wake up and see it, it calls me to presence. To signify my deep connection to the planet, I like to keep objects on my altar that represent the five elements – earth, water, fire, air, and spirit. For example, to represent the grounding power of earth, I have stones and crystals of special significance such as amethyst. I light a candle to signify fire when I sit with my altar to meditate. There are times when I call upon my altar to represent or manifest something specific like abundance. In this case, I may place money or fruit on it. If I have a specific problem I will write it on a slip of paper and place it on the altar.
Usually within a few days, I gain some insight into a solution. There are no “rights” or “wrongs.” You can add whatever holds significance for you. Your intention to create such a space makes it so. When I travel, I like to place something small from my altar in my pocket and hold it to feel connected to my altar’s healing medicine.
This Thanksgiving, I will bring a stone from my altar to remind me to take deep breaths, come to present moment awareness, and choose to respond to my family from a grounded, peaceful place instead of reacting from a triggered, wounded place. I will let you know how it goes! I have deep gratitude for all of us walking this path and trying as best we can with the awareness we have in this moment.
Nicole Hambleton is a wellness coach, meditation, and energy medicine practitioner living in Mulmur. Visitwww.purpletentwellness.com and find her on Instagram @purpletentwellness.