Originally published in the Summer + Fall 2017 issue. 

Sacred spaces and rituals hold the essence of centeredness, where you are able to take a moment in this quiet space to calm, collect, center and connect. Many cultures practice ceremony within a sacred space to honor the day, life or times of year.

Bringing this practice into your home is sacred in itself for you. This is your space and your ritual to arrive, breathe, relax, ground and align to Self. As spaces go, I feel you can never have enough. I have two in my kitchen, one in my closet and one in my yoga space downstairs in my basement. When I see these spaces throughout my day they bring me peace, joy and nourishment.

Arrive, breathe, relax, ground and align to Self.

Students who I work with ask, “how can I create a sacred space or ritual?” I first ask them to consider how they want to feel each day. Create a space that holds those feelings. You want your sacred space to feel like it belongs to you. Here are some easy steps to get started:

   •     Find a space in your home where you feel connected.

   •     Bring items and trinkets from your travels, passed down from relatives, gifts from friends, candles, inspirational quotes, shells, crystals, rocks, plants, pictures, mantras, books, warm blanket.

   •     Clear your space with sage or palo santo. This will help you clear past energies, within this ceremony you can say, “help me release anything that is no longer here for me to see, hear and feel.”

   •     As you are clearing this area, set your intention and welcome what you’d like to embody within your sacred space.

   •     As you hold each item to place in your space, say (out loud) why this item means something to you.

   •     Light a candle, sit and observe.

Tip — When your sacred space begins to feel dull, know this is the time to clean and clear your space. Move your items around, move your space, add new, release items that no longer serve you.

Creating a daily ritual honors your Self. Giving yourself time each day to embrace your journey, for you to come back into center with your truest and fullest self. There are many ways to create ritual, what I feel is the most beautiful is you creating a ritual that feels most authentic to you.

What fills your cup? When is a good time in the day for you to practice? How much time would you like to set for your ritual.  Each day may look different, by making this commitment to yourself for yourself will honor your path. Here are some tips which may help in creating your ritual.

   •     Light your candle

   •     Honor the four directions, mother earth and father sky

   •     Prayer

   •     Gratitude List

   •     Journal

   •     Acknowledge the 7 chakras

   •     Mantra

   •     Meditation

   •     Trataka, or candle gazing,

   •     Sound or song

   •     Smell of an essential oil

   •     Chant

   •     Movement

Tip — Your ritual can change each day, it’s not fully about the ritual itself but about your commitment to come into this sacred space to embrace the light and bring yourself into the divine center. On a day where time may be short, your ritual may look like lighting a candle, bringing your hands into anjali mudra and bowing to your day. On days where time is not a concern, your ritual may last longer.

Give yourself a moment of silence before you step into the world, it will do wonders for your mind, body, spirit connection.

Photos courtesy of Ange Stopperan.

Along with her role as a CO YOGA + Life ambassador, Ange Stopperan, E-RYT 500, is a yoga teacher, mindfulness and business coach, writer, co-owner of LC Yoga in Loveland, Colorado, and lead teacher in LC Yoga’s 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training. Ange leads the Northern Colorado Ram Dass fellowship which speaks to mindfulness topics and lessons from Ram Dass. She is passionate about teaching her students how to connect to Yoga off the mat by incorporating rituals into their daily life. Ange enjoys hanging out with her family, traveling and getting into nature as much as possible.