My Sacred Space

Welcome:) I wanted to show you my altar and meditation corner. This space is in a corner of my room across from my bed to the left, so I always have a clear view of it. This wall used to house the pics of my very first ever “special” photo shoot, way before the blog was even an embryo. It was the first shoot that ever helped me begin to see myself in a clearer light. Those photos are still very special and beautiful and have a new home on a different wall. The evolution of this particular wall, much like my own evolution, is not lost on me. Shifts, adjustments, explorations, and learnings are always happening. Growth and flow are so alive, and I love how this little section of my bedroom reflects that. 
I want to take you through some of the important items I’ve placed on this lovely altar, that I got on Amazon during the height of the pandemic. My zen teacher always cracks up at that, and it’s such a funny statement about how we can “order” spirituality. I love the altar, which was made in Nepal, for its carved tree design. It’s the Tree of Life which connects us all, rooting us and providing us with deep nourishment. We all come from the earth and other elements and this reminds me of that, how we are all branches growing from the same source of rootedness. 
The little white turtle represents the turtle chakra, one of the minor chakras. I love this so much because it’s a beautifully profound teaching on our innate ability to go inward, gather our outer limbs and come home to ourselves. The rose quartz crystal is from my dear friend who is a reiki healer and astrologer. Rose quartz carries and invites love into the space. The green heart represents the heart chakra, another reminder of the capacity for love and where it lives in the physical and energetic body. Sage and Palo Santo are natural herbs I’ll occasionally burn to cleanse the space. I like to do this after going through something painful, monumental, or painfully monumental as I feel ready to cut cords and enter a new chapter. Herb burning is an ancient wisdom practice that connects me to the ancestors who had access to the deepest magic and healing in nature. If it worked for them it can work for me. The wooden figure is a foot and half statue of Avalokiteshvara, the Japanese Soto zen face of compassion. She responds to the cries of the world and represents our inner capacity to do the same. She isn’t an idol or a deity but a reflector back to us of our own beautiful compassionate nature that is always present. My singing bowl and incense holder bring my sense of smell and hearing into the space in a ritualistic way that engages more of me. The stillness and serenity of the Buddha figure is direct and clear in its teaching of the steadfast calm that lies at the heart of life, underneath the storms and chaos. The colorful zen monk figurines were a recent birthday gift from my kids. They mean so much to me because it was a beautiful intention for my children to connect with me over something they know is important to me. I was profoundly moved by this gesture. Theses figurines live in the center of my sacred space and bring my kids to the heart of this tangible place of meditative practice. The little green bead has Hebrew letters and was given to me by a dharma brother in my sangha.  He’s not Jewish but his husband is Israeli and he gave this to me after we bonded during a silent retreat. He had learned of how important my Judaism is to me and this thoughtful gesture touched me. How we pay attention to what’s important to one another speaks volumes. My lineage chart I wrote by hand before taking Jukai, vows to uphold and care for the zen precepts. What I love so much about seeing all these names of human ancestors is the reminder that they had the same pain, shit, and challenges that are part of being a person. They suffered and struggled and committed to learning a new way of being with it. Because of their commitment I now have the medicine of this practice. 

Our space is so important. How we arrange it, care for it, be in it. It’s another extension of how we care for ourselves. Setting up this little oasis of peace, grounding, and reflection reminds me that I can always come home, to both it and my true nature.