Carnival of Healing #26: Sacred Spaces

Welcome to the 26th edition of the Carnival of Healing. Sacred Spaces are the focus of today's carnival. Spending some quality time in a space that is void of distraction is a blessing.

A seed was planted in my mind and heart yesterday to start up the Sacred Spaces Gallery Project. In the gallery I will display photos of reader-submitted special places. Perhaps your special place will motivate others to spawn their own personal sacred space. The submission guidelines are pretty straightforward. I hope you will feel inspired to contribute.

One of the first sacred spaces that I encountered as a child was my mother's sewing space. She didn't have a room devoted to sewing, but I would often find her eyes and hands focused intently on stitching away at her sewing machine in the corner of my parents' bedroom. Mom was at her happiest when spending time in that sewing corner. Her small stitching-nook was definitely a sacred space, one that nurtured her need to have a creative outlet.

When creating a sacred space give special attention in choosing the objects that are placed there. Even if you aren't crafty, well-placed objects in your healing place that have been hand-crafted by artsy folks will inspire a feeling of warmth and sacredness. Karen Clothier (the hip an zen pen) offers A sense of perspective after returning home from South Africa. She says "creating beautiful objects is very healing for the soul."

ajnastarheart writes in her Insight At Last journal entry that she is experiencing "Creative Block."

Need to tidy up the flat and make a sacred space in which to contact my Muse again. This has been bothering me and I couldn't even see it. My dreams have been all about this issue of not having my usual creative outlet...

David McCandless from Through Darkling Glass posts Parenting & the "Private Space" - David equates "marriage" with "sacred space" giving example that he and his wife taught their children early on about boundaries he affectionately calls "buffer zones." He is not certain that his and his wife's obsession with boundaries was the right rearing tactic, and feels a tinge of regret. Eww... all parents can certainly relate to that nagging feeling of "regret" - My advice is "Shake it off David!! Regret is a wasteful way to spend your energy."

Laura (Lauramm.com) posts Spiritually Speaking comparing the prayerful energy within Japanese temples with the abandonment feel of midwestern christian church sanctuaries on off-sabbath days. Sacred spaces or cultural clashes?

Anne, Manchester CT yoga instructor, from Samadhi Yoga: Musings On Yoga Off the Mat blogs Sacred Space, Sacred Experience. Anne says "Yoga teachers often use the term 'sacred space' to describe the mood and physical environment of the room in which a yoga class takes place. But sacred space has more to do with the way we as teachers relate to our students and the feelings of safety and acceptance we convey."

Kelly Howell's bedroom became her healing space for several weeks forcing her to take time to reflect on her life. She writes "All I could do was stay in bed and ponder the purpose of this injury..." (Theatre of the Mind: what I learned in bed)

Looking back: Last week's carnival was hosted at Intuitive Living Blog. The focus of Christopher's carnival was "Intention" which goes quite nicely with the theme of "Sacred Spaces" --- I think we've hit a groove ---

Looking ahead: Next week, January 28, I'll again be hosting the carnival, but you will find me at my personal blog Spiral Visions. My plan is to use a kitchen/food/nurture theme... we'll see if that idea comes to fruition. This would be a good week to send me your favorite blogged recipes!

Beyond next week check the Carnival of Healing hosting schedule to see who is hosting the carnival in upcoming weeks. Also, if you are interested in hosting the carnival at your blog please email me at healing.guide@about.com