Do you have a sacred space?

Today I’ve been for a run – the first for a long time. I took it steadily, walking when I needed to, but I just couldn’t resist the urge to get out into the beautiful sunshine and to visit my sacred place. It’s not far, a short walk or jog down the road and then along a track between fields, and you reach what we call the sea wall. It’s actually a raised path between salt marshes on one side and arable fields on the other. There is space – plenty of it – fresh air, wildlife and colour. Every day is different, depending on the light and the weather, but the revitalising energy and the sense of infinite space is always there.

Before Alfie’s injury, he and I used to walk here almost every day, and I always felt renewed and inspired from spending time in this space. I haven’t wanted to walk without him, though, so I’ve missed out on it during the Summer. Somehow, just knowing that the marshes and their vibrant emptiness are so close is still soothing, however. One day, we’ll get back down there together, even if it is for a sedate lead walk, but for now the plan is that I visit as often as I can with my running shoes on.

I have to admit that it took me a long time to realise that I could pick a special place that was close to my home and might otherwise have felt ‘ordinary.’ I have visited the island of Iona many times, and feel that it has a very special spiritual energy. I would go there tomorrow if I could, but that would entail travelling to Scotland, taking a ferry from Oban to Mull, driving across Mull and taking the foot ferry to Iona. Not an easy feat! So I’ve been in the habit of visiting Iona in my mind, always aware how far away it is. Then, gradually, it dawned on me that I was feeling drawn to walk along the sea wall every day, and that I felt particularly alive in that place. I decided that I could adopt anywhere as a sacred place or spiritual home, and how lucky would I be if that place was right next to where I live!

During the Summer, however, while Alfie and I have been confined much more to our home, I have also very happily pondered on the fact that home is, in fact, a wonderful place to be. Many people have heard me talk before about my very ancient house (probably over 700 years old) full of beams, sloping floors and plenty of draughts. It’s a very comfortable and nurturing place, and is so much more than a home for us. I work from home, so it’s my office, and the Teenager is home educated so it’s a school. There is always something creative happening, either my quiet tapping on the keyboard or his much noisier music making and composition. It’s very important to us that whatever happens in this house, behaviour, language etc, is positive and gentle and non-aggressive, and that the people who come into it are of the same mind. I feel so blessed to have a home that is much more than a home, that I love to come back to, and I am happy to wake up in. I have no aspirations to live in a bigger, better appointed or more expensive house. This is the one that nurtures me and if I can stay here I will be happy.

So, for me, it’s been a matter of deciding what is good for me and then allowing the nurturing to happen. I can allow my home to be a haven every day, helping us to live and create and contribute. I have the wonderful privilege of being able to visit an inspiring part of the countryside whenever I want, and I have special places in my heart that are further afield but that have affected me deeply in the past. Making those choices helps me to fill my life with energy and inspiration as much as possible; I’ve no doubt that I’ll be able to add more special places as time goes on, opening up new possibilities and increasing the amount of joy I am able to squeeze from life. What a wonderful gift this beautiful world can be!

Do you have a special place? Where is it? If it’s far away and you can’t visit often, how about asking yourself if you have somewhere closer to home that nurtures you already? Visit often, and fill up your soul.