Human beings are intricate and complex with an infinite number of integrated parts and systems. We are sacred, as are all life forms and the planet on which we so tenuously exist. We are also part of a complex web of life, a highly integrated living system of cyclic processes in which we participate and on which we depend to survive.
We cannot survive without each of the intricate parts. While we may view other objects as separate or “other,” we are interconnected and interdependent and cannot ultimately survive without each other. Everything in our world and in our environment affects us at the most primal level (whether or not we are aware of it) and we impact everything in our environment. Because of this deep interconnectedness to all around us and to every living thing, our environment and the spaces in which we live every day are “sacred” spaces. The term “sacred” means to be connected with God or the Divine and, as such, is something that should be regarded with great respect and reverence because of its immeasurable value (Oxford University Press, 2017).
“The concept of sacred space applies both to one’s inner being and to places in one’s environment. Although to “create” sacred space is often the result of being in awareness and stillness” (Burkhardt & Nagai-Jacobson, 2016, p.140).
One of the most profound spiritual practices we can undertake is to treat ourselves and our environment as sacred. As we begin to understand our deep connection with the universe, we look at ourselves and our world differently. As we create sacred spaces within our environment, our body, mind, and spirit are lifted. Sacred spaces connect us to the Divine within and around us and are those places that mirror our worldview and our sense of self in a positive, uplifting, and healthy way.
Elizabeth Lesser, author of The Seeker’s Guide: Making Your Life a Spiritual Adventure, says that we love what we care for (Lesser, 2008). Spiritually sacred spaces are places where love abides.