CREATING SACRED SPACE IN TRYING TIMES
Interfaith Retreat-in-a-Box
by Sable Manson
In the spring of 2020, I was working with my higher education colleagues to prepare for an interfaith retreat set on Catalina Island, off the coast of southern California. We had planned numerous interactive sessions for students to learn and engage other faiths as well as spend time in nature to meditate and reflect. However, two weeks prior to our retreat weekend the COVID-19 pandemic forced all students and staff to be sent home indefinitely.
Photo: Pixabay
The first few months were spent just trying to keep safe while sheltering in place, however my colleagues and I soon realized that with all the global turmoil there was an even greater growing necessity for the interfaith retreat than before. We recognized that while the pandemic forced people to evolve their religious and spiritual practices, participants still desired to engage important interfaith topics. As educators, we saw it as our responsibility to help our students find meaningful ways to engage their religious and spiritual practices safely from home.
We set about figuring out how to adapt our in-person retreat in a way that might still be authentic and create space for people to explore issues of faith, meaning making, and other worldviews from the safety of their homes. The solution we created was “Retreat-in-a-box.” Our goal was to capture the essence of an interfaith retreat by providing individuals with the tools they needed to cultivate a sacred space they could engage in their homes.
Defining Sacred Spaces
What does it mean when we say a place is sacred? Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines sacred as “dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of deity; devoted exclusively to one service or use (as of a person or purpose); worthy of religious veneration; entitled to reverence and respect; of or relating to religion: not secular or profane.” While some aspects of these definitions connect the sacred to religion or spirituality, the sacred can also be understood as something set apart – different from or opposite of the profane, the ordinary.
Photo: Pixabay
Churches, temples, mosques, gurdwaras, and other religious sites are dedicated sacred spaces, however civic sites such as memorials and cemeteries are set aside out of reverence. Many individuals continue to see the sacred in nature, whether in our national parks and other natural wonders including beaches, mountains, and deserts. Many also acknowledge the sacred “space” in our human relationships and connections such as the love between individuals and groups.
Sacred space within the home has been seen throughout human history in many cultures and faith systems. In early Christian history, particularly during times of persecution, church members would have secret spaces in their home for worship service. Then later, when Christianity rose to greater prominence in Europe, affluent Christian and Catholic families built and maintained home chapels or altars for private religious services, as well as for the local surrounding community.
Mandir - Photo: Unsplash
In a number of Hindu homes, it is encouraged to have a mandir, or home altar, to worship murti, which is an embodiment of a Hindu god in any form, often a statue of the god or goddesses. Within Latinx cultures, families and individuals create ofrendas around the celebration of the Dia De Los Muertos to honor loved ones who have passed. Muslim homes also often have dedicated prayer spaces. While some prayer spaces may utilize only simple rugs or mats, some homes have dedicated prayer rooms with hand and feet washing stations as well as spiritual text and religious iconography.
Sacred Space Starter Kit
As our retreat team began to research the histories and rituals of various religions, spiritualities, and worldviews, we recognized how many faith systems utilized similar artifacts and archetypes as tools for spiritual development. We identified religious and spiritual artifacts that were used by various faith groups, so we could provide participants with those building blocks to establish sacred space in their homes.
We created our “Retreat-in-a-box” packages and filled them with both “traditional” spiritual items and those that could be used in various ways depending upon each participants’ preference. We included a piece of fabric to provide a covering for the space. We wanted participants to use the fabric to demonstrate a reverence to the space as well as that the area was “set apart” from other spaces in the home.
Photo: Pixabay
We added a rock, a bag of sand, and a jar to hold water or another natural element to invoke reminders of nature even while participants remained inside the home. For safety purposes, we included an electronic votive candle, rather than a real wax candle, as light is an important element of many faith systems. We included a bell and beaded bracelet for meditation, recognizing that many meditative rituals use sound as cues and beads for contemplation and concentration (e.g. Catholic rosary, Mala prayer beads used in Hinduism and Buddhism, Tasbih Beads in Islam). Although we added incense and a holder, we also encouraged participants to use scents that invoked positive feelings, such as lavender, rose, or vanilla, according to their own personal preferences.
Finally, we included a journal and pen, made from recycled materials, to provide participants with the space to write down their insights and reflections. Along with blank pages, the journal also had reflection prompts, mandala coloring pages for artistic expression, quotes from various spiritual leaders, and an activity to help participants create a mantra for meditation.
Photo: Sable Manson
In addition to being sent the “Retreat-in-a-Box,” participants were invited to watch our explanation video which detailed the items in the box and how to set-up a personal sacred space in their home. We encouraged participants to use their imagination and add personal touches such as pictures of loved ones or sacred symbols/artifacts from their own faith systems. We reminded them to include any trinkets they had collected from other spiritual experiences or other items which invoked value and meaning in their lives. While the retreat hosted Zoom sessions covering various interfaith topics, the goal of the “Retreat-in-a-Box” was to help participants set-up a sacred space in their home.
In between online remote sessions, we had participants return to the sacred space they created to meditate, reflect, and journal. We hoped that, although they weren’t able to come to a retreat center, they could still grow from the reteate experience by setting aside space in their home where they could intentionally engage their spirituality . The retreat ended up being an incredible success, with many participants appreciating the ways we adapted to our circumstance to provide a meaningful experience.
Creating a Spiritual Nook
At the conclusion of the interfaith retreat, I was so inspired I decided to transform my temporary “Retreat-in-a-box” altar into a permanent spiritual space in my home that I visit and engage on a regular basis. I converted a cabinet in my office into my sacred space. The top space is reserved for various crystals and altar tools and the other shelves are where I keep my personal collection of religious and spiritual artifacts . I have been fortunate to have a variety of interfaith experiences, so my spiritual cabinet and altar speaks to the diversity of my spiritual journey.
My grandfather’s rosary - Photo: Sable Manson
Some of my most cherished treasures are my maternal grandfather’s Catholic rosary, the compass dial from my Ignatian Pilgrimage I took along parts of the Camino De Santiago, and my “Blessing Jar” where I capture all the things I’m grateful for. I have been able to pull from various traditions and worldviews to create a spiritual space that invokes meaning, reflection, and joy. I also plan to continue to evolve the sacred space I’ve cultivated so it can grow with me as I continue to evolve as a spiritual being, inspired by the world around me.
Even in our “post pandemic” society where communities are once again able to congregate together for religious services, the idea of cultivating personal sacred space within the home still resonates for many religious and spiritual individuals. Various religions and spiritualities have guidelines or recommendations for creating sacred space in the home, which, depending on one’s personal beliefs, can influence the attributes of the sacred spaces.
Below are five insights to consider if you wish to create a personal interfaith sacred space in the home.
Find a space you can set aside solely for your spiritual engagement. Even if you have limited space and it can only be a countertop or corner of the room, the space should be “set apart.” This gives the space the reverence it deserves while demonstrating an intention to create space for spiritual reflection in your life as well your home.
Be creative, pull from different religious and spiritual traditions that speak to you. Explore other faith systems respectfully and open-heartedly, as unexpected items may resonate with you. Consider the feelings you want to cultivate within yourself when you are in the space, then try to find items that invoke those feelings.
Personalize the space, include pictures of loved ones, personal inspirational quotes, things that bring you joy and align/invoke your values.
Consider all your senses: touch/feel, smell, sound, sight, and possibly taste so that the space can be multisensory. Adding items that also act as cues such as a bell or a specific smell can help you engage not only the physical space but also tap into the spiritual space within yourself.
Take time to cultivate rituals around the space, even if it is only for a few minutes a day or week. Engaging the sacred space regularly can provide a sense of comfort and stability as well as bolster you in times of stress.
Header Photo: Unsplash