The only time I have ever used that word is when I describe the birth of my son, Raffi. From Dictionary.com, the definition of Sacred is entitled to veneration or religious respect by association with divinity or divine things; holy.
For me, birth felt holy. Nothing else has quite compared to the sacredness and transformative power of that experience.
But lately, I’ve been thinking about the word Sacred in a new context. While I am not expecting divine miracles every day, I am wondering, how can I bring more reverence into my day-to-day life?
Let me back up a bit.
As much as I love living in NYC, it’s a loud and fast-paced city. And even though I work from home, I am constantly online, whether it’s on Zoom calls, emails, or social media. Most of the time, I am okay with this way of life and truly enjoy it. But a few weeks ago, I felt my intuition telling me it was time to get quiet again. When we’re constantly connected and always going, going, going, it’s hard to hear our own inner voices. If we want to have a deeper relationship with our intuition, then we need to carve out the space for listening and connection.
So here are a few things I’m doing and thinking about in order to bring more of this sacredness into my life.
1. Create meaningful rituals. I love routines and habits, but lately, I’ve been thinking about how to add more meaning and intention to the things I’m already doing daily. Some examples:
🙏🏼 Say a prayer of gratitude before meals for the food and everyone involved in its production
🧘🏻♀️ Burn incense before meditating and check in with my spirit guides
🕯️Light a candle after cleaning, stare at the fire for a few moments, and be grateful for a clean and cozy home
🪥 Practice gratitude while brushing my teeth at night and think about all the things I’m grateful for from that day.
🎧 Listen to this EMDR album while writing
What are some of your meaningful rituals?
2. Engage in acts of kindness towards others. We all know how simple it can be to be kind to the strangers around us, but how often are we letting our own thoughts (or devices) interrupt our chances for connection? The next time you’re on the subway (or whatever is similar to where you live), look around and pay attention to the people surrounding you. People will likely be on their phones, but see how it feels to send them kind and loving thoughts. Just sending them kindness can be a sacred expression of love, empathy, and interconnectedness, reminding us of our shared humanity.
How can you offer kindness to those around you?
3. Keep certain things intentionally private (online). I tend to be an open book and as a community-minded person, I believe there is great value in sharing personal experiences because it’s a way to build trust and connection with people. But in an age of constant connection where technology has blurred the lines between public and private, choosing to keep certain things solely for myself or close friends feels like a luxury. Now anytime I am considering posting to social media, I ask myself, is this post meant to be shared publicly, or is there something sacred to keeping the moment private? It’s not that I won’t share personal things again, but choosing to keep certain things just for myself is what feels good for me right now, even if it also means less posting.
What is your relationship to sharing online?
If you’re like me and also looking to add sacredness to your life, I encourage you to slow down, pay attention to the details, and be fully engaged in what you’re doing. Little by little, you can transform routine activities into sacred rituals.
Top photo by Elina Fairytale on Pexels.com.
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