Create a Personal Sanctuary

“Such places exist among the endless abodes of every major city, places that seem to be sanctuaries from the present, immune to the hustle and bustle, the sound and fury that in the end change nothing.” James Roof, Author

Sanctuary is one of those terms which you don’t seem to hear much these days. Whilst most of us are unlikely to need the kind of physical sanctuary offered by the Church in medieval times, there is still a psychological need today for Sanctuary and that’s as vital as it ever has been. Think about it for a moment - do you have a place you go to when you just need some quiet, some solace, a chance to be still and to quieten your mind from all the demands for your attention?

Libraries, parks, a bench by the river, maybe a coffee shop in your favourite book store, and yes - churches - all of these places can offer a space of sorts for you to disconnect for a while, from those aspects in your life which cause you stress.

Your sense of sanctuary may not be a physical place at all. It may be a favourite book or movie or style of music. It may be an activity, like going to the gym, or gardening or yoga. It may be spending time with a pet. Or singing in a choir. Or cycling. Sanctuary in this way means something other than relaxing or meditating or praying.

It is an experience of feeling psychologically safe enough to be able to completely let one’s guard down - to simply ‘be’.

Even if your experience of sanctuary comes through doing something physically demanding, the experience can be incredibly rejuvenating and in a way which has nothing to do with the endorphins or any other biological processes which occur during, and after, exercise.

It is the internal experience which is the key. Whilst a sense of sanctuary may seem to be about shutting oneself away from the world, that’s not necessarily the case.

Rather it is about creating an experience to allow the needs of one’s interior world to be heard, however it is that you find suits you best.

One of the really exciting parts about emerging from time spent in Sanctuary is that you will also have allowed yourself some time for your Unconscious to work things out - to solve problems, to come up with all sorts of creative possibilities, no matter what it is you are trying to solve, create or achieve.

If you are struggling with a problem of some sort, I recommend you let yourself have some regular time in a Sanctuary of your own creation. It will undoubtedly be time well spent.

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