Every woman should have sacred space in her home for retreat. It should be a place for you to meditate, read a book, sleep, journal or anything that helps you to recharge when you’re feeling overworked. Preferably, this space would be off-limits to others in the house so that it always feels like your own energy.

Your sacred space can be anywhere you have room. It can be a spare bedroom, or a corner of your own bedroom that is isolated with fabric or other “barriers”. It can even be an empty closet! The important thing is that you are comfortable in that space. Once you’ve picked your spot, clear everything out. Everything. You want to start from scratch. Think about what the room’s primary function will be. Will you use it to read or to meditate? To listen to music or write in a journal? What you plan to do with your sacred space will determine a lot about what you will include in your design. The design will help create the proper energy for you to relax, heal and recharge.

When creating your sacred space remember to take into account color, texture, scent, and lighting; all of which will play a big part in how you feel in the space. Here are some tips:

• The color palette you choose should be one that is calming, soothing and recharging for you. Most often, the cool colors (blues and greens) are considered to be the most calming, but I believe that individuals are drawn to certain colors for a reason. My preference for my sacred space has always been deep warm colors; a dark (non-stimulating) red with a light brown for instance. If you can put some paint on the walls, do it! If not, consider hanging or draping fabric along the walls to change the color of the space around you.
• Add lots of accents to create the kinds of texture that you want. Some fluffy pillows that accentuate your color palette; fabrics on the walls and furniture will bring depth. Add some “special things” to personalize your space. For me, I’ve always added Buddha’s to my space, but it should be personal for you. Maybe it’s a picture of an island you stayed on five summer’s ago, or a noodle necklace your 4-year made you!
• Scent can be an extremely powerful additional to your space. Anyone schooled in aromatherapy knows how much it can do not just for mood for for overall health. I’m a big essential oil fan, and the right scent can help you to achieve that rested and recharge feeling from your sacred space. Here’s a link to some additional information on essential oils for well-being and their multitude of uses and benefits. You’ll want to use particular oils for particular things, but my mainstay is always pure lavender with either sandalwood or a citrus oil blended with it. Adding essential oils to your space can be very easy. You can add it in the form of incense or an aromatherapy burner. You can water it down into a spray bottle and mist it throughout the room, or add it to borax powder (sprinkle on the carpet and vacuum). Experiment with different scents to find one that makes you feel divine.
• Lighting will be somewhat variable depending on your intended activities, but candles are I think the best mood enhancer on the planet! If you must have a lamp or other bright light source for reading or writing, buy a small swatch of fabric that can be draped over the lamp shade for times when you want to soften the mood.
• One other addition that many people love is a noise machine… it brings the sounds of the ocean or a rainstorm to your space that many people love for meditation.

Once you’ve added all the necessary ingredients to your sacred space, the only things that will be missing is you! Begin to set aside some time each day to be in your space. It doesn’t have to be hours (even 15 minutes can be a miracle if you’re a mother!); any amount of time as long as it’s daily will be a good start. As you begin to take advantage of it’s benefits, you’ll find yourself making time to be there more often. And again, try to keep others out of your space… it’s sacred for crying out loud!!!

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