I’ve learned and come to believe that Sanctuary is the breath of life.
If I were to ask you what Sanctuary means to you, how would you answer? For many of us, the first thought would be a particular place and remembrance from childhood. That’s because children have a strong instinct to withdraw (run away) in some way to feel protected, whether physically, from embarrassment, shame, expectations, or just an overall discomfort.
I now realize the value of that instinct, to retreat, to remove myself from people or situations, encumbrances that just no longer serve our souls. But deeper than that, the concept of Sanctuary has opened in me a profoundness of how it encompasses everything our entire beings long, and are starved for.
Unfortunately, over time we tend to override our inner guidance and instincts. In religiosity, Sanctuary can be used to describe a room set aside as “holy,” for worship, or practices. It is understandable that these dwelling places are in many ways meant to set apart, to dwell on God, however, the word Sanctuary itself does not make it that.
You see, everyone has a Sanctuary. While the physical body is in a physical place, which can be amazingly beautiful, Sanctuary is how we dwell in that place. It’s a state of being.
It’s difficult to describe with words, but we have felt its power whether you know it or not. My best attempt to put words to it is that it can be a place where we feel unhurried, grounded, peaceful, safe, and hopefully come away renewed with a healthier energy.
It is not necessarily always the same place, but is always a place of restoration, a reset of sorts. And always, time in Sanctuary prioritizes and reminds us of what’s really important.
Sometimes, we are almost forced into Sanctuary when we go through difficult times. We grasp for ways to take the next steps, next breath, to think clearly. I’ve often said, “I can’t even think” when I’m experiencing something hard or overwhelming. It triggers the instinct to seek quiet, to be alone, retreat to a hot bath, take a walk, when we might not otherwise sense that trigger.
What is your response when you feel the need to retreat? We are all different, but that need is always our soul seeking Sanctuary. Those times can feel anxious, upset, confused, but our souls need a response to that instinct that is leading us to a place where we can calm and reassess what’s really important and make decisions from that place.
This is how we’re wired. It is our emotional DNA. So why do we sometimes resist our soul’s pull to seek Sanctuary? There’s the rub. We know it’s what we need but we often choose and adopt perspectives that deter us before we finally submit to the comfort and wisdom of Sanctuary.
It’s not something you add to your day, it’s a way of life that becomes a part of your being, like breathing. The more you gift your soul retreat, the less experience you will have with being fed up, resentful, overwhelmed, exhausted and much more. It’s much like feeding your body healthy foods. You will deal with less physical issues. If you’re thirsty, you drink water, or you know your body will become dehydrated, right?
We can’t avoid or have any control over circumstances, but Sanctuary is always available to us and drawing us. We just have to recognize it as water, breath to our being and existence.
Ironically, I’ve often heard complaints like, “If I only had ten minutes to myself,” all while looking at a phone.
Without moments of Sanctuary we become a person with eyes that don’t see, ears that don’t hear, words without clarity of thought, like eating junk food that doesn’t provide full functionality to our bodies.
I hear you thinking, “How do I make room for this?” Think of your emotional DNA as a house of furniture. How do we make room for new furniture or household items?
In order to make room, we have to let go of something. If something is causing you anxt, confusion, worry, upset, what can you let go of to make room for moments of Sanctuary? It can be wherever, and will calm and smooth out the pot holes, bumps, and hills that throw us out of balance just like it does a car?
Whatever you are walking through at any given time, you are enough, you are supported. Sink into the arms of Sanctuary.
So where is the first place that comes to mind when you think of retreating to some form of Sanctuary? What is an activity that brings comfort and peace? For me, it can be walking, sitting on my patio reading, a hot bath. For some it’s gardening, a hobby that always gets put last.
What can you say no to that really isn’t that important? Maybe shorten a phone conversation, put off that load of laundry a few hours, less screen time.
Sanctuary gives you permission to tend to what really matters. It’s a place of soul care where you owe no one anything. It’s a place you retreat to anytime, anywhere, where your ears hear your own voice, not everyone else’s. It’s a place of truth with no pretenses. A place that values ease and leisure when the world absolutely does not.
Sanctuary is that place that values YOU!
Breathing in Sanctuary,
To help and enhance your sacred Sanctuary moments, heck out my Coaching Moments Card Deck.