In 2018 I went on a yoga retreat to Bali. One of the many ideas and inspirations I received from this retreat was the creation of a home altar to deepen my meditation practice. Many of us are familiar with altars from places of worship, however, an altar can be anyplace that you would like to make more sacred. In Bali, there were little altars everywhere- in cars, on the beach, inside stores, as well as in front of the many temples that we visited.
Altars have been used and enjoyed since nearly the beginning of human civilization. Archeologists have discovered the very earliest altars to be located deep inside caves and out in the open on mountainsides as well as within ancient temples. They have been powerful places of initiation, worship and sacrifice. On my recent trip to Ireland, we visited a Mass Rock out in the countryside. These were rocks used as altars when people attended Mass in secret to avoid persecution. There are many throughout the Irish countryside.
An altar can consist of a collection of various items that serve as a physical representation of whatever you want to invoke. There are countless objects you can place on your altar. Some of the items on my current home altar are beach stones- helps me be grounded, amethyst and rose quartz crystals- to connect to intuition and compassion, citrine crystal- for self confidence, twinkle lights and candles- to connect to the light within, a bowl- to collect blessings and to hold prayers. A statue of Kuan Yin, the godess of compassion, and an adorable yoga nutcracker which was gifted to me by a student.
Altars can be associated with a certain religion or your altar can simply reflect universal spiritual principles. Anything that is special or significant to you can be on your altar. You can create an altar in any space where you want to add a spiritual dimension- in nature, your kitchen, workspace etc. You can make anyplace more sacred by adding an altar.
I am sharing this because I think it is a beautiful practice and if you feel inspired you should try it out and see how it makes you feel. When you create a beautiful altar in your home, it can become a sacred space to connect with your heart and soul, to get centered, listen to your intuition and set intentions for your day.