A Space to Breathe

 Covered patio.

I had been an almost-meditator for what seems like my entire adult life.  In the early years, I was so picky about where and when (seems like all of the universe had to be aligned 'just so' in order for me to even try)... later came littles.... then back to wanting perfect conditions... on and on and around and around it went.

I meditated, but no matter how I longed to create a steady habit , I could only manage like three days in a row, then I'd be off for a couple of days, meditate again, then not for a week or more.... sigh.   It seemed impossible to make it a real practice.

Outdoor sacred space.

This summer it all changed.  Madd and I wanted to make a sitting area in the den so  I rearranged some of the furniture-- shuffled around a few tables, got rid of some stuff that had been in the large cupboard for years and years, brought in my little wicker sofa that had been living next to the pond (for meditating)....  things came together.

The den.

Shortly after I moved the furniture around, I was walking around our home, wanting a perfect spot to sit with my breath and quiet mind, and I had the idea of turning the little sofa round so it faced the window.  Brilliant.  That changed everything. 

The window faces east, next to the open back door, it's a beautiful wall of green -inside and out.   Perfect for early mornings, when I don't want to be bothered by waking insects, outside. 

Two lovely spots outside, almost always ready (season permitting).
Downstairs in the window-less witches den... I'd prefer a wall of windows and glass doors that open directly into an enchanted forest, but I have to tell you-- having access to complete quiet and absolute seclusion in a noisy world definitely has its benefits.

Upstairs in the den at the altar.  Faces north, and is next to a permanent prosperity altar, and perfect for above-ground workings when I have the house to myself.
And the Green window, also in the den.
In the winter there's another spot indoors in the wellness room, currently the palms and trees that live there are outside growing and celebrating living directly under the sun.
Five choices.
Five places that offer something that nowhere else does.

Five lovely places that are only begging my phone and earbuds, a stone or two if I feel like it, and a stick of incense. 

Witches' den.

 I'm convinced that this availability is the whole reason that before I knew it, I had  a record of 32 consecutive days of meditation practice.  I had done it.

No deterrents, no insisting that things needed to be perfect, no being bothered by construction noises or barking dogs or rain.... always, there is a place ready for sitting and centering.

Upstairs working altar.

The world is a beautiful place, and those of us that don't live by the sea or have a cottage bordering the woods can, and I believe should make easily-accessible spaces for our expanding, seeking selves.  Be it a bench at the foot of a bed, the bathtub, a screened-off corner of a room, or a chair that can easily be turned to face the window, creating beauty and pausing into the Still can only be a wonderful practice for an appreciative Self.