5 Simple Steps to Create Your Altar
Photo by Elly Fairytale on Pexels
What do you think when you hear the word “altar”? Does it bring to mind certain religions or places of worship? Creating an altar or sacred space can feel like a loaded and intimidating topic--but it doesn’t have to be. An altar can simply be an intentional space in your home. It can be a physical reminder to practice mindfulness, honor your spiritual growth, and connect to yourself and your intentions. Because of this, we always encourage our students and clients to create their own altars.
In case you need some help getting started, here are a few steps to create an altar in your home:
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Find a space
This should be a special place in your home that will not be disturbed. Ideally, you want to find an area that’s not right next to your bed, stove, or fridge. Place a small table or other raised surface here that will be your altar. Make sure the surface is solid and stable--you’ll be placing meaningful items here, and you don’t want them to fall.
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Clear the space with intention
It’s important to take the time to clear away any negative or stagnant energy when you are creating a sacred and important space in your home. You can do this with orange peels, palo santo, a space clearing mist, or your favorite space clearing tools. Remember to set a positive intention for your space as you clear it, so that you are replacing any negative energy with positive, life-affirming qi.
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Choose items to display
These don’t have to be connected to a certain belief system, though they certainly can if that resonates with you. The most important thing is to choose things that are sacred and meaningful to you. A few ideas for things you could include are candles, incense, flowers, crystals, photographs, statues, and mandalas; but don’t feel limited by those ideas! Use your intuition to tap into what is sacred in your own life. Next, arrange them in a way that feels beautiful and nourishing. Keep in mind that you don’t need to fill your altar with items right away. You can always start with just a few things that you have, and gradually add to it over time.
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Honor your altar
The goal is not to create a perfect altar in a day and then leave it alone to collect dust. As a sacred space in your home, it deserves your loving attention. Make sure you clean it regularly and keep it free of clutter. You’ll also want to pay attention to whether anything needs to be adjusted over time; you might find that certain items no longer feel necessary or supportive for the current moment, so you may want to respectfully store them away.
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Spend time with your altar
You’ve just created a beautiful sacred space in your home that encourages you to connect with yourself—enjoy it! Your altar can be a place for meditation, mindfulness, prayer, pulling daily oracle cards, journaling, or any other practice that helps you connect to yourself.
Do you have an altar? If so, we’d love to see them - share them on Instagram and tag us @mindfuldesignschool!