Cultivate a Daily Practice and Sacred Space

An inward-guided life only comes from ongoing practice. This takes time, discipline, and devotion. Daily rituals ground us, allowing all of our actions to align with our deepest priorities. Just like you can’t win the Olympics without training every day, you can’t become a Heroine without carving out time every day for communing with and becoming Her. We each need to create a strong container for our daily training times, for a daily practice of yoga, meditation, prayer, energy cultivation, and self-inquiry serves as the foundation of this work.

Depending upon your level of experience and availability, carve out anywhere between ten minutes to three hours each day, first thing in the morning, to connect with yourself and the Sacred. What you do first thing each morning impacts how you experience the rest of the day. This is when you’re most receptive and vulnerable, so make sure that the outer messages and agendas you’re pursuing nourish and anchor you in your depths. Before you wear all of your other roles in life, put yourself in your own sacred space where you can relax all of your external masks and rest in your primordial nature. Take this commitment seriously. Daily practice is precious; it’s what allows us to fully live during all the hours of the day.

Right when you wake up in the morning, rather than rolling over to check your phone, be intentional about your first thoughts. Make it a practice to fix your thoughts on your deepest dedication before getting out of bed. Recite to yourself a phrase, poem, or affirmation, and also consider your impermanence. Be grateful for a new day, and recognize that it could possibly be your last. How do you want to live it? Let your heart awareness marinate in these early contemplations for a few moments before even putting your feet on the ground. Then get up and, as soon as possible, enter your sacred space for your practice.

For this practice to take root in your life, it needs its own “holding environment.” Create a sacred space in your home that’s just for you. Keep this separate from your family, partner, and technology. Fill it with those things that most inspire you and remind you of your highest Self. This is the space where you’ll connect with your SHE and your rich inner world. This is the space where you’ll birth your new life and surrender all the outdated parts of yourself in the process. At another level, remember that this sacred space also lives within you, in your own body, your own inner home. Be sure to also find sacred spaces near where you live to seek refuge when you need to. Yoga studios can serve as modern-day temples, as can spaces in nature, meditation centers, and even quiet cafés that are off the beaten path.

Excerpted from The Book of She: Your Heroine’s Journey into the Heart of Feminine Power ©2015 Sara Avant Stover. Printed with permission of New World Library. www.newworldlibrary.com