March 26, 2007

Fabulous Finds: "Soleful" Purpose"Altar" Your Space Fabulous Finds: "Soleful" PurposeFabulous Finds: "Soleful" Purpose

We are living in hyper-drive. “Calm” and “laid back” are teetering on extinction as we ironically and frantically attempt to find some way to unwind. In this warp speed world, even a second to exhale feels like a gift. So what do we do? We take a cue from our grandparents and put to use their diatribes that always began with “When I was a little girl…,” and then sometimes continued with “…we used to sit as a family and eat dinner at the table together every night” or “…we would sit by the fire and tell each other stories…” and would conclude with “Why do you always have to be running around? Why can’t you just relax?”

In this instance, we are siding with granny and saying that, yes, we have got to relax…at least for a second.

Obviously, a yoga class lasts more than mere seconds, as does a spa treatment. Even the mental statement of a mantra can go on and on depending on how verbose you tend to be. (Believe me, my mantras are paragraphs long and can take upwards of 15 minutes to recite. I am exhausted by the end which, in turn, is essential force fed relaxation.) So, what exactly can calm (yes, calm, which we are desperately trying to save from the “in jeopardy of extinction” list) in an instant? An altar.

The altar is an ancient tradition that has existed in homes, temples, monasteries, even on streets and in the middle of fields, as a place of worship where Gods, deities and spirits are called upon to protect, offer strength and alleviate hardship. The size, shape and objective of an altar are intentionally ambiguous, as its sole purpose is to serve you.

An altar doesn’t have to be hocus pocus or require a supernatural presence to penetrate the psyche. Regardless of what it’s comprised of (a photo, flowers, candles, statues, drawings, poems or love notes), an altar is a place of consciousness, a reminder to return to self. Whether it resides in your bedroom, office or car, just a glance at your altar offers a “Matrix” like freeze-frame that stops the world from spinning and allows you to be wholly selfish within that second. (I know, a second isn’t much time to be selfish, but hey, you’ve got to take it where you can get it.)

An altar is a breath of fresh air.

So exhale for God’s sake! You were turning blue!

Any comments?