How to create a spiritual altar in 5 easy steps

This post is all about helping you create a spiritual self care altar in 5 easy steps.

As a mom of a toddler, I don’t really get much time for just myself. If you took a tour around my house, you would definitely see how a little boy runs the show around here. So, for me, self-care is a priority and it is extremely intentional for me because with the little time I do have for it, I romanticize my life to the fullest!

I am a morning person, my morning routine is magical. I love to watch the sun rise and I love to start my day off getting myself in a positive and blissful headspace which requires focus, intention and space. Not only do I do health, beauty and wellness self care…I also make sure that my mindset and my internal, spiritual energy is high vibe. This is a must for me because if I just start my day without it…I am not my best self.

Because us women are typically connected to our environment, I have found that having a spiritual self-care altar is of the utmost importance. When you surround yourself with reminders of what you are creating in life, you are vibrating with that energy. Remember when I wrote about my besties work space altar?

You may be asking, ‘okay, so what is a spiritual self-care altar?’

A spiritual self-care altar is simply a sacred space in your home dedicated to your spiritual practice. It’s a sacred space that you create that makes you feel calm, safe and connected to your higher self. It’s a space that holds spiritual tools like crystals, candles, sage, oracle cards, journals and incense. It can also have things like religious statues, artwork, gifts, flowers, plants, anything that makes you feel grounded and happy.

You may also be asking, ‘so why do I need a spiritual self-care altar?’

To which my answer would be “because you do, okay.” Look, I am a grown woman, a mother, a business owner. I have a full life that requires presence and never ending energy. And as a divine powerful woman, I need a place that replenishes my spirit so I can stay grounded as I make my way through this journey of life.

Inner peace and spiritual self-care will sustain you through anything and everything. It will give you that respite, that place you can go to right inside your home when you just need a minute. Like, when the toddler has a tantrum, something unpleasant or unexpected happens, something stressful hits or when your soul just needs to feel reconnected. Your spiritual sanctuary will heal you.

I share more in this podcast episode…

5 steps to create your sacred space altar:

1.Choose a special spot in your home for your sanctuary.

I chose this sideboard dresser that I have against a wall of windows, where I can watch the sun rise in the morning. The space can be as small or big as you like, it really doesn’t matter.

Choose furniture pieces that uplift and inspire you. Or have a natural element to them ( like wood or rattan ). This is my favorite piece of furniture because it was the first piece of furniture I bought myself in NYC. I remember finding this gym at a magical little thrift shop in Gramercy Park. This dresser is such good luck for me and reminds me that we are limitless. You want to pick a place that lifts your mood, just by looking at it.

RECREATE THIS LOOK:

2. Clear out the space and only allow things you love.

You really want to clear out the space of everything. So, if it’s just a small nightstand, clear out the top and the drawers. Only decorate this area with things that make you feel the highest energy…blissful!

Remember, clutter is overwhelming and will lower your energy but intentionally placing things you love is okay. No matter how much or how little you fill your space it must be filled with things that make you feel connected.

3. Decorate the space to soothe your soul.

I placed my gold buddha right in the center of my altar because this buddha means so much to me (you can read the story behind this buddha in my book, Blissful Living Journal). I surrounded it with crystals, candles, incense, plants, books, my favorite magazine about spirituality, happinez and photos of those I love. I also added artwork made for me by my little one. Anything and everything that brings me gratitude gets to go on my altar.

Natural elements will always bring grounding energy to a space. I like to ensure I have all 5 feng shui elements to my altar. Wood (to bring about growth and grounding), Fire (candles to ignite and activate my intentions), Earth (crystals which connect you to the energy of mother nature), Water (to bring cleansing and movement) & Metal ( the energy of balance and patience).

4. Add items for growth & ritual tools.

Books are always great for learning, growing and exploring new things. I like my spirituality magazines on my altar because I can always pick them up for inspiration. I also keep my oracle cards in the top drawers so I can use them when I need some guidance, especially during my New and Full Moon Rituals (you can see the rituals I do inside my membership) .

Every morning, I light my morning meditation candle and speak an intention into the flame. Then, I grab a journal and begin to write and clear my mind. At night I let my journal sleep on my altar because in my journal I am always scripting out my manifestations. If I am ever having an issue, I can always trust that my words will flow out into my journal and all the things I need to know will come from within me.

5. Visit your altar at least once a day.

I spend time with mine every single morning. It’s how I set up my day. Whether I am lighting candles, watering my plants, rearranging things, bringing in flowers, putting up new items, flipping pages of a book or magazine…I connect with my altar daily.

In the flow of life, this space reminds me that I am connected to everything. My energy of top priority. for me. Making sure I prioritize this time for spiritual self-care is just as important as my skin, my body or my business. This helps me to stay balanced, grounded and blissful💕!

LEARN MORE INSIDE OF MY HIGH VIBE HOME WORKSHOP

I walk you through a process of raising the vibration of your home through decor & design principles as well as energetic alignment so that you can cultivate a lifestyle that feels beyond blissful.

A few things you may want to add to your altar:

Goddess candles 💕 Abalone shell 💕 Floral Sage sticks 💕 Dancing Shiva 💕 Witchy room spray 💕 Florida Water ( you can read more about this here) 💕 Tibetan singing bowl 💕 crystal malas 💕

Sage should always be on hand

Crystal collections set the tone

Spiritual figures, gold buddha head

My collection of Happinez Magazine

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

💕 Pinterest is such a great resource for inspiration: Spiritual Glamour Decor | 5 altars | Altars + Sacred Space |

💕 Altar with pink | A fanciful twist |

💕 5 of my favorite books for spirituality and feng shui

5 Realistic Habits for a Healthy Morning Routine – Start Your Day Right!

Struggling to find the right morning routine? This post will help you come up with an easy and realistic way to start your morning right.

My morning ritual story

My favorite tea cup company no longer makes my favorite tea cup. So, yesterday I spent hours scouring Ebay and the internets searching for anyone selling these very specific tea cups that I am obsessed with. I have a major obsession with tea and coffee and I like my cup to have a specific style. I cannot stand a small cup, I like my cups large enough for at least a good 10 - 12 oz . I also like a very curved handle, it has to be a very specific handle for me to love the cup.

Anyway, this got me to thinking about my mornings and my morning routine and rituals.

My mornings have truly become my favorite time of day. I wasn’t always a morning person but years ago when I started lighting candles in the morning as a form of setting intentions, it became a whole new experience for me. Ever since then, I understood the importance of cultivating a strong morning routine in order to experience better days. It changes the game for you when you become intentional about your morning.

5 REALISTIC Healthy Morning Habits:

1.Wake up slowly. But make sure you get up.

It is incredibly enticing to hit snooze when your alarm goes off but hitting snooze & drifting back into sleep is completely counter productive to your day. Hitting snooze will leave you actually feeling groggy and leave your more tired. Here’s why: when you’re relying on your alarm to alert you so that you can get more bits of sleep, it interrupts your bodies internal clock therefore disrupting your mind & body’s internal sleep system.

When you go back to sleep, your body begins a new REM cycle and it’s likely that you won’t fully complete that cycle which ends up leading to long term health defects. Your best bet is to get up when you wake up. Push through the tough part but be sure to allow yourself the time and space to get up slowly. Take a few long deep breaths to get your cells moving, your body will follow suit.

HOT TIP: In order to give my brain a boost in the morning, I set the light in our bedroom to a soft pink light to soften the light on my eyes. It helps to transition easier. You can grab a Pink Himalayan Salt Lamp and it will totally transform your morning routine. I also would grab my water bottle instead of grabbing my phone. Ensuring I get some really cold water before I get up really helps your body wake up naturally.

You don’t have to get up super early to have an effective routine but shoot for about 30 minutes earlier than your normal wake time.

2. Stretch your body & do breath work.

I feel like this is something we know but we just don’t do enough. So, if you can actually find a way to do some stretches in bed, it makes it easier to remember to do in the morning and I like to stretch as I am getting into my mini morning break work session.

The benefits you will get from stretching you body are endless. Most importantly, it helps you to ensure that your muscles relax, tense muscles are what leads to poor posture. Proper posture is a significant factor on your long term health. Doing your stretching and some Wim Hof breakwork before you even get out of bed in the morning is the most efficient and health effective thing you can do for yourself.

3. Hydrate & nourish your body.

Just after waking up, I love to head to the kitchen to make myself some drinks. I do three things.

1. I take a quick shot of Apple Cider Vinegar. It will wake you up instantly if you’re still feeling groggy. It’s so good for you and the taste is a shock to the system. You can also just take the vitamins.

2. Then, I drink some water. I like to fill my water with vitamins and nutrients, chlorophyl and lemon.

3. I take my vitamins. On Sundays, I refill my vitamin planner which is absolutely essential for me.

4. Make everything a ritual.

Coffee is a ritual for me. I make it a beautiful experience and in doing so, it’s a mindful form of self care. Like I explained before, I am very specific about my coffee cup. I’m also specific in what I put in my coffee and how it looks.

Lately, I’ve been enjoying my iced coffee out of a wine glass, it’s how you do things not just what you do. It is this ritual in the morning, that transforms how I feel for the day. When I rush, spill coffee, hurry out of the door…the day ends up feeling frantic and erratic. When I am in control of my morning and I curate a visually appealing and fun experience, I feel powerful and purposeful in my day.

As a person who is incredibly visual and connected to all things beautiful, I like to linger around my pretty table setting, gaze at beautiful flowers, open the window and connect with the weather. I use this time to be mindful, you can always ask yourself these questions while you are curating your beautiful morning and enjoying your coffee or tea.

5. Set intentions for your day.

In yoga philosophy, it is called san-kalpa. According to one definition, the word can be described as: “A vow that comes from the very core of your heart -- the place of your deepest truth. It is different than a goal, in that it's a longing that comes from your highest self instead of your thinking brain.”

The power of an intention is incredible, whether it's just one or several. You can set as many or as little as you want and what’s great is that they can be experienced all at once, ensuring that you feel whole. Setting intentions ensures that you don't feel that something is missing or lacking in your life. They’re like planting seeds and creating a foundation for your day. It helps you to focus on the present, what you are intending right now instead of tripping about what’s happening in the future. This is my secret to so much of what I have created in life, intentions have transformed me. When I set intentions for the financial goals I have, I’ve noticed how my subconscious mind will come up with ideas to help me reach those intentions almost out of the blue.

How to set your intentions: On Monday’s I like to set weekly intentions and every morning I set daily ones. You want to choose a goal or mantra that you would like to use to help shape your life experience. It could be something like, “be more mindful today” or “I am going to lose 3 lbs this week”. After you decide your intention, you want to make a ritual out of setting the intention. For years, I did it with candles. I would light a candle as I set my intention. However, when I began learning about the power of crystal healing (if you want to understand crystal healing better, grab my ebook Manifesting with Crystals), I personally started to use my crystal jewelry to help me with my intentions and honestly it changed my entire life! The power of crystal healing is truly transformational.

For example, if I am setting a financial goal, I will use my Green Aventurine bracelet, the stone for attracting money. As I put on my crystal bracelet, I set an intention “Today I will make $500 in sales” or something like that. Every time I look at my Green Aventurine crystal bracelet on my wrist, my subconscious mind connects with that set intention throughout the day and will create situations that propel me towards that goal. And somehow it usually inevitable happens one way or another.

HOT TIP: I often wear several bracelets every single day, filled with my intentions. I can pick and choose intentions for my day to feel powerful, connected and aligned with the life I desire to create for myself.

Another example, If I am looking to lose a little weight, I will wear my Blue Apatite crystal bracelet as it is a crystal with the benefit of decreasing your appetite. I will set the intention “today, I will take the time to eat healthy, nourishing foods for optimal wellness” or something like that. That bracelet serves as a reminder to my subconscious mind, so that I won’t be tempted to blindly reach for unhealthy snacks.

So there you have it. These are the 5 habits I use to ensure I start my morning off with power and alignment. What are your favorite morning rituals and routines? I would love to know. Take a listen to this episode of the Blissfully Ambitious podcast for a deeper look into the power of morning routines.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I'll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.