Creating a Personal Altar

With Mother’s Day around the corner, we think it’s time for all of us to be good mothers to ourselves.  Yoga, meditation, eating right, getting good sleep; they’re all a part of nurturing our physical body. 

But what about when we need some nurturance for our emotions?  Bhakti Yoga or the path of devotion is one of the ways we can nurture our emotional side.  This devotion might take the form of formal religious devotion, chanting mantras, serving other members of humanity, or just appreciating beauty all around us.

One of the ways to build devotion is to create a personal altar.  Altars can ground us in our connection to our guru (teacher), to our sangha (community), to our own higher nature, and further, to all things. 

Having an altar to tend is like tending to our own emotional experience.  It is a place to come to in times of great joy or sadness, in fear and in calmness, so we can get in touch with the greater purpose of life – which is love.  When we connect to love, we more easily weather the changes/challenges that are inherent in living a life.

How should I create an altar? is a question that only the altar creator can answer.  It is a personal expression of your love.  However, there are a few general principles that a practitioner can follow to feel that their altar is aligning with tradition.  But as is expressed in the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 13, sloka 35, ​ 

---

It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection.

So use your heart to guide you toward what inspires you.
 
    First, create a special space that will be used only for your altar.

• Ensure the space is in an area that will not be disturbed and where you can practice yoga and meditation peacefully.  When you approach your altar with reverence, your mind will get the message that this is a place of peace and associate your altar with calm feelings.
• Keep the space clean.  Think of your altar as an extension of your emotional self.  If it’s dusty, so are your emotions.  Cleaning your altar can become a way of taking care of your emotions.
• Put a nice cloth on the altar.  This will elevate the items you place on it.

 
    Place a few pictures of loved ones on your altar.

• The guru is the center of the altar.  Guru means dispeller of the darkness of ignorance.  It does not have to be a yogic guru, but pick someone whose messages are uplifting and meaningful.  When you practice yoga in front of an altar dedicated to a teacher who you feel connected to, you feel surrounded by the wisdom and inspiration of true presence.
• Pictures of your family or close friends bring your sangha into your home at all times and at any time you need.

 
    Candles, flowers, incense and statues of deities are classic additions to altars.

• Candles remind us of the inner light within us and within all things, connecting us to humanity and the wider world.
• Incense inspires our sense of smell, a sense so intimately connected to memory and emotion.
• Flowers and statues are expressions of beauty.  And beauty inspires feelings of love.

  Add things you find beautiful and inspiring.  Engage as many senses as possible.  On my personal altars, I also have -

• Bells and chimes
• Sea glass, sea shells, pretty crystals and rocks
• Quotes I find inspiring

​
An altar is truly a personal expression of the curator of that altar.  Like a prism, all love enters as a beam of pure light, but passed through the crystal, devotional practices spread across the spectrum. I truly hope you nurture your emotions through some devotion to love this month.  That is what motherhood is all about.