Sacred Places

Some places on Earth will feel more sacred than others. You can often feel the sacredness of these places because of what has happened on them. (excerpt from a Native American Elder's Meditation)

Since I have been working on an article about meditating alone or in a group, as well as meditating in sacred places, this meditation immediately spoke to me.

It does not matter how the places became sacred, only that those who used these places had a sacred, holy purpose. The temples, chapels, churches, cathedrals. mosques, monasteries, special spots in nature, in short all places may hold this sacred vibration. One does not need to belong to any particular religion or faith to feel the sacredness of such places, and use their power to intensify the meditation experience. It is only necessary to be open to the higher vibration these places come to hold.

Many years ago, our family went camping as we often did. There was a small chapel in the woods at this camp ground. The edge of the clearing was ringed with simple wooden benches. Sunday sermons were held there, alternating between a number of different faiths, as well as a number of summer weddings. There was a feeling of incredible calm, a peacefulness that was even more pronounced than what one generally feels when in the embrace of natures beautiful places. Meditation came naturally there. Nothing happened that would disturb a meditator, should one be meditating there.

I have also been in a broad cross section of formal places of worship. The same sense of holy tranquility was in all. They were all very conducive to deep meditation, prayer or worship, regardless of one's spiritual beliefs.

Another place that confirmed my belief in the sacredness of places that have been used for sacred purposes is a very old, small cemetery, overgrown and almost unrecognizable. What made me notice it was a feeling that I had a glimpse of an old man, sitting on a small stool, talking quietly to no visible person. When we went to investigate, we found a small, humble grave with a well kept wooden cross for a marker and a rickety old stool, ready to collapse at any moment. The area was filled with such love and peace that I had to linger and let the sense of that place wash over me.

We are all capable of sensing such holy places and reveling in their special tranquility. We are are also capable of shutting down the ability to sense anything, the choice belongs to each one of us.