The Altar – Life Design 101 featuring The Desire Map Workshop

“One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do
in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul.”
Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Sneak peak into a Life Enhancement Coaching/The Desire Map Workshop

Creating the Altar

Early on in the Life Design 101 featuring The Desire Map Workshop, we create an altar.  I start off with candles, flowers, crystals and a few treasured pieces of my own. I then encourage my beautiful workshop attendees to add something of their own.  

Often, this will be just a word.  A word that has significant meaning or simply a word that sets the intention for the workshop.

The word might also express the attendee’s overall expectations of the workshop.  This assists me in ensuring that I meet those expectations, as best I can.

Sometimes attendees choose to bring an item, rather than a word to the altar.  This item will have great meaning and is something deeply treasured.

It is at this time, that those present can also introduce themselves to the small workshop group.

Photo Credit – Lesly B Juarez

 Purpose of the Altar

The purpose of the altar is to  create a sacred space.  The altar represents a space of beauty and connection.  This ritual also helps set the tone for the workshop.  The process of contributing to the altar, supports meaning and encourages the practice of mindfulness.

In creating the altar, everyone has the opportunity to be seen, heard and has the ability to contribute.

The altar will remain in place for the duration of the workshop.  It will be dismantled following the declarations and celebrations at the end of the day.

Photo Credit – Kira auf de Heide

Benefits of Altars & Rituals

Creating a personal altar can support you moving beyond the workshop.  You can take from the workshop, your core desired feelings and have these as part of your altar. This will ensure that these stay with you and become part of your focus, as you try them on for size over the weeks following the workshop.

You can create a personal altar as a ritual and a means to express your creativity, goals, and values.

In the book, Hidden Riches: Unleashing the Power of Ritual to Create a Life of Meaning and Purpose, the authors explain that, “rituals are the “secret weapons” of the world’s most accomplished people-from sports stars to corporate executives to world-class performers”. 

Developing your own personal rituals allows you to be mindful and can bring you to a state of greater awareness.  Personal rituals can be tailored by you to suit your needs at any particular time.   For example, rituals can support you in feeling calm and balanced in difficult times, by bringing you to the power of the present.

I offer these suggestions as a way of keeping the feelings alive and your intentions on track,  as you move on beyond my workshops.

Photo Credit – Honey Fangs

If you have any questions concerning the workshops, I offer, please contact me at clare@coaching-i-am.com.

Can’t make it to a workshop but would like to be coached one on one?  Contact Clare at clare@coaching-i-am.com and she will be in contact.

Until next time, 

Clare xxx

Clare Lavender is a mother, creative entrepreneur, a mosaic artist, an accredited life coach, and facilitator of workshops on personal development, The Desire Map (by Danielle LaPorte) and mosaics. As well as offering workshops, Clare offers one on one sessions to women.  These are available to women all around the globe.
In addition, Clare has also created her own ‘Daring, Divorced and Divine’ coaching programme for women. This programme is aimed at inspiring, empowering and supporting women to move on to greater well-being following divorce.
Clare has a strong business background, having worked as a PA/EA and Practice Manager.  She is also trained in human resources management.  Clare has worked in several small to medium legal practices in her local area as well as ‘temping’ in larger practices based in Sydney.  Clare assisted in the set-up and management of  (a family business) and one of the first specialist family law practices in the region before moving on to work in a more creative field.

Clare is a Reiki practitioner.

If you are interested in any further information, working with me one on one or joining a workshop please contact Clare at clare@coaching-i-am.com or visit coaching-i-am.com.
© Coaching-I-Am, 2019

2 thoughts on “The Altar – Life Design 101 featuring The Desire Map Workshop

  1. Colleen

    Clare – this is such a great blog post. This had a personal connection with me as I went to visit my aunty yesterday (on the same day this was posted) and unbeknown to me she had set up a small altar. It would have been her husband’s (my uncle’s) 84th birthday if he was still alive and she had some candles, a photo of him and photos of her family. My dad would have phoned her though he recently passed and I awoke with a strong message to phone her and then visit her.

    Reply
    1. coaching-i-am Post author

      Colleen, thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I am truly honoured that this post connected with you in such a meaningful way. Much love to you and your family. xxx

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Colleen Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.