Alter Your New Year with An Altar

It is easy to get caught up in the social ritual of shedding old skin to welcome another New Year with the promise of a new you. However, life has a way of cycling between waves of enthusiasm and exhaustion, making it hard to sustain energy in the mix. If you find yourself struggling to focus on your personalized goals for the New Year after the champagne and fireworks end, building an altar in your home might give you the added motivation to set and maintain your year-long self-improvement goals.

Altars are a sacred means of inviting and cultivating spiritual deities and energies into your home. Whether your altar is devoted to the Hindu deity Krishna as a means to evoke joy, freedom, and love, or is simply centered around the calming effects of lavender, creating space for intention and meditation is easier than you think! Consider this quick guide as you cultivate your very own sacred altar catered to the manifestation of your goals for the New Year.

Select a Space

It is important to be intentional while choosing the space for your altar in your home. Choose a location that is not attached to any anxiety or ill feeling. Setting up an altar next to your workspace might not be the best choice. Instead, try to focus on where you feel most relaxed and at peace in your home. Better choices might be where you read or where you practice yoga to center your body and mind. Once you have a location that feels right, make sure to cleanse that area with sage or incense. This will open up space for the spiritual energy you wish to cultivate.

Select Your Intention and Sacred Objects

Consider your goal for the New Year. Is it to bring more gratitude, joy, money, or love into your life? Whatever the goal, think about what objects represent your highest self. This is where your intuition comes in. There is no right or wrong answer to what your sacred objects are! Gemstones, crystals, candles, feathers, figurines of saints or deities, bells or chimes, photographs, or sacred printed literature might be representations of your strengths and individual spirit that will help guide you towards your goal.

Set Up Your Practice

Once your sacred space and objects are in place, it is time to use your altar. Characteristics of your altar may be aesthetically pleasing, but it is important to utilize your altar daily instead of letting it become merely a piece of home decor. Make your altar a routine part of your day to center your intention toward the goal at hand. Light the candle, ring the bell, or recite your favorite chant to guide your highest energy towards the manifestation of the new you. Your practice is yours and should be just as unique as you are.

After the glitter and the excitement of the New Year fades, remember that the intention you set for the new you remains. Let your carefully chosen altar reflect the commitment you made to yourself and be the support you need to reconnect with your goals, spirit, body, and mind.