Posts In: open to grace

by Monique Minahan

Where is your sacred space? How does it receive you from the world? How does it release you back into the world?

I’ve come to understand sacred space as anywhere we offer or receive love, listening, beauty or life. Sometimes that space has walls that hold us and sometimes it has arms.

The word sacred shares the same root as the word sacrifice. Sacrifice, as in making an offering, not as in being a martyr. In our sacred spaces sometimes we offer up and sometimes we receive.

Sacred space is wherever I feel held; by the earth, by another human, by the walls, by the trees, by open sky, by open minds.

It’s wherever I hold; the earth in my hands, my baby in my arms, the polarities of life in my heart.

It’s wherever I feel listened to, validated, encouraged, seen.

It’s where reality is respected, fear is faced and the impossible becomes possible.

It’s where grief is practiced, vulnerability is nourished and love is planted.

It’s bigger than a church, a mosque, a synagogue, a yoga class or a cluster of crystals and talismans.

It receives me however I am, wherever I am. It releases me back to the world equal parts human and being, with my own unique offering alive and beating in my heart.

This piece originally published on The Huffington Post.

Monique Minahan
Contributing Writer

Mo is a writer and yoga teacher who believes in peace over happiness and love over fear. She likes to set her sights high and then take small steps to get there. You’ll find her walking the dirt path behind her house with her little fluffy dog, practicing walking her talk by keeping her head high and her heart open. Contact: moniqueminahan.com

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a yoga teacher training course? We’re excited to bring you another installment of stories, hopes and reflections from Yoga One’s class of 2013. (You can read the first post here.) Do you have a burning question about teacher training? Send it to us in the comments!

Amy P.  

How am I growing? I’m surprised by the anxiety I feel over having my teaching evaluated. Confused by my insecurities and doubts, and proud of myself for being willing to grow and ask for help. It is humbling and inspiring to have teachers and to be a student among students. My practice is moving towards the unknown – using my breath to open the back waist and soften the adrenals to prevent depleting myself, allowing the back of my body to receive the support it needs.

Anna W. 

My intention for Yoga Teacher Training is to begin the path towards becoming a yoga teacher. I love moving my body and I love meditation (although the latter is harder to make time for!) so I’m excited to blend both practices and share that experience with others! One amazing thing I’ve learned so far is that yoga meets you where you are. I don’t have to worry about making my body conform to one perfect pose, each day I can do exactly enough for my body and enjoy that experience.

Janssen J. 

When I started my yoga journey I had no idea that I would ever want to teach. I wanted to keep this amazing feeling to myself and use it for my own growth but eventually I outgrew the confines of my own experience. I had the choice to stay with what I had cultivated or to continue growing and expanding out to the rest of the world.

Every discussion we have during Yoga Teacher Training about the philosophy and history of yoga changes things for me at a deep, deep level. The idea that we are constantly creating this existence made the biggest impact on me. Even though the tradition and history of yoga are important, we are not limited to only experience what has already been experienced. We create something completely new every time we step onto the mat. Every time we open to grace, we open our ability to see the world through new eyes.