Holy places can give you comfort irrespective of whether you believe in the faith to which they were built. Find a quiet time to sit and stare.
Places of worship have an atmosphere that’s hard to beat when you’re looking for some peace and solace.
A friend of mine always starts humming the theme from the film Omen whenever she sees a cathedral. For her the connotations of a place of worship like that are little boys intent on bringing forth the reign of Satan. However, for me, chilling Latin chants are the last thing going through my head when I see a cathedral. I am not Catholic but I remember asking my parents if I could convert when I was a child because, well, I liked the nuns’ outfits and I loved the feeling of cool comfort inside a cathedral. I liked the fact that anyone, of any faith, could come and sit a while and contemplate whatever they wanted to contemplate. Traditionally that may have been God but nowadays it could be anything that gives you pause to think. Occasionally it will be the building itself that gives you pause to think. The Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) in Paris was my favourite until this year when I stumbled upon the Notre Dame (Our Lady) in Reims. Walking down a sidestreet, you suddenly come upon this huge, beautiful, gothic cathedral with some of the most stunning stained glass windows and carvings I have ever seen. It was breathtaking and my jaw hit the ground.
Most religions have a number of holy places and usually have a holiest of holies too. These are usually protected by a lot of ritual and rules and regulations. However, what some people don’t realise is that you can create your own secular holy places. Think about a place where you last felt most inspired by the beauty around you. This may have been at a beach or a particularly perfect seat by the fire in a local pub or, more traditionally, a temple or church with all the bells and whistles. The point is not what your holy place is but more the feelings it evokes.
Make a commitment to yourself to visit your holy place at least once a fortnight to just sit and relax for a while. If this is not practical; for example, if your chosen holy place is in the Outer Hebrides and you live in Sussex, then make the visit once a year as a pilgrimage of sorts. When you get there, don’t rush to be ‘doing’ stuff. You don’t have to rush to light a candle and kneel in prayer as soon as you get in there. We are so caught up in the ‘doing’ culture that we forget that we can just be and that this is sometimes when we have the most powerful sacred experience.
There are those who say that the Earth is a sentient organism itself and I like to think that holy sites are the acupressure points on the Earth’s body; places of energy where you can get a jolt of well-being simply by standing on them for a time. Many people use ley lines (lines of energy that criss-cross the surface of the Earth) to find these ‘points of power’ but I just use my intuition and I’d recommend you do as well. Once you’ve found your place of worship, don’t let anyone talk you out of the feelings of happiness it gives you. Admittedly it will be pretty hard convincing your mother that a trip to your local pub is a moving sacred experience, nay, a pilgrimage of sorts, but give it a go anyway — just to see her face.
Here’s an idea for you…
This week visit a holy place at an awkward time when no-one is likely to be there. Go in between services to a church or visit a temple at about 9.30 when the early morning worshippers will have gone. You don’t need to know what to do, just sit and relax, watching your breath coming in and going out. If religious holy places make you nervous, try visiting a beautiful natural spot or a building you think is architecturally gorgeous.
Defining idea…
‘I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion and it is the spirit.’
KAHLIL GIBRAN, philosopher and poet
How did it go?
Q I’d love to visit a Hindu temple but I’m afraid of doing something wrong and offending somebody. What are the rules?
A If you’re nervous about it, why not call up a temple local to you and ask the priests for advice as to appropriate dress and behaviour? Alternatively, be brave, and just turn up. Somebody is bound to point you in the right direction and most places of worship are very welcoming to respectful visitors.
Q Isn’t it a bit weird to visit a church during the week? Won’t the priest assume I’m hyper-religious and try and get me to volunteer for stuff?
A Maybe, but that’s the great thing about volunteering — you get to decide if you want to do it or not. Don’t let your fear of being roped into stuff deprive you of the beauty and stillness of places of worship.
Q I had a terrific time doing this idea; any more where that came from?
A How about doing a denominational retreat? Many contemplative orders of monks in a variety of different traditions allow secular visitors to join them for short retreats. You eat, work and sleep in exactly the same circumstances as the monks and you get plenty of time to relax and think about life, the universe and everything. Get a copy of the Good Retreat Guide to see what’s out there.