Creating a Traveling Altar: Taking Your Sacred Space With You On-The-Go, Pt. 1

Do you have a regular yoga, meditation, or other spiritual practice that keeps you balanced and in the flow of things? How many times have you gone out of town and as a result, had your regular routine interrupted? Today, I'm giving you some ideas about what you can use to create a traveling sacred space.

Traveling, by nature, can be unsettling… which is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s actually the reason many of us love it so much. The newness and the excitement of being immersed by sights, sounds, foods and people that are unfamiliar often gives us a rush and the sensation that our senses have become re-enlivened. However, in the midst of all that newness, it’s also nice to have some comfort items with us to help us stay present and grounded. And, a traveling altar or sacred space is perfect to help you keep up your daily ritual of prayer, connecting to your intentions and inner strength.

I spend a lot of time on the go. So, for me it’s crucial that I continue to nurture myself spirituality with my daily practices, which help me feel connected and full of light. I love having my traveling altar with me to help me create a sacred space for myself wherever I go.

If you want to make one for yourself, there are a couple of options you can consider using to help you put it together.

The first thing you’ll need is a container for your traveling sacred space. This can be a small tin box or glass mason jar. I bought mines from a craft store and it’s original purpose was to hold ink pads.

I’ve also seen some beautifully dressed up Altoid tin boxes used. You can also find and use a tin box that’s designed to hold a gift card. Those usually hang out by the register at a craft store.

Here are a few things that I use and carry with me when traveling:

Click to watch.

A compact mirror to signify the element of water and also expansion.

A pack of birthday candles to represent the element of fire. I put my intentions in them by writing on my candles and burning them. Every time I need to re-set an intention that I’ve purposed in a longer burning, glass-encased candle, I simply relight it.

I often always carry sage or palo santo to represent the element of air to cleanse my space and aura.

Additional items that can go in a traveling alter include essential oils herbs or glitter to dress the candles and, of course a pack of matches.

An alternative to palo santo and sage can be small cone incense. I like these.

I also have a small abalone shell which represents the element of water because the shell is from the ocean.

Finally I always have my favorite crystals on hand to represent the earth element everywhere I go.

Other things that you might like to include in your traveling sacred space altar can include personal notes, mantras, photos, or any other small mementos that are personal to you.

So, that's it! If you like these ideas, stay tuned for part II where I will share "What to Pack to turn your Hotel or Airbnb in to a Wellness Sanctuary." If you want to see what's in my personal travel altar, watch my FB video here.