The other day a friend and I were sharing stories about the sacred places we’ve known. When I spoke of how my back porch feels holy to me, my friend immediately responded: “All back porches are sacred places.” I instinctively understood the truth in those words.

Since then I’ve been recounting back porch memories, wondering what renders a place sacred. It is like looking at a picture album, examining snapshots and the qualities they reveal. There are photos of back porch times of reflection, meditation and rest. Photos of enjoying a meal and sharing with friends in ways that seem to happen no where else. There are pictures of tending and arranging, whether sweeping the floor, filling the bird feeders or brushing the dog. And lastly are the snapshots of watching nature’s splendor from the back porch, greeting the rising sun or moon, being transfixed by the parade of wildlife and how the woods change daily.

It is astounding how much a back porch can hold. There one can experience contemplation, connection, comfort and even mystery. Lively activity or silence and stillness can all exist in that space. It seems to be an in-between place, where home and world meet. There, on a back porch, one can find shelter and still be present to all the elements of life.

Yet I’ve also known it as cluttered and untidy. It often is the place where excess is deposited. The “stuff” of life that hasn’t found its spot gets relegated to the back porch. And I wonder if its messiness dilutes its sacredness?

I think not. The blessing of a sacred place is that it can hold all of life’s expressions without compromising its essential nature. In a sacred place the mundane encounters the divine and is transformed in that meeting, if only for a moment. Yet, before entering a sacred place there are steps to prepare for encountering and engaging in its fullness. Seven steps, in particular, hold the keys for abiding in sacred space.

1. Awakening. Through awakening we “come to” and wake up to the sacred in our lives. We awaken from a state of not noticing, to and toward with alertness and curiosity. We awaken to new attitudes about the qualities of sacredness and honorable place.

2. Discovering. Upon awakening we look around and discover where the sacred places are in our lives. We investigate new possibilities, especially those that have been hidden until now.

3. Creating. Finding those special spaces calls forth the creative impulse. Our discoveries beckon us to shape and form sacred space in our lives in ways that fit our needs, our daily routines and the demands of our world.

4. Dwelling. Once our sacred places have been formed and shaped, we are compelled to go and be within them for a while. We are called to “go apart and rest.” This leads us to dwelling, to taking the time to let be and let go, and to come to know a new kind of inner experience within a special space.

5. Nourishing. Each dwelling place needs to be tended and cared for. Nourishing our sacred places might be about clearing the clutter or purifying the air and energy. It may be about rituals that honor its sacredness, whether arranging a bouquet of flowers, lighting candles or adding distinctive touches that set the space apart.

6. Traditioning. This step is about sharing. It’s about inviting others into our sacred spaces, passing them on and helping each other discover their own. Traditioning allows people to be nurtured and informed by the history of a sacred place. And it enlivens our spaces with the presence of those we love.

7. Transforming. This is the last step, yet one that leads back to a new awakening. As we engage with the many sacred places present in our lives the architecture of our souls is made known.

We all need to find our sacred spaces wherever they may be; a chair in a corner, a tree, a glen, a home altar, a church, or a path we walk. We all need spaces in the world where we are One with All. There are times though when the only sacred place we may be able to connect to is our own heart. We hardly notice there is a holy back porch always ready to receive us. And just by resting your hand on your heart you awake to the sacredness of the most special place of all.