When returning home from the hustling and bustling life outside, one of the ways to rebalance your mind and soul and grasp one spirit is to meditate and reconnect with your heart and body.
Although meditation is to focus within, the outside environment we are located in can also provide helpful energy throughout the connection process. Finding a dedicated spot at home creates predictability and certainty, and considering creating a shrine just for yourself can be a great option of upgrade.
Creating a shrine at home is a beautiful way to invite serenity, reflection, and spiritual energy into your space. Whether you seek a peaceful corner for meditation or a dedicated area for daily rituals, designing a personal shrine allows you to craft an environment that resonates with your spiritual journey.
Start by selecting a quiet, clean space, then thoughtfully choose elements like incense, candles, and meaningful objects that reflect your intentions and beliefs. A well-crafted shrine can become a sanctuary for your mind and spirit, fostering a deeper connection with yourself and the energies around you.
When building your own personal shrine, fengshui is usually considered in Asian culture, as fengshui looks into the energy, or “Qi” in Chinese, of the environment and the space. Following the natural rhythm of the outside world boosts the effectiveness of your personal shrine, ensuring both harmony within and outside of one’s body.
To build a powerful shrine, we’ve learned the Five element principle from Anjie Cho, author of the book “Mindful Homes” and an amazing fengshui architect. As Anjie mentioned in her book, “Shrines can offer a quiet spot for reflection and dedication in your home.” Here are the five elements that Anjie uses to guide the shrine building process:
- Earth element: natural crystals from the earth, ceramic bowls, or the soil of a plant to connect to the earth
- Metal element: a metal singing bowl, metal bells, or other metal instrument to cut through confusion
- Water element: a small bowl of water that you refresh, or a mirror to invite wisdom
- Wood element: a living green plant or fresh flowers for life energy
- Fire element: a candle, incense, or other smoke offering to connect with your heart
In Taoism, incense is generally used to connect one’s spirit with heaven, as wishes, prayers and thoughts rise along the smoke. Whenever there’s a message to be sent to spirit or heaven, people burn incense to establish such connection and convey the thoughts. Incense is also a great timer, leaving just enough time for meditation but not too long to be annoyed.
To best help with your shrine and meditation practices, INCENZO has followed traditional Chinese recipes and use 100% natural ingredients to create just the right amount of non-toxic and non-intrusive scent for meditation. Different from some other incense or scented products that might be overpowering, our light and refreshing incense blends into the background of your home and helps the mind to focus.
For your shrine and daily practices, we suggest starting with Illuminate — the Acronychia wood incense for its long history of use in Taoism, and Channel — the cedar incense for its calming woody scent. If you’re a fan of floral scents, Energize — the osmanthus incense and Immerse — the jasmine and honey incense are also great options.
Start your shire building journey today, and we look forward to being your companion for your space and daily meditation practices.