Sacred Space
“True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.”
~William Penn
I love hosting people at enso Retreat Centre. Retreat guests, couples on vacation or a quick getaway in the Treehouse, family gatherings, friends old and new, my daughter and her various groups, private retreats…all of it. I love preparing the house, getting rooms ready, planning meals and snacks, designing activities (including relaxing), and getting ready for guests to soak in the restorative vibes of this magical place. Preparing a room is more than just clean sheets and making the bed. Preparing the room is like preparing a sacred space. The resting space/ bedroom is like a sacred space and it all begins with making the bed.
Oddly, I started my career making beds. Nursing 101 prepared us for providing basic care. This included making the perfect bed WITH a patient in the bed or changing the bed between admissions. Back in the day, making a bed was an activity of pride. Those were the days before fitted sheets, mattress toppers, or mattress covers. The slippery vinyl of the mattress made for a tricky challenge but we mastered it proudly and dutifully. Making beds was a time of connection with fellow nurses as we methodically and rhythmically lifted the bed together, tucked in the sheets and crafted those tight corners. It was our time to catch up with each other, be present with the patient or reverently change the sheets while carefully shifting an sick patient from side to side.
It was more than just making a bed though. In the hospital, the bed is both a practical and a sacred space where everything happens. The daily habits of eating, elimination, sleeping, waking, playing, crying, laughing and dreaming occur all in the bed. It is also a brave space where painful procedures, treatments, and care happens. It is also a sacred place of prayer, healing, recovery and claiming it as a space of no harm. It is a place of beginnings, transitions and endings. As a nurse, I was acutely aware of holding and honouring this space that held the patient as they healed, recovered or transitioned.
In life, our bed is a significant part of our life. We may have been born there and may die in bed. It is a place of sanctuary to be alone, to journal, to cry, to claim as the only space that is truly our own. It is our space for solitude, relaxation and rest. We keep secrets there, allow ourselves to be the most vulnerable, and the space where we are at our truest self. We create life, make love, and sometimes are harmed in our bed. The bed holds a great significance in our lives.
Bookending my career, I am once again taking pride in preparing beds for guests. Our retreat centre serves as a vacation rental for those seeking relaxation, vacation spot for friends and families as well as a brave and healing space for our “A Shade More…” retreats. Once again, I notice the moments of this bedmaking ritual, taking pride in making the perfect bed, with line dried sheets (in the summer), crisply pressed pillow cases and a spritz of lavender linen spray to finish off the experience. As I make the bed, I think of the person who may be occupying this space, hoping they have a restful and restorative experience. I hope they sleep well and soak in the silence and stillness this island offers. For retreat guests, I hope they have a place to rest and digest the emotional deep dive they have taken during the day.
All the staff here at enso take pride in making a sacred space for guests, ensuring they have a restful, restorative and dreamy night. (the silent and dark nights with starry lit skies help with this restorative experience!)
Whether you are a retreat guest or arriving for vacation, we have a few tips and special touches to make the bedroom a sacred and restorative space:
1. Remove TV’s, fitness machines and ideally, electronic devices. There are no TV’s in the bedrooms or common spaces by design. It would defeat the purpose of this oceanfront oasis. TV’s and electronic devices are distractions from the restorative experience. Need I say more.
2. Invest in a super mattress. All guests, when asked the question, “How did you sleep” comment on the mattress. The comfort, the temperature, the quality and restful sleep they enjoyed. Sleep Country is an amazing place to shop for mattresses.
3. Make the space inviting and welcome. A small bouquet of flowers, local chocolate from Harlans, soap from local vendors , deodorant from routine, a personalized note… all ooze a sentiment of ‘We care’. These are the special touches that elevate us to Superhost status on Air BnB. Occasionally, a small basket of goodies may grace the bed depending on the occasion.
4. Hang a fresh towel, facecloth and hand towel in the room
5. Equip all rooms with a diffuser that is loaded with an essential oil to calm, relax and soothe upon arrival. An array of essential oils is available to all guests to choose from to reload their diffuser.
6. Supply a comfy robe. Each room has a traditional Japanese yukata (from Japan)
7. Provide an assortment of magazines to browse through
8. Stock a bottle of water and water glass at the bedside
9. Lay a pair of slippers for cozy comfort.
10. Ensure an assortment of calming and soothing herbal teas are available.
A good night’s sleep is vital to our health and well-being. Providing a sacred space to rest and digest, restore and relax, reflect and inquire is a task we take seriously and proudly. Your sacred space awaits you.