We finished building our Temazcal this weekend, so many warm, caring helping hands came together to lift 
stone upon stone, tie together vine upon vine
weaving wood, earth and stone to create a place of reconnection, rest and purification with Mama Tierra.
The sanctuario in the woods is coming together, unfolding all on its own, as its own entity.
Parched earth drawing the water
A tapestry pulling its threads together
A blossom unfolding…
I am learning to surrender more and more.
Interestingly tonight during our circle, I was sharing how many of the mamas I support, speak to me while in their car
how it is one of our only quiet spaces, our oficina, our sanctuario
which led me to remember my silver Nissan Sentra and how one day while driving home from UCLA, grey billows of smoke emerged from my hood
i had neglected her and ignored the oil change warnings…
I pulled into my driveway just in time for the entire front end of my car to erupt in flames
we called the fire station and I remember feeling confused about why I was so sad to see my car destroyed and charred
What I finally realized was that this car was my first sanctuario, a place of my own.
From the age of 16, I had this little space that was a constant, even when I was living in multiple places, even when ‘homeless’ in between college sessions as an emancipated foster youth.
Thankfully I was already practicing InnerBonding, and living only 3 blocks from Margaret at the time. I knew to let my little girl grieve, to honor how sacred the space had been to me,
a rare, constant home.
And now like the many mamas, my car is still a sanctuary, as I release anger, grief, heartbreak, venting out loud and talking with my Guidance. It’s a really good thing people think I’m just on speaker phone ;)
These mobile sanctuarios are little necessary respites.
We are so wise we find our way, we adapt and yet we also settle for what modern life allows.
Now with the sanctuario in the woods I am eager to see what we look and feel like when we can truly rest, dream, play, stop, and reclaim our inner selves
listening to All Life whispering/humming within and around us
sitting with Mama Tierra,
praying and singing with the ancestors,
remembering, remembering…
and deeply integrating
so that upon returning to ‘daily life’
we can carry the mobile santuario in our hearts/corazones
wherever we are.
It’s time.