When talking about a Sacred Kitchen or using cooking as a spiritual practice, I mean to do the washing, the peeling, the chopping, the steaming…everything, wholeheartedly and with intention or purpose to the extent that we are in communion with our spirit. A communion that becomes imperative during our menopause.

Historically altars are representations of religious offerings, used sometimes for sacrifices or ritualistic purposes. Because of this, altars frequently serve as the space to create and remind our intentions, a spiritual focal point for inner reflection.

Intention and Purpose

I started having altars in my home around 10 years ago, with the deep knowing that it had a meaning for me but without customizing it to my own beliefs and values. Living for a couple of years in South Asia, witnessing the importance of altars in homes and experiencing firsthand the special atmosphere they provide to people, guided me to create my altar based on simplicity and beauty.

For years, the altar always had a space in a corner of the living room or the room, wherever I was living, a space I visited once a day for meditation or as soon I woke up as a daily routine to start my day. However, when I began to see my kitchen as a sacred place, it made more sense to move the altar to the kitchen. There, as I see it many times in a day, is a prompt of my spirit nature and my intentions. 

Building your altar

As spirituality has different meanings for each of us, then the altar can take different shapes with different objects on it. For some, it might be only a small rock from a place in nature, for others pictures of the family, extended family, or even a family tree. Some prefer to place a piece of art or other religious objects like statues. Another option is to write your intention

In this video, I share some ideas for building your own altar. My invite is that you build one in the kitchen, it makes a big difference to prepare our meals in a place where we purposefully have set our deep intentions.

 If you don’t have one yet, you can start asking to yourself: what makes me feel connected to my spirit, higher purpose, the divine, universe or God (the way you call it)?, followed by: which objects, phases will represent that connection?. Start by opening some space in your kitchen and placing one object that represents that union.

The altar will evolve gradually. The more we know ourselves and are connected with our inner landscape, the more we know how to create a sacred space to get nourishment from.

Remember, every time you stand up in front of your altar, take two or three deep breaths, and ground yourself. That is enough.