The reason that I keep coming back to it is because the song and the ritual, especially the song, helps me to feel so deeply into my being that it moves me to tears. So if my own being and my own resonance, my own voice, my own movement of air through my own being can draw me, draw that sense that we’re all longing for, of union, of togetherness, of companionship, if it can move me through my own efforts, then why not? Why wouldn’t I come back to it? That’s what keeps me coming back, is that I feel a true invocation of her spirit. We bring all of the elements of the earth to the ceremony.

The fruit and the flowers are related to the sense smell. Of course, the water is related to the sense of taste. The air, the incense, is related to the sense of touch. The light is related to the sense of sight. And we have some good evidence that shows that anybody that has any sort of structure, any sort of routine, I should say, that they carry in day in and day out, live a long fulfilling life.

All of us want to feel connected and fulfilled, and we go searching the world far and wide. We travel on great adventures and we’re looking to discover new aspects of ourself and all of this is wonderful, absolutely wonderful.

So if we can make that space, a sanctuary, a real retreat for our heart to rest into on a daily basis to come in and to say, “Ah, thank you home, thank you for bringing me shelter, for bringing me inspiration, vibration,” and if we can replenish and rejuvenate that space for ourselves each day, I find for me personally, that it is a fantastic end way to reenter the light of waking and embracing the sunlight in the morning and each new day with that much more happiness, that much more contentment and peace and curiosity for what comes next for what will unfold in this day to come.

The reason that ritual and sanctuary, the creation of sanctuary, is absolutely vital to the healing process is because it allows us to connect again, to the heart, this beautiful muscle, this absolutely dynamic organ that is fully innovated as well, collects the sensory information of our environment, collects the sensory information of the sound, of touch, of taste, of what we’re feeling on our body and what we see. It’s collecting all of this information and synthesizing it and then sending it to the brain. Then from there, if we can sit with the ritual, if we can sit in that place of sanctuary, the brain can listen to the heart. The brain is allowed a moment to say hello to its connection with the heart.