I invite you to rest for a few moments and empty your mind. Then, when you are still, drop the word **sanctuary** into your inner being and watch whatever ripples out from memory and longing. My first thought is simplicity. The falling away of demands, distraction, fractiousness; the letting go of social persona, the need to be something for somebody; surrendering all the striving, the effort and the doing. Sanctuary is a doorway into a space where I feel at home, welcome, able to unfold my authentic being, to relax, expand consciousness and be renewed. Here are some of the ways I’ve found sanctuary:   Friendship and Belonging Many memories are coming to me now. I’ve been seeking sanctuary since I was seven years old. At that age I discovered a healthy instinct to find friends with loving families and I was forever running down the road to join them, not so much running away from my unpredictable, controlling family as running towards freedom, nurturance, friendship and acceptance. That sense of friendship as blessing and sanctuary has stayed with me all my life. 50 years later, at the end of a long plane ride, with several stop-overs, when I finally … Continue reading Sanctuary: Your Quest for Inner Peace and Belonging