Page 4 - Pure Coaching Magazine - Issue 1

Sanctuary and Springboard

by Sarah Swain

“We carry our homes within
At a time when there are so many people
us, which enables us to fly”.
in the world displaced by war and famine,
the concept of home can be a poignant
John Cage
one.

“The ache for home lives in all Thinking about how we create both a
sanctuary and a springboard is important
of us, the safe place where we when we furnish and decorate the places
can go as we are and not be we live in and it helps us ensure that our
homes nurture and inspire us.
questioned”.
Maya Angelou As you read this article, think about how

you use the different rooms in your house
and how they make you feel. Which are
your sanctuary spaces and which are your
We don’t need to be imperilled by
springboards?
imminent threat to feel that pull to return
to a place of warmth and security. The
This will vary from person to person. For
demands of our fast-moving lives in the 21st
some, the lounge will be their sanctuary
century can challenge anyone’s well-being
space and they will decorate and furnish
and quicken our steps home at the end of
accordingly; calming colours with
the day. To close the front door behind us
comfortable furniture and ambient lighting.
and take a deep, relaxing breath as we shut
For others, the lounge will be the social hub
the world outside is a feeling many will
of the house and the stimulation from
relate to.
interactions there will make this their
springboard space.
Our homes should be a sanctuary for us; a
haven away from the pressures of life
There are no rights or wrongs but if you are
outside those four walls.
short of time, there is one area that is
always worth looking at... the Hallway.
However, I believe our home has another
purpose and that is to be a springboard;
Whatever its size, our hall is the way in and
somewhere that refreshes and supports us
the way out of our home and is therefore
to leap back out in to the world with energy
crucial in setting the tone, whether you are
and dynamism.
leaving or returning.

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