Sanctuary of Peace and Healing

21/02/2025

🌿 Embracing Change: A Journey Within 🌿

How do you deal with change in your life? Does the thought of change spark excitement or create resistance? Maybe there’s a part of you that embraces it fully, the thrill of something new, the endless possibilities. Or perhaps it’s the uncertainty, the unknown, or even the reactions of others that feel unsettling.

Whatever is shifting for you right now, big or small, chosen or unexpected, can you allow yourself to be with it? Can you embrace every part of your experience, without judgment? Because change is happening in every breath, in every moment, all around us.

It’s okay to feel however you feel. You are seen. You are supported. And remember, excitement and fear can exist at the same time. 💛

How do you navigate change? Share in the comments below. ⬇️✨

16/01/2025

🌸🌞 Can You Feel It? The Seasons Are Shifting! 🌞🌸

Change is in the air! Can you sense it? How is nature speaking to you right now?

✨ Have you noticed the birds singing a little more?
✨ The sun warming your face, coaxing out gentle smiles?
✨ Fewer layers as the days grow milder?
✨ Budding plants peeking their heads through the soil?

This time of year is a beautiful reminder of the ebb and flow of life—both outside and within us. Just as the sun has never truly disappeared in winter, our own inner light is always present, waiting to shine.

Take a moment today to CONNECT—with nature, with yourself, with others. Feel the stillness of awareness within you, the peace that remains constant amidst life’s changes. 🌿💛

✨ How is your body responding to the shifts in the world around you? What signs of the changing season are you noticing? Let us know in the comments below!

Let your light shine—bright, beautiful, and uniquely you. 🌟

06/01/2025

🌟 Happy New Year, everyone! 🌟

How are you feeling as we step into this new chapter? For many of us, this might be the first week back at work, or maybe the kids have returned to school. How is that transition feeling for you?

Some of us might thrive with the return to structure and routine, while others may still be savouring the fluidity and freedom of the holiday season. Wherever you find yourself on this spectrum, can you take a moment to acknowledge it?

👉 Can you name the emotions you're feeling?
👉 Or perhaps you can’t quite put it into words—and that’s okay too!

Try sharing with a friend or jotting down your thoughts in a journal. Sometimes, expressing our feelings can bring surprising clarity, helping us move through this season with more ease.

💬 Remember: however you’re feeling right now, it’s valid. You matter. All parts of you—structured or spontaneous—are important. 💕

Let’s move into this new year with compassion for ourselves and one another. How are you feeling today? Come as you are, you are welcome here. Drop your thoughts below! 👇

16/12/2024

✨ What's Really Going On? ✨

🎭 It's panto season! "It’s behind you!" Oh no it isn’t! Oh yes it is! With all its sparkle, drama, and characters we cheer or jeer at, the stage of Christmas can feel a bit like that, can’t it? There’s a cast of expectations:

🎩 To live happily ever after.
🎉 To be the life and soul of every gathering.
👗 To have the perfect outfit and look just right.
🎁 To find the perfect gifts and create the perfect day.

Amidst the magic of December, it’s easy to get swept up in the rush and noise. But behind the curtain, what’s really going on?

✨ How are you feeling in all of this?
✨ Are expectations stretching you too thin?
✨ Where are those pressures coming from—others, society, or within?

What if, just for a moment, we paused? Stepped out of the spotlight and asked ourselves: What do I need right now?

🌟 Maybe it’s a quiet moment to breathe.
🌟 A walk in the crisp winter air.
🌟 A nap, a heartfelt chat with a friend, or your favourite festive treat.
🌟 Or maybe it’s simply knowing this: Your presence is a gift.

However your Christmas looks, whether it’s a full stage production or a quiet one-act play, you are enough.

We see you. Not just the glitz and glamour on the stage but what’s behind the curtain, too. And we celebrate all of it.

So let your presence shine. ✨ Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Merry Christmas, from all of us to you. 💖

29/11/2024

At The Sanctuary, we’re all about honouring the vitality and life force within each of us—because to live, and it starts with embracing who you truly are. 🌟
This week’s Friday Fuel comes from the legendary

Martha Graham’s message urges us to stay connected to our inner drive, to keep the channel open—not worrying about how “good” it is, but staying true to what moves us. 🌱

So this weekend, reflect on your own divine dissatisfaction—what urges and passions are pushing you to grow? How can you honour your unique life force?

Keep the channel open, what are you channelling? Let’s support each other and help each other grow! Together we are a great force.

08/11/2024

Friday Fuel: Cultivating Veriditas 🌿

A few Fridays ago we we were all about feeling ALIVE.

This week, we’re diving deep into a word we love at The Sanctuary—drum roll…Veriditas! 🎉Veriditas combines the Latin words for "green" and "truth."

It was coined by an incredible Christian mystic who continues to inspire us: Hildegard of Bingen. 🌱✨ She saw veriditas as the creative power of life, something that grows and thrives in nature—and also in us!

From the vibrant gardens and lush forests to the rich farmland around us, Hildegard believed that veriditas could be witnessed everywhere, but most importantly, it’s something we can cultivate in our bodies and souls. 💚

And for those of you who are Orbital fans, you may have had a close encounter with Hildegard during your rave days! 😄 Her ethereal singing was beautifully sampled on Belfast by Orbital. 🎶

So this weekend, let’s get curious about how we can cultivate our own veriditas. Whether it’s through creativity, connection with nature, or nurturing your inner self, get Belfast on those headphones and find that spark of life within you and let it grow!

21/10/2024

🔎✨ At The Sanctuary, we’re big on curiosity. ✨🔎

No matter what’s happening in our lives, being curious is a simple yet powerful way to reconnect with Self. 🧘‍♀️

Today, we invite you to find a moment to be curious—especially in or around nature. Maybe it’s during your journey to work or while you are having lunch. 🌳 Have you noticed the trees you pass? Have the leaves changed colour? Can you appreciate the colour and the process of this? Isn't it astonishing that this happens every year without any effort, it just happens.

Look around your space. Maybe there’s a plant nearby 🌱 or some fruit you maybe having for lunch. Take a closer look, what do you notice? The shape, colour, texture? Does it have a scent? How did it start its life? what process has happened for it to be witnessed by you in this moment? Use all of your senses and begin to wonder…

As you lean into curiosity, notice what happens in your body. Do you feel a softening, a deep breath? Perhaps curiosity opens a gateway to something else—a spark of playfulness, gratitude, or even awe for something that maybe we usually take for granted.

And if not, that’s perfectly okay too. Whatever you observe is enough. This little moment of curiosity might just create some spaciousness in your day, something you can carry with you and extend to others. 💛

As Einstein once said, “It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day.” 🌿

18/10/2024

Friday Inspo: Fuel What Makes You Come Alive!

At The Sanctuary, we’re passionate about promoting a kinder, more dynamic society—because to live fully and vibrantly. ✨

We feel inspired to share with you quotes, pieces of research, or anything that's inspired us. This week, we share one of our favourite quotes from theologian Howard Thurman.

This weekend, we invite you to pause and reflect: What truly makes you come alive?

Be CURIOUS about what makes you come alive! What sparks your passion? 🌟

We are pretty united in our love for fun and dancing here at The Sanctuary. What about you? Inspire us! What makes you truly come alive?

09/10/2024

🌟 Celebrating Compassion and Growth! 🌟

At Sanctuary CIC, we're thrilled to share the incredible strides we've made with our listening service. Our mission is to empower and uplift, providing a safe space for those who need to talk, seek direction, or just need someone to truly listen.

✨ "The greatest gift you can give someone is your ear, your attention, your time, and your concern." – Unknown

If you or someone you know is navigating a tough time, remember, you don’t have to do it alone. Our dedicated team of volunteers are here for you, your friends, family or anyone who feels the need

Share the word, 💬❤️

https://buff.ly/3RDQIdZ

Free counselling in Manchester, as well as free, accredited training, is available at our modern-day Monastery. Give or get help today.

30/09/2024

Hello Autumn! 🍂 Welcome to The Sanctuary of Peace and Healing and our new weekly news feed!

This post is created with YOU in mind!

We are passionate about well-being, spirituality, and celebrating the incredible work we do here, whilst embracing the beauty of our shared human experience. 🧡

Every week, we will be sharing some of the wisdom from The Sanctuary's approach. We have a wealth of experience from; psychology to spirituality to no-nonsense good old common sense to ground-breaking trauma-informed approaches. So tell us what you'd like to see.

We’d love to hear from you!

What topics interest you? What's present for you right now? Whether it’s self-care, parenting, overwhelm, exhaustion, relationships, or exploring your inner self, let us know what you’d like to see more of.

Together, let’s create a space for healing, growth, and connection.

23/12/2023

This time of year can be tough.

And with many places closing for Christmas it can be trickier to access support.

These organisations provide a vital lifeline throughout.

If you or someone you know is hurting this festive period then help is only a phone call away.
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The Monastery Manchester

12/12/2023

Christmas.

You may find parts of it delightful, but other parts unbearable.

You might be struggling this year for the first time.

Or Christmas may have been difficult for you in the past, and you're dreading it again this year.

Perhaps you’re telling yourself

🎄It’s not appropriate to be unhappy at this time of year
🎄I don’t want to spoil the party with MY messiness
🎄No-one cares
🎄Christmas just reminds me of what I’ve lost/don’t have (or never did have…)

Please don’t suffer this festive run up in silence.

Our qualified listeners warmly await you, judgement free with open arms and a compassionate approach.

Appointments are free and additional seasonal slots have just been added.
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