Sometimes we need a retreat, but we can't leave home.
While monks had oodles of time to contemplate meaning in stillness and solitude, that's a rare opportunity amidst the daily demands of the common household. Maybe you're a parent of young children. Maybe you're the caretaker of aging parents. Maybe you work long hours at an unfulfilling job. Maybe you say "yes" to others so often that you're left with little time for yourself. Whatever the case may be, many of us are often too exhausted to carve out intentional time for ourselves when we can reflect upon who we are and who we hope to become. Enter, The Solitude Box, a collection of specially-chosen and intentionally-made objects that invite us to take a moment of fruitful solitariness—cultivating an inner sense of home.
The Solitude Box was designed to fully engage the senses so that each aspect feels tangible, meaningful, experiential—and perhaps, ritual. Many of the items within this box come in 3s: the incense papers, the taper candles and the tea. Using each of those items together in one sitting will help set the stage for time spent alone. When your intuition moves you to break out the solitude box, go for the gusto! It might be every day for three days in a row, or maybe just once this summer and never again until winter. You’re the captain of your solitude journey!
Contents:
3 taper candles that burn for 45 minutes so you can use them as a tech-free timer
Handmade ceramic candlestick thoughtfully designed and carefully made by Michael Coates of Wilderhouse to hold your tiny taper candles
3 homemade teabags with a blend I crafted to capture one of my own favorite memories of home (vanilla rooibos, peppermint, chamomile, cornflower)
A7 notebook with vintage flair that will feel make you feel like a turn-of-the-century author (you'll receive one of either color shown in the photo)
3 incense papers that look like a Wes Anderson prop and smell like a European cathedral—they are a personal favorite that I'm excited to share with you
A handmade bar of soap has been made for you (also by Michael at Wilderhouse) with a scent formulated to reflect a personal experience at a monastery in Italy
The Monastic Home hopes this box feels like a sincere invitation into your own inner life and a helpful support structure in a world that so desperately tries to keep our attention outward rather than inward.
Through the written word paired with playlists, special collections and surprise mail at your doorstep throughout the seasons, The Monastic Home helps us remember that the tiniest moments of ordinary life hold potent meaning. And may that meaning be discovered and shared within the comfort of our homes.