The problem of classifying products as “sacred”

I recently saw, for the umpteenth time, a product labeled “sacred.” This got me thinking about something that had been bothering me for some time. Specifically, if everything is designated as sacred, has anything actually become sacred?

Don’t get me wrong. There are things that are truly special and sacred. But there’s also marketing. And lately, in certain places, it seems as if everything, every experience, every product, is labeled sacred.

Holy cocoa. Holy ceremony. Holy sound. Sacred jewelry. Holy retreats. Holy bath salts.

It’s as if you can put the word “sacred” on a poster, and suddenly it becomes more meaningful, more spiritual, more mystical. Or maybe it’s more salable.

Do we even need to call something sacred? If everything is sacred, is anything? safety The term has become watered downone of those words that sounds special but no longer actually refers to anything real? And what are we actually trying to say when we use this word?

The wonderful thing about what upsets us is that these experiences can make us think. As students of yoga, regular self-study and meditation are equal parts of our practice as Down Dog. Or at least it should be.

What does holy mean?

Maybe the problem is not the overuse of the word. Perhaps the fundamental issue is that we have been conditioned to believe that holiness is something we can buy. As if it exists in or can contain an object. Or label. Or a trademark. Or something imported from India. Or something that sounds “spiritual.”

Isn’t the most sacred act actually the opposite? Wouldn’t it be an appearance and a vision? Everything Holy? Every experience. Every meeting. Every moment. Not because it has a certain aesthetic or price. Not that it was labeled that way. Because we decide to radically appear to life as if everything is sacred.

Perhaps what makes something sacred is the awareness, appreciation, and conscious decision behind treating something as such. A relationship between us and every experience.

So hacking is not like buying someone’s product or expertise. It is the recognition that everything around us is truly sacred. This is what turns the switch from unremarkable and ordinary to completely unforgettable and extraordinary.

How would life change if we treated our more ordinary moments this way? Our tea. Our relationships. Our sadness. Our joy. Our bodies. Our messy kitchens. Our prayers. Our weekdays, weeknights, and weekends – even the boring parts.

Some things and experiences can help us experience holiness. But life hacking is realizing that everything around us holds this potential. This is something everyone can afford.