The Holistic Home
By Nancy Feldman
www.theartofplacement.cc
I've decided this month that we'll take a break from the Client Q. & A. because it's time for something else to take precedent! As anyone who's turned on the t.v. lately or read about the tragedy in the news knows it's time to try to turn our homes into the nurturing environments we look forward to returning to at the end of every day.
It's time for us to focus on creating environments for our physical and spiritual well being.
More and more clients are looking for ways to improve the quality of their lives; I say begin with your home and create the sanctuary you need. Feng shui, green design, manipulating energies to your advantage; everything that can have a positive effect on your environment should be taken into consideration. At
least once a year (and I'm guilty of doing this seasonally), sage your house. Think of it as a Spring Cleaning; this cleansing is based on an ancient purifying tradition and harmonizes the energy of your home. It's especially important after an illness or death. I've also mixed together equal amounts of ground cedar, sandalwood and myrrh to counter any negativity. I occasionally shop at the Crystal Gardens in Boynton Beach for many of my supplies. They can also give you directions on staging and more.
Crystals can enhance and disperse chi into specific areas of your home and wind chimes bring positive chi into a room. If you're into candles then you'll already know that different colors have different meanings. White represents peace and spirituality, red protects the home and those in it. Green = healing energies, prosperity
and luck, yellow creates the right mood for studying or reading. Pink = friendship and loving feelings (when decorating someone's home we usually put pink light bulbs in the bedroom) and purple promotes healing. If you're adverse to using candles, remember that these days there are many different colored light bulbs available on the market as well.
Scented Magic is the way I like to think of potpourri. Smell is a very personal thing each of us should select what appeals to us. One of my favorite books has some great recipes for varying blends and here are two of my favorites:
Refreshing Potpourri
In a sealable glass container or polythene bag, mix together 2 oz. fresh lemon verbena leaves; 3 oz. fresh lavender flowers; 1 oz. fresh peppermint leaves; 1 oz. fresh marjoram leaves.
A selection of blue or mauve petals for decoration; nutmeg (grated); 1 oz. orris root powder, and 1 drop each of lavender, lemon, orange blossom, and peppermint essential
oils. Seal the container or bag and store in a cool dry place for six weeks. Shake the mixture daily. When ready, decant into a ceramic or wooden bowl. amounts of ground cedar, sandalwood and myrrh to counter any negativity. I occasionally shop at the Crystal Gardens in Boynton Beach for many of my supplies. They can also give you directions on saging and more.
Crystals can enhance and disperse chi into specific areas of your home and wind chimes bring positive chi into a room. If you're into candles then you'll already know that different colors have different meanings. White represents peace and spirituality, red protects the home and those in it. Green = healing energies, prosperity
and luck, yellow creates the right mood for studying or reading. Pink = friendship and loving feelings (when decorating someone's home we usually put pink light bulbs in the bedroom) and purple promotes healing. If you're adverse to using candles, remember that these days there are many different colored light bulbs available on the market as well.
Scented Magic is the way I like to think of potpourri. Smell is a very personal thing each of us should select what appeals to us. One of my favorite books has some great recipes for varying blends and here are two of my favorites:
Refreshing Potpourri
In a sealable glass container or polythene bag, mix together 2 oz. fresh lemon verbena leaves; 3 oz. fresh lavender flowers; 1 oz. fresh peppermint leaves; 1 oz. fresh marjoram leaves
A selection of blue or mauve petals for decoration; nutmeg (grated); 1 oz. orris root powder, and 1 drop each of lavender, lemon, orange blossom, and peppermint essential oils. Seal the container or bag and store in a cool dry place for six weeks. Shake the mixture daily. When ready, decant into a ceramic or wooden bowl. Herb pillows: Combine
two or three of your favorite dried herbs with a few drops of rosemary or
oregano essential oil in a bowl. Mix
together thoroughly. Fill small muslin
or cheesecloth pillows with a spoonful or two of the herb concoction.
For those of us who may be short on down time,
remember there's no shame in going to your Corner Essential Oils store and
simply choosing a scent that appeals to you and purchasing there, but my
granddaughter Nikki loves getting involved in this and I do have some friends
who luxuriate in doing it all themselves.
Introducing water features, a fountain in the courtyard or
entry; a waterfall near the pool not only enhances chi but also helps to
eliminate various sounds such as traffic and neighbors and can be very
relaxing. Pillows, cushions, area
carpets on wood floors all absorb sound as well. If you have a common wall that doesn't seem
to be any good at keeping the noise down then consider installing bookshelves
filled with books and collectibles to help filter out sounds. If your neigbors
are noisy or have pool equipment running all of the time; consider heavy drapes
to help muffle the sound.
A holistic home is one that balances convenience with
energy conservation. The suggestions
I've mentioned here are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to balancing
our lives and maintaining a stress less environment. Proper placement of furniture, the colors
that go into a decorating plan, the different interplay of textures, sounds,
smells and more.all go into creating the perfect environment for each of us to
live our lives in.
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