All life stems from a center & the idea of the core being the root of your strength is known universally across all cultures & practices. And because we believe strength, both physical & mental, is required in the form of energy to experience a full, healthy, & adventurous life, we care to nurture this core as much as we can to ensure ourselves the best chance at living life to the fullest.
What is this core? For individuals, that physical space would be around where your 'dan tien' is, your belly button region. But for us as a family, being that we live, work & love from our home, that space has undoubtedly become OUR core; and how we work at nurturing this core has everything to do with flow...also known as Feng Shui.
Feng Shui means different things to different people and mentalities. For us, in our current state, we've interpreted to mean FLOW, or the movement of energy between contrasting elements in nature (i.e. fire, water, earth, wind, & metal), contrasting vibrational frequencies similar to that within a battery system (negative / positive or acid / base). Because this back and forth movement creates energy, our goal is to adorn our home with as many contrasting elements as possible to create a form of sanctuary that's also aesthetically stimulating to us. Hopefully some of these ideas & tips will help you create your own Zen sanctuary!
Brit, Maxxie & I lived in a super tiny 1 bedroom bungalow prior to where we live now for 3 years. Though we didn't have much space, it was a total sanctuary that we still miss & adore. We moved to this bigger 2 bedroom so that we could have a home office for i love bad 6 months ago. Despite the size of the place we always try to consider some major foundational aspects that every sanctuary loves which is at the very least: natural light, some surrounding greenery & a good open flow throughout the home/apartment/etc.
We surround ourselves with things that inspire us which are mostly the world, the earth & love. We stopped using a TV a few years ago because we interpret it to be a form of static, nonmoving energy, & it has been the best thing ever! We still watch shows on our laptops from time to time & have a projector for movies when with guests, but a TV does not have enough importance to us to excuse the space it takes up. So we fill our fireplace and other areas a tv would take up with books & things that inspire and/or induce harmonious thoughts. =) {Plant from center to right are named Triiga & Marley}
The plants in our home are our family. Not only are they beautiful, but they literally breathe life into the air for us. Scientifically, they greatly improve the air quality & purity of one's home. Some of our plants used to die in our care before, but now we only acquire new plants when we know that ALL our existing plants are healthy. Because we love them daily, we've taken the time to name all of em, and have found that they too can love you back. We hope to keep them alive and take em where ever we end up over the years. {Plant from left to right is Figgy & Ali.}
I love fiddling with instruments so we also get to surround ourselves with lots of beautiful sounding natural wood and metal that these instruments are made of. {The plant to the left is named Zack. =)}
P.S Zack, a
ZAMIOCULCAS, is an amazing beginner plant because it doesn't need much light or water & is extremely resistant to dying! Succulents are also great, but they really need some kind of light or window :)
We're slowly converting our cookware to cast iron & or copper as it is the most natural as well as being a truly superior tool to cook with for both taste & health! Can't wait to add more to our kitchen when we can afford the space!
Phyllis is our newly adopted family member. She's of a Philodendron Erubescens species.
We smudge with Sage & burn Coconut oiled candles from Olive Branch Organics (etsy). The beautiful arrangement of green, red, and yellow in the above ceramic pot is a product of Mexico that we had purchased from the Armstrong nursery near our Long Beach home.
Left: 7-metal (natural) meditation bowl we got from the Doi Suthep temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Far right: Ceramic Italian vase from the Long Beach antique market which is open every 3rd Sunday of the month.
It is no secret that precious rocks, crystals, salts and other natural stones possess healing properties. You can see them above hanging out with Stag, our Staghorn Fern family member. Himalayan salt lamps also provide a beautiful light & are extremely great with purifying air.
Living above natural wooden floor (& wool rugs are also known to be air purifying) is a true blessing as opposed to synthetic carpets, or synthetic laminates. We also use hemp curtains for our windows because they're beautiful, durable, air quality improving and regulate temperature & light perfectly. If you've experienced static from your carpet before, that's simply non-moving electrical charges built up in your carpet. Fortunately, it's not enough to do immediate damages but our senses are telling us that it's a bit of a long term adverse effect kinda thing that compounds over time (think cancer). Electronic devices such as televisions, cell phones, & computers can also plague the home with static energy which a lot of people already aware of.
In addition to all the elements we've already listed above, the ones in which we haven't listed that we find are also enriching to the idea of energy flow is our water fountain & wind chime right outside our bedroom window. We also keep our home fresh by cleaning with all natural castile soaps & essential oils. =) & the power of natural Sun light that is ever so crucial to our day to day existence!
Thanks for reading and we hope these ideas inspired by the Universe around us will also inspire more Om into your home! <3
