Mindfulness and Interiors
Last time I asked you to answer three simple questions…
- What is my favourite room in my home and Why?
- What is the most beautiful object I own and Why?
- What is my favourite colour and Why?
Now for some of you this was easy, for others it would have been quite a struggle. This process not only allows you to uncover who you are, but it permits you to get in touch with your creativity self. I’m sure that little voice is making its grand appearance again, “But I’m not creative!” I am here to tell you that you are! We ALL are! However, if we doubt ourselves and don’t feed our creativity, it will dwindle into the back of our minds begging for release.
Ok, a bit dramatic, yet very true.
When there are no obstacles within our surroundings, calm and peace begin to develop allowing infinite space for creativity. Why do we need creativity? Creativity is essential for personal growth and it will assist you in designing your own home without the fear of doubt.
The prime blockage that affects us personally in our environments is Clutter. That wicked C word that shall not be named.
CLUTTER
Clutter is the antithesis of Zen. It is the very thing that catapults you away from having peace and tranquility.
I can tell you now that clutter is caused by 3 things:
- Mindlessness
- Unhappiness
- Fear
Have you noticed a pattern? Their underlying cause is emotional.
When we have too much on our plate with work, family or friends then we can fall into what I like to call, the Mindlessness Trap. Where time is flying by but we are not present in the doing. As we become underground and detached from ourselves It is inevitable that as time progresses unhappiness filters through our heart and mind leaving us vulnerable and fearful. What happens when we don’t know why we are unhappy? We buy and buy and buy in order to fill a void we think we have no control over. We DO have control, but it is fear of change that is holding us back and the clutter that starts to accumulate becomes our security blanket.
Does this sound all too familiar?
How can you bring a spiritual Zen environment to life through your own creative freedom when you are currently surrounded by a plethora of miss matched items collected over the years that you’ve never even used before?
Trust me when I tell you that we can get through this. Though I must warn you, starting is the hardest part and the most exciting. It is very Ying and Yang, yet once you have taken that first step, everything will begin to unfold and your life will transform for the better.
So who is with me? Who is craving change?
Remember those questions you answered above? This is where they come into play.
We know it would be quite overwhelming to change an entire home over a weekend. So we are going to start small. Remember, when you create positive energy within a space it bleeds, grows and develops, slowly inspiring everything surrounding it. Follow the exercise below to start your spiritual Zen journey within your home.
Alter Exercise:
- Let us start with choosing a corner in your favourite room.
- Find a small table and put it in the corner and cover it with a nice cloth or a beautiful scarf. (remember to be mindful of what you are choosing to use) If you don’t have a spare table maybe use a shelf, or a small step ladder. Be creative..
- You have now created the base for your new Alter. Now keep in mind this doesn’t have to have any religious connotations attached to it if you don’t want it to. This is your own personal alter that will display the items that mean the most to you. Remember though, we don’t want clutter.
Now add the items that make you happy. Maybe it is a framed picture of your partner or children, or a beautiful shell we found on the beach last Christmas or it could simply be a candle in your favourite colour. Make it personal.
Mindfulness Space
This is your mindfulness space. This is the place you turn to when everything in your life might be going crazy. This is the place you turn to for quiet. This is your space for attaining peace and tranquility.
Creating an alter is the stepping stone to changing your home. It gives you your own space for creative expression and teaches you how to be mindful about what truly inspires you. It is easy to flip through countless magazines to find images that excite us, but if we don’t know who we truly are and what we want then we will remain stagnant in our approach to designing our home. By practicing mindfulness, our creativity will be our muse in selecting the items that will inspire our home in order for it to grow with us.
This is the true essence of Zen.
If you would love to create your dream Zen home, then get in touch with us today for your FREE 20min phone consultation to discuss your project.
