Creating Peaceful Zones within your Home
Ideas that could foster positive vibes throughout your home
I’m constantly walking around my home asking if it’s happy? Does anything need to move or be donated to someone else who would love it more? I think it’s a good ritual to keep me connected to home but more importantly to ensure that everything surrounding me in my home doesn’t end up creating a negative atmosphere. Here are some suggestions to further enhance the Zen in your home beyond your meditation space or yoga spot.
Room to Breathe. Dedicate a weekend to go through closets, cabinets, bookshelves, storage bins – anywhere you tuck away stuff thinking you’ll need or want it one day – and purge. Who needs the last eight months of those magazines or a bin of toys that the kids have outgrown? The old adage applies here – if you haven’t used it in the last six months, donate it.
Color Enhancements. I lean on the Fung Shui color chart to decide which room gets a certain touch of a particular color. For instance, for my bedroom, which is located in the skills and knowledge bagua/area of my home, I decided to purchase a new bedspread that is predominately blue. I also found some great secondhand blue glass vases.
A Room with a View. Take a moment and sit in each room in the house. What’s on the walls? If there is nothing, then think about adding some inspiring art or mirrors to keep the energy bouncing around the space. If what’s looking back at you are pictures or symbols of things you don’t want in your life, add those to your donation pile.
Missing Elements. Another way to creating a Zen vibe is incorporating the five elements – earth, metal, water, wood and fire – throughout your home. Here are some suggestions for each element that are inexpensive and can be easily incorporated into your home:
- Earth: Houseplants in a clay pot, a bowl of fruit, landscape art
- Metal: Bell, picture frames, jar of coins
- Water: Seashells, mirror, glass vase
- Wood: A green throw blanket, a wooden bowl filled with pinecones
- Fire: Candles, incense next to a book of matches
Main photo credit: Flickr user Cissa Ferreira
Athena Snow
Senior Manager, Public Relations & Giving for Coldwell Banker. Grew up in Sarasota and attended college at Western Carolina University. Athena wanted to wake up in that city that doesn’t sleep so headed to Madison Avenue to start her marketing career. She has been with this awesome brand for more than 15 years and can be found generating buzz about CB in every way possible. Athena helps to grow the brand’s position as the most storied real estate company within the industry and has led many high-profile endeavors; she was at the forefront of the brand’s pioneering smart home campaign, raised $6 million in two years to build 130 Habitat for Humanity homes, and led the Homes for Dogs program in partnership with Adopt-a-Pet.com that resulted in tens-of-thousands of dogs finding their furever home. She currently leads the CB Supports St. Jude program, which encourages the Coldwell Banker network’s 96,000+ real estate agents to make donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for every real estate transaction they represent. In her spare time, you can find her either digging up a new area in her yard for another flower bed or planning her next travel adventure. She's the proud mom of three cats Jolene, Ziggy and Lucy.
