Healing Rooms
Making Room for Sustainable Self-Care
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by Joan Law and Ariana Fine
reating a life you don’t want to run away from includes creating spaces within our homes for self-care. Focusing on areas such as the bedroom, kitchen and repurposed rooms can help us further our healing journey using feng shui principles. The practical, intuitive art is used to bring individuals and their environments into harmony. It works with the system of the five elements and the principle of chi, the vital energetic force present in all beings and things. Restful Energy in the Bedroom The bedroom is our space to rest and rejuvenate. Certain items can keep the energy circulating in the room when it should be a peaceful place. For instance, stacks of books by the bedside creates a sense of not having the time to read them all. Remove items from the bedroom such as mirrors, televisions, items under the bed, laundry, paperwork and electronics as much as possible. Even putting the cellphone on a bureau so that 48
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it is not easily accessible from the bed will help. Pictures of children should not be in the bedroom; it is not that we are not thinking of them, it is more the visual reminders that we worry about them, and the anxiety and stress that might cause. The bed placement is important. Try not to have it under or in front of a window as that symbolizes lacking support. Position the bed where the door can be seen so we can see who is entering. Another simple tip is opening and closing the curtains in the bedroom or living room. This ritual at the beginning and ending of the day can make a difference in our perception of the day’s progression. Making the bedrooms fit the people is another concept that can help familial energy. If, for instance, there are three boys sharing a bedroom when the parents are in the bigger room, it may make sense to rearrange the bedroom allocations. Use the house the way it works best for the whole family.
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What’s the Purpose? Rethinking How Rooms are Allocated Look at the home through feng shui “eyes” to reimagine spaces that may not be used frequently or optimally. Just because conventional thought say a room’s purpose is supposed to be one thing doesn’t mean it has to be. Live in a space that is comfortable and efficient for the family. A spare room that is “saved” for infrequent guests could be repurposed as a self-care space to bring peace, healing and rejuvenation to the people actually living in the home. Remember that we are trying to create the space for the activity we want more of, so don’t just fill it with “something.” Wait for the perfect item for the space. For parents that lament that their
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The Right Space to Cook at Home = Healthier Eating As we strive to be healthier, our kitchen can reflect our emotional clutter and health difficulties. The supplements and kitchen equipment we use for special diets can take up space. The cluttered counters then become a stressful, visual reminder for the family of the impact the diet may be having on family financials. Clearing out cabinets from infrequently used things, such as extra mugs, makes space to put away the constant dietary reminders and declutters the countertops. Other tips include ensuring plenty of room on the counters for food prepping. Keeps snacks behind closed doors; if we don’t see them, we are less likely to eat them so readily. “Having an organized, decluttered, kitchen with good flow and full of nutritious food makes eating so much easier and encourages healthier habits,” said Diana Pruzinsky Abata, CHC, AFMC (DianaPruzinsky.com). Hoarding food, which can support a feeling of not having enough and living fearfully, is an interesting topic as some people like to be prepared for the future with sufficient supplies. There is a difference between buying on sale where many items then go bad or expire before they are used and long-term, healthy storage of food.
