There’s no limit to the amount of information about how stress affects our lives. It creates disease and can make our lives a living hell if not brought under control.
Many would argue that our situations – a demanding job, a domineering partner, a self-centred narcissistic ex-husband, are the causes of our stress. But the truth is that it’s a state of mind and if we go to our “happy place” when we see the stressful exterior taking shape, we can ward off the “stress monster” and stay healthy in the long run.
Years ago, when I had just finished decorating a client’s new home, she decided that simple Feng Shui wasn’t good enough to solve her big life problems, so she hired a “Flying Star” expert. This is a level of Feng Shui that deals with time, space and object to create an astrological chart to analyze positive auras and negative auras of a building. Remember those TV commercials for some product (I can’t remember), where the wife redecorated by putting the sofa in the garage, punched a hole in the wall etc. Well, that’s Flying Star. When I visited my client after her session, the furniture was all askew. A little disconcerting at first. But the most interesting part was that there had to be a mini-shrine or place of offering in the centre of her main floor living area. Although that’s where her entertainment unit used to be, I found the idea of it rather calming. She used that area to meditate and regroup. That was her “ashram”.
In India, an ashram is a place where a guru lives and teaches spirituality, but it can also be a place of quiet meditation. In fact, creating your own personal ashram in your home is a perfect way to deal with daily stress. Kristin from My Toronto Eh! created her personal ashram with funky colours and art.
Creating your own quiet space is really easy. Pick a corner or room in your home, paint with calming colours like “Morning Sky Blue” or warm yellows. Try to stay away from vibrant colours. Surround the room or area with floor pillows and create soft lighting with sconces or torchlights, always on dimmers. A table with candles and incense is a must if you like the smells. And be sure to include soft gentle meditative music. There is tons of New Age Music to choose from but I prefer my old stand-by – Watermark by Enya. Display words of encouragement or have a journal to write down thoughts and remind yourself of your own personal mantra. The goal is to create that feeling of being in a luxury spa – a world of calm and healing.
Here are some examples:
Have a calm and wonderful weekend!
flohaus 