Today, I am going to focus on supporting you to ‘Settle In’ to your space, your home zone. Your home is your sanctuary, where you recharge and refresh yourself, so it’s worth making sure your environment is a sweet and pleasant place to be.
To create the best settling-in space, start by figuring out what your needs are. Ask yourself some questions and write in a journal. I recommend you do this for five minutes a day every day over the next week to get clear. Some questions you could ask yourself are …
– What do you need to do today?
– What would you like to do today?
– What is one thing you could do today to help move toward your long-term projects?
– What is one thing you can do to nourish yourself today?
As you answer these questions, consider your personal needs and the needs that you have for yourself within your environment. And remember – rather than aiming to have a spartan living space that looks like a model home, choose to organise your space in a way that feels homey and natural to you. One person might prefer lots of knickknacks and fluffy blankets in their home, and another might go for a more sparse living space.
Ask yourself, ‘Does the space work for what you want it to do?’ For example, if you’re using a room as an office, do you feel clear in your mind and able to focus on your work when you sit in the space? Does your kitchen inspire you to create beautiful meals? Does your bathroom allow you to relax and release?
Now, my top tip is to start small! Try doing one room or area at a time rather than a massive overhaul. If you try to do too much all at once, you’re more likely to be overwhelmed and end up less likely to follow through.
Once you’ve tidied your space to suit your needs, you can begin conditioning that space.
I hear you asking, ‘What the heck is conditioned space?’ Allow me to explain.
Conditioning your space is more than just cleaning – think of it like washing your hair. The cleaning is the shampoo, and then conditioning is the, well, conditioner – the thing that makes it feel, look and be gorgeous! This is more than just a sort of hair care routine for your home – it’s a way of life.
Imagine a place you consider to be a ‘sacred space’. A place that holds a special feeling, one that is calming, centring, nurturing and even restorative. Where you feel held immediately, precious, intentional, bright and clean. Are you imagining such a place? It might be a cathedral, a stone circle, a place in nature – heck, it might even be your favourite record shop. That feeling of sacredness comes from the intention and energy focused on it over a period of time.
Although in the past, this conditioning has mainly been kept secret and reserved for special places only – like religious buildings – you can also use the power of your focused words with intention to condition the atmosphere in your own space.
That’s a fancy way of saying, ‘Say nice things and make it feel good.’
You can use your thoughts and feelings to condition a particular space in your home, whether it’s a yoga space, a tranquil and productive workspace, a sanctuary of rest in your bedroom, or a nourishing, cosy, communal kitchen space.
In conditioning your space, it’s important to include five certain qualities or elements in that process. Bringing these elements in allows your space to feel more expansive. Those five elements are Water, Fire, Earth, Air, and Ether.
WATER represents emotions. Ways to include water in your space could be a diffuser or, perhaps, a small water feature.
FIRE represents Spirit. You can include fire with a candle or fireplace. Just remember, safety first!
EARTH represents the physical. Ways to bring mama Earth indoors include having plants and flowers in your home – or sand if you want to make a zen garden, handy if you have yet to grow a green thumb. You can also add small clear quartz points into the corners of the room.
AIR represents the mind. Try burning incense, palo santo or sage – you can find all sorts of lovely scents for every taste and mood – no need to smell like a hippie shop unless that’s what you’re into!
ETHER represents the vibe. This is the culmination of the other elements, creating the atmosphere in the space. An easy way to raise the vibe is to use a playlist of soothing, uplifting music and keep it on a low volume in the background, even when you are out of the room.
Now, bear in mind, you may have been conditioning your space in a negative way without realising it. If you walk into your office and think, ‘Ewwww, work!’ then you’re creating a vibe of resistance in that room. (Also, if the thought of doing your work makes you cringe, we need to talk – send me an email and tell me why, and we can chat about it.) Stop conditioning your space in a way that is un-useful for you, and start conditioning it to be calm, vibrant, and restorative.
