A morning mindfulness meditation routine is an excellent way to start your day, but your inner Zen temple may be a tad more difficult to come by if you’re surrounded by distractions, in either visual or audio form.
Your environment influences mindfulness in more than one way: interior design impacts your subconscious, as well as your perception, emotions, and train of thought. This is why you should invest a little more effort in home décor to maximize the effects of your environment on your everyday life and your mindfulness practice.
Here are a few suggestions on how you can decorate your living area with mindfulness in mind.
Mind the Paint: Let Colors Be Your Guide
According to the principles of color psychology, the hues displayed in your home impact both mood and cognitive function. For instance, red and orange symbolize passion and help boost energy, which is why you should use them sparingly and as accents.
Grey and blue, on the other hand, promote tranquility and relaxation and can therefore be used as secondary colors in high-traffic areas, such as the kitchen and living room. White is a classic home paint that exudes purity and calmness, which makes it ideal for rooms that are either small or poorly lit.
Yellow and green are perfect accents as they symbolize creativity, prosperity, and natural sparkle, whereas black and purple can be employed to add a touch of royalty and power to the space.
Possessions: Extension of Your Personality
Our possessions are an extension and an expression of our personality, but an excess of detail in a home isn’t conductive to peak mindfulness.
According to Buddhist principles, attachment to belongings leads to suffering (dukkha), which is why Zen-minded designers value minimalism over extensive use of frills and trims. A few personal touches with emotional value will cozy up a home, but if your space is packed with too many items with more of an aesthetic than practical purpose, mindfulness will be harder to come by.
For this reason, pick furniture and accessories based on their functional, rather than symbolic, value. You can also arrange the elements in line with Feng Shui design guidelines to nudge your mindfulness in the right direction.
Energy: No Hitches, Just a Highway of Flow
Unhealthy attachment that leads to suffering isn’t the only hitch of excess frills in your home. According to Feng Shui tenets, clutter blocks the natural flow of energy and as such, has no place in a living area designed with private Zen in mind.
To amp energy flow and infuse your home with a dose of freshness and positivity, you can make an energy map and style your home based on the readings – but you need not go through all that effort at all cost. In fact, even a thorough top-to-bottom de-cluttering and cleanup will help set energy currents on the right and flowing track.
Throw away broken or useless items and let go of the things you don’t really need, and your home will brighten up and begin to attract prosperity, positive vibes, and focus, all of which are integral to mindful living.
Natural Touches: Go Green to Be Mindful
The concept of a connection to Nature and awareness of our impact on the environment occupy a prominent place in the philosophy of mindfulness. For this reason, use of natural materials and indoor plants and choosing sunlight over artificial lighting is an important aspect of mindfulness-based interior design.
Houseplants, furnishings made from timber and stone, and textiles crafted from natural fiber have a healthier and more potent energy field than their man-made counterparts, so introducing them into the living area will help dial up both the mindfulness AND aesthetic value of your nest.
As for lighting, studies show that sunlight has beneficial effects on mood and overall health, so pull back the curtains and let sunshine flood the room. Also, you should consider using eco-friendly nighttime lighting to attune your home to peak sustainability and reduce your household’s environmental footprint.
Your environment can be a source of stress or a safe shrine you can withdraw to when daily life gets too tough to bear. Don’t let your home get in the way of your mindfulness: meditation and yoga will set your life on the healthy and peaceful foot, but if you want to go all-out mindful, pay attention to your home décor, too.
Home is where the mindful heart and soul shine brightest, after all.
