Just as we look at our body’s anatomy for physical wel-being, should we be looking at the functionality of spaces within our homes for mental wellbeing?
Since the start of the pandemic I have been dappling in various modalities of personal healing. Both for my own mental well being, to be able to navigate the pathways of the pandemic but more importantly to be a pillar of support for my young children during this crazy time of change.
As in interior designer too during this change, I have been pulled by a force much greater than myself to delve deeper into the way we choose to live at home. I posted a while back on my @mother_beena instagram (an account for children’s charity projects) “One thing you can be sure you can never have enough of is “Knowledge” !!
And so when I decided to open Pandora’s Box and really go down the rabbit hole into researching the detail of this knowledge and life on earth and how this affects our daily lives, with conscious and unconscious choices, sometime by ourselves and other times by individuals we do not even know, it became an unstoppable journey.
There are so many layers that affect the flow and living environmentsof our lives, some we can grasp and comprehend in order to make sense of and apply, and others will always be a mystery, and left for late night dinner party conversations. (When ever that may be again)?
But there are layers on the surface, in the 3D realm of our existence that with knowledge and guidance we can bring into our own little personal worlds at home to help us build strength, health, love and prosperity, and in so doing heal any negativities in the way.
When we look at our body, we all know that the heart is at the center. Without it pumping blood throughout our being; flat on our backs for all eternity is where our bodies would be.
Our limbs allow us movement and action, our torso allows us sustenance and absorption and our head gives us choice and rest.
We can look at our homes in much the same way. We also all know that the kitchen is the well-acclaimed Heart of the Home! And from its center it pumps forth all manners of sustenance into our daily lives. The kitchen is often the meeting place of the home, the place people gather for celebrations and to partake of the feast. It is a morning ritual space, for tonic’s and a healthy plate to kick off the day. It is a jam-packed venue for kids munching at tables, folks planning activities and sometimes just a quiet spot to sip on a cup of tea.
Just as our heart drives our emotions, so too do our kitchens.
I have designed a glyph to represent the anatomy of the home as I see it. And a tool I hope to use and share with others on future projects. For the sake of this blog I will explain the correlation, as I see it, to the order of the home to the human anatomy, and in time in further blogs I will adventure into how to flesh out your spaces to bring in healing qualities so that your best life can be lived in an interior environment that you are proud of.
From the kitchen (the heart) we have 6 primary points of need that flow out. Namely Rest, Sustenance, Connections, Relaxation, Play and Revitalization. I have grouped these points of need into 4 main source areas connected to our human form.
Namely: Heart, Head, Torso & Limbs.
Rest brings our sleeping quarters into the fold. How we choose to decorate and furnish these spaces from soft furnishings to EMF (electro magnetic fields) adds to the value of what rest truly is supposed to be, a 6 hour minimum - reset!
The other extension of the head source area is “relaxation” also a head related activity. So here I have listed lounges, (living rooms) reading nooks and tranquil garden settings.
Next up is the torso group area, which I have placed as Revitalisation and Connection.
Revitalisation for our mental well-being is obtained in our bathrooms, shower rooms, spa rooms, swimming pools and gazebos, the connection to water is intrinsic in our make up, so accessing this element for renewal is key. There is also Connection, which is where we forge connections with others and ourselves, such as fire pits, braai areas, BBQ areas, meditation spaces, Zen gardens and labyrinths.
And then finally also flowing from the heart of the home in our limb group are Play and Sustenance.
For play we use TV rooms, cinema rooms, dining rooms and outdoor spaces. While for sustenance we use dining spaces, al fresco dining spaces, balconies, patios and garden areas and of course the kitchen.
Each sphere around the central heart of the home performs a unique task in adding value, truth and purpose to our daily lives.
Designing and furnishing these spaces to the best of their potential within a framework of this knowledge can enhance your day to day life and bring with it a conscious healing affect within your home.
For more information I would love to hear from you on how you view your home ?
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