Feng Shui for Real Life

Many of us spend the bulk of our time away from home at a workplace, or work in a home office, which makes it important to create a special place, or home sanctuary, to relax when the workday is done. Creating Feng Shui home sanctuary doesn't mean creating a religious space, but rather it means setting up a special place or safe haven at home where you can renew, restore, slow down, and just let go.

Where do you go at home to rest and restore?
Do you have a favorite room or space where you go to de-stress after a hard day?

These were the simple questions that my friend, who is a life coach, asked at lunch this week that got me thinking about the idea of using Feng Shui to create home sanctuary. And it made me focus on where I feel most relaxed in my own home. I love the way I followed Feng Shui principles to arrange my beautiful home office, but I certainly do associate it more with the challenges of "work" than with relaxation.

We all need to recharge every day, especially in light of our current challenging economic climate that adds a layer of stress to our lives. Feng Shui home sanctuary doesn't mean a religious space, and it doesn't mean you have to designate an entire room. The size of your private retreat isn't critical.

If you can, locate your home sanctuary in the Feng Shui Harmony/Wisdom Area of your home, which is the room in the lower left hand corner of your home. But your sanctuary could also be a comfortable reading chair near a sunny window, or any area in your home that feels nourishing, comforting, and inspiring. Once you have selected your space, here are a few Feng Shui tips to turn your special area into a relaxing retreat:

• Clear the clutter so you can avoid distractions and clear your mind.
• Surround yourself with the color blue for relaxation and green for renewal.
• Add the scent of lavender for its calming effect.
• Connect to nature by including flowers, or artwork that shows flowers.
• Play soothing music.
• Display photos of special people, or art that shows your favorite places.
• Decorate with some of your favorite objects.

Where is my own home sanctuary? During the mild weather, it's the portal that sweeps around the back of my house and has a commanding view of the beautiful Sangre de Cristo Mountains. In Santa Fe, New Mexico where I live, we call the back porch the "portal," and this is an especially relaxing space for me because the mountains turn a deep red color for a few minutes right before sunset, thus giving them their name. For me, this glorious red color adds to the special feeling of the space. Inside in the colder months, my sanctuary is a corner of my living room near the fireplace.

Where is your home sanctuary?