Finding Solace in the Home

From the mother swallow building her nest, to the old dog contentedly curling up in a blanket

near the heater, animals understand the importance of a resting place. The home is a place of safety and self-care. It is where we go to nurture ourselves and those we love, where we find privacy and comfort.

In today’s world, there are so many resources, choices, and stimuli begging for our attention. So much so, that even when we are at home, we are not fully there – the mind is usually elsewhere.

The digital screens that hold our attention have become an amazing portal to a vast realm of connection. But now more than ever, it is so easy to get distracted and lose touch with the most important type of connection that we have access to: our connection to solitude and the comfort of self.

This is a simple concept, but something that has lost a lot of meaning over time. If we have the opportunity to stay connected to our external world, why not go all in?  But sometimes “being at home” should mean just that: being. Learning how to relax and disconnect is where we find our energy and balance. Being able to recharge and refocus while at home can go an extremely long way in what we get out of life when we return to the playing field.

“I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude,” said Henry David Thoreau. This is your permission to take back your home rediscover the nurturing qualities of each space.

The bathroom:
A place to cleanse yourself of your day and refresh your body. It is not a place to judge the body or put on a mask for the world.  Enjoy the intimacy of spending time with your own body, appreciate this time and don’t rush. At the end of a busy day, sink into a warm bath and use aromatherapy to allow yourself to unwind.

The kitchen:
A place to rediscover the hedonistic pleasures of good food and drink. Take the time to make dishes yourself. Free yourself from the restrictive culture of contemporary eating. Make time to really enjoy what you are eating, basking in the aroma of the food and tasting each ingredient.

The bedroom:
Nowadays, most of us look at our phones last thing at night and first thing in the morning. Escape the cycle. Before we fall asleep and the moment before we get up are two of the most precious times of the day. These are the times that our mind is most receptive. So feeding the brain with too much stimulation can trigger urgency and panic.

Choose to fall asleep with positive intentions of peace. Use meditation music to ease the mind. This will allow you to refresh the energy of your body and cleanse your mind for a rich sleep. When you wake up in the morning, visualize a positive and confident outlook for your day. Begin from a place of peace and calm, allowing you to begin with a disciplined mindset. These two times are also a good moment to transition into sleep or wakefulness through binaural meditation.

The living room:
Make space for the things that inspire you. Choose comfort and curiosity over unforgiving style. Let this become the space of learning and self exploration; allow books and art to give you imaginative and philosophical comfort. You will find that this space will begin to welcome you with relentless comfort more often, with possibility and wonder.

By getting in touch with your own home, you make it a place of solace. This will allow you to explore your internal depths and enter outside spaces with increased ease and confidence.

http://www.mindbodyvortex.com/finding-solace-in-the-home/