Intimate Environment

The Lure of Lavender to Enhance our Lives

May 17, 2019 by Susan

Lavender is not just your grandmother’s scent. The lure of Lavender includes a myriad of effective uses that make our lives easier – especially those of us who are ultra sensitive to their intimate environments.

The Lovely Ways Lavender Enhances our Lives

The Origin and Uses

The fresh, clean smell of lavender is used in air sprays, soaps, shampoos, and many other everyday items. So, it’s no wonder that the Latin name of Lavender is “Lavare”, which means “to wash”.

I use Lavender essential oils to calm and soothe myself when experiencing social anxiety or before going to bed. I just dab a few drops on my upper lip and it works like a charm.

The Enhanced Benefits

Lavender is known to ease nervousness, enhance blood circulation, improve respiratory issues, and is widely used for disinfection of the scalp and skin. It is also proven to improve hair growth.

One use that I absolutely love is that it is a natural insect repellent. It has no toxic side effects for you or your pets which makes it an excellent choice to replace the icky, toxic, insect repellents on the market today.

In my research, I’ve also discovered that it is great when used on burned skin, which is a nice thing to know if you’re a foodie and love to cook. Keep a spray or bottle of essential oil on hand around the stove!

The Locations

While Lavender is a native of the Mediterranean and therefore most at home in sunny, dry climates, it has proved to be adaptable to most environments. Here are a few guidelines for growing Lavender.

Grow Your Own Lavender

Primarily, Lavender plants thrive in warm, well-drained soil, and full sunlight. If you grow the plants or their essential oils, a lean soil will encourage a higher concentration of oils. An alkaline or especially chalky soil will enhance lavender’s fragrance.

You can grow Lavender indoors successfully with well-drained soil and pots that allow the root ball to have a few inches to spare. Remember that lavender, grown in a container, requires more water than in the garden.

Tip ‘o the Hat: TheSpruce for their excellent suggestions on how to grow Lavender.

Lavender Essential Oil

Here is a link to Lavender essential oil that you can use right away for your aromatherapy. VIA DoTERRA Essential Oils

This essential oil is distilled only from the flowers of the plant, harnessing the most potent and pure aromas from the petals.

Often employed as a scent for soaps, lotions, and cosmetics, it is instantly recognized by its alluring earthy scent with a subtly spicy undertone. Today it is widely used for homeopathic remedies and aromatherapy.

Greetings! I believe in holistic health and essential oils are a key ingredient in my life. Together we light the way through our beautiful lives with spirit, mind, and body balance. Warmly, Susan

Meditation Nook Designs to Uplift Your Spirits

April 18, 2019 by Susan

Lately, I’ve have been thinking about designing a meditation nook in my apartment. However, I’m having a hard time getting motivated, so I decided to write a post to get started. Hopefully, this will also help you if you are interested in this topic.

It is true that we can meditate anywhere we feel comfortable enough to do so. However, I think it’s a terrific idea to designate one small area of your home and “dress-it-up” just the way you want it. Doesn’t that sound like fun? So, come on along and let’s explore meditation nook design.

Why I Suggest the Practice of Meditation

Meditation is a practice that frees our minds and bodies to feel greater peace throughout our lives. With time and regular practice of meditation techniques, we move forward with clarity of mind that relieves the confusing buzz in our heads. Additionally, it gives us more mental and physical stamina, along with better overall results from life in general.

When we meditate it gives us stress relief through the deep relaxation we enter while we meditate. Haven’t we all been taught since childhood that the body heals when it’s at rest? So, it follows that our physical bodies feel better when we meditate because of the benefits of deep relaxation we get from this practice.

Additionally, through meditation, we come to a more intrinsic understanding of our spiritual life in a physical world. That all leads to a much more serene state of mind over longer periods of time. Do you see how this all works together with the end result being a state of balance?

Design Your Meditation Nook for Privacy

You can actually meditate just about anywhere, depending on the type of meditation. However, if you want the full benefits of certain types of meditation such as transcendental meditation or guided meditation, you really have to think about a spot in your home where you will be undisturbed and feel completely comfortable.

To me, a meditation nook is private and secluded. It is organized neatly with plants, incense, my favorite daily meditation books, soft lighting and candles, and even softer seating.

Personally, I prefer a quiet, private home, and meditation is no different. For instance, it’s best if I meditate in a room away from my Kali Kitty. That avoids both interruptions to my meditating and hurt feelings if I have to shoo her away.

Comforting Meditation Cushions

Comfort is different for everyone, but generally speaking, if you have a favorite chair that is just right for you – that’s the one to use for meditation. It could be a bean bag chair, a rocking chair, a recliner, or a cushion on the floor.

Some people prefer to meditate in the lotus position on a forward-leaning cushion on the floor to get in just the right position for yoga meditating.

I prefer to have a backrest and I like to sit normally with my legs down over the chair and my hands folded on my lap. Also, I’m short so there’s often a footstool involved. You can lay down if you have to but it’s easier to fall asleep in that position so if you can, sit upright with your head relaxed but not leaning against anything.

Boho Plus Neat and Organized

This is just one example of life manifesting in unpredictable ways. I love the Boho look with its hippie influences and flowing mixed-up looks. It’s wonderful and creative but I also like things to be in order and well-organized. So, if I want to be comfortable, I have to find a happy medium.

I love the idea of India print hangings on the wall but I want them to hang straight. At the very least, I need them to balance with everything around them. I also like the idea of multiple earthy colors but they need to flow for a reason one to the other. In other words, the arrangement needs to make sense to me.

I find peace in an organized environment. When I have a place for everything and everything is in its place, it calms my mind and aids in my relaxation. In short, it helps me feel balanced.

Feng Shui for Balanced Energies

I am not a feng shui expert although I did attend a seminar about nine years ago to learn how to apply feng shui techniques to an office space. I used the knowledge to design the office space our business had just moved into and I think everyone enjoyed the results. But, that was a while back so my feng shui knowledge is lacking and I need to brush up and learn more. With that, I will defer to a quote to explain what feng shui is for those of you who do not yet know.

Feng shui or fengshui, also known as Chinese geomancy, is a pseudoscience originating from China, which claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term feng shui literally translates as “wind-water” in English. This is a cultural shorthand taken from the passage of the now-lost Book of Burial recorded in Guo Pu’s commentary: Feng shui is one of the Five Arts of Chinese Metaphysics, classified as physiognomy. The feng shui practice discusses architecture in terms of “invisible forces” that bind the universe, earth, and humanity together, known as qi. VIA Wikipedia

The purpose of modern feng shui is to design your environment that results with good Qi. Qi [CHē] is the energy that emanates from your environment. Many believe that particular designs give you corresponding levels of qi. So, the goal is to get good qi by following the guidelines of feng shui.

• Bagua Energy Map

There is a tool that modern feng shui practitioners use which we know as Bagua. Bagua is an energy map that shows us which areas of the space affect specific areas of our lives. The word “bagua” literally translates to “eight areas”. This is the only tool the “Black Hat” method uses so today because I am learning with you, this is the method we will explore. Incidentally, you will also hear Black Hat referred to as Western Feng Shui.

As you can see in the image below, it is divided into eight sections, each has a geographic designation, a description of an area of life, a color, and an earth element.

Next, here is the bagua as it is commonly used for the Western feng shui. They take the eight sections and make a square out of it with nine sections. The idea is to put your floor layout over the top of the bagua either with a printout or simply imagine it in your mind.

However, remember that with this post, we are designing a meditation nook, so we can keep it simple. In case you’re wondering, it is perfectly OK for you to right click and download the bagua below. It’s a .jpg file so you can insert it into a document for printing and use it to design your rooms. Otherwise, if you are reading this on a tablet or cell phone, you’re set! You can easily view this bagua on your devices to use as a tool to design your spaces.

Instructions for Using Your Bagua

When you are within the space you want to design, hold your bagua in front of you.
Stand in front of the main entrance and face into the room or space you want to design. Note: the main entrance is always the mouth of qi.
Rotate the Bagua in front of you so that the three squares for Wisdom, Career, and Helpful People are lined up nearest to you as you hold it while standing in front of the main entrance as you face the room or space.
Note the section you are in. In other words, is the entry left, center, or right on your map? As you face away from the door towards your space, the left is Wisdom, the center is Career, and the right is Helpful People.
If you have a map of your space, place it under the bagua to easily see the layout of your room in accordance with the Bagua. Or if your space is smaller, you can visually scope out where each section of your design lies within your bagua map.
Then, place earth elements in each section. The selection of these earth elements are to correspond with the elements in the corresponding section of the bagua, so refer to the bagua map to place the corrects elements in the right spot in your design. The placement of earth elements is to enhance the energy in that particular space.
Likewise, use the colors on the bagua and add them to the corresponding space in your room. For instance, you might add a red cushion to the Fame area to attract a more positive reputation or gain recognition. Additionally, you might hang a spider plant from the ceiling in the green area to improve your health. See how this works?

Thank you for visiting today. I plan to write more articles in the very near future on this topic as I begin to build my own meditation space in my new apartment. So, please return and join me on this journey! Remember, together we light the way. 🔥

6 Ways to Design Your Healing Intimate Environment

February 5, 2019 by Susan

There’s a lot of research that indicates a familiar intimate environment plays an integral role in the healing process. In addition, for the last few decades, healthcare facilities have played a big role in the research and implementation of healing, intimate environments. That’s because scientific evidence states that people heal faster when they are in the right environment.

6 Ways to Design Your Healing Intimate Environment

Honor Your Intimate Environment

Shortly after 9-11, I remember my supervisor explaining to me the importance of an intimate environment on humans. When there is a sudden change, it can be very difficult for some people to adjust. Especially when the change is linked to a traumatic event.

“First we shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.”
—Winston Churchill

As time goes on, I am increasingly aware of how important my intimate environment is to me. A few years ago, I moved out of the city, into the country, and had a garden in my front yard and that was incredibly healing for me. It was shortly after my mother transitioned and getting my bare feet in the warm eastern Oregon desert dirt made me feel so much better!

Although I’m back in the city now, I’m considering patio plants, indoor plants, acknowledging ‘space’ as a design, renting community garden plots, and other options I might discover. You see, it doesn’t have to be complicated to be successful. These suggestions are very easy for most people to follow and use in their own lives.

So, here are some easy ideas to consider when you design your healing, intimate environment.

• Bring the Outside In

When you look out your window, what do you see? Do you see plants, trees, the sky, a body of water, or something not quite so pleasant? What do you want to see when you look out your window?

Even if you have a small space or a not so ideal living situation, please know that you can still create your own intimate environment space anywhere. Bring the outdoors in with plants and fresh flowers or install an indoor fountain surrounded by greenery. Set out a diffuser with your favorite essential oil and sit back and relax with the scent.

• Color Your World

Every color has particular effects on our psyche, far more than we are consciously aware. Think back in your life about times and places when you felt especially great about yourself. What color did you wear? Do you think it might have boosted your spirits without your knowledge? Do you still have that color around or would you like to reintroduce it into your life?

If you want to learn more about color and how we respond to it, read Color; How It Affects Our Lives.

• Natural Light • Artificial Light

Humans need light. We especially need the Vitamin D that we derive from the warm sunlight. Therefore, I suggest designing ‘light space’ at the forefront of your creative process. The quality and style of lights in your home set the mood that you desire. Natural light is the most desired, however, the right artificial lighting can be very effective as well.

Conversely, too much direct sunlight can cause distress to our bodies, so find that happy medium in your home. First, design for the most exposure to natural light, then supplement it with your indoor lighting fixtures. Also, consider full spectrum lighting whenever possible to emulate natural sunlight.

• Safe & Secure

Do you feel safe? Many times, we do not feel safe yet we are not consciously aware of this important factor in our environment. For instance, don’t arrange your living space so that you sit with your back to a door. That’s a big one for me.

• Way-finding Flow

Can you move easily from one place to another? Is there a natural flow to your living environment? Organization and flow is key to a stress-free intimate environment. The last thing my mother said to me was “a place for everything and everything in its place.” She was right. 👍

• Honor Your Culture

Is your culture accepted or are there blatant or underlying silent suggestions that your culture is not honored? This leads to feelings of inadequacy and being left out – both very disparaging. Why expose ourselves to that? Never let anyone stand in the way of what you honor in your life.

• Rejoice in Your Space

Rejoice in your space and let it reflect who you are and what matters the most to you. Only you can make these intimate environment decisions for yourself.

Warmly, Susan
Together we light the way 🔥

Intimate Environment

The Lure of Lavender to Enhance our Lives

The Lovely Ways Lavender Enhances our Lives