By Guest Blogger on June 7, 2011
By Tisha Morris
Although I don’t have any linguistic rules to back me up, I feel like it’s not coincidental that the word “home” begins with the same letters as the word “holistic” (not to mention includes the word “om”).
Holistic living is being more and more embraced with conscious eating, preventive and alternative medicine, and simplicity. Holistic implies being “whole” or taking into account the “whole” picture – our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Historically, in the West, we have put a priority on physical health; while in the East, there has been a focus on spiritual health. Both are now being embraced and united with a holistic lifestyle.
And now our home is coming to the forefront as another component of holistic living. More people are realizing that their home can be a source of healing – a place of essential change.
Our home is second to our body as our physical dwelling on Earth. It is so closely related to our mind and body that the two have oftentimes throughout history been used interchangeably in religions, architecture and dream analysis.
And this I know is not coincidental. For the last four years, I have gone to people’s homes to help them with energy flow, clutter clearing and even color selecting. And what I’ve discovered is that our home is a mirror of ourselves. And as we make changes to our home, we are making changes to ourselves.
The energy patterns within you – physically, mentally and emotionally – are also present within your home. Have you ever had a great massage or bodywork where you left feeling great? And upon returning home, you fell right back into your old patterns – maybe your shoulders started to slump forward again or your breathing returned to being labored.
If the energy flow in your home is “off” then the energy flow in your body will be as well. Energy flow in your home can be affected by furniture, accessories, clutter and the quality of energy.
Here are a few things to consider in making your home part of your holistic lifestyle.
1. Remove furniture blocks. For the best feng shui, you want the energy to “meander” through a space. So imagine yourself as energy (because you are) coming through your space. Do you bump into any furniture? Do you hit corners sticking out? Are there tight places that feel constraining? Too much furniture can be major blocks of energy. And if they’re in your house, then those blocks are also in your life.
2. Clear emotional clutter. Clutter is stagnant energy. So if you feel stagnant in any area of your life, then there’s probably clutter lurking somewhere in your life that has taken form. If it’s your love life that’s stagnant, then clear out stuff from past relationships. If it’s your career that’s stagnant, clear out your office. If it’s your body that’s cluttered, then clean out your cupboards, fridge and clothing closet.
3. Inventory your accessories. Like a great outfit, accessories are essential. They can make an outfit. But if overdone, they can ruin an outfit. Such is the case with accessories in your home. Take inventory of the accessories in your home. You should love every one of them. Don’t use accessories to distract. I find that people who use too many accessories with an outfit are subconsciously trying to distract attention away from them personally and to their clothing instead. Don’t let your accessories distract you. Love everything in your home, including yourself.
4. Clear the energy. No one likes to sit at a table in the restaurant before it’s been cleared of the dishes left by the people who sat there before. And no one certainly wants to live among the energy of the previous owners of their home. You don’t want to be subjected to the energy patterns of those before you. If you have never cleared the energy in your home, now is the time! It’s quite simple and effective. Sage smudging is the most common method by which you light the end of a sage bundle and waft it around your house. Add your intention to the mix as well.
So as you become more conscious of your diet, exercise, spirituality and so forth, become conscious of your home as well. As you love your home, you will love yourself.
Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor and author of “27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home” (Turner Publishing).
Photo credit: Janelle Beh
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By Frank Lipman, MD on August 27, 2010
Many of us have done a detox to eliminate internal toxins from our body, but how many of us do anything about the toxins in our own homes? Common household and body care products are increasingly being found to have negative health effects on the nervous and immune systems, on our reproductive systems, and on our endocrine, cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
The average home contains 500-1,000 chemicals, many of which we are unable to see, smell or taste. While these chemicals may be tolerated individually and in small doses, problems can arise when one is exposed to them in combination or in larger doses. Everyone’s tolerance level is different depending on genetics, nutritional status and previous contacts with many chemicals, but the negative effects of household toxins are often compounded by the use of other drugs especially the habitual use of alcohol or prescription or recreational drugs.
Indoor air is typically 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air. Home insulation, which is indeed wonderful for keeping our homes warm in winter and cool in summer, doesn’t allow fresh air in, so we’re constantly breathing in the same stale air. Wall-to-wall carpeting keeps us cozy, but can introduce a myriad of toxins to our well-insulated homes. It can also trap dirt, fleas, dust, dust mites and lead.
Many of the cleaning products we use to clean our furniture, bathrooms, windows, etc., are full of toxic chemicals, some of which do not even appear on the labels. The same may be said for the many personal care products we put on our skin and the pet care products we use on our pets.
Most tick and flea products contain active ingredients and solvents that might cause cancer in animals. Also, substantial human exposure is possible by absorption through the skin while playing with and handling the pet.
The pesticides we use on our gardens eliminate not only plant pests but also most of the insects that are beneficial to help control these pests. Of the 30 most commonly used lawn chemicals, 19 have studies pointing toward cancer and 15 are known to cause nervous system poisoning.
This is not to say that we should not keep our houses comfortable and clean and our yards looking good. What’s important is to understand that how we do this can have an important impact on our health. Abundant toxins can and do lead to health problems.
Taking more care to reduce our exposure to both internal and external toxins by detoxing our bodies and our living space allows the body’s own detoxification to function more efficiently. This strengthens our resilience to the daily onslaught of factors impacting our health.
There are many things you can do to detox your home; some are more practical than others. Here are my 20 suggestions:
1. No shoes in the house (as most household dirt, pesticides and lead come in on your shoes). Go barefoot or wear slippers.
2. Place floor mats vertically by your entryways to wipe your shoes. This way more dirt and residue from your shoes stays outside on the mat.
3. Keep the air clean. Keep your windows and doors open as much as possible to ventilate. Use green plants as natural air detoxifiers. Remove odors with baking soda. Use fresh flowers or bowls of herbs like rosemary and sage to add a pleasant fragrance to rooms. Have your air ducts and vents cleaned with nontoxic cleaners. Get a portable air cleaner/purifier, especially for the bedrooms.
4. Switch from the standard household cleaning products to cleaner and greener ones. These don’t damage your health or the environment as much and work as well as the mass-marketed ones. You can also use basic ingredients you have around the house, for instance, vinegar in place of bleach, baking soda to scrub your tiles and hydrogen peroxide to remove stains. According to Annie Bond, the author of “Better Basics for the Home,” she can clean anything with water and these five basic ingredients: baking soda, washing soda, distilled white vinegar, vegetable based liquid Soap (e.g., Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap) and tea tree oil.
5. Replace your skin care and personal products with less toxic and chemical free options. Deodorant, toothpaste, cosmetics, hair products, nail polish and perfumes are often loaded with toxins. Learn how to identify them and avoid them.
6. Use plastics wisely; some contain Bisphenol A (BPA), which is linked to cancer and Phtalates, which are linked to endocrine and developmental problems. Avoid plastic food packaging when you can. Don’t wrap food in plastic. Don’t microwave food in plastic containers. Choose baby bottles made from glass or BPA-free plastic. Avoid vinyl teethers for your baby. Stay away from children’s toys marked with a “3″ or “PVC.” Avoid plastic shower curtains.
7. Avoid nonstick pans, pots, bakeware and utensils: Teflon contains perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), which have been linked to cancer and developmental problems.
8. Keep house dust to a minimum (as more dust means more toxins). Mop all surfaces at least once a week. Use a vacuum cleaner (with a HEPA filter, preferably) for your carpets. HEPA-filter vacuums capture the widest range of particles and get rid of allergens.
9. Avoid excess moisture. It encourages the growth of mold and mildew. Check areas for moisture accumulation or leaks (particularly basements). Regularly clean surfaces where mold usually grows—around showers and tubs and beneath sinks.
10. Get a shower filter. Many of the contaminants in tap water become gases at room temperature. A shower filter can help keep these toxins from becoming airborne.
11. Get a water filter. More than 700 chemicals have been identified in drinking water. Filtering your tap water is better than drinking bottled water.
12. Avoid stain-guarded clothing, furniture and carpets (due to the presence of PFCs). Wrinkle free and permanent press fabrics used for clothing and bedding commonly contain formaldehyde. Use untreated fabrics where possible.
13. Be conscious of toxins in carpeting, especially in products made from synthetic materials. Use natural fiber wool and cotton rugs. If possible, replace your wall-to-wall carpeting with hardwood floors, all natural linoleum or ceramic tiles. Use nontoxic glues, adhesives, stains and sealers for installation.
14. Seal (with a non-toxic sealer) or replace particleboard walls, floors or cabinets, which often contain formaldehyde that can emit irritating and unhealthy fumes for decades. Avoid plywood, fiberglass, fiberboard and paneling.
15. Avoid harmful pet care products and avoid toxic pest control, including traditional termite exterminators.
16. Replace toxic lawn and garden pesticides and herbicides with natural, less harmful ones.
17. Tell the dry cleaner not to use the plastic wrap or remove it as soon as possible. The plastic traps the dry cleaning chemicals on clothes and in your closet. Let your dry cleaning air out (preferably outside) before storing it. Use “wet cleaning” if you are lucky enough to have it in your area.
18. Use low VOC, low odor latex (water-based) paint. Open all windows to ventilate properly when painting indoors.
19. Have your house checked for carbon monoxide leaks, most commonly found in leaking gas stoves, gas fireplaces, furnaces and chimneys and gas water heaters.
20. Check Radon levels in poorly ventilated basements that have cracked walls or floors. Radon is an odorless gas that forms as uranium in rocks and soil breaks down. Radon is linked to lung cancer.
We can reduce our risk of chronic illness by limiting our exposure to these toxins, but don’t let this become an obsession causing so much stress that it creates more of a negative impact on your health than the toxins themselves.
And finally, no amount of environmental toxins is as destructive as emotional toxicity. You can do all the above, but if your house is full of anger, resentment, jealousy, unhappiness and a lack of love, compassion and forgiveness, the house will remain toxic.
Photo Credit: ClatieK
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By Elena Brower on February 26, 2010
After graduating from Cornell in 1992 and delving into the textile and clothing design world for more than six years, my supposedly envious life in an apartment overlooking the Po River in Turin, Italy, was not exactly satisfying. I returned to New York to embark on a graduate studies program in Childhood Art Education at the New School. Two semesters in two of the best schools in New York City later, I found myself in Cyndi Lee’s yoga class at Crunch gym in mid-1997, laughing, crying, and knowing I had found a path.
Cyndi’s first teacher training was at the first OM Yoga studio on 14th Street, and I will never stop thanking her. Her style was a revolution for me, and I began teaching at her studio as soon as she’d asked. I met John Friend, founder of Anusara® yoga, in the summer of 2000 and slowly began the long, demanding road to Anusara certification. While on that road I met Dr. Douglas Brooks and Hugo Cory; they have each profoundly influenced the texture of my teaching—helping me to translate the yoga mat into real-life relevance and experiences of grace and gratitude in our daily living.
Recently, about fifteen minutes after receiving word that Kris Carr was interested in my writing (a complete honor), and just seven minutes after watching the Crazy Sexy Cancer trailer for the third time (and weeping, again), a sparkly conversation erupted with a colleague on the subject of “home.”
As a collective, we long to find “home” within ourselves. In my search for home I’ve traversed ashrams, meditation, drugs, seva, chanting, yoga, childbirth, parenthood, teaching, social networking and back. What I’ve found is that our true home is a place of fearlessness in the heart—your heart, my heart, every heart. Furthermore, and much more importantly, home is not some fixed point toward which we aspire; it is steadily expanding state.
So the question remains: Are we there yet? The answer is a resounding YES.
“We need not find our way back home to our divine beginnings; we need only appreciate that wherever we wander in Consciousness we are already where we need to be in order to be fulfilled.” -Dr. Douglas Brooks offered that in a discussion about affirming what already IS. Our yoga practice grounds us, even alkalinizes us, and shifts our vantage point to a place or gratitude, where we can sense that ever-present expansion. There are no fixed stopping points in the poses—if you watch yoga practiced in the Anusara method, you can see that the parameters of the body are always growing.
The only definite is that expansion is always occurring. Now comes the practical question: How do we uphold this expansive awareness in our real-life interactions? How can this fact of eternal, ever-present expansion keep us from contracting within ourselves [and reacting] when we encounter challenging moments during a regular day?
The one-word answer is GRATITUDE. Gratitude is the most expansive attitude we can claim: when we are thankful, we invite levity, more space, more abundance. When we are grateful in a difficult context, we manifest a pause between an occurrence and our reaction to it. With thankfulness, we imprint receptivity on our bodies- we can take in more. With every incident of focused gratitude, we return home to our expanding hearts. Especially when it seems improbable or impossible, use one deep, expansive breath to create the conditions for gratitude to emerge, and you are home.
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