If home is where the heart is, where does the soul live?
Xorin Balbes, author of SoulSpace: Transform Your Home, Transform Your Life -- Creating a Home That Is Free of Clutter, Full of Beauty, and Inspired by You says, there are ways to make our homes more enriching environments for our inner selves.
Creating a soul space calls for a process of ridding negatively-charged items and clearing out clutter. "Our interior design reflects the interior design of our souls," Balbles told The Huffington Post.
The process can be an emotional one. We ascribe meaning to the objects we keep around, and letting go of certain memories can be painful. On the flip side, there are items we should surround ourselves with for inspiration. While material things don't define who we are, they can, as Balbles put it, "support our spiritual evolution."
So, why make a soul space at home? "There are so many distractions today," Balbes says. "We live in a world that is moving pretty quicky, we?re at the mercy and whim of our jobs and our families." And while there's a lot we can't control, Balbles points to our homes as the environment that we do have authority over. "Our homes can nurture and take care of us in ways we never knew possible."
Click through the slideshow below to see seven of Balbes's tips for making your home into a soul space.
Start With One Room
The prospect of making your home into a soul space may seem daunting, but it?s best to take on one room at a time. It's important not to overwhelm yourself, Balbes points out: "The energy you put into the process is the energy that will end up in the room."
Tackle The Bedroom
Not sure where to start? Balbes says the bedroom is your best bet, since it's likely the most intimate space in your home. ?The bedroom is already a restoral place, so it?s innately nourishing, feeding you in a way,? he says.
Assess Your Objects In A Non-Judgmental Way
Here's where the real work begins: In assessing what you want to keep and what you want to let go of, it's important to be gentle with yourself. "Once you observe what you're living with, you'll have to make choices," Balbes says. Ask yourself if you want to be living with a particular item that carries a certain energy -- perhaps one of loss or sadness. How does each item make you feel? If it is not an emotion or vibe you want to permeate your everyday life, this should help you determine what stays and what goes.
Get Rid Of Bad Or No-Energy Items
When creating your <em>soul space</em>, begin with the intention of surrounding yourself in an environment where you'll thrive. The goal is to get rid of anything that you no longer connect with on a positive level. Balbes says you might be holding on to certain items with unrealistic expectations or dreams that no longer apply. We sometimes keep objects around as a way to "mourn the fantasy of what you once thought your life was going to be." Finally giving up these objects will help you move forward.
Take A Breather
Remind yourself that creating this positive environment doesn't have to be done in a day (or a week, or a month). ?Do your soul space at your soul's pace," Balbes says. Again, it's important to take your time and <em>enjoy</em> what you're doing so there's good energy that sticks to the room.
Move Onto The Kitchen
After creating the energy you want in your bedroom, Balbes says the kitchen is the next spot. ?The kitchen feeds your consciousness on every level,? he says. ?Assess how you are living, what you are eating. Is the food supporting you in a profound way?" Ridding the excess in the kitchen -- that includes appliances you don't use, shelf-stable food you know you'll never touch -- will reset your kitchen as a place of "clean nourishment."
Soul Up Your Office Space
You might not be able to choose your office space, but it's still an environment you have control over. Start with <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jim-taylor/declutter_b_1748165.html">decluttering</a> -- sort the papers, throw away the nonsense and dust off the desk. As for the actual work you do in your office, Balbes recommends one thing in particular: unitasking. "We're used to surrounding ourselves with lots of stuff," he says. "If you're able to put things away and bring out just one thing to work on, you'll be a lot less distracted and a lot more efficient."
How To Decorate A Bedroom
For more inspiration, click here.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/19/soul-space-home-decorating_n_2130469.html
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