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Right now – stop, take a moment, and recall a time when you felt completely relaxed and at peace. For many of us, that experience involved being surrounded by the healing energy of nature. Whether breathing in the ocean air, daydreaming under the sun, or walking along a mountain steam, nature can have a magical way of melting away stress, uplifting mood, and soothing the soul.

Bringing nature into the living environment increases health, happiness, and productivity, according to feng shui. As a feng shui consultant, I am called into people’s homes for a variety of reasons including improving health, relationships, and prosperity or the creation of a beautiful sanctuary.

It’s true that energy flow, furniture arrangement, symbolism and the contents of a home are considered when creating good feng shui; however, if you start by bringing nature indoors, you’ll be on your way to increasing positive energy in your life and space. The three main feng shui energizers to place within a dwelling are live plants and flowers, sunlight and moving water.

Whether you live in a small apartment or large home, here are creative ways to bring nature indoors:

Living room

Light – The sun gives us life. The more we are exposed to natural light, the better we feel physically, emotionally, and mentally. Open the shades and curtains to allow in ample sunlight.  Views of trees, flowers, mountains, lake, or an ocean can be revitalizing. In order to take full advantage of this light, wash your windows often. If natural light is minimal, use full-spectrum light bulbs in the rooms you frequent most often, such as your bathroom, kitchen, or office to create “indoor sunshine.” Artwork featuring a blue or a sunny day will provide a feeling of natural light.

Flowers – Fresh flowers add vibrancy, color, and life to any environment.  Their beauty and healing energy naturally lift your mood, often relieving anxiety, depression, and loneliness. You can use a feng shui color palette to choose flowers to boost your mood. Try pink roses for love, red gladiolas for motivation, yellow gerber daisies for health, blue hydrangeas for relaxation, purple orchids for spirituality, orange marigolds for inspiration, and white calla lilies for purification. The fragrance of flowers has a positive effect on the heart, brain, and nervous system; aromatic flowers include stargazers, tuberose, freesia, stock, rose, and gardenia.

Flowers - yasmine floral design

Yasminefloraldesign.com

Flowing Water – Incorporating a table-top or wall-mounted water fountain in your home brings beauty to your eyes, music to your ears, and harmony to your spirit. In feng shui, water is associated with abundance and the continuous flow of life. The sound of water splashing against pebbles masks unwanted noise and increases negative ions, creating a sense of well-being and ease. It’s important to keep the water clean and running continuously. Aquariums are considered a double enhancement since they combine bubbling water with sea life and colorful swimming fish.

Color – Different hues give off specific mood-enhancing vibrations. Green, suitable for any room, is healing because of its association with vibrant green plants and trees.  Blue, great for bedrooms and bathrooms, reminds us of the sky and ocean. Yellow, the cheerful color of the sun, works well in the dining room and kitchen. Earth tones and browns are grounding. Like roses, pink and peach open your heart, while red incites passion, so these colors encourage love and romance.

Nature-Inspired Artwork and Décor – Nature scenes such as seascapes, landscapes, waterfalls, flowers and wildlife are excellent choices for artwork as these types of views offer inspiration and harmony, particularly if you live in the city surrounded by cement buildings. Make sure all of your images have positive and inspiring associations. Try integrating nature motifs in kitchen tile, curtains, wall coverings, pillows, rugs, and bedding. You can even program your computer screen with nature scenes and peaceful sound effects.

Art - Nature

Natural Elements of Wood and Stone – In feng shui, wood is considered yin (feminine) and stone is yang (masculine). Coming from the earth, both wood and stone are helpful in feeling grounded. To create balance, you can incorporate yin and yang elements in your home. For example, you can use wood for your flooring, dining table, headboard, side table, desk, and cabinetry. Stone can be incorporated in the flooring as well as in your bathroom, kitchen counter, and fireplace. In addition, you can bring in other natural elements such as sea shells, colorful crystals, and river rocks to enhance healing energy.

Soothing Sounds – When you listen to sounds of nature, your heart rate slows, your breathing becomes more expansive, and your nerves are calmed. Play music with natural sounds, such as splashing waves, birds chirping, or a gentle breeze to create serenity. Another reason for a water feature (discussed previously) is its pleasing sound.  Don’t forget the adorable sounds of your pets.

Aromatherapy Aromatherapy as used in candles, diffusers or by adding essential oils to water in a spray bottle can be both relaxing and uplifting. Chamomile, lavender, cedarwood, marjoram, neroli, rose, sandalwood, and ylang ylang are calming. Eucalyptus, juniper, lemon, orange, pine, rosemary, and spearmint are invigorating.

Photo by Jayme Barrett

As you recall, hundreds of years ago, we lived outside surrounded by nature’s life force energy, which was rejuvenating and calming. Now, most of us live in concrete buildings and constantly seek out ways to energize ourselves. Bringing nature inside will revitalize your body, mind and spirit.

** This article was originally written for “Find Bliss” Magazine. All interior photos by David Young-Wolff.