I’ve been vacationing on a tiny island in Newfoundland lately—a pebble off the Rock. Between hiking hilltop trails bordered by wild flowers and berries and sitting on the beach watching icebergs drift by, I’ve been feeling so calm and centred that I’m in no rush to return to my everyday life.
But the deep relaxation you feel breathing in evergreen-scented air or listening to waves lap doesn’t need to be reserved for the great outdoors. While you might associate your home with the myriad activities of life, it’s possible to create quiet, nature-inspired zones there that soothe and ground you. Even the office can be conducive to relaxation, if you designate an uncluttered area as a micro-sanctuary.
Here are a few ideas for creating pockets of Zen:
Create a meditation or yoga corner. To eliminate distractions, choose an airy room that gets plenty natural light, and keep furnishings to a minimum. A small round pouf or a single pillow will perfectly support seated poses.
Sheer window panels or drapes help diffuse the light and create a dreamy vibe. When the weather is warm outside, simply throw open a window and let in the birdsong and breezes—the sounds of nature are even more conducive than perfect silence to deep relaxation. If your home or workplace is in the heart of the city, consider playing a recording of ocean waves or another natural soundscape to set the mood. Free apps, such as Songza, offer diverse options.
To bring in the sounds and gentle energy of running water, make a mini water garden in a stone vessel with lilies or fronds and a discreet aquarium filtration system. Alternatively, place root plants in large glass vases. Seeing their roots system develop serves as a reminder to stay grounded as you grow.
Find natural beeswax tealights and place them in carved out stone or log candle holders, set on a low table, for a natural vibe or to focus on a flickering flame as you disconnect. For evening meditations, create ambient lighting with lamps and avoid harsh overhead lighting.
Designate a reading nook. Take over a cozy corner in a quiet room, or a window seat, where sunlight streams in—the type of spot your cat intuitively seeks out for languorous naps.
While you may need a directional lamp to fully illuminate the pages of your reading material, opt for a lamplight to create softer ambient lighting in this area too, particularly at the end of the day.
Natural wool blankets draped over the sofa or an armchair will make you want to hunker down and get lost in your paperback for even longer. A suspended rattan swing can be as restful as a hammock for reading sessions. And for the best back support, place a simple wooden chair by the window, with a footstool to ramp up the relaxation factor.
Use tree stump stools or raw-wood end tables for resting your mug of tea and book. A single bloom in a water-filled glass, or an unfussy posy of wild flowers will spark instant joy. Think: woodland sanctuary.
Build a Shrine. Bring your happy place from the outside world indoors to honour it daily with your attention. Keep it simple: You could hang a single black and white image of a favourite landscape on a blank wall. Or rest a few images of natural objects that work together on a wooden bench positioned against a wall. This opens up the space and encourages daydreaming, when you need to escape from your daily to-dos.
Use diffused lighting to show off your artworks to full advantage. Place table lamps and hanging fixtures strategically for illumination.
And don’t be afraid to make a statement by placing a single, beautiful object, such as a driftwood free-from sculpture, on a coffee table. This simple touch will serve as a focal point, when you need to tune out stressful thoughts. When it comes to your choice of coffee table itself, you could opt for the nature-inspired forms of a live-edge or tree-trunk-based coffee table, and let it become an objet d’art in its own right.
On a cellular level, as humans, we respond positively to elements of nature and zones of calm. When your home and office feel softer around the edges, you will too.
