06/17/2017
“How (and Why) to Incorporate Mindful Design into Our Environment”
A blog/ article by
Donna Hunnicutt, MBA/Certified Feng Shui Consultant
Serenity By Design
Mindfulness…the term is popping up everywhere lately…what does it really mean, and how/why should we incorporate Mindfulness into our Environments?
Mindfulness is “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally,” says Jon Kabat-Zinn, the leading expert on the concept. Mindfulness is also be defined as “the quality or state of being conscious or aware ; maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and surrounding environment” [http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition]
Clinical research has shown that the practice of Mindfulness is strongly related to well-being, perceived health, and ultimately, Happiness. Mindfulness practices provide a holistic approach to wellness, focusing on being aware of mind, body, and soul… being aware of our breathing, our senses, what we are seeing, hearing, smelling, and feeling in a given moment, tuning in to our body’s physical, emotional, and spiritual sensations, without judgement, but with simple Acceptance…When we become aware and “conscious” of how we are feeling and what we are experiencing, we can see and identify our emotional “triggers” and habitual reactions to situations, and we can learn to respond differently and more “mindfully.” The goal of Mindfulness practices are to help us reduce stress, become healthier, have more Life balance and become Happier- living our lives in the present moment, instead of allowing past thoughts and experiences to dictate how we respond and live in the Now.
The bottom line is that we are all seeking ways to create Optimum Happiness in all areas of our lives, right?! We want to be “Holistically Happy”- in body, mind, and spirit! We want less stress, more fun, more Balance in our daily lives…We can do this by creating Time daily for Mindful practices such as meditation… and by making sure the Environments and Spaces around us are balanced, supportive, and empowering…The simplest and most powerful way to do this is with Feng Shui, or Mindful Design!
Feng Shui is the art of Conscious, Aware, and Intentional Design of our Surroundings, our Environment- it is the study of how our external spaces affect us internally, and vice versa. Feng Shui holds that the spaces where we spend our time- work, home, play, and outdoors- have the ability to affect us on a variety of levels: physically, emotionally, spiritually, and energetically.
The Goal of Feng Shui is for our spaces to be “consciously” balanced so that there is only a positive effect on us, on all levels…Feng Shui brings MINDFULNESS into design.
When we become aware of how “things” in our environment affect us personally- either negatively or positively- we can then work to eliminate or enhance our spaces accordingly, with the goal of creating Spaces which only emit positive, balanced, supportive, and healthy energetic vibes.
When the Spaces where we spend our time are Balanced, we become more balanced as a result…when Energies flow with balance and ease in our environment, this allows us to literally Relax and Allow- for Life to flow more easily, with less effort and resistance…
Feng Shui allows us to Connect to our spaces, and to learn and be aware and mindful of how these spaces affect our inner feelings and emotions.
Feng Shui seeks to remove Energetic Blocks in our lives- both physical and emotional blocks- so that we can be in Alignment with what we truly want in our lives…so that we can be in Balance, in Optimum Health, and again, bottom line- HAPPIER! Less stress, less worry! Being MINDFUL brings us HAPPINESS!!
When we Consciously Create our Environments with Balance, individuality, and Awareness of what Energies we bring in, - we are practicing MINDFUL DESIGN, or Feng Shui!!
Start practicing Mindful Design right now! Simply look around your home, noticing all your possessions…noticing your emotional response to your “things”- artwork, books, photos, furniture, décor. Do you feel love, joy, positive vibes from what surrounds you? Do you feel “connected” emotionally and spiritually to your belongings? Really notice how things around you make you feel…without judgement, without thinking too much…if you find items that have negative associations or memories for you, remove them from your space. Even if you remove one single thing, you will positively shift the energies in your environment! Have fun with this process, and create your own Conscious, Mindful Environment full of positivity and Happiness!
