A comfortable, serene, and zen home is a place we all want to retreat to after a long day, especially during these times. We all want rooms filled with calming hues and simple, streamlined furnishings to add to that serene aesthetic, but did you know that there are little mistakes that could be preventing you from experiencing that tranquil, peaceful feeling in your home?
Creating a zen home with a relaxing atmosphere can be achieved by correcting a few key components to help infuse your surroundings with positive energy. To help make your home a peaceful sanctuary, we reached out to experts from Los Angeles, CA all the way to New York, NY to share mistakes that could be preventing your home from feeling zen and creative solutions to solve them.
Your home doesn’t inspire love, joy, and welcome. Fill a spray bottle with water, and write the words “love, joy, and welcome” on the bottle. Let it sit for 24 hours, and then lightly spray in all your rooms, especially the front entrance. Invoke the feelings of love, joy, and welcome for your home in your heart as you do this. People will feel the energy when they walk in and feel like they are home. – Mary O’Maley, MSHN, CHtI, Soul Scout
Your space lacks color. Did you know there’s a real psychological and energetic effect of adding color to your home and its effects on your mindset, energy, and emotions? Blue maintains peace, green sends out the feeling of love and affection, and yellow brings confidence. Your house doesn’t need to look like a kindergarten classroom, but can you get creative and add a purple candle (purple represents awareness and faith) or orange blanket (orange represents creativity and flow) into your space. – Shawna Schenk, Yoga with Shawna
Your home is overtaken by clutter and oversized furniture. People will often push furniture against the wall to maximize the space. Not only does this look bad and make the room appear smaller, but it also cuts off the flow of energy, which is a spiritual manifestation of holding onto the past and fear of the future. Having less stuff and the right size furniture helps us keep a zen home and be more mindful and present. – Laura Schwalm, Pure Energy Healer
There isn’t a smooth flow of energy in your space. Spaces carry energy, so make sure rooms are refreshed regularly. The key to good energy is to keep energy moving; stuck energy is the worst energy. From the unsorted stack of papers and unfolded pile of laundry to the piece of art you don’t really like and that uncomfortable chair, work through it all to release possibilities. – Diane Domondon, NYC Reiki Center
You’re holding onto items that are no longer needed. Clear the center of your house, the corners, under your bed, and closets of that excess storage, as negative energy like to attach itself in these areas. If you’re an empath, you tend to be a little bit more sensitive and may still be holding on to things that no longer serve you because you just can’t let go. You think you may need it, or it means something. Turn these items at least once a year, and spray with orange citrus to clear the air after you sage it. – Sheri Kaplan
Mess and clutter are taking up your space. Create a zen home by practicing saucha. Saucha is the first of the 5 niyamas in yoga, and it translates to “purity,” “clean,” or “clarity.” In a collection of Shambhala teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, he speaks at length about how dignity and self-respect correlate to the environment we live in – that our homes are a direct expression of those emotions and a messy or cluttered home can be a reflection of our emotional and spiritual state of mind. Think of the Marine-Kondo method, is your home sparking joy? If not, giving it a good clean or decluttering can be a way to find inner peace. – Nikki Hartley, Mind Body Mana
One of the most common mistakes when creating a zen home is not clearing the energy of your space. A simple way to correct this is to imagine a beautiful waterfall of white sparkling light filling the space. Do this every time you clean your home or everyday before bed to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for a beautiful day in your loving home. – Hannah, Reality Awareness
Not practicing a mindful approach to your relationship with technology. By being mindful of your use of technology, you can achieve a greater peace of mind, especially while you sleep. Try to turn off all of the wireless devices in the house for one night: cell phones, wifi, digital assistant systems, cordless phone base stations, wireless printers, and baby monitors. You might be surprised how deeply you all sleep and gain a calm and expansive perspective. – Mark Mezadourian
You don’t create a specific “you” space. If you share every aspect of your home with your family, try to carve out a tiny corner (such as a closet) to make your own quiet space – this could even be a meditation pillow in the corner of your bedroom – that you can sit and breathe whenever you need to clear your head. Let your family know that when you’re there and that it’s your time to be alone; I get that it’s hard during a pandemic, but it actually makes this all the more important in maintaining a zen home. – Marisa Imôn
While you can create a peaceful looking home by using soothing colors, soft lights, and tranquil artwork, it will not feel peaceful unless you do. Zen comes from within.To create a peaceful feeling in yourself and your home, try centering each day with a breath meditation or just taking a few moments to slow down and reflect. Soon you’ll have an inner sense of calm inside and out. – Laura Chandler, Executive Director, Foundation of the Sacred Stream
Your home isn’t a supportive or thriving space. Your home environment is the current garden you are growing in. Becoming aware of your home in this way can shift your space from being a place you simply eat, sleep, and collect ‘stuff’ into a supportive and thriving space that you are intentional about what is in it and how it makes you feel flow wise. A decluttered, clean, healthy, and joyful home is a zen home. – Lalah Delia, Vibrate Higher Daily
Your space feels uninspiring. Find an image, a quote, or a figurine that makes you feel inspired and hang it up, or place it in a space where you will see it regularly; you can even find a different image for each room. These can be images of inspiring people, religious figures, places, or nature that inspire or relax you and help you feel calm and happy. – Sohan Khalsa, Shine Right Now
If your home feels “off,” then healthy energy is blocked. You need sea salt to keep you and your home grounded and balanced. Fill small decorative bowls with a handful of coarse-ground Himalayan sea salt mixed with dried lavender or rose petals. Put the bowls around the house to add beauty, fragrance, and a zen feeling to your home. – Robyn Fritz
Your kitchen doesn’t support a nourished, well-balanced and abundant lifestyle. Your kitchen is the heart of your home. It’s where you feed and support your family. If it’s messy, unorganized, and stocked with unappetizing, harmful foods, then you’re not living your life at its fullest vitality. Bring more life and color to your kitchen by organizing your kitchen for accessibility and stocking it with nutrient-dense, whole foods, and don’t forget your superfoods. – Sophie Jaffe, Founder, Philosophie
Your home doesn’t feel grounded. Stand in each room, breathe, and ground yourself. Sense your surroundings with your whole being. What makes your heart smile and what doesn’t? Your heart knows zen. – Sarah Weiss, Director, SpiritHeal Institute for Intuition and Healing
Avoid decorating your home with your mind instead of your heart, meaning don’t get stuck in your idea of what looks zen. As you weigh possibilities, consider: does it merely look good, or does it make you want to sit down and hang out? Decorating can be stressful — so many decisions to make — be sure to take time to create the ease within you that you want your home to reflect. Brief self Reiki breaks work wonders. – Pamela Miles, International spiritual teacher and Reiki master based in New York City, author of REIKI: A Comprehensive Guide
Closing off your space with clutter. Your mind requires some space, and so does your home. Ever notice how you feel more anxious in a messy room? If your space is cluttered, your mind will be cluttered too. Make sure to have some areas of your home or room that are open, with space between the furniture items and nothing on the floor. Same with your desk. The mind can be more expansive and creative, and the body will feel free to breathe fully when the area also has space. Your inside and outside reflect each other. – Dr. Alice Langholt, ReikiAwakeningAcademy.com
Using harsh lighting in your space. Lighting is the most important component in creating a calm and soothing zen home. Our homes are our sanctuaries, even more so in these times where we’re spending more time than ever at home. Candles from natural waxes like beeswax or soy wax, or salt and free-standing lamps with warmer toned bulbs rather than bright overhead lighting will immediately create more ambiance. – Leanne Hirsh, Founder + CEO, Perfumera Curandera
Your home feels sterile and mundane. Use crystals to brighten up and balance your room’s energy while adding a touch of color and sparkle to create a zen home. Every crystal has metaphysical properties that will improve the Feng Shui of your home. – The Holo Tree
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