How to Create a Zen Home Environment

Even people who have achieved spiritual zen struggle to create the same environment in their home. Here are a few tips to help turn your noisy and cluttered home into a restorative, restful, and peaceful sanctuary.

Declutter

The biggest barrier to achieving a restorative home environment is clutter. I am as guilty of this as anyone since I seem to collect more paper than I know what to do with. To reduce the emotional stress that having too much "stuff" can bring, at least once a year, get rid of items that you don't need or use. Donate items that are in good condition and freecycle or discard the rest. To avoid  becoming overwhelmed, tackle one room at a time and start with the room that has the most meaning for you.

Aromatherapy

Essential oils help create zen in the home by helping to purify and freshen the air. Try to use blends that contain a combination of yin and yang essential oils to help balance the home environment. Lavender is a neutral oil and can be combined with just about any other essential oil blend including sandalwood and ylang ylang, geranium and cedarwood, and bergamot and eucalyptus. If you want to experiment with creating your own blends, start with equal parts of each essential oil and adjust subsequent blends to suit your taste. A little goes a long way. Two or three drops in a scent burner or on a lamp ring is all you need. Place scent burners in every room to remind you to burn your favorite essential oil blends regularly.

Dim Lights

Flourescent lighting is often too much for most home lighting needs. Switch to CFL bulbs which offer more diffused lighting. You can also install dimmers on all light fixtures so you can turn down the level of light as needed. Rely on natural light as much as possible and consider not using overhead lights in favor of task lighting or lamps.

Nature Sounds

To achieve a feeling of harmony, it's important to control the sources of noise in the home. Instead of having the TV or radio playing in the background, pop in a nature sound DVD or CD. The Sunrise Earth DVD series is perfect for this purpose. The gondola ride down a Venetian canal, featured on the "Portraits of Our Planet" DVD, is one of the most relaxing images you'll ever watch. Running a small indoor fountain is also a good way to create soothing sounds in your home. Controlling the sources of sound in your home also applies to your alarm clock. There's nothing more jarring than waking up to a blaring alarm clock so choose a clock that uses nature sounds or ambient light to wake you up.