« creating everyday peace »
Beth's table. Photographed with Nikon D300, 35mm lens.
My friend Beth is currently in the process of re-writing her book, Healthy Mother, Healthy Child. Beth is both a registered nurse and a certified yoga instructor, and her book is basically about how to create a peaceful, healthy environment in your home, all with an eye to reducing the number of health-related problems or issues for you and/or your family. It includes tips on healthy eating, alternative, complementary therapies to Western medicine, and creating a peaceful home through ritual and a focus on family life. As part of the rewrite, she has invited me to contribute some images to her book, and this morning she invited me to her house to take a few shots.
When she opened the door to her home, I audibly gasped. Her home is amazing -- but not because of fabulous furnishings (although they are definitely lovely), but because of the sense of peace that you immediately feel as soon as you walk in. Beth made me a cup of tea, and we caught up on each other's lives; then she showed me around the house, telling me about the rituals that are important to her family: things like making sure that they all have dinner together every day, their practice of having Sunday lunch at the big table, and the rooms where they all tend to spend time together as a family, playing board games, or having movie nights.
See that huge canister of granola? Beth's husband made that. I had some. It was delicious.
Beth in her kitchen, where the family shares most of their meals.
Beth's workspace.
The thing that intrigued me the most about Beth's home was how clearly the focus was on creating a peaceful environment for herself and her family, even more than creating a pretty home. Every room in her house was designed to be a refuge, from the paint choices on the walls, to the natural fabrics and materials of the furnishings and other accessories. There were candles everywhere, and fresh flowers and plants in most of the rooms -- not store-bought bouquets, but flowers she'd cut from her own garden, or leaves that she found that she thought were pretty. Each surface just begged you to grab a cup of tea, sit down and relax.
The corner of Beth's bedroom, where she practices yoga every day.
I've written before about creating soulful spaces, but I admit that most of the time when I focus on this in my own home, it's primarily about putting meaningful things around me that happen to be pretty. It's resulted in a home I love -- it's my favourite place I've ever lived, so far -- but Beth has inspired me to consider peacefulness as a priority in our home, as well.
Soulful and peaceful.
Accomplishing both would make home a pretty amazing place to be, don't you think?
Incidentally, and while we're on the subject: what's the most peaceful part of your home?
Song: I had a dream by Joss Stone
Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at 9:16PM
Reader Comments (20)
love this. i've always tried to create an atmosphere of peace in my home, but it has become especially important in the last few years. when we became foster parents we quickly learned the power of a peaceful home and how it can dramatically impact a troubled child in a positive way. it's like a magnified version of my own life, healing and beauty and rest and hope... they all go hand in hand. thanks for sharing.
I'm working on my peaceful mind and soul right now and hoping the house will follow suit. In my current house it's out in the garden. Someday I will have a home that somehow incorporates the garden into the house more effectively to create the peace. Not just connected through a door or a window. I suppose to do that I would have to live somewhere more tropical than Denver.
Aside from when I'm asleep in my bed, there isn't a designated peaceful moment or place in my apt. Maybe that explains why I'm so depressed and annoyingly cynical. I guess I need to work on creating a peaceful spot ASAP. Thanks for this post.
At the moment there is not much peace. Chaos reigns as we are adjusting to two kittens we rescued. They are probably 5 weeks old--between 5 and 6--which means that they left their mama too early and require lots of love, attention, and time. With that comes the accoutrements of babyhood...everywhere. So the most peaceful part of the house at the moment is my chair in the living room where one or both of the kittens sleep on my chest. Heavenly.
I want this. I want a peaceful home. We moved in with my mother-in-law over a year ago. I have our bedroom and really, that's it. I dream of a place of our own, room for my elephant collection, a place to do my yoga with out having to move a piece of furniture first. Some day it will happen. First, I have learn patience.
These shots are gorgeous, Karen...and the peacefulness definitely comes through. I think our most peaceful place is the dining room table, with a candle lit and good food spread out...though I'd love for it to be the living room. (Which is currently covered in projects and magazines.) Thanks for the inspiration to actively create peaceful spaces in my own life.
I believe serendipitous events guide us in going with the flow, creating ease with life, helping us find our way. A few months ago I crossed paths with someone who made me think, “Wow, I am so blessed to have met her.” My new friend Karen is one of those people, and I do believe our meeting was serendipitous.
http://www.truewellbeing.net/blog.html
Wonderful how I could sense peace from the images before reading the post. Love that.
The house we're selling is so wonderfully peaceful, I'm afraid we'll never be able to create a refuge like it again. The most peaceful part, though, is the back garden--we have a lily pond and a water fountain, and a lot of birds and frogs live there, so there is constant organic noise. It's wonderful.
If anybody wants to see it, there are some pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/avengingophelia/sets/72157616089306868/
I am thrilled that you posted this today. My last post was about turning our crazy home into a peaceful place. It is something that I have been working towards for a long time, and so far, I'm not so hot at it. It's also harder to do in a rental and with little funds. The past few weeks I have been making great efforts to turn our home into a spa like place, and since by total accident I have run into so much information and inspiration about having a peaceful home. The universe is speaking to me.