Surround yourself with the things that you love, inspire you and make you feel good. Keep them as close as possible, feel them on your skin and all around you, and know that you are home. Find some inspiration in these things, to make yourself feel good at home.
Your favourite thing to wear can be a perfectly cut jacket, or those sweat pants that you only wear indoors. You love them because they hug your body, or because they are full of memories. It may be the colour that gives you just what you need at that moment, or the feel of the fabric on your skin. Clothes made of natural materials always feel best – cotton, soft wool, bamboo, or hemp. All made with love and worn lovingly.
What is it that makes tea and soup the perfect comfort food? Is it the homely simmering and bubbling sound of the pan on the heat? Is it the twinkling light from the cosy tea light? Maybe it’s mostly the warmth that spreads throughout your body with the first sip, chasing away the physical and mental chill. Ingredients such as cloves and pepper add extra heat to a soup, while cinnamon, ginger and cardamom in your tea would work like a warm blanket. These spices can be found in Indian chai.
Hang a big notice board on the wall and fill it with texts that move you, photographs of loved ones, and illustrations that make you happy. Your very own wall of inspiration. The collage will get you to slow down each time you walk past it. Or it can suddenly bring a creative spark. It can also remind you of a goal or dream that you have set for yourself and keep it alive. You can mount a shelf underneath to display your collection of heart-shaped pebbles, or a funny cuddly toy, or something weird you found in the street. Every part of your wall will radiate who you are and what you want.
People have had tattoos done since time immemorial. What’s written on the skin, or even in it, will last a lifetime. So it’s usually only something worth remembering on a daily basis that is immortalised in ink. A saying, a symbol, entire portraits; the wearer of the tattoo knows exactly what it means. It’s a permanent reminder: this is truly important, this is what it’s about.
Everyone has a guardian angel, says “angel expert” Lorna Byrne. It’s a power, an energy that supports and protects you, and is always with you unconditionally. Some people can feel the presence of this energy around them, while Lorna can see it. She perceives your guardian angel – there are other kinds of angels too, she says – as a light shining right behind you. Do you want to get in touch with your guardian angel or receive help? All you have to do is be open to it and ask for it, out loud or quietly to yourself, either way is fine. Your request will be heard because your angel is always with you.
Most people are probably aware of stones that have a special power and charisma. Every stone is a form of combined energy vibrating at its own wavelength. When something is out of balance, it can regain its equilibrium by using the correct stone. A combination of rock crystal, rose quartz and amethyst is often used to create a harmonious atmosphere in a house. If you put these three down in the shape of a triangle, tensions in the room would disappear and make way for a positive flow. This stone formation is called the “Golden Triangle”.
Animals can always make you feel at home. They don’t care about how your hair looks, how much money you have, or whether or not you were productive enough today. To animals, you are fine just the way you are, each and every day. What’s more uplifting than the chatter of a budgie? What’s cosier than the purring of a cat? What’s softer than the fur of a rabbit, a dog or a horse? Caressing an animal is proven to be good for your health; it actually lowers blood pressure. Moreover, animals keep us grounded and remind us to be in the moment: now it’s time to eat, now walk, now cuddle. Come and play, now! An animal is pure friendship wrapped in soft fur.
Jewellery can help you show off, make yourself pretty, or emphasise your personality. Gold or silver, string or leather, gems, beads, charms, feathers… Jewellery can also be an instant meditation tool – a prayer for each bead of the rosary or a mantra for each bead of the mala. Sometimes jewellery is a carrier of memories. The ring you inherited from your beloved grandmother, the medallion containing a lock of hair or a photograph of your child, a few drops of perfume in a bottle on a chain. You can always wear what is dear to you, right on your skin.
Text: Ingrid Melenberg
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