Today, I want to talk about creating a calm space in your life to help you reconnect with your inner calm. With the significant changes and disruptions we are all experiencing with the pandemic, staying connected one’s inner calm can be a challenge, to put it mildly. I am reminded of the famous poster of the British Ministry of Information that simply reads “Keep Calm and Carry On.” Yes, yes, I would love to keep calm, ready a stiff upper lip, and bravely tackle my days with a steady resolve. Sign me up. Personally, no matter how many times I tell myself this, it isn’t quite enough to bring that quiet resolve I aspire to. It can be too dang hard to plug into my calmness recharging center with all the stimuli telling me to be afraid, do more, rush, panic, eat cookies, etc. But keeping calm (so that I can carry on) is my touchstone to tell me what I am looking for during this time. That’s a huge starting point.
With everything going on, I sometimes feel like it’s a herculean task to even pause, to even allow the opportunity to access calm. I want to share with you a simple way to create a physical representation of a calm moment in your life – a place that can help kickstart your reconnection to calm. There are many tools to access calm, like mindfulness, meditation, yoga, aromatherapy, and too many more to list here. What we will focus on today is creating the environment to support and boost your work with those tools.
Let’s break this down into a few simple steps.
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Select Your Space. Pick a place you want to dedicate as your calmness corner. A place that feels cozy and safe. I find that a specific seat within a room is the best for this corner so I have a small, defined space that I can dedicate for this purpose. Some already have a meditation or sanctuary space in their homes, which will be perfect for a calmness corner. Many don’t. Many may lack the space or privacy to even have a consistent space. If you cannot use one dedicated space, you can just do the following steps below in the space you are using in the moment – it is your intention that will have the most impact on the exercise.
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Dedicate Your Space. Announce to the space that this is your place of calm, where you will reconnect with your inner resolve and your true self. Tell your family or housemates of this intention and ask them to honor your time in this space.
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Limit the Unsupportive. In your corner, limit unwanted sensory input. Keep out the news, electronics, foul smells, and items that make you uncomfortable or uncentered or just feel unrelated to your objective of calmness (such as pile of bills, clutter, trash can, or the like). Also try to keep these items out of your sightline.
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Cultivate Wanted Sensory Input. Now the fun part. Bring items and experiences into your space that either reflect your commitment to calm or connect you with calming memories. Smell is important – it is one of our strongest senses – so experiment with finding a supportive smell. For example, try finding a smell that transports you to a place of calm (something reminiscent of a calmer time like cookies from your childhood, a favorite perfume or cologne, or an essential oil you enjoy). Bring in objects that invoke beauty such as crystals, candles, or a favorite piece of art. This may be especially beneficial during this full moon in libra, where accordingly to certain philosophies, one’s emotions are governed by Libra’s desires for balance, beauty, and elegance. Crystals that I’ve found to be helpful with invoking or connecting with a sense of calm are soft blue stones such as celestite (deep peace and balance) or aquamarine (quiets the mind) and grounding black or brown stones like black tourmaline (shielding and protective from negative energies) or smoky quartz (which I found to be a very effective ground crystal, though some may find the quartz is too amplifying). I also really enjoy stones with interesting features – like a pleasant texture, rainbows or enhydros (trapped water bubbles) – where I can get lost in the play of light, touch, or movement. Textures are also important to engage the sense of touch— a soft pillow, cushion, or rug to sit on, a textured mug of tea to hold, the slight grit of old paper in an old, well-loved book … these will engage yet another sense and help hold your focus in the moment of calm you’re creating. Challenge yourself to fill the space in a way that hits on all your senses, creating a complete experience of calm and relaxation. If you are making a calming-corner-on-the-go, consider making a small kit of these items that you can bring into the space you’re using in the moment. A small vial of perfume/oil, a few small crystals, and a beloved photo can work great for a mobile kit.
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Optional Step: Grid the Space. Gridding or demarcating the area with black tourmaline and selenite can help visually define the space and also protect your intention for the space while you’re in it and even when you’re not.
Remember that there is no right way to use this space. Only you know what connects you back to calm. This space you’ve created is a gift to yourself. It is there to give you a moment to connect back with your resiliency and inner peace. Cherish it and use it as you will.
After you’ve reconnected with your calm and exit the space, imagine yourself emerging transformed like a butterfly from its chrysalis. Invigorated with the calm energy you’ve found again. Ready for learning and growth as you moved past the paralysis of fear and exhaustion of stress.
Your calmness corner will always be there for you whenever you need it.
