It isn’t about superstitions. It isn’t about myths. It has simply got to do with keeping your home naturally alluring to all your senses, and maintaining a general feel-good factor, reckons Simran Chhibber .
All of us have had those moments when we did not feel very good, even while at home. Something stirred a constant restlessness. It could have been a fight with a loved one or a general discontentment for no obvious reason. Take a look around. Does your house look cluttered or messy? If so, that could be the weed in your garden.
It is for a reason that interior designers, architects and vaastu experts alike stress on a decluttered environment at home. A messy house is a well-known cause for general imbalance of life in any home.
We have certain age-old desi practices that have proven to be beneficial in decluttering a home and ushering in good luck. It isn’t about superstitions. It isn’t about myths. It has simply got to do with keeping your home naturally alluring to all your senses, and maintaining a general feel-good factor. These are time-tested techniques that have been known to soothe our senses.
Well, for now, if you don’t believe that, at least go enhance your decor with these techniques. Perhaps, with time, you will come to appreciate the truth of it. Here’s how you can cleanse the negative aura and transform your house to a happy home that it should be:
Get rid of unwanted items
As the ancient Chinese proverb goes, ‘A cluttered space equals a cluttered mind’. First things first. Throw away the stuff that has not been used for a long time. Feng Shui, too, advises on clearing the clutter for making space for better things in life. Clutter includes everything from old cards and unused jewellery to unwanted clothes. Get rid of them. You will find space for new and useful things. You will achieve some kind of peace, simply by getting rid of old and unwanted things. And, in the process, you will have done more than half the work in keeping your home spick and span!
Have a peace corner
Make sure that there is one corner in your house where you can spend some quiet time and relax. This space need not be the prayer room with idols adorning every nook and corner. Instead, it could simply be a space, preferrably outdoors or semi-outdoors, with lots of natural light and air, where you like to spend some silent meditative time or read books, or have a cuppa with your loved ones. Keep this space minimalistic, allowing nature to thrive. If you must decorate this area, add a potted plant or two and a wind chime. The idea is to fill this space with positive thoughts. So spend some quiet time here with your spouse and children, cuddle up together on a bean bag, play board games, or enjoy a good hour of chit-chatting everyday. Basically, just jam-pack the space with happy memories; in times of distress, such spaces provide that much-required positive atmosphere.
Add some greenery
You must have heard of lucky bamboos, and seen them in many homes. Aren’t they simply gorgeous! It is said that lucky bamboos bring in luck only when someone gifts them to you. Well, don’t fret if no one has gifted you one yet. Whilst the lucky bamboo is on its way, you can do something yourself. Grow some money plant, if you deeply believe in luck.
Else, just about any plant will do. Grow some tomato, curry and tulsi plants; they are easy to maintain and very useful. The very act of nurturing them and watching them grow from seeds or saplings to plants will give joy like none other! Now, some may call it ‘luck’, if you feel very joyful, but it is really, and literally, about sowing efforts and reaping rewards.
Add a water feature
Ever wondered why being by a water body excites us? Water is known to create an environment that is very serene, soothing and pleasing. It is also known to absorb negativity, thereby cleansing the environment. Adding a water feature will give your home a visual and spiritual treat. So, try introducing a water feature in your house. Small water fountains by the dining table or on the lawn are easily available in the market, as are artificial waterfalls. The very sound they make will keep your spirits high.
Now, if you find it too much of a task to maintain such water-bodies, you could simply place an antique brass bowl, filled with water, flower petals and floating candles.
Place spirit-kindling artefacts
Certain objects simply make us feel attracted to them and compel us to place them in our homes. Placing a statue of Buddha, an edifice of Ganesha, or any holy book, in a corner of the home, is a common way to rekindle our spirits. It is a reminder of a higher power and a sense of security that comes with it. There is no reason why you shouldn’t mix idols of different faiths; feel free to put Buddha in one corner and Ganesha in another.
If you do not like, or believe in, placing religious idols, simply look for antique artefacts that add an antediluvian charm to your decor. It will create that air of mysticism. If it’s your child’s artwork that lifts your spirit, then, so be it: place your child’s sketches and drawings around the house. The idea is to bombard yourself with all things you find beautiful.
Purify the air
Negative emotions create an invisible smog-like environment that hangs around for days! So, just make it a rule to cleanse your house when something unpleasant happens, no matter how small. Ancient burning rituals, too, began with the concept of air cleansing; our havans, too, are based on this same concept.
But you don’t need to conduct havans, if you don’t want to. To begin with, you could burn some incense sticks, light candles and add some natural fragrance to your house. These days, scented candles come in all shapes and sizes, bringing in a lot of elegance to your decor, in addition to purifying the air of unseen negative energies.
Those with asthma and breathing issues could try pure beeswax candles. Salt lamps are another in-thing and bamboo charcoal works wonders too. Test this theory by keeping a few pieces of charcoal in your shoe cupboard; it will get rid of all the moisture, odour and bacteria!
