Growing up, I often wondered, sometimes with annoyance, why my mother would change the family room curtains and kitchen linens at the start of every season and for holidays.Though our home looked and felt wonderful, I never understood why it was necessary to make these changes four times per year plus holidays. It wasn’t until years later that I made the connection when I learned about creating sacred space through my Interior Alignment® Feng Shui studies. Here, I learned what I had observed my whole life – that synching with the seasons can bring more energy to your home and your life.
One of the ways we can bring more balance to our lives is to bring the energy of the elements into our home. In general these days, we are not as connected to the earth and its cycles as our ancestors were. I know people who get up early each day, get into their garage-kept car, drive to work, park in an underground garage, and work in an office building with windows that don’t open, then drive back home into their garage at night.
Living in harmony with nature is essential to nourishing our soul and feeling more balanced and joyful in our lives. We have the ability to use our homes as a tool to connect us to nature. This connection to nature will make us feel less isolated, less stressed and more in tune with ourselves as well as the world around us. If we reflect upon the seasons, each one brings its own characteristics, associations, and energy that we can use as a foundation to bring more balance, joy, and anything else we desire into our lives.
Take some time with each season to decide how it makes you feel and what it represents for you. Here, we will begin with spring since it does reflect new beginnings. Reflect upon the energy of the spring season and make a list of the emotions and images that come to mind. Spring often associated with the dawn, new life, and planting seeds. Think of spring as a time of creativity and inspiration, and generating new thoughts. What kind of energy would you like to mirror in your home at this time?
We do not need to make huge changes in our home every season. We can add little touches of color that remind us of the emotions and images introduced by the spring season. This can be done by changing table linens, changing covers on throw pillows, adding more light to our environment by inviting more sunlight into our homes. Pull back those curtains and enjoy the energy of air and light. What changes can you make in your home to enhance this energy? What colors come to mind when you think of spring? Are they light greens and the colors of flowers just beginning to bloom? Spring brings us fresh, clear colors that are not too deep, such as lemon yellow or cobalt blue. Consider using colors that have slight yellow undertones, as new growth tends to reflect. Do you see springtime as delicate energy as we are stepping out of our winter hibernation?
As we move into summer, we are brought into a season of activation and fun. Think of the summer as a time of rapid growth and energizing what we have planted. The colors are more vibrant and flowing. We move out of a season symbolizing thoughts and into a season of feeling. Spend some time reflecting on how you feel about summer. It is a time of joy, a time where we have the most light during the day and often our work slows down as we take time to enjoy our families. During the summer, our homes are more open, accepting the light and bright colors of the day. Think of using clear primary colors, like red, blue, and yellow. Bring more water elements into your home, which can include a real indoor fountain or even an image of flowing water, such as a waterfall or fountain. During all of these seasonal changes, it is important to observe from which direction your home experiences the sun at different times during the day. Even something as simple as shifting which blinds or curtains you open in the home during different seasons can keep us more connected and in touch with these seasonal cycles.
As the season of summer transitions to fall, we move into a time of harvest. What colors represent the harvest to you? Think of muted colors, like rust, teal and brick red. Observe the changing colors of the leaves in your neighborhood and reflect those in your home. Observe the colors around your home, in your neighborhood and in your larger community. Living in different parts of the world, you will see different colors in your surroundings. Become aware of these as you bring them into your home. Again, it does not have to be a huge change. Something as simple as using different colored napkins or blanket throws can make a huge difference. Based on the direction of the sun during the fall season in your home, you may want to change what parts of your home you spend more time in.
Finally, during the winter season, use it as a time of reflection. The winter is a time to pull in our energy and hibernate. Consider bringing deep or icy colors into your home, such as burgundy, white, mauve, or charcoal. We can also bring in colors that remind us of each holiday season to make the time even more festive. Often, the colors associated with holidays already reflect the recommended colors of the season.
In addition to changing the colors and degree of light we bring into our homes during the seasons, we may also consider bringing in stones, flowers, seashells, or other decorative items that remind us of the season we are in. What scents do you encounter during each season? Those may be brought in with candles, or essential oil misters. Bringing into our home elements of nature connects us more deeply to the world we live in and reminds us that we are not isolated beings. It is even more wonderful if we make time to spend in nature, but adding the elements of nature into our home will certainly bring more joy, balance and sacredness into our home as it truly becomes a home that nourishes our being.