Having never traveled to Japan, I have to say how impressed I was with how the home oozed calmness throughout and the gardens were a part of the home.
I came away with a sense of calmness and a feeling that my stress levels had magically been lifted away. Every part of the home looked out onto the pond and gardens, there were multiple colors of green, beautiful large koi in gold and black, a few turtles, a small island in off to the side with a footbridge and at the pinnacle across from the open area was a small calm waterfall. Hanging from the branches were wind chimes and mobiles. One of the most amazing things was the gutter system, instead of a downspout was a metal interwoven chain systems and as the water cascaded down it was like a mini-waterfall. I found this all very calming and very serene. I came home wondering how I could install this feeling into my own home.
I realized as I am sitting in my home that there's no juxtaposition of nature into the walls that surround our homes today. Yes, we have windows and sliding glass doors, but we tend to seal up our homes with air conditioning and heating. The only way we bring nature into our homes is cut flowers and few potted plants. So the question of the day, how can we incorporate nature into our surroundings.
It would be great if we could all rebuild our homes with courtyards and incorporate nature into the building, but that's not reality. So what do you think? Send me some ideas and I will be happy to post them out there to this magically blog world.
I plan to spend a lot more time sitting out on my deck, using my home office to sit outside and enjoy the sounds of the day. Several years ago I had the opportunity to spend a summer in the mountains with a waterfall in my backyard and the Delaware River across the street. I spend each morning drinking coffee and eating breakfast just listening to the waterfall, the evening was spent chatting with my neighbors while drinking wine on the decks outside, watching the deer, watching the birds, watching the dog play in the waterfall and just enjoying the world that surrounded us.
Enjoy the world around, go out and be a part of it, don't stay attached to your devices and locked into brick and mortar. We need to connect with the natural aspects of our daily world. Stroll through beautiful gardens, walk around a lake, view a sunset or a sunrise. ENJOY the beauty.
Find serenity by finding ways to connect with nature, finding ways to connect with your inner self, and finding ways to live a life filled with meaning, love and serenity.
