Healing Spaces:
Is Your Environment Healing or Harming?

by Shakti Devi Amanda

As individuals we spend hundreds of dollars each year on therapies, classes, spiritual retreats, self-help books, and magazines in our search for meaning, purpose, and spiritual awakening—all in hopes of finding peace and happiness in this lifetime and to awaken our truest spiritual selves. All very noble and enlightened concepts, but what we often fail to recognize is that our external environments need to mirror the changes we make inside if we are to continue to grow and not fall back into damaging patterns and cycles. What does this mean?

It means that as we advance consciously, we awaken our cells to higher concepts, thus, higher energetic vibrations which alter the way we think and react internally to external stimuli and, eventually, to what we radiate back into our environments. As we make these dramatic moves on the cellular level, we often fail to look at our immediate environments. If unchanged, they might begin to act as energetic anchors and depressants, working to counterbalance our spiritual advances and making it increasingly difficult to grow beyond a certain point.

As an example, how many of us have in our homes furniture, photos, articles of clothing, jewelry, and so on, which are sentimental reminders of a time or person from the past? Sometimes they are links to people, places, and times that were traumatically damaging to our spirits, minds, and bodies. Yet, for sentimental reasons, we hold onto these objects not realizing that they hold and project energetic patterns from those times, and they might act as triggers for damaging conditioned responses leading to destructive cycles that repeat throughout our lives. In addition, we might have many items that we've picked up in antique markets, flea markets, and estate sales, having no idea who or what type of energies the articles were exposed to over a long period of time. It can be quite frightening to think that we then bring these articles into our homes without clearing them of their previous energies and innocently allow them to project their vibrations into our most sacred spaces.

Like it or not, our environments play a large part in how we feel on a regular basis and how quickly or slowly we progress and heal on emotional, spiritual, and physical levels. It is not just how we perceive ourselves and our world, but also how it in turn nurtures or stimulates us by the loving or corrosive energies it carries. Over time items do take on the vibrational changes within the owner but, meanwhile, they will act as energetic neutralizers or negativity emitters that we often ignore or write off as non-existent. For example, Granny's picture that you have on your living room mantle may remind you of the innocence of youth and the importance of honoring your heritage, but it may also link you to an emotional trigger reminding you of all the limiting beliefs she may have unknowingly projected upon you in childhood. You may struggle with these same beliefs on a daily basis as you constantly remind yourself of your own individual worth and power through positive affirmations. Yet, every day you spend time with a photo that links you emotionally and energetically to the very things you are fighting to overcome.

Or the opposite could be true. Your Granny might have been a tower of strength for you and your siblings, and just having her photo around is very empowering and affects your environment in a healthy and loving way. If strong enough, it might actually counterbalance any other negative items in the same area.

You see, the very items we use to express who we are to the people and world around us in our living and working environments are more than just objects that stimulate the five senses. They energetically express who we are and can create limiting energetic boundaries if we are not careful. Have you ever been in a home or office where the wall colors and décor are so foreign and irritating to the senses that you could not wait to leave? Chances are it was not just the five senses that were assaulted in this environment, but very possibly your physical and spiritual bodies as well. That room was vibrating at a level that could have been damaging. On the other hand, have you ever been to a place you perceived to be sacred or holy? The vibration there might have been at a level that also felt disruptive to you but in a way that was stimulating and nurturing, leaving you with a feeling of awe and inspiration when you left.

So what is your environment saying about you? Are you stuck emotionally or spiritually? Do you feel like you are in a rut? The easiest step to make is to look at your environment. Is it supportive or damaging to you or your loved ones? Is it making you feel depressed, or is it inspiring you to grow and awaken to your inner power? What do you FEEL when you look into all corners of your bedroom, living room, or kitchen?

OK, here is your challenge… Take one room in your house in which you spend at least 2-4 hours during the day (bedroom, den, or living room may be a good start), and take a deep, hard look at it. Critique every object, arrangement, color choice, and texture. It may even help to have someone you trust with you to get their unbiased input. Try to keep your emotions and sentimentalities out of the process. Step away for a few minutes if you begin to feel emotional, and come back when you feel a sense of calmness and clarity. If this seems overwhelming, it may be helpful to get a picture mat board at your local art supply store (maybe one with an 8x10 or 11x14 rectangle in the center) and visually section off areas of your room in a way that is easier to manage. Taking photos of the areas also may be helpful. Then proceed as follows:

If there are photos, drawings, posters, or paintings in the room look very closely at each one. What is the FIRST thing you think about when you look at a photo? No judgment here. Just acknowledge the feelings you get. If they are negative, take a large storage box, put the photo in it, and move to the next item. If it is powerful and positive, keep it where it is.

Then move onto the furniture. Do you know its history? If so, was it positive or negative? If there are any negative memories that come forward, remove the piece or mark it as a possible negativity emitter and move on.

Continue through every object in the room using the same technique. Remove all the negative items you can and if, at the end of the cleanup, there are items which must stay for various reasons, then look through the rest of your house to find a balancing piece that brings you feelings of happiness, love, or joy to help balance or neutralize the remaining items in the room.

Find objects that you feel are inspirational or uplifting—items that stimulate hope and passion within you. Place a few of these items close to where you sit in the room. Also, if you are lucky enough to have an item from a person whom you feel is on a spiritual, emotional, or physical level you are striving to reach, consider placing this item closest to you.

If wall color is an issue, take time now to paint or have it painted to a color that is more nurturing to you.

Now…live with the room for the next 30 days, and be aware of any changes in feelings you or others might experience. A day taken to improve your environment will pay you back in ways unimaginable.

You may find that you experience a new clarity or restfulness that was missing before, or you may find that the change in your space actually helps you make that final push to break through barriers or obstacles you've been facing. We feel that you will be amazed at the changes that will occur around and inside you.

We encourage everyone to test these techniques and share with us your stories and experiences.

Namaste!

© 2006, Shakti Devi Amanda. Shakti Devi Amanda and Shiva Baba Matthew are Healing Arts Practitioners and Founders of Star of Hope Meditation and Yoga Center, whose purpose is to elevate human consciousness by providing working tools and proper instruction, and to emanate the energy necessary to heal and protect all who wish to sit under the shelter of the Star of Hope on their journey toward spiritual awakening. For more information, email admin@amandamatthew.com or visit www.amandamatthew.com

Printed in the December 2006/January 2007 issue of Innerchange.