Meditation and Stillness – How to create the perfect Zen Space

Décor, Lifestyle, Menu

Your home should really be your one safe space – the place you feel safe, relaxed and calm, like a haven of tranquility that you can escape to after a long day. Erratic and stressful times make it increasingly difficult to find stillness and relaxation in our lives, one of the few options left is to create a peace haven in the comfort of our own home.

Motivating yourself to stick with a home practice can be challenging. With an inviting zen space, however, you may be more likely to sit down and find your breath for a few minutes each day. This space could be a room, or simply a corner, where you can meditate, practice breathing techniques, or just take some quiet me time – listen to some soothing music, read your favorite books/magazines, sip a quiet cup of coffee or just breathe.

If you have an empty corner in your home, you’re just a few steps away from creating a space that will encourage home practice and daily meditation, allowing you to be more relaxed, balanced and stress-free every day.

In this post, I’ll be giving you my tips on how to create a Zen space in your home and sharing some products from my zen space that will optimize the corner for your complete mental repose. Here are a few things to look for:

Mermaid Goddess Shrine/Altar

Keep your space minimal: This is the one space in your house that you MUST leave clutter free and tidy. It is really important that you never feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that’s in there. Keep it tidy, airy, and don’t put anything in there that you don’t feel is necessary for your sense of calm and relaxation.

Set the Mood: When you step into a yoga studio, a sense of calm immediately washes over you. That’s not by accident — typically, a studio has turned on soft-playing music and adjusted the lighting to enhance relaxation. Bring these same ideas into your zen space to create a peaceful ambiance. When choosing the room, pay attention to natural lighting as well. For instance, a room that has a lot of natural light will instantly enhance your mood.

Nature: Bringing nature into your space will optimize your relaxation so much – being surrounded by natural elements has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety as it helps to ground us back to the earth. Firstly, you can invest in some houseplants for greenery. It’s also a good idea to incorporate some woven products or decorations, which is also a key element of nature. Lastly, you may want to invest in some kind of water feature like mine (Mermaid Goddess Shrine/Altar with beach sand, stones, shells, coral, candles) – they are calming to look at.

Fragrance: A must-have product for a Zen space is fragrance or aromatherapy. Candles are a great way of incorporating aromatherapy into your Zen space – the glow creates a feeling of warmth and again by choosing scented candles such as lavender and lemongrass, you get to feel all the aromatherapy benefits. Diffusing some essential oils can make a huge difference in your mood and feeling of wellbeing. The diffuser will also help clean and purify the air in the space which will help it feel airier.

Make it comfortable: While it’s important to keep your Zen space free from clutter, it’s important to make it feel as comfortable as possible for you. Invest in some throw and cushions – play about with their texture, opt for fluffy ones, velvet, whatever will make your space feel Insta-Hygge. You can also incorporate some blankets, either for decoration or to wrap up in. Weighted blankets are proven to reduce anxiety, and they feel like a hug in a blanket! Rugs or mats can really complete the space and make it feel more cozy, especially if the floor in the space is a cold laminate or tile.

So there is your ultimate guide on how to create a Zen space in your home! I hope I have been able to offer some inventiveness and ideas. Let me know if you have a calm space in your home, and if so what makes it calm?

Enjoy your Zen moment!

Lots of love

Sanchali x

Prolong The Life

Artist

Friends, this post is about sharing my experience as an Art Collector and how to preserve these fine artworks to make them long-lasting and durable. The Paintings you see here are by Dhananjay Mukherjee, a contemporary artist from India. He participated in more than 110 Group shows and 24 solo shows in India & Abroad. His paintings are basically a judicious mix of the abstract and realistic forms. His thoughts stem from unique imagination, which combines the real natural world with the artistic & creative world.

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Krishna @ 16, Acrylic on Canvas, Size 24 x 24, Price on Request

As mentioned earlier, I am going to share a few maintenance tips which will help you keep your artwork alive for a longer period of time. Owning an expensive painting for your home or office is a matter of pride. But to make this long-lasting and durable art a part of the family for generations it needs proper care and handling. And preserving an artwork is not at all a difficult task provided you follow all the guidelines.

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Buddha_4, Acrylic On Canvas, Size: 12″ X 15″, Price on request

Art always represents something unique and beautiful deserving of special care. Artworks may be masterpieces or done by upcoming artists, the support used may be paper, canvas or cloth, whatever the medium involved all artworks need to be cared for in a special manner. Paintings require and demand care if one wants them to keep giving the viewing pleasure for many years to come.

Like the setting for a diamond, the frame around a work of art is the finishing touch, the element that completes and elevates a painting, presenting it to the viewer in its best possible light. Framing, however, is an art in and of itself, and just as a good frame choice can greatly enhance the appearance of a work, a poor frame choice can drastically diminish a work.

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Santhal Lovers, Acrylic On Canvas, Size: 34″ X 32″, Price on request

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Shiva3_1, Acrylic On Canvas, Size: 12″ X 15″, Price on request

Key Facts to preserve artworks:

-Avoid direct light, frame artworks using a UV-coated or no-reflecting glass.
-Do not place paintings near a heat source or air-conditioning vent.
-Mitigate the effects of pollution by framing all works using acid free mounts and boards.
-Never spray insecticides near or on stored artworks.
-Regularly inspect and clean stored artworks.
-Place paintings flat in a crate while storing.
-Never spray cleaning agents directly on a painting or frame.
-Remove mold using a soft brush and low suction vacuum cleaner.
-Be very careful while moving artworks.

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The Tree Of Life, Acrylic On Canvas, Size: 22″ X 30″, Price on request

Potential threats to artworks:

-Light: When placing lights make sure that it does not reflect on the artwork, this is the ideal distance to be maintained. Also avoid direct sunlight by not placing the works opposite windows which not only could fade the paint but also discolor the paper.
-Humidity: It is always best to avoid hanging framed pictures in humid conditions. Fluctuations and extremes in temperature and humidity levels can have a detrimental effect upon the preservation of archival materials.
-Pests: Regular inspections of stored collections provide the cheapest and safest method of safeguarding against infestation. Screening on windows and doors will aid in keeping out larger pests. In addition, fresh flowers and plants should be inspected before being placed in the vicinity of your artworks.
-Mold: Areas of high humidity and damp are highly susceptible to damage by mold growth. Any appearance of mold must be immediately removed; the best way is to use a soft brush and low suction vacuum cleaner.

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Mayavi 20, Acrylic On Canvas, Size: 16″ X 16″, Price on request

 

This post is dedicated to Art lovers and upcoming artists. Please send me a mail at email2sanchali@gmail.com along with a link to your blog/website/online portfolio if you wish to put up few more key facts to preserve artworks. Any feedback, critiques or comments are welcome. You can purchase our paintings by simply popping me a PM or leaving your comments below. Until my next post take care everyone.

XOXO

~Sanchali

Lord Buddha and the Lotus Flower

Artist
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Code No. SAN007 { Rs. 17000 }

I spent the last couple of days on a couple of paintings that had a deadline date, good art and artists can take their own sweet time, that’s kind of part of the deal. But we sold three of our paintings last month ( yah! ). We have some exciting exhibitions lined up for the next couple of months (with more to follow). Looking forward to these exhibitions and some greatest works of art.

For the moment, sharing one of my most loved paintings from my hand-picked collection!! … Lord Buddha and the Lotus Flower symbolizing wisdom, compassion, divinity purity and contemplation for spiritual lovers.  They’re the perfect way to add some spirituality to your everyday decor!

I have to admit, this painting looks great. You can purchase our paintings by simply popping me a PM or leaving your comments below.

XOXO

~Sanchali