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SEEKING
inner peace? For more and more individuals, the path to
enlightenment begins at the front door. Down the hall or
up the stairs from sleek stainless-steel and granite
kitchens, high-tech media rooms and lavish baths, many
homeowners are creating meditation and yoga areas,
prayer and reflection rooms and other simple, serene
spaces designed to feed the spirit and pamper the soul.
The
trend, says Jean McMann, author of Altars and Icons:
Sacred Spaces in Everyday Life (Chronicle Books), is
driven by people’s need to escape the pressures,
stimulation, stress and materialism of everyday life.
“Humans
have always created sacred spaces, and it’s no different
today. People are looking for something beyond the
material. They’re hungry for a spiritual connection,
whatever it might be,” says McMann. “Making room in our
immediate environments for quiet thought allows us to
connect to something bigger. It allows us to transcend
our own experience and pulls us toward our best selves.
Even just a corner tucked away somewhere in your home
can be a real haven and place of solace.”
Cathy
Murtha, director of the Spiritual Life Center in
Bloomfield and adjunct professor at Hartford Seminary,
agrees.
“I hear
it over and over,” says Murtha. “People are seeking
space in their lives and in their homes for
contemplation, spots where they encounter peace. For
some, it can be something as simple as a special chair.”
Or for
others, as elaborate as a specially created “calming
room.” Several years ago, national luxury homebuilders
Toll Brothers, who study the preferences of homebuyers
and model-home decorators for emerging trends, began
offering new homes with areas designed for meditation,
yoga or massage. Cory Kern understands the appeal. When
she was house-hunting five years ago, one of her main
requirements was finding a home with room for a “sacred
space.” While she didn’t encounter any homes with
already created meditation areas, such as in the Toll
Brothers’ designs, she did find one with potential.
“Explaining the need for an area of tranquility to my
real estate agent took some doing. She was more used to
people wanting a fireplace or extra bath,” says Kern, a
sixth-grade teacher. “But as soon as I walked into the
house I ended up buying, I was sure I’d found what I was
looking for.”
The
Bloomfield home’s upper level was a warren of tiny rooms
Kern knew could be transformed into an area for
meditation and yoga. She worked with a builder, who
ripped down walls and vaulted ceilings to create one
large, open area with natural elements. Walls and
carpeting are a soft cream color, and the ceiling is
whitewashed pine. Furnishings include a fountain,
folding screens and pillows. Kern uses the space for
meditation and exercise and for yoga classes, which she
teaches several nights a week.
“The
less stuff you have around, the easier it is to clear
your mind,” says Kern. “My students say they start to
relax as soon as they come up the stairs.” Even if
you’ve not building a new home or planning major
renovations, you can still tailor underused spaces to
meet your spiritual needs, says designer Taniya Nayak of
HGTV’s Designed to Sell.
“People
are looking at attics, basements or guest rooms as
potential ‘quiet’ spaces,” says Nayak. “They’re giving
the rooms a new purpose that meets their needs.”
That’s
what Stafford Springs resident Susan Kinnin did with her
oldest daughter’s former bedroom. After her daughter
moved out, Kinnin, who had been studying Tibetan culture
and Buddhism for several years, cleared the space and
created her own Tibetan Buddhist prayer room. Walls are
painted in deep reds and gold, the ceiling is sky blue,
floors have richly patterned meditation carpets and
cushions, and furnishings include a prayer table, wall
hangings and Tibetan religious paintings. Once the space
was completed, it was blessed by two Buddhist monks.
“I love
being in this space. It has such a calming feel, and it
allows me to center myself,” says Kinnin. “I’m
surrounded by books, statues and other things I love.”
Judy
Simpson of Bloomfield, an ordained minister at Bethel
AME Baptist Church in Bloomfield, turned her home’s
“bonus room” into what she refers to as “the sanctuary.”
One side of the space, which features a skylight, is a
meditation and prayer area, while the other side holds
the family’s exercise equipment.
“It
allows us to take care of our spiritual health and our
physical health,” says Simpson. “It’s where I find
inspiration for my sermons. It’s where my husband and I
come to pray. Reaching out to God from a space in your
home is no less spiritual than being in church.”
To
create your own home sanctuary, Nayak offers the
following suggestions:
§
Consider
any unused spaces—bedrooms, attics, basements, porches
or balconies and even corners of rooms (use folding
screens for a sense of privacy).
§
Try to
choose a space that is removed from the busiest part of
the house and away from street noise. Windows are
wonderful, but not essential.
§
If the
area needs painting, use a soothing palette, such as
Benjamin Moore’s “Serenity Collection,” which includes
such shades as “Zenful,” a soft beige; “Healing Aloe,” a
calming blue; and “Bamboo Shoot,” a gentle green, for
inspiration.
§
Keep
furnishings to a minimum—a comfy chair, yoga mats or
prayer rugs, pillows and an altar surface, such as a
table or shelf.
§
Include
such natural elements as plants, small tabletop
fountains, candles and meaningful objects such as
pictures, books, religious statues or icons, photos and
personal mementoes.
§
Use soft
lighting. If music, chanting or nature sounds relax you,
add a CD player. Some individuals like to fragrance the
space with incense or essential oils.
§
“Most
important, you want to leave any distractions at the
door,” says Nayak. “No television, no bright lights and
absolutely no cellphones. This is your personal space to
relax, be calm and find tranquility and peace.” |
