174 - Creating Sacred Space: My Journey into Holistic Design + 10 Shifts You Can Make Now

Hello and welcome Back to episode 174 of the Holistic Interior Design Podcast.

I wanted to remind you all that we are still accepting your questions, design dilemmas or even suggestions for the podcast.

If you go to speakpipe.com forward/hid, we would love to hear from you.

Also wanted to remind you that this episode is raw and unedited.

So please forgive, forgive me if I mispronounce any words or stumble over myself.

I am recovering from perfectionism and this is one of my practices that I am doing to get over that so that I keep moving forward.

Alrighty.

So today I wanted to connect with all of you on what holistic interior design is or what it means to me and also a bit about my journey.

I did share an episode about holistic interior design from the very beginning.

I think it was episode one and then I also have shared my journey, but I thought I would put them all together since we're starting fresh on this season of the podcast.

So before we get started, I'm going to go ahead and light our candle set of the intention of connection with all of you, aligning ourselves with our higher selves and our spaces that we love so that we are supported.

Alrighty.

And then I'm also going to pull a card.

So I'm pulling from the Rider weight Coleman Smith deck and this is by tried and true we have today.

Our card is the seven of Cups.

This is the card of opportunity.

This is a card of doors opening portals, being aware or being brought to us.

This is also a space of, you know, not just opportunity, but making selections and deciding which path do we want to take.

And in this card there's seven cups.

They all have different things in those cups.

And one of the things with this card is to really look deep into what each of those opportunities mean to you.

So not only is it giving you something, but also looking to see like what is it that you have to close off or what is it that you have to say no to in order for this to happen.

So seven of Cups opportunities.

Alrighty.

I wanted to share a bit about how I even got into holistic interior design, share about my story, the work that I do and what holistic interior design means for me.

Holistic interior design can mean so many things for different people, different designers.

So I just wanted to share with you how I see holistic interior design.

So one I did want to share that I didn't grow up in a picture perfect home.

My home was pretty broken.

My parents separated when I was three years old.

Old.

And I grew up in a very small apartment.

I was born in Northern California, came down to San Diego, and when we came down here, we did not have a place to live, so we were staying in a shelter.

And from there we went into a two bedroom apartment.

It was myself, my mom, her boyfriend, and then my two younger brothers that all grew up in this teeny, tiny apartment.

Way less than a thousand square feet.

I want to say it's maybe like 700, 800 square feet, something like that for a while.

I did share a room with my middle brother.

We had bunk beds, and I had that top bunk, and that was a sacred space of mine.

But later on in middle school and then into my freshman year of high school, my bed, my bedroom became the living room.

So I ended up sleeping on a foam cot in the living room.

That was my bed.

And then I had a dresser that had my precious items there.

So I never really had my own space, privacy, a room of my own.

My dad lived in Northern California and I would go up there in the summer and same thing there, he lived in a teeny, tiny little studio.

And when we stayed for the summer, I would just share, you know, the space in the living room.

I felt like the living room is, was a space for me.

And then I lived with him in 10th grade and I ended up sleeping on a army cot in the living room again.

So kind of just realizing all of that just now.

Kind of funny.

But high school really became an escape for me.

It became my sacred space.

Living with my mom was tough.

Her boyfriend was not the most supportive person.

There was a lot of verbal abuse going on in that space, and physical abuse, not for me, but others in that household.

So it was tough.

And theater just became a space for me to escape, for me to live in another world.

It's the place that I first experienced magic in a space, even though it was just a set.

There was some beautiful alchemy that happened while transforming something that was completely empty into something that was sacred, something that was expressive and completely alive.

I totally fell in love with theater and spaces from there.

And I've always been connected in the spiritual world.

My mom has connections in that space.

Well, and while I was in design school, a teacher did mention feng shui, and that little seed was planted.

Never really went away.

But before I ended up going to design school, I got my first job.

It was 17 years old.

This was back in 1999, summer of 99, and I was put into the home department.

I sold custom window treatments, furniture, bedding bath, small appliances, all those things.

And from there, I decided to study interior design formally and started working in different showrooms, assisting other interior designers.

And before then, you know, my teeny, tiny apartment that I ran away from home to was sacred to me.

It was a space that I could create of my own, even though it was in the bad part of town and I didn't have a lot to.

To put into the space because I.

I hardly had any money or anything else.

I literally ran away from home, putting my clothing in garbage bags and being chased by my mother's boyfriend as I ran away.

It was pretty scary times, but I made it out, and I made it.

I ended up manifesting my roommate.

I manifested my little apartment.

I used the money from my financial aid because we were super poor to help me get deposit into that apartment where I created sanctuary for myself.

So through all of that, I really started connecting deeper into my spirituality.

When I first became pregnant with my son Quinn in 2010, that was the time when I started really tuning in to my intuition in a much bigger way.

I wanted a natural birth.

I remember telling my husband, I want to do this at home.

He was a little freaked out by that.

So I ended up doing at the birth center.

But I wanted to have this baby, all natural.

And I was calling in my ancestors during this time and wanted to connect with the women in my lineage that had birthed before me naturally and with their strength.

And I totally felt them around me.

I just felt something so much older and wiser with me as I became a mom, which was super important.

That experience really, really cracked me open.

From there, I found my.

In 2014, being at a space where I could learn feng shui, I remember having time to be like, I can actually go back in school or take a program to become certified in classical feng shui.

And that's what I did.

I also became a reiki master in that time.

And I started really diving in deeper with crystals and oils and sound healing.

I reconnected with my tarot cards, which I've had since I was also 17.

I remember purchasing that deck at Border.

It was locked up in a case.

It was really special.

And.

And I still have that deck.

And that's the deck that I used today to pull our card.

So I then was kind of torn between these two worlds of spirituality, interior design, and I figured a way to integrate them.

In 2017, I traveled to Ireland to connect with my feng shui teacher, Amanda Sophia, and we studied geomancy, which is the spiritual practice of Working with the land, we visit a ton of sacred sites, we held ritual, we learned to listen to this space.

It was just an amazing opportunity and experience for me and it just really cemented and put everything together and how important our environments are with who we are.

So now I fully integrate all that whenever I can.

Not all clients want the whole thing, but those that do, I offer space clearing, blessings and rituals with the spaces, with the land.

And I integrate feng shui into every project that I have.

Even if it's not the if, even if it's not front facing, it's an underlying energy.

So when I'm planning spaces out, I'm looking at the flow of energy, when I'm selecting materials, when I'm looking at art, I'm looking at everything as a whole picture that's really going to support my clients.

So the feng shui piece is just kind of behind the scenes, ongoing.

You know, I really believe that our spaces are reflections of who we are.

They do hold the past, but they also shape our future.

And that for me is, is holistic interior design.

It's really taking in account the whole person.

Not just your physical space, but your emotional space and your spiritual, real, spiritual well being.

It's a way of designing spaces that are going to promote happiness and good health by creating balance and harmony.

You know, feng shui is an important piece to what I do and I use a lot of different principles.

So on this episode, or not this, just this episode, but on this podcast, I'm going to be sharing some of those tips, some design tips and things that you can do to support your well being in your home on all these levels.

So to do that today, I'm going to share with you my top 10 ways to embrace holistic interior design in your space.

Right now, you don't need to do any remodeling.

There's so many things that you can do right now that's super practical.

So I'm going to go through those 10 and so here they are.

So number one is setting intention for your space before you do anything else.

This could be your office, this could be your home, it could be your workspace, it could be a restaurant that you're designing or that you have and just asking, you know, what do I want this space to hold for me or what do I want the space to do for me, or how do I intend on using this space?

It could be peace, it could be clarity.

Maybe it's a space of rest or creativity, connection, community, like anything and everything, whatever it is, it's really important to name it.

It's even more powerful to write it down, to say it out loud.

I recommend writing a letter to the space and just sharing what it is.

The what is the intention that you have for this space so that that space can get in alignment with you and co create that experience that you're wanting to make for yourself and for the people that are coming in.

Number two is also extremely important and that's decluttering.

So it's decluttering anything that is no longer in alignment with who you are, especially things that make you feel guilty.

That includes gifts, things that people have given to you and you feel guilty for releasing them or no longer wanting them.

It's okay to release something back into the world that you no longer want to be associated with.

If you don't use it and you don't love it, release it like there's no, no reason to keep it.

And I totally, fully believe in that.

And this includes clothing that you no longer align with, art objects and even people in your life, you know, friends that are no longer supporting you and where you're going and your, your journey that you're taking to improve yourself and realignment with your higher self.

Number three is all about letting in natural light.

I recommend opening blinds, opening window treatments, clean your windows, wash them.

There's something very impactful about being able to see out of a clean window and just notice how the light enters the home throughout the day.

Sunlight is so, so amazing for your mood.

It also removes any stagnant energy and brings just so much life into your space.

Number four is adding healthy round leaf plants into your space.

Plants with a soft, rounded leaf invites nourishing energy and supports well being.

I always avoid sharp, spiky plants like a cactus in your living spaces that you want to feel good in.

Those have what we call poison arrows.

And it's just an energy or a point that you can feel.

You can feel that when somebody's pointing at you.

If you're just pointing at yourself, you feel that energy.

If you think about being a young kid and having a sibling where you know, maybe your little brother is pointing at you and saying, I'm not touching you, but it's so annoying because you can feel that point coming at you.

That's what those points from a spiky leaf is doing to your energy field.

So I recommend round, soft plants.

I'm sorry, round soft leaves and plants represent life.

They make sure you know they represent life.

They give you vibrant energy, they give you fresh Oxygen.

Um, and also just make sure that your plants are really healthy.

Take care of them.

Release any dead plants or plants that are sick or dying, whether, you know, taking care of them or just completely discarding them.

And that includes the outside as well, if you want to make sure that you have healthy plants all around you.

Number five, reviewing the art and imagery of your home.

You know, go around your home and asking, do you actually like the art that's on the walls?

This is a very subconscious piece in your home.

If you've got art that you don't like, you're seeing that every single day.

You know, look at it, ask it how it makes you feel, and then remove anything that isn't resonating with you, anything that's not bringing you joy, that brings your energy down.

Any.

Any images or symbols that do not reflect your values or the dreams that you are wanting to manifest in your life.

Number six kind of ties into that, and that's checking the piece of art or the items that you see first thing in morning and the last thing that you see at night, that means whatever's on that wall, that's directly in front of your bed.

So that is the most important piece of art or placement that's in your.

Your space, because that's what you see first thing in the morning.

And you want to ask yourself, is it calming?

Is it inspiring?

Um, do you want to wake up looking at this thing every day?

Do you want to go to bed every night?

That with this being the last thing that you see, you know, it's really going to support your nervous system.

And again, the attention that you have for.

So take a look at that piece of art or whatever is hanging on the wall.

Number seven is creating an altar or a sacred space for yourself.

Um, now, this doesn't have to be elaborate.

It could be something really small, just a little area.

It could be a little cushion that you sit on, but create a space where you can reflect.

You can journal.

Light a candle here and just fill it with.

With items that ground you spiritually.

It could be, you know, a photo, crystal, piece of nature, something super symbolic.

Uh, but let this be a space that you can return to and return to your higher self in that space as well.

Number eight is clearing the energy of the room.

I recommend opening up windows.

You can use incense.

Incense.

Um, you can clap in that space.

You don't have to have tools.

I do love a bell.

You can ring a bell, a sound bowl.

Um, walk through the space with intention and just ask to release what no longer is serving in that space.

And like I said, just be really open.

You can envision.

I like to envision drains kind of pulling all of that stuck energy down into Mother Nature.

I envision the ceiling coming off and letting the ray of sunshine come in and just clear the space.

That's going to shift the energy immensely.

Number nine is infusing your space with scent.

That's one of the senses that I feel like it's the most ignored.

You know, bring in some.

Some essential oils or incense, some natural beeswax, candles that are going to shift your mood again, supporting your nervous system.

And then if you aren't aware of what scents to use, you can always look them up.

But you can use lavender if you want to create a restful space.

Citrus is wonderful for creating a space of energy.

Rosemary is great for focus.

And we will be sharing an episode here in the future all about scent so that you'll have some more ideas to infuse your space with that.

And then the last one is number 10.

And that's just beautifying a small corner in your space.

That could be your nightstand.

It could be a kitchen shelf, a little small table in your living room.

Just adding a little something to that space.

It could be fresh flowers, you know, a candle or a book, a crystal, something that just makes you smile when you see that.

I like putting little figurines or things that are just funky and cute that remind me my childhood kind of sprinkled around my home.

It's one of those little.

Create little Easter eggs throughout your space that make you happy.

So to wrap it up, number one is setting intention for your space or your home.

Number two is decluttering anything that no longer aligns with where you want to go and who you are right now.

Number three is letting in some natural light.

Number four is adding healthy plants into your space.

Number five, reviewing the art and imagery in your home.

Number six is reviewing the piece of art or whatever is on the wall directly in front of your bed and making sure that's also in alignment with who you are and who you're becoming and what you want to see at the beginning and end of your night.

Number seven is creating an altar or a sacred space that you can reconnect your higher self in.

Number eight is clearing the energy in the space.

Number nine is infusing the space with scent.

And lastly, number ten is just creating something beautiful in one little part of your home.

Like I said, nightstand, a little shelf in your kitchen, whatever it is.

So those are my top 10 things that you can do at the moment.

If it's overwhelming, just pick one thing that you can try this week and see how it feels and you know, see how that reflects their your own personal energy within yourself.

See how your home is reflective of that.

Even the people that are in the space see what their how their mood changes.

Oh, here's a bonus one.

Number 11 I'm going to give you a bonus is playing high vibe music in your space that shifts the energy instantly.

So if you can just blast some music that makes you happy, that is going to just change the vibration in your space.

I always find it funny when I go into a space and it's totally quiet and there's just not much going on, but as soon as you turn on some music, it just changes everything.

So that's a super, super easy way to shift the energy in your home and reconnect to holistic interior design.

I would love to know if you guys are doing any of these things.

If you have any recommendations for our listeners on how to change the vibe in their homes, please let us know.

Or if you have a design dilemma, you have a design question you want me to answer on the podcast?

I'd love to hear it.

And you can do that@speakpipe.com forward/hid and that's hid.

That's short for Holistic Interior Design.

So yes, until next time, I cannot wait to reconnect with you.

Our next episode is going to be about designing your space in alignment with this beautiful Taurus energy.

We are in the season of of Taurus, so I'll be sure to send all of that to you then.

Until next time, take care and happy designing.