Balance, Well-Being and Good Vibes

With the arrival of spring, our attention shifts to the outdoors including the garden - raking, tilling and planting. But what about the indoors? If you're planting coneflowers, herbs, and lettuce outside, why not cultivate balance, well-being and good vibes inside? Every spring I shuffle furniture around, put away heavy blankets, and roll up the extra floor mats. However, this year I'm doing extra to rid the house of post-winter dreariness thanks to two books: High Vibe Home: Holistic Design for Beautiful Spaces with Healing, Balanced Energy by Kirsten Yadouga and Nature Style: Cultivating Wellbeing at Home With Plants by Alana Langan and Jacqui Vidal.

In High Vibe Home, ideas abound for aligning your personal energy with the existing energy in your home to create wellbeing, harmony and balance. For example, chapters focus on working with sensory and color elements, furniture choices, feng shui, decor, cleaning, decluttering, entertaining, and incorporating yogic elements. I found the author's suggestions both affordable and accessible.

Nature Style centers on biophilia, which encourages you to slow down and pay attention to the breeze through the window or to the sun on your face. The book also discusses biophilic design, a concept in building that seeks to integrate nature within the four walls of your home. Tips are not only given on types of houseplants suited for various rooms and light but also on natural materials, decor, color, shapes, and forms ideal for creating an ambience connected to nature. Inspiration might be sparked by the photography of serene, contemporary rooms in natural colors and textures, all well-appointed with houseplants.

So what influence did these books have on my home? Aside from thinking about changing wall colors and rearranging my entry way, I removed two small benches by a large window and replaced them with hardy plants suggested for a southeast location. It's a subtle change, but a start to create balance and bring positive energy into my home year round. 

Both books can be located in the Recent Arrivals area at the library:

• High Vibe Home: Holistic Design for Beautiful Spaces with Healing, Balanced Energy - call number  747 YA
• Nature Style: Cultivating Wellbeing at Home With Plants - call number  747.98 LA