Let’s start with a little inspiration for a peaceful and healing space. Take a moment to imagine a time or place that brings you feelings of wellness and peace. Maybe it’s a quiet beach with soft sand and the sound of waves or a cosy lodge surrounded by pine trees. It could be a scene from a book or movie. Whatever it is, you’ve just created a peaceful space in your mind that you can visit anytime. Now, let’s bring elements of that daydream into a physical healing space in your home.

Why is it helpful to have a healing space at home?

Remember, two things support your well-being and healing. First, our internal work, like self-care practices and seeing a therapist, contributes to our well-being. Second, our environment is important. Just like a plant needing water won’t thrive in a desert, spending time in environments that don’t suit our needs will prevent us from thriving. If we stock our kitchen with crisps and biscuits, we’re less likely to stick to a healthy eating program compared to stocking it with healthy snacks. A healing environment should meet our healing needs.

A healing space to use between your therapy sessions

Creating a healing space at home allows you to spend time absorbing the benefits of any healing sessions you may have. It is a great way to support the healing work with a therapist by having a space at home to relax and reflect on your progress.

Since the COVID-19 lockdowns, virtual therapy sessions have become more widely used and accepted. They have proven highly effective for mainstream talk therapies and holistic therapies. Having a healing space in your home amplifies the effectiveness of these sessions. It gives you all the added benefits and convenience of having therapy in your home without the additional costs of having a therapist travel to you.

In this blog, I’ll share with you some ideas and things to consider when creating a healing space, whether you have a whole room to designate to your healing space or a tiny corner of a one-bedroom flat and a minuscule budget. I hope this blog will give you some inspiration.

How do I choose the right location for my healing space?

A quiet and private space is important. We cannot give ourselves time and space for healing if we are constantly interrupted or distracted. The ideal space would have no or minimal electronic devices and isn’t next to or underneath a room where there will be a lot of noise.

Privacy is essential for exploring deep, personal, and meaningful issues, especially if we are journaling our thoughts or having a remote session with a therapist. Don’t be afraid to ask for that privacy from other household members. If privacy and boundaries are significant issues for you, please speak to a professional therapist and seek help resolving the root of this problem; there will be a way forward if you take that first step in getting help.

If quiet is an issue, perhaps you live in a small flat on a busy road. Investing in some good-quality noise-cancelling headphones will be useful.

A room with plenty of natural light and ventilation also creates a calmer environment. Plenty of air circulation provides a space that feels refreshing and clear.

Can I create a healing space in a small area?

Yes, you can. A healing space is any space, big or small, that you have designated as your healing space. It can be a corner of a room; it can even be contained in a box or cupboard and brought into the space as an intentional ritual that says, “I’m creating a healing space.” I plan to do an entire blog on creating magical boxes that can be used for this and many other purposes, so make sure you subscribe if that interests you.

If your space is limited, select a few ideas from the remainder of this blog to apply to the small corner of a room or place them in a box or cupboard to be used when you need them. I’ll flag ideas for this as we go along.

How do you declutter and organise your healing space?

Healing and well-being involve internal and external processes that affect each other. When the outside world is chaotic, it can trigger chaos within us, and vice versa. Tidying, decluttering, and organizing a space is very therapeutic. A clear and clutter-free space promotes mental clarity and relaxation and gets your body moving. This process can reduce feelings of overwhelm internally and externally and give you a fresh start. When deciding whether to keep something, remember the quote below.

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”  – William Morris

Where to begin?

When it comes to tidying and organizing a space, it’s important to start small and focus on one area at a time. Consider the space and think about what you really need, want, and use in that area. Anything you don’t need, want, or use can go in a bin bag if it’s not worth keeping or in a box if you can sell it or give it away. Label the bag or box and set a reminder to review the items in one to six months. If you haven’t missed anything by then, it’s time to let them go.

Once you’ve cleared out the unnecessary items, put everything else away neatly. If you need them, consider purchasing storage organisers to create a tidier space. If you’re on a budget, get creative and use items like old shoe boxes, plastic containers, or even old bed sheets and throws to cover up any unsightly areas. Finding new uses for items you already have can be an enjoyable challenge.

How can you incorporate nature into your healing space?

Indoor plants can help clean the air and bring a natural touch to your space. Some plants, like the Peace Lily, can remove toxins like benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide. The Spider Plant is also great at removing formaldehyde and xylene, is easy to care for, and is safe for your pets. Aloe vera is another good choice, as it purifies the air and emits oxygen at night.

You can also use natural materials like driftwood, pinecones, stones, crystals, or seashells to add a sense of calm to your space.

If you’re short on space or money, you can print a photo of a beautiful place in nature and display it in a frame or arrange a few pebbles in a relaxing pattern.

Setting the Mood with Lighting

If you use your healing space in the evening or don’t have good natural lighting, you can create a calming atmosphere by using soft, warm lighting, candles, or salt lamps. Make sure to protect surfaces from the heat and always extinguish the candle before leaving the space or going to sleep.

While scientific research on the health benefits of salt lamps is limited, many people believe they can purify the air, reduce allergy and asthma symptoms, improve sleep, mood, and concentration, neutralise electromagnetic radiation, and increase energy levels. Additionally, they emit a lovely, warm, and soothing glow.

What colours are best for your healing space?

Remember that different colours can affect your mood and mental state. Colours like blue, green, and soft purple can create a peaceful and healing space, but neutral colours can work too. However, people can react differently to colours based on their personal beliefs and experiences, so it’s important to choose colours that make you feel good and bring you peace.

If you can’t change the colours in your space, you can still bring in your preferred colours with a coloured candle, crystal, photo frame, cushion, or throw. You can also wear clothes or jewellery in these colours during your self-care or healing time. My chakra blogs also provide information on colours and crystals for each chakra, which might help you create your healing space.

Making your space comfortable and cosy

Think about how you will use this space. It has a lot of potential. Will you mainly use it for meditation, or will you do yoga or tai chi? Do you plan to have remote Reiki healing sessions? Are you going to journal? Use your tarot or oracle cards? Ensure you have a chair, a beanbag, or somewhere to lie down and be comfortable for 30 – 45 minutes. Use cushions, pillows, throws, and blankets to create a cosy place to sit or lie down. If you need a table to sit at, make sure you have it. If you are on a budget, a cheap table can be dressed up to make it perfect for your healing space.

Other Healing Elements for Your Space

Aromatherapy can help create a healing scent in your room. There are many types of aromatherapy oils available. Choose an oil that makes you think of positive, happy, and peaceful times.

If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, or have young children or a pet, be careful when choosing aromatherapy oils for your space. It’s best to do your research and ask a professional for advice.

There are different ways to use aromatherapy in your space. The easiest way is to buy an aromatherapy diffuser. These are plugged into your wall and filled with water. Then, add a few drops of your chosen oil or blend to the water and let it spread through the room. Remember to empty and clean the diffuser regularly to avoid spreading unwanted particles.

I’m a big fan of crystals for creating a healing space. Amethyst Geodes, Celestite Clusters, Selenite pieces, and Rose Quartz can all be soothing. Smoky Quartz can create a clean and grounded space.

Ambient sounds and healing music can also work wonders. I recommend looking for Solfeggio Sounds on Spotify. They can help with various healing needs and come in many musical styles to suit different tastes.

Adding a Personal Touch to Your Healing Space

When creating a healing space at home, adding meaningful items such as imagery, artwork, photos, affirmations, or spiritual figures is important. These can include healing symbols like Reiki symbols, sacred geometry, or a favourite tarot or oracle card image. Consider creating a small altar as a focal point for your intentions, meditations, and reflections.

Having a small box for meaningful items allows you to take them with you on trips. These items can be displayed in your main healing space or placed in the box to make the space portable. This box can be helpful if you can’t have a permanent healing space. Examples of items for the box include an image, a crystal, a spray bottle of your favourite scent, and a tea light with matches.

Make the space how you want it. Consider all your senses and focus on what impacts you the most. The space should help you relax, focus, and reflect. It should feel clean, clear, and fresh to enhance any healing or well-being activities. Remember, the space doesn’t have to be perfect, and you can change it whenever you like to find what works best for you.

In the comments, please share your ideas, tips, and experiences in creating a healing space at home. Your input might inspire someone else.