We spend a lot of time thinking about how to improve our homes, from organizational hacks and extra-luxurious bedding to all-natural cleaning products. But it’s rare that we discover something that can boost the mood of our space without spending a dime. Enter: home rituals. Armed with items you may already own, these practices can help you find more peace and harmony and get you feeling grounded in your own body and mind too. And who better to help you get your home in good-vibes-only order than Michael Carbaugh, founder of upscale and earthy cult-favorite brand Sandoval Aromatics? (Seriously, peep their candles. Ohm-inducing, indeed.) Here are his tips to banish bad feels and make any home feel more comfortable.
1. Do a cleansing ceremony. A cleansing ceremony is a great way to establish a practice, and it’s also the ritual that Carbaugh himself does the most. “Wipe down your front door inside and out,” he suggests. “Set your intention: Are you clearing out a specific energy? Are you welcoming in new energy? Are you making a general cleanse of the space?” Once an intention is established, you can direct your energy outward. “Face in the four cardinal directions, sending love, and wafting your burning element in the directions of the 4 cardinals (I actually say: ‘To the North, to the East, to the South and to the West, I send good vibes and positive intentions, my current intentions’),” Carbaugh tells us. “Light your incense and make circular motions around the front door inside and out, always thinking about your intention. Walk around the perimeter of your house, burning [incense] into the corners, around the exterior boundary of your space, around specific furniture if you feel like there is someone else’s energy on it (especially a bed, if you are clearing out an old boyfriend or girlfriend!). Think about what you are welcoming in; stay in the positive and proactive.”
2. Set intentions. Many people choose to set intentions during the New Moon and Full Moon, as a way to keep track of progress throughout the cycle of the year. “[I] start by meditating for a few minutes,” says Carbaugh. “Take a piece of paper to help you organize and write down your thoughts about what your intention is. Let it flow: Write what you want, what you don’t want, what you’re grateful for, and what you’d like to change,” he suggests. “Then fold your piece of paper like a fan, remembering and reciting your intentions silently or out loud, with each fold reinforcing the strength you have to design and change your path. Put it near your candle, your charging crystals, or at the center of the space you are cleansing.” You can also use this piece of paper to signify the passage and changing of your intentions. “At each New or Full Moon, I burn this piece of paper to symbolically release my previous intentions,” he says.
3. Care for your space. This might seem second nature to the decor lovers among us, but your space truly is a reflection of your inner state. Carbaugh suggests “clearing with sage or incense or having some crystals around for good practice” and paying attention to the mood evoked by furniture and lighting especially. “We don’t live in labs or offices, so leave harsh overhead lighting at the office and subway!” he says. “Ground your space, try to create a center place, a ‘heart’ to your home, spritz your sheets with something nice, and avoid piles of stuff around your house —they represent unsettled energy, and unfinished vibes keep one in an unsettled space.”
4. Be mindful throughout your day. Not every part of your spiritual practice needs to be an elaborate ritual; sometimes the most impactful practices are the most subtle ones. “I think about the fact that we can make changes [to ourselves], and [seek out] influences that can help align me with my best self,” says Carbaugh. “I also think about how my vibes, my intentions, can positively affect other people on the macro and micro level. How smiling at someone on the street or on the subway effects greater change; how we all hold the key to influencing the state of humanity. Even if it’s one tiny tumbled crystal at a time, these vibes are real, these smiles are real, and each of our intentions is real.”
How are you banishing bad vibes from your home? Tweet us @BritandCoand give us your favorite tips!
(Photo via Getty Images)
