Comfort is undeniably powerful.

Since this piece of pink velvet was unearthed in a box from my grandmother, a piece of the antique Christmas ornament relics, Bob has found a way to make it his own.

This velvet is enormous for an 18-pound dog. It weighs more than half of him. That hasn’t stopped him from pulling it carefully off of high shelves, inching it out of closets, dragging it for feet across floors and painstakingly fashioning it into tents, nests and other elaborate pillows and beds.

I was intent on using it for upholstery, but its Bob’s now, and he loves it.

He knows how to find comfort.

Reaching for comfort is am ultimate life-supporting habit, but its been branded as a luxury more than a necessity lately.  The popular ethos is that it is noble to make sacrifices for glamour and style, but even for survival.

But, comfort is actually a part of self-care and self-love. Having comfort and knowing how to provide comfort to yourself gives you the freedom to stretch into uncomfortable areas and thrive.

I’ve been watching Bob with his newly-minted blanket and on a very basic level its made me re-think the amount of real comfort I design into spaces, and the amount of that self-comforting energy that I have been brining to life and my work… even for myself.

Comfort in this way we are chatting about today is not being on permanent vacation or getting lost in self-indulgence. Comfort is feeling nurtured, supported and surrounded by things that feel good, even when things are less-than-great.  Comfort isn’t leaning all the weight of your problems on another person (*I don’t recommend this, its not recipe for good things) but, rather, knowing that you can share with others and know they are there for you and you for them,  even though you can ultimately find peace within yourself.

A lack of comfort is the catalyst for angst, anxiety, stress and stagnation.

So… comfort is really important!!!

I thought it would be fun to create a comfort cheat-sheet of sorts, some comfort ‘spiration that can help you to design a more of this snuggly, feel-great energy into your days and reach toward more of this energy in your life.

7 Feng Shui Ways To More Comfort!

Turn your bed into a nest!  Invest in a great mattress.  Pillows. A down mattress topper. Silky bamboo sheets.  Move toward the sensations that thrill you.  Textures that feel like a warm hug.

Bring your favorite food into your home.  Its wildly amazing to me how much more at home I feel with great green tea and a few of my favorite snacks in my refrigerator.  Even if you are not a “chef”, comfort food is called such for a reason. Of course, I’m not advocating over-indulging in ways that harm your body for the sake of “comfort” but, rather, supporting yourself with the nourishment that makes you feel secure and delicious!

Choose the right temperature for you.  Some people sleep cold.  Some people need to live in heat.  You have no idea how many people I see who are vastly uncomfortable in the temperature of their space and don’t even realize that they can, to some degree, make it much more comfortable.  Fans, space-heaters, air conditioning, windows, blinds, you name it.  This is a major piece of feeling at peace!

Fill the air with scents that are home-stimulating. There is a brand that makes room scents like “fresh baked cookies” and even “dirt” as a nod to the fragrances that make us feel at home and connected to the things we love.  Don’t underestimate the power of scent to create comfort.  Put me in an Italian pastry shop and a few minutes of being enveloped in powdered sugar, anise and buttery air is time travel.  I am back home with my grandma making our 5:00 pm dinner and waiting for dessert, feeling the world is a great place because she is always there for me.  That’s comfort.  That’s sensory awesomeness!

Get a crazy comfortable work chair, or enhance yours to be more comfortable!  Pillows, ergonomics, splashy colors, great texture… find your comfort place.

Breathe and stay interested in the good things.  Create a self-comforting routine to reach for, if you can, before you react mindlessly through the day and start acting like you are the effect of life rather than the cause.  I recently had a trip to the doctor that landed me in the ER. Minor thing:  I had pulled a muscle but it mimicked the symptoms of appendix problems, which set off alarm bells and had me shuttled to a hospital room to wait. Of course, the first thing to do when faced with a possible surgery with no notice is to stop breathing!  Its crazy: what was a dull pain multiplied.  This was not cool. Waiting in the ER with my computer, I found my “me-ness” again doing some compelling research online to get my mind off of the situation. I started breathing deep and engaging with my interests.  And, by the time I was seen by a doctor, I was fine. I actually forgot for an hour that I was there. And, a quick test revealed I was fine and able to head home knowing everything was OK. If I had not been so lucky to find comfort, it may have been a grueling trip.   Staying interested and finding a way to keep breathing through things… rather than reacting to them… is powerful peace-making.

Stay connected to fabulous people that make you feel strong. (& you do that for them, too!) — Here’s the trick of “what is comfortable” where people are concerned: what is familiar and comforting isn’t always empowering.  I had a very “comforting” connection- familiar, seemingly build on good feelings- with a friend who always felt me feeling a little less good after we spoke.  Because I could always come with problems, our connection became this weird exchange- I dumped my issues, and in exchange I would leave feeling less great about myself. In fact, that was fair. No one should be the “problem dumping ground,” so I see how this became toxic.  I made it so. If you have these less-than-great connections, re-imagine them if you can. Comforting yourself first, before you throw your stresses out to the people in your life, is far more in the spirit of true connection and oneness.

Can you set the imbalanced relationships in your life straight? I know you can, most of the time, if you see your part in the dynamic.  And see your way to leaving anything that is harmful to your spirit, mind or body, right away.

Being more comfortable, living more at peace… this will transform your perception of the world to something far brighter and shinier!

xoxo Dana

P.S.: To immerse yourself in the light of joy so much more, my favorite feng shui and cutting-edge energy-shifting tools that I use almost every day are HERE for you in the Joy Immersion: 30 Day Negativity Detox! 

xoxo!!!

 

********************

And, if you want to dive in to your own personalized feng shui in a modern, practical way, Say hello to Feng Shui 101.  Its the guide I made for you to create your own personalized feng shui at home, in the office, wherever you may be… in 8 weeks.  It’s not filled with strict rules or what you “must” do.  Its filled with information, questions, exercises and even videos and classes to help you confidently create amazing spaces with killer feng shui and live with more flow.   Learn more about the 8-week feng shui adventure & grab your copy to get started right HERE…   And, as always, please let me know what happens!