OIA
JOURNAL
A collection of stories and
reflections focused on
wellness, spirituality,
society and culture.
The current crisis we are going through has caused us, as never before, to seek refuge in our homes. A space that was previously exclusively dedicated to rest, now it is increasingly established as the place where all our activities take place. Suddenly, our houses have been forced to reinvent themselves, in the same way that we do and now everything happens inside the same space. Work, studies, physical activities, hobbies and most importantly, our family life.
Since the beginning of domestic life (the cavern), the house has been the place of shelter, protection against inclement weather and the space to collect, isolate and rest. At this time, our houses are the only place where we are truly safe and this is why we must take advantage of the opportunity to improve our quality of life within them.
They say that the house is the reflection of the person or people who inhabit it and today this space needs to adapt to our new reality. My invitation for this time, then, is to make us feel more comfortable at home. My first suggestion is that if you have not watched the Marie Kondo series on Netflix, go and watch and understand her organizing philosophy. According to these guidelines, the idea is that we review our belongings and objects, asking ourselves about their functionality and the happiness they bring to our lives, to gradually purify our spaces of unnecessary things. The easiest and least overwhelming way to carry out this task is to make a space every day and set aside what we are not going to need any more. It is the best time to make donations.
With an organized space, where everything is in its place, it is easier to feel calm. Having our space in these conditions, what follows in this purification ritual is physical cleaning. I know that sometimes it is a task that causes us tedium, but in my personal case I have tried to assume the cleaning of the house as an active meditation and as an activity that in the end helps me to put my thoughts in order and to silence the crazy house (mind). A tip to make this process more pleasant is to put on our favorite music and enjoy the cleaning. I promise you that the satisfaction in the end is enormous.
The next invitation is to move energies, refresh and change our spaces. This is accomplished by relocating furniture, art objects, cushions, rugs, and houseplants. This simple task will make you feel more comfortable with your spaces. As human beings we are not static, in the same way, our spaces should be in constant evolution adapting to our lives. It is very important that, if you are working from home, you assign a space for this purpose, this will help you create a physical limit between work activities and those at home. Try to make it a place with good natural lighting and make it the office of your dreams now that you have the possibility.
I suggest adding plants, art pieces, objects or books that inspire your work activities and any other piece that makes this space feel like a happy and productive place.
As a next step is to improve the circulation of energy in the house, the fastest and most effective way to achieve this is by taking advantage of natural elements. Natural lighting, ventilation and visual connection with nature are the basis of our well-being inside the spaces. Light is necessary for us, it provides us with vitamin D and helps our mental health. The natural ventilation inside the houses allows us to maintain optimal qualities in the air we breathe. The visual connection with nature and the landscape connects us with the environment and gives us tranquility. To accomplish this, let’s open windows, draw curtains, and let the outside in. Another very easy tip to move energies and clean the space, is to use candles, the fire always attracts cleaning, the same as burning incenses, palo santo or some incense that we like.
Another way to bring well-being to our spaces is through olfactory experiences. If we have an essence diffuser on hand, we can take advantage of it to get the benefit of plants. We can use orange to raise our spirits, or as an energy incentive I use it before sitting down to work. In more meditative or restful moments we can make use of lavender, which with its calming powers generates a very serene atmosphere. In the last days and to help my respiratory system, I have used a mixture of eucalyptus, mint and lemongrass.
In the end the most important thing is that your house is your nest, your sacred space and the place to which you always want to return. So do not forget to take into account everything that makes you feel happy, serene and at home. In my case, Fausto (my dog), the plants, the design books, a good tea, the objects that transport me to visited places, photos of the people I love and good music to start the day cannot be missing.
I love that my spaces reflect my personality, that’s why the use of color is very important to me, in my case green and blue are colors that connect me with nature and bring me calm. Also for a long time and as a beautiful habit that I inherited from a friend, in my spaces there is no lack of flowers, they are a gift for the heart. Another very important aspect is the textures, it is important to have in our spaces textures that are pleasant, from the fabric of the furniture, the linens, the rugs and cushions all must be pleasant to the touch.
As an interior designer, this crisis has helped me to refocus my attention on what domesticity means and the importance of interior spaces in human well-being. The design ultimately affects the way we feel and how we behave and that’s where its transforming power is in society. The invitation that we are now making is to reinvent ourselves, to rethink all our beliefs and habits. We are facing a new reality that will change our way of inhabiting our planet and also the way of inhabiting our spaces. Everything arrives and everything passes, but I hope to see that there will be at the end of this moment to which we have been invited to participate.
The interior space in times of isolation
Laura Gaviria | May 12, 2020
The current crisis we are going through has caused us, as never before, to seek refuge in our homes. A space that was previously exclusively dedicated to rest, now it is increasingly established as the place where all our activities take place. Suddenly, our houses have been forced to reinvent themselves, in the same way that we do and now everything happens inside the same space. Work, studies, physical activities, hobbies and most importantly, our family life.
Since the beginning of domestic life (the cavern), the house has been the place of shelter, protection against inclement weather and the space to collect, isolate and rest. At this time, our houses are the only place where we are truly safe and this is why we must take advantage of the opportunity to improve our quality of life within them.
They say that the house is the reflection of the person or people who inhabit it and today this space needs to adapt to our new reality. My invitation for this time, then, is to make us feel more comfortable at home. My first suggestion is that if you have not watched the Marie Kondo series on Netflix, go and watch and understand her organizing philosophy. According to these guidelines, the idea is that we review our belongings and objects, asking ourselves about their functionality and the happiness they bring to our lives, to gradually purify our spaces of unnecessary things. The easiest and least overwhelming way to carry out this task is to make a space every day and set aside what we are not going to need any more. It is the best time to make donations.
With an organized space, where everything is in its place, it is easier to feel calm. Having our space in these conditions, what follows in this purification ritual is physical cleaning. I know that sometimes it is a task that causes us tedium, but in my personal case I have tried to assume the cleaning of the house as an active meditation and as an activity that in the end helps me to put my thoughts in order and to silence the crazy house (mind). A tip to make this process more pleasant is to put on our favorite music and enjoy the cleaning. I promise you that the satisfaction in the end is enormous.
The next invitation is to move energies, refresh and change our spaces. This is accomplished by relocating furniture, art objects, cushions, rugs, and houseplants. This simple task will make you feel more comfortable with your spaces. As human beings we are not static, in the same way, our spaces should be in constant evolution adapting to our lives. It is very important that, if you are working from home, you assign a space for this purpose, this will help you create a physical limit between work activities and those at home. Try to make it a place with good natural lighting and make it the office of your dreams now that you have the possibility.
I suggest adding plants, art pieces, objects or books that inspire your work activities and any other piece that makes this space feel like a happy and productive place.
As a next step is to improve the circulation of energy in the house, the fastest and most effective way to achieve this is by taking advantage of natural elements. Natural lighting, ventilation and visual connection with nature are the basis of our well-being inside the spaces. Light is necessary for us, it provides us with vitamin D and helps our mental health. The natural ventilation inside the houses allows us to maintain optimal qualities in the air we breathe. The visual connection with nature and the landscape connects us with the environment and gives us tranquility. To accomplish this, let’s open windows, draw curtains, and let the outside in. Another very easy tip to move energies and clean the space, is to use candles, the fire always attracts cleaning, the same as burning incenses, palo santo or some incense that we like.
Another way to bring well-being to our spaces is through olfactory experiences. If we have an essence diffuser on hand, we can take advantage of it to get the benefit of plants. We can use orange to raise our spirits, or as an energy incentive I use it before sitting down to work. In more meditative or restful moments we can make use of lavender, which with its calming powers generates a very serene atmosphere. In the last days and to help my respiratory system, I have used a mixture of eucalyptus, mint and lemongrass.
In the end the most important thing is that your house is your nest, your sacred space and the place to which you always want to return. So do not forget to take into account everything that makes you feel happy, serene and at home. In my case, Fausto (my dog), the plants, the design books, a good tea, the objects that transport me to visited places, photos of the people I love and good music to start the day cannot be missing.
I love that my spaces reflect my personality, that’s why the use of color is very important to me, in my case green and blue are colors that connect me with nature and bring me calm. Also for a long time and as a beautiful habit that I inherited from a friend, in my spaces there is no lack of flowers, they are a gift for the heart. Another very important aspect is the textures, it is important to have in our spaces textures that are pleasant, from the fabric of the furniture, the linens, the rugs and cushions all must be pleasant to the touch.
As an interior designer, this crisis has helped me to refocus my attention on what domesticity means and the importance of interior spaces in human well-being. The design ultimately affects the way we feel and how we behave and that’s where its transforming power is in society. The invitation that we are now making is to reinvent ourselves, to rethink all our beliefs and habits. We are facing a new reality that will change our way of inhabiting our planet and also the way of inhabiting our spaces. Everything arrives and everything passes, but I hope to see that there will be at the end of this moment to which we have been invited to participate.