A Nourishing Environment Away From Home
The text message read: ‘Bring a candle! It smells like socks.’
But as I arrived at the B&B, 12 hours later than I’d planned and 1000 times more exhausted, I didn’t care about the smell. My head hit the pillow and I slept for three hours.
When I woke up from this glorious and much-needed nap, I was ready to take in my surroundings. The energy of the room - the colors and the style of the furniture, the bright whites popping against the orange and blues. Even the Bob Dylan quote on the wall felt inviting and invigorating. The mattress was both cushioned yet firm. The pillows too. The window had a heavy curtain that blocked the light well.
Then I noticed some things that were missing: a bedside table close enough to rest my cup of tea. A small desk or other surface to set my laptop for work time. An extra blanket or two because the air conditioner blew its overly refreshing air right onto my head.
And sure enough there was that musty smell my friend had warned me about.
This is how it goes whenever I enter a new space. It is the result of over 15 years of working with people to improve their homes. I am hyper-tuned-in to my environment. This skill has been honed even further over the past two years as I dove deep into learning about the nervous system and how trauma is held and communicates in the body.
What I’ve learned is that our sensory experience of our environment is significant in our body’s ability to relax, or not. For example, the slightest whiff of a stale smell can trigger a memory that brings our nervous system and the unconscious part of our mind to a situation where we were not free to fully express ourselves or an experience where we did not feel safe or comfortable.
The result: our body switches to high alert. So even though we have worked so hard to carve out time and invest the resources in creating a getaway for ourselves, we can’t relax.
My solution? A sample kit that I pack with me, to engage all my senses in a feeling of ‘home away from home’. I carry these items with me because I know that they help me to relax. The items engage each of my senses in a soothing, comfortable, or pleasurable way.
Here are a few of the items I always bring along to enhance or augment the environment when I am staying away from home:
3-5 of my favorite crystals to set out in the room
Some palo santo or sage for smudging
Rose body spray or a couple essential oils
A speaker to play soothing music
My favorite blanket to wrap around me
An eye mask for sleeping, napping or meditating
A bar of chocolate and a couple tea bags that I particularly love
Planning to go away this season? What are some ways you can bring a soothing environment with you? What will you include on your packing list? Hit reply to let me know.
Wishing you deep relaxation wherever you find yourself.
