Designing With Like Minds
Life has a funny way of placing things right in front of me just when I need them most.
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Maureen Calamia, owner of Luminous Spaces, a consulting firm that specializes in teaching people about feng shui and its application in our daily lives. Maureen is passionate about the role of nature in our lives, and believes that through feng shui, positive energy, gratitude, and biophilic design, we can better connect with our life’s purpose. Needless to say, Maureen and I clicked instantly, as we share a deep respect and reverence for mother nature.
Connecting with Maureen has been incredibly fortuitous for several reasons. First, Maureen is publishing a new book, something I have recently been pursuing. Her book is about reconnecting with what she calls the Nature Spirit. Although her book centers on her studies of Taoism, Yin & Yang, Feng Shui, and Chinese folkloric traditions, the core message highlights how these ancient practices are deeply intertwined with the infinite wisdom found in humanity's connection to the natural world. Birds of a feather, I tell you.
By connecting with like-minded spirits such as Maureen, I am reminded that the things I seek out in this journey to share sanctuary with others have deep value. I believe that sanctuary is something that helps people reconnect with the world around them, and by extension, the world within them.
If you’re interested in hearing me talk with Maureen about how my connection with nature allowed me to discover the importance of crafting sanctuary, please feel free to click here and check out the podcast tab on our website, where you will find a link to that podcast episode.
Because the nature connection is so important, a keystone principle of creating sanctuary has been a blurring of the lines between inside and outside. This can be taken very literally: big windows, lots of plants in the home, echoing the natural color palette of your surroundings inside the home. However, my studies and work in design have led me to another fascinating element that can imbue spaces with a sense of sanctuary: sacred geometry.
Sacred geometry refers to the mathematical structures found in nature, like shapes, patterns, and specific proportions. It serves as a visual way to comprehend how different parts relate to the entirety of natural phenomena. This might sound scientific, but it is actually quite simple. Examples are things like a nautilus shell, the way a flower's petals stretch out from a single center to create a uniform radial design, or the symmetrical veining on a leaf. These are all applications of sacred geometry in the natural world.
Symmetry and uniformity, other principles seen in sacred geometry, are easy to spot in any good design. But their use goes beyond just balancing spaces and adding visual interest when designing with sanctuary in mind. This geometry provides a place to rest our eyes, to meditate and focus on something with which we can connect. Whether it’s an art piece, a sunburst mirror, or an inlaid side table, whenever geometry and mandala-like shapes appear, they create wonderful microcosms of sacred geometry. These pieces subtly reconnect us with the natural beauty of the world, inspiring mindfulness and reflection. The power of sacred geometry is just one example of how the tools we need to create peace and tranquility in our lives already exist in the natural world – we just need to be observant enough to notice them.
So I’d love to know – does connecting with nature help you feel grounded and in a place of harmony? It sure does for me. I’d love to hear about it, so drop me a note if you have a moment.
With love and gratitude,
Lisa