Your home is an extension of your energy field. That is why practises like cleaning your room, rearranging furniture, organising your cupboards and getting rid of unnecessary clutter can have a profound impact on your mind, body and spirit. 

“Wash every bowl, every dish as if you are bathing a baby - breathing in, feeling joy; breathing out, smiling. Every minute can be a holy, sacred minute. Where do you seek the spiritual? You seek the spiritual in every ordinary thing that you do every day. Sweeping the floor, watering the vegetables, and washing the dishes become holy and sacred if mindfulness is there. With mindfulness and concentration, everything becomes spiritual.” — Thich Nhat Hanh, in “How to Eat”.

For me, having a clean and tidy house is the key to a happy home. I see cleaning as a meditative ritual, rather than a chore, taking the time to enjoy regular, thorough cleans of my whole home. I’ve found it helpful to have beautiful functional cleaning tools that bring me joy to use and also look good on display in my home. It may sound silly but sweeping floors with a handmade Japanese broom is much more pleasing than using a cheap plastic alternative. Cleaning tools crafted from natural materials such as wood are designed to stand the test of time and more sustainable options worth investing in. Items such as ostrich feather dusters, corn brooms and horse hair brushes are designed for efficiency and functionality - looking good hung on pegs in your kitchen is a welcomed bonus.

Cleanliness and tidiness go hand in hand. The barefoot luxury lifestyle embraces a back-to-basics philosophy, shunning anything that could be considered non-essential or clutter. I like to abide by the famed William Morris quote: “have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”. To keep energy flowing at home, it’s important to only keep items that have a purpose. If you find that you are storing things that you no longer have use for, give them away to a family member, friend or charity/thrift shop where they can shine again and serve a purpose to someone else. Thank the items for the life they had with you and take the time to consider any particular memories attached to them as you pack them away. A purifying goodbye ritual that I like to do is to cleanse my home with sage or palo santo - this also works when welcoming new items into your home. I like to declutter my home seasonally, to feel lighter both physically and emotionally, while also freshening up my surroundings.