Creating a healing environment

Do you have a place where you can be that makes you feel wonderful? For me it’s water. If I could live anywhere, it would be by a body of water large enough to have tides and an endless horizon. I can spend hours happily walking the beach or sitting and staring at the waves. Ahhhh….

The ancient Greeks must have had similar feelings as their temples to Asclepios, the Greek god of healing, were all associated with sacred springs, whose waters, they believed carried the healing powers of the Earth spirits. Patients seeking the god’s help in finding a cure for their ailment first drank and bathed in the waters of his spring. They would then “sleep” in the temple, where they would be given healthy food, exercises and dream interpretations to help them heal. Sounds a bit like going to a spa, but these “temples” were the first hospitals for healing.

If the distractions and distortions around you, the jarring colors and sounds, could shake up the healing chemistry of your mind, might your surroundings also have the power to heal you? Dr. Esther Sternberg, a neuroimmunologist at the National Institute of Mental Health, asked that question and found through her own experiences, as well as research, that it can.

After an extremely stressful period in her life, Sternberg developed arthritis and went on to learn how to reverse it by visiting Crete where an Ascleios Temple once stood. In her book Healing Spaces, she describes how patients in the hospital heal quicker if their window faces nature, as well as other studies which show that the mind body healing process, as well as the development of disease, is very much impacted by the environment in which the person lives. "Wherever you are in the course of illness or healing, your physical surroundings can change the way you feel and, as a result, can change how quickly you heal. In all these contexts, communication between the brain and the immune system is vital."

While I may find that being around large bodies of water makes me a lot less stressful, this isn’t necessarily the case for everyone. Think about a place that made/makes you feel peaceful and content. Once you have captured that feeling, what was it about the space that most resonates with you? Remember the smells, sounds, how it looked, colors and most importantly how well it made you feel. What aspects of that can you recapture for your day-to-day living space?

Since the ocean is a very special place for me, I bring home rocks that I have collected at the beach and place them in my office and in other parts of my house. The touching the rocks, as well as their smell, can brighten my day. I’ve painted my office a light sea green and I have pictures of some of my favorite seascapes just above my computer.

Regardless of setting, step one is to reduce all possible stressors. This can include noise, odors, visual items, including clutter, as well as people. No time like the present to limit or eliminate the “energy vampires” in your life.

Having recently spent the night in the hospital, where I stared continually at a “pain chart,” if you are creating a healing space for someone in the hospital, it’s important to see things from the perspective of the person lying in the bed. Is there a window, artwork, or something that can reduce the visual stressors? If not, think about creating an art feature to refocus attention.

There are lots of ways to create an environment that is healing for you or for someone else. It does not have to cost a lot of money, or any money at all. Simple measures liking keeping the place uncluttered, clean, bringing the outdoors in-there is always something outside that will look good in a vase- and having it smell nice –baking soda can do wonders- can do a lot to improve your mood.

Consider the following resources:

What Can I do to Create a Healing Environment

Creating a healing environment for Yourself

Is your home a healing place?

6 Ways to Create a Healing Home

Creating a Healing Home Environment