Zen-inspired design
MIND & SOUL
Creating
Whether it’s a caravan or mansion, incorporating the principles of wabi sabi into your home can help you lead a more conscious, happy and purposeful life, writes LINDA MOON.
A
THE CONSCIOUS HOME
s our primary ecosystem, our homes have a profound influence on our wellbeing. They reflect and reinforce who we are and the problems inherent in our lives and society, claims Sydney-based Vastu, Feng Shui and Zen design consultant and teacher, Anthony Ashworth (anthonyashworth.20fr.com). “Homes aren’t creating everything that’s wrong with our world, but I believe they are amplifying it,” he says.
The ‘house doctor’
For the past 23 years, Ashworth’s mission has been to “understand the core archetypal needs of people around space and place.” Ashworth, who taught Vastu, Feng Shui and Zen interior design concepts at the University of Technology Sydney, for seven years, is a leader in his field. “We create our homes and then they create us,” he states. “Whatever it is we want to bring forth we can potentially energise by having our homes support that more.” Ashworth believes the design and materials of our homes contain subtle energies that subconsciously affect us. By making our homes “more conscious and more aware” places we can become more aware and empowered in our lives.
“Whatever it is we want to bring forth we can potentially energise by having our homes support that more.” Zen-inspired design
Ashworth draws on the aesthetic principles of wabi sabi (Zen-inspired design). Wabi sabi emerged out of the Zen Buddhist philosophy and the tea ceremony traditions of 16th century Japan. It fosters a simple sophistication and tranquility using rustic, imperfect, rough shapes and textures, and handcrafted items, to encourage a more humble and authentic life. The basic tenets of wabi sabi are simplicity, naturalness, acceptance of 94 | Australian Natural Health
naturalhealthmag.com.au
naturalhealthmag.com.au
Australian Natural Health | 95
MIND & SOUL reality and minimalism, Ashworth says. “A lot of contemporary design has been focused on minimalism. It’s completely out of balance. It becomes very hard, masculine, disconnecting and industrialised. That’s not what Zeninspired design was all about. The other principles bring wholeness to the design.”
Naturalness
In recent years, there’s been a trend towards ‘biophilic’ design — what Ashworth describes as an acknowledgement of the necessity of our innate connection to nature. “It’s a pretty modern phenomenon that we’ve locked ourselves indoors. Modern designers have kind of recognised that people aren’t very happy; that if we can bring a level of association back with nature, people will thrive more.” Natural materials are also healthier for our bodies. These “don’t outgas anything that is negative,” Ashworth says. “We’ve evolved with these materials.” He recommends creating a greater union with nature through unimpeded views of sky, clouds, ocean or trees. Look to nature to inspire the interior too — with foliage, flowers and other symbols of nature. “You can’t live in a rainforest obviously, but you can potentially bring a picture in,” he says. Indoor plants can also make a difference. Choose earthy colours that reflect nature like soft whites, beige, terracotta and leaf green, and materials like wood, clay, bamboo, stone, sea-grass and paper. “Fake creates tension,” he says. In nature, straight lines and squares are rare. “Glass tables and granite floors are very hard and sharp,” he says. “In the zen tradition, that is said to amplify anxiety and stress.” Curtains, fabrics, rounded forms and rugs soften harsh angles and suck up noise. Control artificial sounds like air-conditioning or fridge hum. Further reflect naturalness by introducing texture into the home — like textured rather than polished floors.
Natural materials are also healthier for our bodies. These “don’t outgas anything that is negative,” Ashworth says. “We’ve evolved with these materials.”
Air represents the intellect, mind, movement and change and adds a sense of dynamism. Moving things around can invigorate our mind and attention, he claims. “That’s why in the Japanese tradition you don’t have framed paintings. Everything is in a scroll. After you’ve had it up for a week you put it in a drawer and put a different one up.” Install something moving, like a wind chime or whirligig. “Or literally feel some breeze,” he suggests. Along with health benefits, ventilation introduces the thermal aspect of nature.
Accepting reality
One of the deeper concepts of wabi sabi is the use of natural materials to inspire acceptance of our own mortality and the cycle of life. “Natural materials can show us that,” Ashworth says. “These age with the gracefulness of time and are the antithesis of modern society where everything has to be new and perfect. We don’t recognise the beauty of things that age. It’s a wakeup call on a daily basis that you’re here for a limited time and make the most of that fully rather than numbing out with addictions and television. Most of us in the West are incapable of facing our own death. Wabi sabi is trying to encourage us to feel our mortality on a daily basis so that we live better; so that we live more.”
Fire, water, earth and air
Balance the four elements of nature. “Fire represents not just heat and temperature, it represents light,” Ashworth says. “Natural light is important for good mental and spiritual health” while “the presence of water in a home can be incredibly soothing.” Introduce earth into the home with natural materials. Earth represents physicality and structure and is stabilising and slowing to our minds, Ashworth explains. “These natural materials on a spiritual level have a different vibration. They really do nurture the human condition.” 96 | Australian Natural Health
Simplicity
One of the main tenets of simplicity is “not too much clutter, not too much stuff,” Ashworth says. “That goes into deeper spiritual roots as well - not having materialism rule our lives. More stuff doesn’t mean more success. And yet we’re so programmed to believe it. The more stuff we have, they’re like monkeys on our shoulders.” naturalhealthmag.com.au
naturalhealthmag.com.au
“Not everything has to be flashy and trying to grab our attention.”
We’re not so distracted.” As example, Ashworth suggests paring dinnerware back to a set for everyday use and some for guests. “It’s dropping down the level of external stimulation.”
“You could lose about a third of what you own and still be able to operate and be very happy. Let go of things that don’t fit your lifestyle, including gifts. We have real issues in our society. We show love by giving stuff. All of us are giving stuff to each other all the time and then we end up with too much stuff. If something comes into the house, something goes out of the house. So, if you buy a new jumper you have to throw out one of your old ones.” Simplicity is attained in terms of decorating as well. Instead of busyness, pare down to simple finishes and simple pieces of furniture. “Not everything has to be flashy and trying to grab our attention.”
Minimalism
“In society today there’s so much information coming in that we are taking everything in to some extent on a surface level,” Ashworth says. Not having too much of anything in a single environment promotes greater focus, self-reflection and peacefulness. “We are able to deeply connect with what is there, as opposed to being completely scattered, having our concentration and consciousness torn in 15,000 different directions, which is unsettling. Being able to focus on one thing at a time allows us to be reflective on who we are and where we’re going.
CONNECT WITH US
australiannaturalhealth
Healing our homes
Ashworth provides an example of a client with insomnia whose life turned around after redesigning her bedroom. Intuiting that fear was her underlying problem, he incorporated changes to help her feel safe to go into deep sleep. “A lot of people are quite frightened below the surface,” he remarks. “So I’m a great advocate of making a place feel psychically safe.” As example, he warns against the impact of TV. ”We’re inviting a whole other lot of energies into the home from the outside that build up a negative vibration. Home is supposed to be a sanctuary.” “What’s happening in society is reflected into our houses and vice versa. If we take this seriously it can very subtly, start to change the way we live.”
naturalhealth_mag
naturalhealthoz
naturalhealthoz
Australian Natural Health | 97
Creating
Whether it’s a caravan or mansion, incorporating the principles of wabi sabi into your home can help you lead a more conscious, happy and purposeful life, writes LINDA MOON.
A
THE CONSCIOUS HOME
s our primary ecosystem, our homes have a profound influence on our wellbeing. They reflect and reinforce who we are and the problems inherent in our lives and society, claims Sydney-based Vastu, Feng Shui and Zen design consultant and teacher, Anthony Ashworth (anthonyashworth.20fr.com). “Homes aren’t creating everything that’s wrong with our world, but I believe they are amplifying it,” he says.
The ‘house doctor’
For the past 23 years, Ashworth’s mission has been to “understand the core archetypal needs of people around space and place.” Ashworth, who taught Vastu, Feng Shui and Zen interior design concepts at the University of Technology Sydney, for seven years, is a leader in his field. “We create our homes and then they create us,” he states. “Whatever it is we want to bring forth we can potentially energise by having our homes support that more.” Ashworth believes the design and materials of our homes contain subtle energies that subconsciously affect us. By making our homes “more conscious and more aware” places we can become more aware and empowered in our lives.
“Whatever it is we want to bring forth we can potentially energise by having our homes support that more.” Zen-inspired design
Ashworth draws on the aesthetic principles of wabi sabi (Zen-inspired design). Wabi sabi emerged out of the Zen Buddhist philosophy and the tea ceremony traditions of 16th century Japan. It fosters a simple sophistication and tranquility using rustic, imperfect, rough shapes and textures, and handcrafted items, to encourage a more humble and authentic life. The basic tenets of wabi sabi are simplicity, naturalness, acceptance of 94 | Australian Natural Health
naturalhealthmag.com.au
naturalhealthmag.com.au
Australian Natural Health | 95
MIND & SOUL reality and minimalism, Ashworth says. “A lot of contemporary design has been focused on minimalism. It’s completely out of balance. It becomes very hard, masculine, disconnecting and industrialised. That’s not what Zeninspired design was all about. The other principles bring wholeness to the design.”
Naturalness
In recent years, there’s been a trend towards ‘biophilic’ design — what Ashworth describes as an acknowledgement of the necessity of our innate connection to nature. “It’s a pretty modern phenomenon that we’ve locked ourselves indoors. Modern designers have kind of recognised that people aren’t very happy; that if we can bring a level of association back with nature, people will thrive more.” Natural materials are also healthier for our bodies. These “don’t outgas anything that is negative,” Ashworth says. “We’ve evolved with these materials.” He recommends creating a greater union with nature through unimpeded views of sky, clouds, ocean or trees. Look to nature to inspire the interior too — with foliage, flowers and other symbols of nature. “You can’t live in a rainforest obviously, but you can potentially bring a picture in,” he says. Indoor plants can also make a difference. Choose earthy colours that reflect nature like soft whites, beige, terracotta and leaf green, and materials like wood, clay, bamboo, stone, sea-grass and paper. “Fake creates tension,” he says. In nature, straight lines and squares are rare. “Glass tables and granite floors are very hard and sharp,” he says. “In the zen tradition, that is said to amplify anxiety and stress.” Curtains, fabrics, rounded forms and rugs soften harsh angles and suck up noise. Control artificial sounds like air-conditioning or fridge hum. Further reflect naturalness by introducing texture into the home — like textured rather than polished floors.
Natural materials are also healthier for our bodies. These “don’t outgas anything that is negative,” Ashworth says. “We’ve evolved with these materials.”
Air represents the intellect, mind, movement and change and adds a sense of dynamism. Moving things around can invigorate our mind and attention, he claims. “That’s why in the Japanese tradition you don’t have framed paintings. Everything is in a scroll. After you’ve had it up for a week you put it in a drawer and put a different one up.” Install something moving, like a wind chime or whirligig. “Or literally feel some breeze,” he suggests. Along with health benefits, ventilation introduces the thermal aspect of nature.
Accepting reality
One of the deeper concepts of wabi sabi is the use of natural materials to inspire acceptance of our own mortality and the cycle of life. “Natural materials can show us that,” Ashworth says. “These age with the gracefulness of time and are the antithesis of modern society where everything has to be new and perfect. We don’t recognise the beauty of things that age. It’s a wakeup call on a daily basis that you’re here for a limited time and make the most of that fully rather than numbing out with addictions and television. Most of us in the West are incapable of facing our own death. Wabi sabi is trying to encourage us to feel our mortality on a daily basis so that we live better; so that we live more.”
Fire, water, earth and air
Balance the four elements of nature. “Fire represents not just heat and temperature, it represents light,” Ashworth says. “Natural light is important for good mental and spiritual health” while “the presence of water in a home can be incredibly soothing.” Introduce earth into the home with natural materials. Earth represents physicality and structure and is stabilising and slowing to our minds, Ashworth explains. “These natural materials on a spiritual level have a different vibration. They really do nurture the human condition.” 96 | Australian Natural Health
Simplicity
One of the main tenets of simplicity is “not too much clutter, not too much stuff,” Ashworth says. “That goes into deeper spiritual roots as well - not having materialism rule our lives. More stuff doesn’t mean more success. And yet we’re so programmed to believe it. The more stuff we have, they’re like monkeys on our shoulders.” naturalhealthmag.com.au
naturalhealthmag.com.au
“Not everything has to be flashy and trying to grab our attention.”
We’re not so distracted.” As example, Ashworth suggests paring dinnerware back to a set for everyday use and some for guests. “It’s dropping down the level of external stimulation.”
“You could lose about a third of what you own and still be able to operate and be very happy. Let go of things that don’t fit your lifestyle, including gifts. We have real issues in our society. We show love by giving stuff. All of us are giving stuff to each other all the time and then we end up with too much stuff. If something comes into the house, something goes out of the house. So, if you buy a new jumper you have to throw out one of your old ones.” Simplicity is attained in terms of decorating as well. Instead of busyness, pare down to simple finishes and simple pieces of furniture. “Not everything has to be flashy and trying to grab our attention.”
Minimalism
“In society today there’s so much information coming in that we are taking everything in to some extent on a surface level,” Ashworth says. Not having too much of anything in a single environment promotes greater focus, self-reflection and peacefulness. “We are able to deeply connect with what is there, as opposed to being completely scattered, having our concentration and consciousness torn in 15,000 different directions, which is unsettling. Being able to focus on one thing at a time allows us to be reflective on who we are and where we’re going.
CONNECT WITH US
australiannaturalhealth
Healing our homes
Ashworth provides an example of a client with insomnia whose life turned around after redesigning her bedroom. Intuiting that fear was her underlying problem, he incorporated changes to help her feel safe to go into deep sleep. “A lot of people are quite frightened below the surface,” he remarks. “So I’m a great advocate of making a place feel psychically safe.” As example, he warns against the impact of TV. ”We’re inviting a whole other lot of energies into the home from the outside that build up a negative vibration. Home is supposed to be a sanctuary.” “What’s happening in society is reflected into our houses and vice versa. If we take this seriously it can very subtly, start to change the way we live.”
naturalhealth_mag
naturalhealthoz
naturalhealthoz
Australian Natural Health | 97
