“Living in environments that are stressful can create disease,” Dr. Joan Borysenko writes about in her book “The Power of the Mind to Heal.” Feeling hopeless and helpless can impact your immune system. This happens in a specific area of the brain where thoughts are transformed into emotional responses that are the direct line of communication between emotions and the body. The study of the link between our thoughts and the function of our immune cells is called psychoneuroimmunology.
When I read this book, it took me into the world of healing environments. My own personal journey brought understanding that gave birth to the philosophy of The Bajaro Method. This three-step approach helps people discover how their environment can bring them peace, tranquility and joy. This understanding was also a gift for me to further and better understand the work I do.
About 10 years ago, I was feeling overwhelmed by a move from a home we had lived in for 16 years to a new house. Whether it was the move or the stress in my life, I was diagnosed with a neurological disorder. Needless to say, the diagnosis was devastating and I thought my life was over. Little did I know that my life was just beginning!
Always a fighter, I took on the disease as a challenge. The first thing I realized was how my body responded to things that were happening to me, such as stress, anger, fear, excitement, joy, overwork, and lack of rest. Through this process I became aware how much control I had over my health with my thoughts and perceptions. I decided that I must have an unusual nervous system to be so sensitive to be reacting physically to these feelings, so I decided to take advantage of it. I immediately started making changes and observing how my body would react to those changes. It was very exciting, as well as slightly frightening, to have this power. I began using my newfound knowledge to cure myself. Today, I am fine. I have no disabilities. I am, however, very in tune to what I can and cannot comfortably do or think.
As a result, I have a practice in which I approach my clients from a place of “How can I help them feel better?” I always listen to how they are living. Are they comfortable or stressed in their environment? Knowing that there are endless ways to make a room look beautiful, I endeavor to discover what will make them feel better in their rooms.
When I declared to a client I had been working with for 15 years that my new specialty was healing environments, she wasn’t surprised and said, “You’ve been doing that for me all these years.” It is truethat this is how I have always approached my work, but I never put a name to it. I also discovered why sometimes it was so hard for me to design for a client—this generally happens when the client doesn’t engage in the process. Without the energy of my clients, I cannot convey what they need. My goal is to be a guide, not to influence them with my personal taste or style.
Wishing you “happy healing” in all your environments. Rooms have no feelings, YOU do.
Barbara Kaplan, creator of the Bajaro Method for personalized interior design, offers individual interior design consultations for guidance, ideas and solutions to make your home truly yours. Contact her at [email protected].