Healing is an art, and we are all extraordinary artists. However, we must learn to cultivate, nurture, and create a space that allows us to fully realize our natural gift. Metaphors aside, our bodies were designed to self-heal, but only under the right conditions (internal) and in the right environment (external). When healing, your home is a place that should be designed to be your sanctuary or home spa. Fortunately, creating a home spa for healing is a lot easier than it might sound, as you will soon learn. 

But before we give you the tools to design your healing home spa, it is important to understand what needs to be taking place internally so that our inner healing artist can shine. 

How the Autonomic Nervous System Affects Healing 

While factors such as acidity, toxicity, and energy imbalances support a disease state and hinder an optimal healing state, our autonomic nervous system state (sympathetic versus parasympathetic) is a major determining factor in whether or not we can fully heal from what ails us. When we reside in a sympathetic state (fight-or-flight), resources normally used for working energy, immune function, and healing are consumed elsewhere. However, when we downshift to a parasympathetic state (rest and digest), our body can allocate energy to regeneration and repair. 

Chronic stress is the main reason we get stuck in a sympathetic state, and the longer we exist in this state, the more it can wear down our bodies (and minds), further contributing to physical and emotional illness. According to the latest iteration of the “Stress in America” survey, around 75% of Americans reported that they experienced a physical or mental symptom of stress in the last month.

Enduring a chronic disease—nearly half of the population in the U.S. currently has at least one chronic condition—can also perpetuate a sympathetic state if left unchecked. To heal, we must downregulate and return to a parasympathetic-dominant state. 

Introducing the right elements, design, tools, and therapeutic practices into your home space and life can greatly improve your natural ability to heal and return to a parasympathetic-dominant state. 

Innovative Ways to Create a Home Spa for Healing

When you hear the word home spa, you might be thinking of things like aromatherapy, face masks, body scrubs, foot soaks, bath bombs, and a steamy sauna—and while self-care practices like this are beneficial components of self-care, creating a healing home spa goes a step beyond.

Lighting 

We are living in an “indoor era.” Americans spend 90% of their time indoors, and we are paying for it with our health. Natural light plays an essential role in vitamin D production, which is key for calcium absorption and immune and neuromuscular function, and regulating our circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle).

Lack of sufficient sunlight exposure has also been linked to depressive episodes like seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Fortunately, bringing the natural light spectrum back into your life is as easy as flipping a switch—to a lamp with a Soraa light bulb in it. Soraa uses almost the entire light spectrum to produce the most natural light possible indoors. 

While this doesn’t replace the full benefits of soaking in a bit of sunshine outdoors, it certainly helps create a more healing and healthier environment indoors. And while the sun is shining outdoors, open up those windows and let some natural light in while you are working or performing other tasks inside. 

Sound 

Sound healing is a therapeutic modality that has been used for thousands of years across many different cultures. From singing bowls, gongs, and tuning forks to chanting, singing, and listening to certain types of music, sound can positively affect physical and mental well-being. The simple intention of bathing in sound provides an opportunity to reduce sympathetic nervous system reactivity, which is necessary to encourage self-healing. 

To incorporate sound healing into your home spa, you can listen to peaceful music or recordings from nature while you meditate, do yoga, read, journal, or get ready for bed. Tibetan singing bowls and chimes are also lovely additions to your home spa. 

Ampcoil and Biocharger are two state-of-the-art technologies that harness the power of healing vibrational frequencies in a device that can be used in your home to optimize your health. 

Energy Flow 

As defined by feng shui consultant Anjie Cho, “feng shui is a practice of arranging the pieces in living spaces to create balance with the natural world…The goal is to harness energy forces and establish harmony between an individual and their environment.” By designing your space so that energy flows around and through it, you can promote better health, happiness, and a sense of peace in your home spa. In the same way that internal energetic blockages can affect your health, energetic blockages in your surroundings can have an impact too. 

Crystals, which carry ancient energy created by incredible forces in nature, are a beautiful and potentially powerful energetic addition to your home spa. Crystals have been used for all purposes related to spirituality, protection, and healing. Crystals have also been incorporated into integrative therapies like the Quantum Resonance Crystal Bed and Amethyst Biomat. 

Positive, light, free-flowing, and healing energy in your home is an essential component of your home spa. 

Water Quality 

Unfortunately, not all drinking water is created equally. Our tap water can have as many as 160 unregulated contaminants in it. And most of the water we drink, unless otherwise specified, is not structured water. Structured water is when water is in its most natural form, as you would find it in a running spring or river. When water is stagnant in a bottle or in pipes, it loses its structure, energy, and full hydrating potential.  

There is good news, though! There are all sorts of amazing and effective tools and devices to improve the energetic quality, structure, and purity of the water you drink. Water is a powerful healer, but only if it is the right kind of water. 

GemWater, Radiant Life Filter, Infinity water charger, and Somavedic are our top picks for your home spa.

Indoor Nature 

Since many of us can’t spend the majority of our day frolicking in the forest and enjoying the healing power of nature, the next best thing you can do is bring nature and natural elements indoors. Biophilic design combines natural elements indoors to help reduce stress, enhance creativity, improve well-being, and promote healing. While this philosophy has been applied to designing buildings and houses, you can incorporate elements of biophilic design with ease and without a total renovation project. This might include bringing plants indoors or even little decorative touches that include natural patterns and textures. 

Bonus: EMF Mitigation 

Artificial electromagnetic fields are everywhere and can have a negative impact on our health. They are emitted from our electrical appliances, WiFi, and smart devices. 

EMFs have been linked to sympathetic nervous system reactivity, debilitating headaches, anxiety, and chronic fatigue—all things you don’t want when trying to heal (and maintain health). Fortunately, you can neutralize the effects of EMFs with devices like YouMatrix5G and also by adopting some simple practices. These include not sleeping with your cell phone next to your head, unplugging electronics when you aren’t using them, and turning off the WiFi in your house at night. 

Healing by Design 

Light, sound, energy, water, nature—these are the elements of a healing home spa sanctuary. Creating a calm and clean space where natural light, positive energy, and healing sound can move through will naturally promote a more relaxed environment conducive to welcoming a parasympathetic and healing state at home.