“Soft Living” A Gentle Guide to Restorative Evenings and Cozy Rituals

Last week's post explored the intersection of wellness and homemaking as an architecture of well-being…That reflection led me to thinking deeply about a personal value I hold close to me—creating my own sense of personal intimacy within my home. There is something oh so sacred about having a place where one can unwind and simply be in stillness, alone, at least in my preferred case. As a woman especially, I feel that my self-care days play a vital role in my feeling rooted at home IN my body.

Savoring the Senses: Intimacy Through Presence

Creating personal intimacy, soft living, self care, whatever it may be called is essential to me, and I imagine many of you feel the same. Or, perhaps you might not realize how deeply you could resonate with it yourself if you tapped into this energy and incorporated it into your homemaking practices.

This concept is about slowing down and fully engaging one’s senses, savoring simple particular moments that bring you deep satisfaction, and feeling deliciously present. I believe there are real physiological benefits to this mode of being… It’s as if my sacral chakra is glowing and indulging in the richness of life. Scent, touch, sight, and sound—these sensory gateways are at the heart of soft living.

Aromatherapy as Atmosphere

 Incense is one of my favorite things ever…It actually never ceases to fascinate me. Sometimes I fall off my self care home intimacy practices, including simple pleasure that ground me, such as incense burning. Then I will suddenly get the idea to initiate this small pleasure again after arriving at a state where I feel stagnant and cluttered. Honestly friends, I know it sounds dramatic, but the way I can feel my mood lift as I escape into a sensual imaginative cloud of being in my own perfect shuttered den.

Aromatherapy is undeniably powerful, I won’t pretend to be an expert on the science, but it’s clear that scents deeply impact us—grounding and soothing us.   Aromatherapy, especially burning candles or incense, deeply enhances the sensory experience of soft  living. The act alone fills my space with warmth, it evokes coziness and grounding as well making me feel more embodied and at peace in my environment.

 The Healing Power of Sound and Music

Another essential component of soft living for me is sound therapy. Music, in particular, affects me profoundly. I’ve often wondered why we as humans respond to it so strongly—it moves me, connects me, and stirs my senses. At times, it feels like a creative river flowing through me, unlocking something intuitive and sacred that allows me to connect to others in an ethereally emotional way. Personally, that very thing is very nurturing to a soft emotional girl like me.

Beyond that, music gives me a sense of communion with humanity, it's one of the most raw expressions of the soul’s essence. Singing, sound, and rhythm, they all tap into something deeply personal and quite literally therapeutic. I consider it to be a poetic and intimate form of socializing. When I’m at home alone in soft-living self-care mode, you best believe that candles are lit, music is flowing, and incense is dancing in the air…I feel so centered and indulged within these moments, this to me, is homemaking at its most intimate.

Cozy Home Decor: Curating Emotional Aesthetics

Home decor, too, can help play a significant role in curating this soft living ambiance at home. I am so happy about this aspect of homemaking because I really feel my creativity come to life. Little knickknacks, cozy items, sentimental touches, they can all work in tandem to help shape the emotional landscape of a room.

Rituals of Soft Living

Slowing down is the heart of soft living and self care. One of my most cherished rituals is something I do often, not because it’s healthy or productive, but because it makes me feel good. It reminds me why I love having my own space, and yes, it usually always includes music and aromatherapy. This ritual came to mind while I was getting a friend’s input for this week's post's content and title. She was initially unsure what I meant by “soft living” or “curating a cozy vibe”, but when I described it, she lit up. She said it reminded her of being alone, in pajamas, music playing, moody lighting, all the cozy intimate ingredients, and I thought “yes! that’s exactly it!”

Picture this: I’m in my bathroom, doors closed, and lights off because I have multiple candles burning, while I’m in the steaming shower and music is blaring. See I can be somewhat intense in that I like being bombarded through my senses, so sometimes incense swirls through the air too. A thick vibe of a cloud that’s warm, intimate, and a delicious sensory cocoon.

The Sacred Act of Staying In

If you’ve ever questioned the purpose of your home, or longed to feel more rooted &  emotionally grounded in it, this is your invitation. Soft living can surely be a way to gently guide you there. No need to feel deprived or get FOMO when you're considering choosing to stay in for an evening, instead of going out. It's nourishment and a conscious investment in yourself. So maybe this week, or one evening soon, you let yourself indulge. You stay in and create something tender. You light a candle, play your favorite music, breathe in the scent of something beautiful, and truly unwind in the moment.

There’s something extremely human about this. Yes, we’re intelligent, enlightened beings…but we’re also primal, sensory creatures with electric signals, hormones, and instincts. We simply need the things that our nature demands, rituals in the home satisfy both our higher thinking and organic earthly needs. When we honor that side of us through soft living, we remind ourselves that joy and stillness are not only allowed, but essential.

Written for The Royal Art of Homemaking, part of the Salon Gazette.

“Soft Living” A Gentle Guide to Restorative Evenings and Cozy Rituals

Last week's post explored the intersection of wellness and homemaking as an architecture of well-being…That reflection led me to thinking deeply about a personal value I hold close to me—creating my own sense of personal intimacy within my home.

Savoring the Senses: Intimacy Through Presence

This concept is about slowing down and fully engaging one’s senses, savoring simple particular moments that bring you deep satisfaction, and feeling deliciously present. I believe there are real physiological benefits to this mode of being… It’s as if my sacral chakra is glowing and indulging in the richness of life. Scent, touch, sight, and sound—these sensory gateways are at the heart of soft living.

Aromatherapy as Atmosphere

Aromatherapy is undeniably powerful, I won’t pretend to be an expert on the science, but it’s clear that scents deeply impact us—grounding and soothing us. Aromatherapy, especially burning candles or incense, deeply enhances the sensory experience of soft  living. The act alone fills my space with warmth, it evokes coziness and grounding as well making me feel more embodied and at peace in my environment.

 The Healing Power of Sound and Music

Beyond that, music gives me a sense of communion with humanity, it's one of the most raw expressions of the soul’s essence. Singing, sound, and rhythm, they all tap into something deeply personal and quite literally therapeutic. I consider it to be a poetic and intimate form of socializing. When I’m at home alone in soft-living self-care mode, you best believe that candles are lit, music is flowing, and incense is dancing in the air…I feel so centered and indulged within these moments, this to me, is homemaking at its most intimate.

Cozy Home Decor: Curating Emotional Aesthetics

Recently, on Pinterest, I was scrolling and  came across a ceramic mug molded with little cats all around it, and something about the image sparked such a warm cozy feeling… I wanted to be curled up in the very same plush cream chair with that very cup warming my hands.  It reminded me how beauty and comfort can very much be curated by our physical environment.

This led me into a Pinterest spiral, where I found the perfect coffee table setup: neatly stacked coffee table books, the glow of candlelight, and a ceramic ash or incense tray carved with cozy sleeping cats in the middle. The scene exuded comfort, and I wanted to jump right in—curl up in my comfy PJs, hair down, candles burning, takeout on its way, and a movie queued ready. That, to me, is a delicious evening.

Rituals of Soft Living

Slowing down is the heart of soft living and self care. One of my most cherished rituals is something I do often, not because it’s healthy or productive, but because it makes me feel good. It reminds me why I love having my own space, and yes, it usually always includes music and aromatherapy.

This ritual came to mind while I was getting a friend’s input for this week's post's content and title. She was initially unsure what I meant by “soft living” or “curating a cozy vibe”, but when I described it, she lit up. She said it reminded her of being alone, in pajamas, music playing, moody lighting, all the cozy intimate ingredients, and I thought “yes! that’s exactly it!”

Picture this: I’m in my bathroom, doors closed, and lights off because I have multiple candles burning, while I’m in the steaming shower and music is blaring. See I can be somewhat intense in that I like being bombarded through my senses, so sometimes incense swirls through the air too. A thick vibe of a cloud that’s warm, intimate, and a delicious sensory cocoon.

 When I described this to my friend, she said while looking entranced,  “That sounds amazing,” and I couldn’t agree more. That’s the energy I want to share with you in this post, these rituals are restorative, they anchor us and connect us to our homes in new loving ways.

The Sacred Act of Staying In

If you’ve ever questioned the purpose of your home, or longed to feel more rooted &  emotionally grounded in it, this is your invitation. Soft living can surely be a way to gently guide you there.

No need to feel deprived or get FOMO when you're considering choosing to stay in for an evening, instead of going out. It's nourishment and a conscious investment in yourself. So maybe this week, or one evening soon, you let yourself indulge. You stay in and create something tender. You light a candle, play your favorite music, breathe in the scent of something beautiful, and truly unwind in the moment.

There’s something extremely human about this. Yes, we’re intelligent, enlightened beings…but we’re also primal, sensory creatures with electric signals, hormones, and instincts. We simply need the things that our nature demands, rituals in the home satisfy both our higher thinking and organic earthly needs. When we honor that side of us through soft living, we remind ourselves that joy and stillness are not only allowed, but essential.

So this is your reminder, indulge your sensual and soft side by leaning into your home environment. Nurture yourself, ground your senses, find the rhythm of soft living. Make it delicious and make it yours.

Written for The Royal Art of Homemaking, part of the Salon Gazette.

The Architecture of  Wellbeing: When Homemaking Becomes Wellness

By Sarah Marielle: June 9, 2025

By Sarah Marielle: June 9, 2025

Wellness  and homemaking go hand in hand, like twin pillars of the same graceful structure, together they form a sort of architecture of wellbeing.

When practiced consciously and in parallel with each other they shape the emotional, physical, and even spiritual environment in which our health either thrives or quietly struggles.

This isn’t just about whether you make your bed every morning, or whether you drink your daily herbal tea.

This is about curating and cultivating a holistic atmosphere that promotes the most optimized version of your healthiest self.

Not to be crass, the way I see it, it's killing two crucial birds with one stone

A Sanctuary for the Body

A clean, well-maintained home is more than an organized living space, it is a sanctuary for the body, a physical environment that supports your health on every level.

For example: air quality. A home that is aired out regularly, kept free of excessive dust or mold, and filled with plants or essential oils becomes a space where your lungs can truly rest.

Make this true of your own space, it is truly accessible. 

When you open your windows and allow the fresh air to circulate, it does more than refresh your room, it lifts any energetic or mental stagnation trapped in your body and helps you to feel more alive and safe.

 Now I know that sounds like a far stretch, but argue it with the natural processes and needs of your human body, as always, look it up.

Tidying routines also offer unexpected wellness benefits, when we engage in gentle acts like making the bed or clearing a table, the body actually begins to regulate itself.

 These movements communicate a sense of comfort to the nervous system because they are rhythms and routines that we are used to, they send signals of safety.

 Routines are very calming and regulating to the nervous system of comfort oriented creatures, Psychologically, this reduces cortisol levels and prevents the slow buildup of overwhelm that cluttered environments throw at us.

Physiological calm is directly linked to order, we are pattern-oriented beings. The brain registers disorder as potential chaos, even if we don’t consciously recognize it.

 By contrast, a tidy space, no matter how small, can create an almost immediate drop in mental tension.

Homemaking becomes a stabilizer, a kind of invisible backbone  that holds us together in small but vital ways.

Rituals of Nourishment

There is perhaps no clearer intersection between homemaking and wellness than in the kitchen, cooking and actively nourishing the self are literal wellness rituals wrapped in domestic clothing.

 Let's not even mention the quiet grace of seasonal eating, that's a juicy blog post for a later date. (stay tuned) 

The part of this that relates to wellness is clearly evident, but in terms of homemaking, personally I've noticed that when I take the time to make nourishing and comforting high quality meals for myself, it creates a sense of calm and belonging.

 I feel as if I've taken the time to carve out a nice little place for myself, somewhere closer along the lines of Home. 

I also subconsciously feel more safe and at home in my own care because I know that I can take care of myself, not just for the sake of survival, but for the sake of creating luxury and a home for me.

Even if I am alone, I am not untended, I am not rushed through survival, I am dwelling in care.

This sense of domestic rhythm and ritual becomes its own emotional and subconscious self care.

Knowing I can take care of myself with my standard touch of luxury helps me root into my space with calm confidence.

It gives my body permission to release its guard because I've cultivated an emotional response of being truly at home. That, my dear cultured guest, is wellness as well as homemaking.

There is an ancient set of values in home rhythm and its interpersonal relation to personal wellness that modern life often flattens.

And my desire in this post and even in part of this gazette is to bring them to life and hopefully spark something that can be passed down again.

Mental & Emotional Atmosphere

The atmosphere of a home is invisible, but it is deeply felt. It is in the silence between your song choices, the quality of the morning light, the scent in the hallway, the texture of your favorite chair.

“Atmospheric curation” I call it, a forgotten but essential aspect of wellness, details which actually impact us just as much as diet or exercise.

Music, aromatherapy, light, and beauty within your home environment all influence your brain’s activity, emotional regulation, and sensory balance.

Soft instrumental music can support your focus and soothe any momentary anxiety when you're locked in on your latest must-get-done work pile.

The practice of home aromatherapy can lower heart rate and quiet stress hormones, (a fave of mine is Arabian lavender jasmine).

Lighting that mimics natural sunlight can lift seasonal depression, something like a Hatch alarm clock, especially when waking up on dark dreary mornings.

When you curate your home environment with intention it becomes a holistic sanctuary, your very own wellness hub.

Sometimes that's the best wellness tip to jump-start positive emotions or declutter your mind.

Mental clutter is often mirrored by environmental clutter, and yet, the reverse can also be true, and so it's important sometimes to just sit back in the space that is yours and declutter your mind through journaling or meditating etc...

A thoughtfully arranged mind can indeed power and inspire a thoughtfully arranged space A home where order and beauty are not only routined but also restorative, allowing one to both focus and rest.

This is a home that supports long-term creativity, emotional nourishment, and fulfillment 

Homemaking, in this sense, is not just about order and cleanliness, it's about emotional architecture.

I want to inspire you to  create moods through your surroundings. Indulge in cozy restful corners, meaningful decor, and music filling your space as energetic sanctuaries for your nervous system.

Wellness as a Domestic Philosophy

At its highest ideal, or maybe just my own, homemaking becomes a philosophy of living well.

It is the art of responding to life’s rhythms with presence and intention, it teaches us to slow down, to observe ourselves in all our needs, and to honor our desires without shame.

I believe that true homemaking isn't about becoming perfectionists, it's more along the lines of becoming attuned, meanwhile we can learn how to:

• Live in harmony with the seasons

• Respect the body’s’ fluctuating energy (especially as women)

• Respond to stress by creating grounding rituals 

• Prepare the home environment for restoration, not just for practicality

Whether it’s an entire house, a bedroom, or a single chair in the corner of a borrowed room, a well-tended space offers you sanctuary from the world, done with the obligation of wellness in mind, it also becomes a form of retreat.

It's a true luxury to have a space all to yourself to recharge your batteries in silence…silence can be so intoxicating and healing.

More than that, when you learn the skill of holistic homemaking, you develop the ability to create home wherever you go.

You carry that energy with you, whether you're traveling or in transition, you know how to recreate the elements that keep you grounded.

Remember that home is not just a place, in its essence its the raw uncut self that feels safe to come out and just be.

This is where homemaking truly intersects with wellbeing, it gives you portability. The home is no longer just a physical place but an energetic imprint, a rhythm you know how to return to.

In Conclusion: The Home as Healer

Wellness is not just green juices and proper nutrition, it is deeper than a routine.

It is a response to your own vitality in its spiritual, emotional, mental, and beyond sense.

And so, homemaking, when valued and done with caring intention, is one of the most profound ways to practice that response.

Whether you're cleaning a countertop, getting down to your latest meal prep, tackling laundry, or selecting a song to play while you fold clothes, you are shaping a sacred space, not just for your body, but for your holistic spirit.

When I began viewing homemaking as an architecture of wellbeing, everything changed for me, they can for you too!

The mundane can be meaningful, the routines can actually become restorative, your home  can become a living organism that supports your deepest needs of fulfillment and belonging.

I believe THAT is a royal art worth mastering.

Written for The Royal Art of Homemaking, part of the Salon Gazette.

The Architecture of Wellbeing: When Homemaking Becomes Wellness

Wellness and homemaking go hand in hand, like twin pillars of the same graceful structure, together they form a sort of architecture of wellbeing. When practiced consciously and in parallel with each other they shape the emotional, physical, and even spiritual environment in which our health either thrives or quietly struggles. This isn’t just about whether you make your bed every morning, or whether you drink your daily herbal tea. This is about curating and cultivating a holistic atmosphere that promotes the most optimized version of your healthiest self. Not to be crass, the way I see it, it's killing two crucial birds with one stone

A Sanctuary for the Body

A clean, well-maintained home is more than an organized living space, it is a sanctuary for the body, a physical environment that supports your health on every level. From air quality, to surface hygiene, to the freshness of your bedding, your home affects your wellness in very subtle yet profound ways.

For example: air quality. A home that is aired out regularly, kept free of excessive dust or mold, and filled with plants or essential oils becomes a space where your lungs can truly rest. Make this true of your own space, it is truly accessible.  When you open your windows and allow the fresh air to circulate, it does more than refresh your room, it lifts any energetic or mental stagnation trapped in your body and helps you to feel more alive and safe. Now I know that sounds like a far stretch, but argue it with the natural processes and needs of your human body, as always, look it up.

Tidying routines also offer unexpected wellness benefits, when we engage in gentle acts like making the bed or clearing a table, the body actually begins to regulate itself. These movements communicate a sense of comfort to the nervous system because they are rhythms and routines that we are used to, they send signals of safety. Routines are very calming and regulating to the nervous system of comfort oriented creatures, Psychologically, this reduces cortisol levels and prevents the slow buildup of overwhelm that cluttered environments throw at us.

Physiological calm is directly linked to order, we are pattern-oriented beings. The brain registers disorder as potential chaos, even if we don’t consciously recognize it. By contrast, a tidy space, no matter how small, can create an almost immediate drop in mental tension. Homemaking becomes a stabilizer, a kind of invisible backbone  that holds us together in small but vital ways.

Rituals of Nourishment

There is perhaps no clearer intersection between homemaking and wellness than in the kitchen, cooking and actively nourishing the self are literal wellness rituals wrapped in domestic clothing. Let's not even mention the quiet grace of seasonal eating, that's a juicy blog post for a later date. (stay tuned) 

 The part of this that relates to wellness is clearly evident, but in terms of homemaking, personally I've noticed that when I take the time to make nourishing and comforting high quality meals for myself, it creates a sense of calm and belonging. I feel as if I've taken the time to carve out a nice little place for myself, somewhere closer along the lines of Home.  I also subconsciously feel more safe and at home in my own care because I know that I can take care of myself, not just for the sake of survival, but for the sake of creating luxury and a home for me. Even if I am alone, I am not untended, I am not rushed through survival, I am dwelling in care.

This sense of domestic rhythm and ritual becomes its own emotional and subconscious self care. Knowing I can take care of myself with my standard touch of luxury helps me root into my space with calm confidence. It gives my body permission to release its guard because I've cultivated an emotional response of being truly at home. That, my dear cultured guest, is wellness as well as homemaking.

There is an ancient set of values in home rhythm and its interpersonal relation to personal wellness that modern life often flattens. And my desire in this post and even in part of this gazette is to bring them to life and hopefully spark something that can be passed down again.

Mental & Emotional Atmosphere

The atmosphere of a home is invisible, but it is deeply felt. It is in the silence between your song choices, the quality of the morning light, the scent in the hallway, the texture of your favorite chair. “Atmospheric curation” I call it, a forgotten but essential aspect of wellness, details which actually impact us just as much as diet or exercise.

Music, aromatherapy, light, and beauty within your home environment all influence your brain’s activity, emotional regulation, and sensory balance. Soft instrumental music can support your focus and soothe any momentary anxiety when you're locked in on your latest must-get-done work pile. The practice of home aromatherapy can lower heart rate and quiet stress hormones, (a fave of mine is Arabian lavender jasmine). Lighting that mimics natural sunlight can lift seasonal depression, something like a Hatch alarm clock, especially when waking up on dark dreary mornings.

When you curate your home environment with intention it becomes a holistic sanctuary, your very own wellness hub. Sometimes that's the best wellness tip to jump-start positive emotions or declutter your mind. Mental clutter is often mirrored by environmental clutter, and yet, the reverse can also be true, and so it's important sometimes to just sit back in the space that is yours and declutter your mind through journaling or meditating etc... A thoughtfully arranged mind can indeed power and inspire a thoughtfully arranged space A home where order and beauty are not only routined but also restorative allows one to both focus and rest. This is a home that supports long-term creativity, emotional nourishment, and fulfillment 

 Homemaking, in this sense, is not just about order and cleanliness, it's about emotional architecture.  I want to inspire you to  create moods through your surroundings. Indulge in cozy restful corners, meaningful decor, and music filling your space as energetic sanctuaries for your nervous system.

Wellness as a Domestic Philosophy

At its highest ideal, or maybe just my own, homemaking becomes a philosophy of living well. It is the art of responding to life’s rhythms with presence and intention, it teaches us to slow down, to observe ourselves in all our needs, and to honor our desires without shame.

I believe that true homemaking isn't about becoming perfectionists, it's more along the lines of becoming attuned, meanwhile we can learn how to:

• Live in harmony with the seasons
• Respect the body’s’ fluctuating energy (especially as women)
• Respond to stress by creating grounding rituals 
• Prepare the home environment for restoration, not just for practicality

Whether it’s an entire house, a bedroom, or a single chair in the corner of a borrowed room, a well-tended space offers you sanctuary from the world, done with the obligation of wellness in mind, it also becomes a form of retreat. It's a true luxury to have a space all to yourself to recharge your batteries in silence…silence can be so intoxicating and healing.

More than that, when you learn the skill of holistic homemaking, you develop the ability to create home wherever you go. You carry that energy with you, whether you're traveling or in transition, you know how to recreate the elements that keep you grounded. Remember that home is not just a place, in its essence its the raw uncut self that feels safe to come out and just be

This is where homemaking truly intersects with wellbeing, it gives you portability. The home is no longer just a physical place but an energetic imprint, a rhythm you know how to return to.

In Conclusion: The Home as Healer

Wellness is not just green juices and proper nutrition, it is deeper than a routine. It is a response to your own vitality in its spiritual, emotional, mental, and beyond sense. And so, homemaking, when valued and done with caring intention, is one of the most profound ways to practice that response.

Whether you're cleaning a countertop, getting down to your latest meal prep, tackling laundry, or selecting a song to play while you fold clothes, you are shaping a sacred space, not just for your body, but for your holistic spirit.

When I began viewing homemaking as an architecture of wellbeing, everything changed for me, they can for you too! The mundane can be meaningful, the routines can actually become restorative, your home  can become a living organism that supports your deepest needs of fulfillment and belonging

I believe THAT is a royal art worth mastering.

Written for The Royal Art of Homemaking, part of the Salon Gazette.

The Architecture of  Wellbeing: When Homemaking Becomes Wellness

By Sarah Marielle: June 9, 2025

Wellness and homemaking go hand in hand, like twin pillars of the same graceful structure, together they form a sort of architecture of wellbeing. When practiced consciously and in parallel with each other they shape the emotional, physical, and even spiritual environment in which our health either thrives or quietly struggles. This isn’t just about whether you make your bed every morning, or whether you drink your daily herbal tea. This is about curating and cultivating a holistic atmosphere that promotes the most optimized version of your healthiest self. Not to be crass, the way I see it, it's killing two crucial birds with one stone.

A Sanctuary for the Body

A clean, well-maintained home is more than an organized living space, it is a sanctuary for the body, a physical environment that supports your health on every level. From air quality, to surface hygiene, to the freshness of your bedding, your home affects your wellness in very subtle yet profound ways.

For example: air quality. A home that is aired out regularly, kept free of excessive dust or mold, and filled with plants or essential oils becomes a space where your lungs can truly rest. Make this true of your own space, it is truly accessible.  When you open your windows and allow the fresh air to circulate, it does more than refresh your room, it lifts any energetic or mental stagnation trapped in your body and helps you to feel more alive and safe. Now I know that sounds like a far stretch, but argue it with the natural processes and needs of your human body, as always, look it up.

Tidying routines also offer unexpected wellness benefits, when we engage in gentle acts like making the bed or clearing a table, the body actually begins to regulate itself. These movements communicate a sense of comfort to the nervous system because they are rhythms and routines that we are used to, they send signals of safety. Routines are very calming and regulating to the nervous system of comfort oriented creatures, Psychologically, this reduces cortisol levels and prevents the slow buildup of overwhelm that cluttered environments throw at us.

Physiological calm is directly linked to order, we are pattern-oriented beings. The brain registers disorder as potential chaos, even if we don’t consciously recognize it. By contrast, a tidy space, no matter how small, can create an almost immediate drop in mental tension. Homemaking becomes a stabilizer, a kind of invisible backbone  that holds us together in small but vital ways.



Rituals of Nourishment

There is perhaps no clearer intersection between homemaking and wellness than in the kitchen, cooking and actively nourishing the self are literal wellness rituals wrapped in domestic clothing. Let's not even mention the quiet grace of seasonal eating, that's a juicy blog post for a later date. (stay tuned) 

The part of this that relates to wellness is clearly evident, but in terms of homemaking, personally I've noticed that when I take the time to make nourishing and comforting high quality meals for myself, it creates a sense of calm and belonging.

I feel as if I've taken the time to carve out a nice little place for myself, somewhere closer along the lines of Home. I also subconsciously feel more safe and at home in my own care because I know that I can take care of myself, not just for the sake of survival, but for the sake of creating luxury and a home for me.Even if I am alone, I am not untended, I am not rushed through survival, I am dwelling in care.

This sense of domestic rhythm and ritual becomes its own emotional and subconscious self care. Knowing I can take care of myself with my standard touch of luxury helps me root into my space with calm confidence. It gives my body permission to release its guard because I've cultivated an emotional response of being truly at home. That, my dear cultured guest, is wellness as well as homemaking.

There is an ancient set of values in home rhythm and its interpersonal relation to personal wellness that modern life often flattens. And my desire in this post and even in part of this gazette is to bring them to life and hopefully spark something that can be passed down again.

Mental & Emotional Atmosphere

The atmosphere of a home is invisible, but it is deeply felt. It is in the silence between your song choices, the quality of the morning light, the scent in the hallway, the texture of your favorite chair. “Atmospheric curation” I call it, a forgotten but essential aspect of wellness, details which actually impact us just as much as diet or exercise.

Music, aromatherapy, light, and beauty within your home environment all influence your brain’s activity, emotional regulation, and sensory balance. Soft instrumental music can support your focus and soothe any momentary anxiety when you're locked in on your latest must-get-done work pile.

The practice of home aromatherapy can lower heart rate and quiet stress hormones, (a fave of mine is Arabian lavender jasmine). Lighting that mimics natural sunlight can lift seasonal depression, something like a Hatch alarm clock, especially when waking up on dark dreary mornings.

When you curate your home environment with intention it becomes a holistic sanctuary, your very own wellness hub. Sometimes that's the best wellness tip to jump-start positive emotions or declutter your mind. Mental clutter is often mirrored by environmental clutter, and yet, the reverse can also be true, and so it's important sometimes to just sit back in the space that is yours and declutter your mind through journaling or meditating etc...

A thoughtfully arranged mind can indeed power and inspire a thoughtfully arranged space A home where order and beauty are not only routined but also restorative allows one to both focus and rest. This is a home that supports long-term creativity, emotional nourishment, and fulfillment.

 Homemaking, in this sense, is not just about order and cleanliness, it's about emotional architecture.  I want to inspire you to  create moods through your surroundings. Indulge in cozy restful corners, meaningful decor, and music filling your space as energetic sanctuaries for your nervous system.

Wellness as a Domestic Philosophy

At its highest ideal, or maybe just my own, homemaking becomes a philosophy of living well. It is the art of responding to life’s rhythms with presence and intention, it teaches us to slow down, to observe ourselves in all our needs, and to honor our desires without shame.



I believe that true homemaking isn't about becoming perfectionists, it's more along the lines of becoming attuned, meanwhile we can learn how to:

• Live in harmony with the seasons
• Respect the body’s’ fluctuating energy (especially as women)
• Respond to stress by creating grounding rituals 
• Prepare the home environment for restoration, not just for practicality

Whether it’s an entire house, a bedroom, or a single chair in the corner of a borrowed room, a well-tended space offers you sanctuary from the world, done with the obligation of wellness in mind, it also becomes a form of retreat. It's a true luxury to have a space all to yourself to recharge your batteries in silence…silence can be so intoxicating and healing.

More than that, when you learn the skill of holistic homemaking, you develop the ability to create home wherever you go. You carry that energy with you, whether you're traveling or in transition, you know how to recreate the elements that keep you grounded. Remember that home is not just a place, in its essence its the raw uncut self that feels safe to come out and just be.

This is where homemaking truly intersects with wellbeing, it gives you portability. The home is no longer just a physical place but an energetic imprint, a rhythm you know how to return to.

In Conclusion: The Home as Healer

Wellness is not just green juices and proper nutrition, it is deeper than a routine. It is a response to your own vitality in its spiritual, emotional, mental, and beyond sense. And so, homemaking, when valued and done with caring intention, is one of the most profound ways to practice that response.

Whether you're cleaning a countertop, getting down to your latest meal prep, tackling laundry, or selecting a song to play while you fold clothes, you are shaping a sacred space, not just for your body, but for your holistic spirit.

When I began viewing homemaking as an architecture of wellbeing, everything changed for me, they can for you too! The mundane can be meaningful, the routines can actually become restorative, your home  can become a living organism that supports your deepest needs of fulfillment and belonging

I believe THAT is a royal art worth mastering.

Written for The Royal Art of Homemaking, part of the Salon Gazette.

On Homemaking: An Invitation to see Beauty in the Everyday

By Sarah Marielle: June 2 2025

There’s a gently rooted, almost intuitive, rhythm to homemaking  that exists beneath the surface of chores and checklists. It’s a rhythm that brings on comfort over time, a signal to our subconscious and perhaps to our bodies that this activity, whatever it might be in the moment, is meant to bring on order, cleanliness, beauty, peace, etc. We all know that home is more than just the four walls we occupy, or we should know that, it’s a system of nurture. 

I’ve always believed that homemaking isn’t just about organizing a space or arranging pretty things, it’s an invisible architecture of attention. It's a way of curating the atmosphere of your “home” in which you can create a certain familiar emotional memory that nurtures you over time. This is created through small, yes sometimes even tedious, acts that may go unnoticed by the world, but not by the soul. It is a ritual of grounding, of returning, of reminding ourselves that we’re allowed to belong somewhere, somewhere belonging all to ourselves or shared with the ones we love. That sense of familiarity and belonging has become all the more sacred because it’s something that belongs to me, as I practice it alone.

I sit at the table and sink into silence as I take in my surroundings, embody the character I could be in the movie playing in my head, and dissipate into the atmosphere much like the tendrils of incense drifting through the air. This to me, is part of homemaking, pouring into your space, giving it what it needs so that it can pour into you in return.In this series, every week, we’ll explore a different facet of that deliciously intuitive architecture. Sometimes straightforward/touchable and sometimes subtle and poetic, but always combinations of the surface & depth of this whole picture.  From lighting, scents, to energy, and stillness, from seasonal rhythms to aesthetic rituals, etc… A royal art of homemaking some might say.

Some parts of keeping home are in fact truly boring and tedious, while other parts are very exciting and satisfying. More often than not, the images that come to the collective mind concerning the words “homemaking” are that of physical must-get-done chores that drain all sense of freedom and excitement. We must resolve ourselves to simply what must get done. Some parts inevitably invoke those feelings, and yet, homemaking is so overwhelmingly more than that. It’s in the way sunlight slips across a hardwood floor at 4 p.m., the weight of a favorite mug in your hand, or the hum of clean sheets against your skin. These aren’t tasks, they’re glimpses of the deep satisfaction we experience from a life being lived with care. This is where homemaking begins, not in perfection, but in presence.

I’m not married, I don’t have children, and yet, the act of creating a home that's truly mine feels like a spiritual devotion of sorts. In a world that often correlates homemaking with partnership or parenthood, I see it as something deeply personal. My home is not a waiting room for a future chapter, it’s my sanctuary now, and how sweet it feels just to say those words! A corner of the world where I can light a candle, steep a pot of tea, put on some music and just be. To me, that is wellness in one of its purest forms. And yes, sometimes homemaking  demands the necessities of the tedious and boring. It's doing the laundry, refreshing your bedding, emptying the trash, and tackling that drawer of miscellaneous oblivion that you've been avoiding.

These things aren’t beneath the beauty, they are the details in the beauty. There’s a kind of quiet thrill I get from doing work with my hands. The satisfaction of resetting a space, completing a task, or creating order from chaos releases a kind of soft grounded dopamine. It feels like the end of a good day’s work, not loud or showy, but enough to make you breathe deeper as you sit back and enjoy the nurturing that you yourself poured into. It gives the body purpose and the spirit a place to land, not to mention that we actually release dopamine in our brains when we complete anticipated or checklist tasks (seriously, look it up!). 

There’s a ritual I return to almost every Sunday evening: I clean the kitchen slowly, letting music play in the background as my incense of choice transforms the atmosphere into something sensual and deeply delicious. I wipe the counters as if I’m wiping away all the overstimulating energy from the previous week so I can enter the week ahead with clarity. Then I Swiffer wet jet the floors, light more incense (frankincense or cedarwood), and pour myself a glass of cucumber mint infused coconut water with lime.

So whether you live alone or with a full house, whether your days are fast-paced or contemplative, a mix of the full spectrum, I hope this time spent in my Salon reminds you that home is not just a place you decorate or need to take care of—it’s a place you nurture, and a place that, in turn, nurtures you.

I’ll meet you here next week, until then, notice the light, the quiet, notice the way your space speaks back to you when you care for it—and how you feel within its embrace.

Written for The Royal Art of Homemaking, part of the Salon Gazette.

On Homemaking : An Invitation to see Beauty in the Everyday

By Sarah Marielle:  June 2, 2025

...notice the way your space speaks back to you when you care for it—and how you feel within its embrace.

Written for The Royal Art of Homemaking, part of the Salon Gazette.

There’s a gently rooted, almost intuitive, rhythm to homemaking  that exists beneath the surface of chores and checklists.

 It’s a rhythm that brings on comfort over time, a signal to our subconscious and perhaps to our bodies that this activity, whatever it might be in the moment, is meant to bring on order, cleanliness, beauty, peace, etc.

We all know that home is more than just the four walls we occupy, or we should know that, it’s a system of nurture. 

Some parts of keeping home are in fact truly boring and tedious, while other parts are very exciting and satisfying.

 More often than not, the images that come to the collective mind concerning the words “homemaking” are that of physical must-get-done chores that drain all sense of freedom and excitement.

We must resolve ourselves to simply what must get done. Some parts inevitably invoke those feelings, and yet, homemaking is so overwhelmingly more than that.

It’s in the way sunlight slips across a hardwood floor at 4 p.m., the weight of a favorite mug in your hand, or the hum of clean sheets against your skin.

These aren’t tasks, they’re glimpses of the deep satisfaction we experience from a life being lived with care.  This is where homemaking begins, not in perfection, but in presence.

I’ve always believed that homemaking isn’t just about organizing a space or arranging pretty things, it’s an invisible architecture of attention.

It's a way of curating the atmosphere of your “home” in which you can create a certain familiar emotional memory that nurtures you over time.

This is created through small, yes sometimes even tedious, acts that may go unnoticed by the world, but not by the soul.

 It is a ritual of grounding, of returning, of reminding ourselves that we’re allowed to belong somewhere, somewhere belonging all to ourselves or shared with the ones we love.

That sense of familiarity and belonging has become all the more sacred because it’s something that belongs to me, as I practice it alone.

I’m not married, I don’t have children, and yet, the act of creating a home that's truly mine feels like a spiritual devotion of sorts. 

In a world that often correlates homemaking with partnership or parenthood, I see it as something deeply personal.

My home is not a waiting room for a future chapter, it’s my sanctuary now, and how sweet it feels just to say those words! A corner of the world where I can light a candle, steep a pot of tea, put on some music and just be. To me, that is wellness in one of its purest forms.

And yes, sometimes homemaking  demands the necessities of the tedious and boring.

It's doing the laundry, refreshing your bedding, emptying the trash, and tackling that drawer of miscellaneous oblivion that you've been avoiding.

 These things aren’t beneath the beauty, they are the details in the beauty. There’s a kind of quiet thrill I get from doing work with my hands.

 The satisfaction of resetting a space, completing a task, or creating order from chaos releases a kind of soft grounded dopamine. It feels like the end of a good day’s work, not loud or showy, but enough to make you breathe deeper as you sit back and enjoy the nurturing that you yourself poured into.

 It gives the body purpose and the spirit a place to land, not to mention that we actually release dopamine in our brains when we complete anticipated or checklist tasks (seriously, look it up!). 

There’s a ritual I return to almost every Sunday evening:

I clean the kitchen slowly, letting music play in the background as my incense of choice transforms the atmosphere into something sensual and deeply delicious.

I wipe the counters as if I’m wiping away all the overstimulating energy from the previous week so I can enter the week ahead with clarity.

Then I Swiffer wet jet the floors, light more incense (frankincense or cedarwood), and pour myself a glass of cucumber mint infused coconut water with lime.

 I sit at the table and sink into silence as I take in my surroundings, embody the character I could be in the movie playing in my head, and dissipate into the atmosphere much like the tendrils of incense drifting through the air.

This to me, is part of homemaking, pouring into your space, giving it what it needs so that it can pour into you in return.

In this series, every week, we’ll explore a different facet of that deliciously intuitive architecture.

Sometimes straightforward/touchable and sometimes subtle and poetic, but always combinations of the surface & depth of this whole picture.

From lighting, scents, to energy, and stillness, from seasonal rhythms to aesthetic rituals, etc..

 A royal art of homemaking some might say.

So whether you live alone or with a full house, whether your days are fast-paced or contemplative, perhaps with a mix of the full spectrum.

I hope this time spent in my Salon reminds you that home is not just a place you decorate or need to take care of.

It’s a place you nurture, and a place that, in turn, nurtures you.

I’ll meet you here next week, until then, notice the light, the quiet...