'Tidy house, tidy mind' may sound like just another trite adage, but that doesn't mean it's wrong. A cluttered home can seriously impact how at ease you feel, and no space proves this more than the kitchen. It's the room I spend the most time in, yet it always seems to be in a constant state of chaos, and in turn, so do I. This is why I turned to the Japanese concept of Ma. As a lifelong maximalist, the 'less is more' philosophy has never quite clicked with me, but when put in terms of the Japanese Ma concept, it all began to make sense. Instead of minimalism for the sake of minimalism, Ma highlights the importance of negative space in creating moments of pause within your home. As Azumi Uchitani, author of YOSHUKU: The Japanese Art of Manifesting, explains, "Ma creates a natural flow in life. When we honor space and pause, our life-force energy, Ki, can move smoothly and freely. This flow brings peace and tranquility into our daily lives."But when your modern kitchen is covered in every type of clutter under the sun, this natural flow can be trickier to find. Cleaning out that clutter and introducing a sense of respite can not only make your kitchen look better, but it can also help you to feel better, too — and these three ideas show you how to achieve exactly that.
