How to make space for effortless living

In her book The Art of Effortless Living, Dr. Ingrid Bacci reminds us to focus on the ‘being’ rather than the ‘doing’ aspect of our life. “If we let go of doing and move toward being, every part of our lives will change for the better,” she writes. You can take this Taoist teaching to heart to create an effortless life, and you can also draw from it when choosing and creating a space for effortless living.

What does it mean to practice effortless living? In a nutshell, it means doing less and, paradoxically, achieving more. It means surrendering to the natural flow of life with neither hurry nor worry, trusting that it always moves us toward wholeness and harmony.

Your home environment should encourage you to be in a state of effortless living. This endeavor to create a space conducive to you living in the moment is crucial to feeling relaxed, unhurried, and unbothered. But, how exactly do you design an environment for effortless living?

Carve out a calm and unhurried space. You will want a space to relax, contemplate, and rejuvenate in. Taking a pause from the hamster wheel is the first step to getting off it. When you give yourself space to pause and reassess why you’re pushing yourself so hard to be happy, you might find that stress is completely unnecessary.

Make room for your mental and physical wellbeing. You will need to reconnect with your mind and body. For mental wellbeing, it helps to have a place to sit still with your thoughts. Practices like meditation and yoga allow you to get in touch with your mind, which helps melt away stresses and worries. For physical wellbeing, both exercise and leisure activities can help you connect with your body as more than just a tool for productivity.

Surround yourself with nature. Nature is the best teacher of how there is a natural order to life and how every condition maintains its own self-organizing system to produce a perfect outcome. As Lao Tzu said, “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” Surrounding yourself with nature can help you stay in touch with life’s natural flow. You may want sunshine and greenery, and a view of the sky.

Choose a location that supports an effortless life. You want your own sanctuary, but one that naturally fits in with your current lifestyle. It can be a place of peace within the chaos of the city, a practical distance away from modern conveniences and necessities. You want to stay connected to your place of work, to other people, to places you need to be, but you also want to be able to easily retreat when needed, so you can retreat, relax, and regroup when necessary.

With the stresses and busyness of modern living, it is becoming clear that putting more effort is not making us any happier. Everything is leading towards the need for stillness and slowing down and recognizing the wealth of life that is already ours to enjoy.

Fortunately, there is a place where you can achieve a sense of calm amid the hustle and bustle of the daily grind. Luxury real estate developer Shang Properties, Inc. (SPI) is completing a resort-inspired high-rise building inside a purely residential enclave in Barangay Wack Wack, Mandaluyong. Shang Residences at Wack Wack is a 50-story residential property that is carefully designed as a sanctuary in the city, one that was constructed with wellness and healthy living in mind and provides abundant spaces in the city that its residents can retreat to for relaxation, contemplation, and rejuvenation.

It is situated across the verdant Wack Wack Golf and Country Club with views of the club’s green championship golf courses and the dramatic Makati skyline. The property has a fully equipped gym with a yoga studio and a host of other recreational spaces, including serenely designed outdoor pool swimming pools. It also has a running path carved around its lush premises.

While the property is purely residential and puts a premium on privacy, it is within walking distance to schools, health establishments, and commercial areas. The condominium’s strategic location also affords residents the luxury of a peaceful and exclusive space within a comfortable distance from Metro Manila’s key areas, including Greenhills, Ortigas, Taguig, and Makati.

Building a home for an effortless life is made easier by Shang Residences at Wack Wack, because SPI understands what it truly means for you to take things easy.

Visit www.shangresidencesatwackwack.com for more information or visit the show suite at Level 1, Main Wing, Shangri-La Plaza.

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Editor’s Note: BrandedUp is designed to provide you with insightful, inspiring and educational content created by PhilSTAR L!fe in collaboration with brands like Shang Residences.