Clearing the air
In and out, 20,000 times a day, every second, every minute. It is ephemeral and all around us. We focus intently on what we eat and how we move, but not the air we breathe.
During winter, my breaths are sharp and short, drawn and caught with coughs and colds. Every year as spring rolls in I feel the bases of my lungs finally fill completely. This seasonal struggle reminds me how the quality of air in our homes and out in the streets affects our health. The implications extend far beyond discomfort. Air pollution can cause asthma, strokes, heart disease, depression and anxiety.
So, what is good air? Thriving moss and lichen are nature’s free indicators of good air quality. Good air is an absence rather than a presence, defined more by what isn't there than what is. Meister Eckhart a fourteenth century theologian coined the approach of “via negativa”, arguing that the divine was best understood by what it is not. It's what's not there that matters. Our lungs seek a similar kind of purity. Clearing the air requires a series of subtractions.
Avoiding burning candles. Candles release particulate matter and potentially harmful chemicals when burned. Instead, consider air purifiers or reed diffusers. High quality reed diffusers minimise the release of harmful volatile organic compounds making them safer. Unlike essential oil diffusers, reed diffusers do not produce fine mist particles that can be inhaled deeply into the lungs, reducing risks of lung irritation.
Perhaps most counterintuitively, reconsider the old. New furniture, upholstery and carpeting let off chemicals for months (off gassing). There's unexpected wisdom in keeping your old sofa or buying antique pieces.
Practice a daily ritual of opening windows, a simple act that connects indoor and outdoor air, creating a natural flow that dilutes air pollutants.
Having a no smoking or vaping indoors policy for your home.
This approach to air quality defined by the absence of the harmful, reflects a broader philosophy that we can all benefit from applying to other aspects of modern life. In an era of constant acquisition, perhaps the path to wellbeing lies in thoughtful subtraction.