Where do you feel most comfortable? Is it nearby, or in your dreams? Take a moment and think about where you feel most like yourself:
In your own skin?
In your bed, under the covers?
In your loved ones arms?
Enjoying your city or town?
In nature?
At a gathering of friends?
Entertaining in front of a crowd of admirers?
In your daydreams of a different life?
In the stories you write?
Reading under your favorite tree?
A beloved vacation spot?
Another world? (Not quite fitting in this one?)
Haven't found it yet?
Turtle Shell
As HSP's (Highly Sensitive Persons) we may have trouble finding that spot of comfort, our sanctuary, but when we do, it's hard to come out of it. I often describe myself as a turtle, retreating to my shell for a multitude of reasons, both negative and positive. I myself have a craving for a tiny house, my own space that could be portable - my own turtle shell. It can feel like sticking your neck out to do something out of your comfort zone.
Feng Shui
Feng Shui (fung-shway) simplified is the practice of looking at our living spaces and work environment to find balance with the natural world. This can be a simple topic or a lifelong study (as I have embraced). Most of my adult life I was looking for answers to why some spaces felt good and some literally repelled me. It is all about energy and includes how you react to EMF's and clutter. Your outer world reflects your inner world and vice versa. Rather than go too deep into it here, if you want to learn more read my other blog on Feng Shui and HSP's. It is important to note that what you surround yourself with can support your or hinder you, so it relates directly to the elements that allow you to build your comfort zone. Feng Shui principles have helped me and my HSP family members tremendously! I seem to be a geographical empath and can pick up on so many energetic subtleties that others just do not feel. Ley lines, the earths longitude and latitude coordinates that mark energetic focus points, are also worth studying if you just don't feel good in your home after applying Feng Shui principles. It's also quite possible that cell towers or your neighbor's wifi could be affecting you. Much to consider, including moving to a better location for your personal comfort.
Astrocartography
A fascinating topic even if you don't follow astrology. It is exactly what it sounds like - Astrology & Cartography (map making) all in one! I have always been fascinated by areas of the country that feel good for me to be in versus uncomfortably repelling. I had a great experience about seventeen years ago working with an astrologer when I was getting an astrological reading done for my eldest child who was applying to colleges. I was thrilled to learn this astrologer also did Astrocartography which could evaluate which areas could be good or bad for him to visit, go to school or live in. I was intrigued and had mine and my daughters done too! It can assess where you would be most in alignment with your astrological tendencies and where you would feel awful. The Chicago area, where I was living at the time, was found to be incongruent with me and made me feel like I was "spinning my wheels" and not getting anywhere. That solidified my lifelong desire to move West, closer to where I was born.
Genealogy
Perhaps our "good vibes" come from our ancestry. Have you ever felt called to a place, or seen a photo and were very drawn to it although you have never been there? Or perhaps you have visited somewhere that made your heart take a deep breath and your body completely relax? Sedona is like that for me, it's my healing place to visit, sort of calling me home - although I don't think I could live there. Recently after getting my DNA report, I saw that my family lineage showed a tiny percent in this gorgeous area that ironically looks like an ancient version of Sedona! Fascinating!
Geographical Vibes
"Does anyone get bad vibes from certain cities? I cannot explain this to non-sensitive people, but I literally just can't handle certain places." ~ A.S., Highly Sensitive People Facebook group
"What cities feel right to you? What places feel like home?" ~ C.O., Highly Sensitive People Facebook group*
I saw an interesting post in one of my Facebook groups for highly sensitive people today asking if anyone else felt bad vibes in certain geographical areas. A light bulb went off that inspired this blog. What if someone kept track of all those 339 comments from HSP's on where they experienced good vibes vs. bad energy so we could share?! Voila, this blog was born. Here is what I compiled from just a sampling of that HSP community. I will add more as the comments continue to roll in. *UPDATE: Second post came in about listing positive vibe places, so I added those here for reference also!
Good Vibes
HSP's report feeling great and resonating with small to large items included lighting, flooring, natural landscapes, mountains, outdoors in general, great architecture, small towns, near water, mountain towns, good mindset, big city to blend into, and specific geographical areas as listed below:
UNITED STATES
Arcata, CA
Asheville, NC
Atlanta (suburbs), GA
Berkshires, MA
Black Hills, SD
Blue Ridge Mountains
Boulder, CO
Charleston, SC
Chicago, IL
Cincinnati, OH
COLORADO
Columbus, OH
Dumbo, Brooklyn NY
Falls Lake, NC
FLORIDA
Fort Colllins, CO
Franklin, TN
Grand Island, NY
Grand Marais, MN
Grimes, IA
HAWAII
Humboldt County, CA
Kauai, HI
Key West, Florida
Lafayette, CO
Lake Superior
Los Angeles, CA
Mackinac Island, MI (summertime)
MAINE coast
MASSACHUSETTS
Manhattan, NY
Maui, HI
Morro Bay, CA
Nashville, TN
NEW HAMPSHIRE (north of Franconia Notch)
New Orleans, LA
New York City, NY
Oahu, HI
Old Sturbridge Village, NH
Outer Banks, NC (OBX)
Pasadena, CA
Payson, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Portland, ME
Portland, OR
Providence, RI
Raleigh, NC
San Diego, CA
San Francisco Bay area, CA
Savannah, GA
Scottsdale, AZ
Seattle, WA
Sedona, AZ
Southern California Islands
Taos, NM
VIRGINIA
Woodstock, NY
OTHER COUNTRIES
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bali
Berlin, Germany
Bologna, Italy
Budapest, Hungary
Byron Bay, Australia
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Copenhagen, Denmark
Croatia
Denmark
Derbyshire County, UK
Dubai
Dublin, Ireland
Edmonton, AB Canada
Egypt
England
England South
Florence, Italy
Florianapolis, Brazil
France
Greenock, Scotland
Hanoi, Vietnam
Helsinki, Finland
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Jerusalem
Kaiserslautern, Germany
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
La Serena, Chile
Luca, Tuscany Italy
Madrid
Mancora, Peru
Mexico City, Mexico
Montreal, Canada
Morocco (north)
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Olbia Sardinia, Italy
Oxford, UK
Portugal
Regensburg, Germany
San Sebastian, Spain
Scandinavia
Seville, Spain
Siena, Italy
Spain (in general)
Stockholm, Sweden
Toronto, Canada
Tulum, Mexico
United Kingdom
Valletta, Malta
Vancouver, Canada
Verona
Victoria, BC Canada
Wales, UK
Whangarei, New Zealand
York, UK
Bad Vibes
HSP's reported feeling general ill health (physical and emotional) in or near various streets, buildings, large corporate stores like WalMart/McDonald's, areas of poor aesthetic appeal, some churches, old relics, any poor indoor air quality, historical tragedies, crime ridden areas, casinos, highly polluted areas, excessive toxins, spaces with past traumas, old war zones, and being near cell towers, or ley lines. Here is a list of areas that gave HSP's strong negative reactions:
UNITED STATES
Akron, OH
Atlanta, GA (north)
Atlantic City, NJ
Austin, TX
Baltimore, MD
Buffalo, NY (Niagara region)
Cary, NC
Cherokee, TN
Chicago, IL
Cleveland, OH
Dallas, TX
Detroit, MI
Elko, NV
Eugene, OR
Eureka Springs, AR
FLORIDA (in general)
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Hemet, CA
Houston, TX
Kansas City, MO
Las Vegas, NV
Los Angeles, CA
Madison, WI
Manhattan, NY
Mansfield, CT
MASSACHUSETTS (in general)
Memphis, TN
Nashville, TN
Naugatuck, CT
Newark, NY
New Bedford, MA
New Orleans, LA
New York City, NY
OKLAHOMA (in general)
Orlando, FL
Philadelphia, PA
Phoenix, AZ
Portland, OR
Port Orchard, WA
Riverside County, CA
Rockford, IL
Rock Springs, WY
Salt Lake City, UT
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA (golden gate park)
Savannah, GA
Seattle, WA
Seymour, CT
St. Louis, MO
Syracuse, NY
TEXAS (in general)
Washington DC
Wichita, KS
OTHER COUNTRIES
Barcelona, Spain
Cambridge, England
Cancun, Mexico
China (parts of)
DMZ
Florence, Italy
Germany
Greece (parts of)
Israel
Jeju Island, South Korea
Lagos, Nigeria
London, England
Melbourne, Australia
Montreal, Canada (Griffintown)
Netherlands
New Brunswick, Canada
New Zealand
Northern Ireland
Paris, France
Philippines
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy (unsettling and crazy vibe)
Russia
Singapore
Sydney, Australia
Tangier
Tokyo, Japan
Toronto, Canada
Vincennes, France (people)
Yugoslavia
Very interesting list! There are a few that got voted good AND bad vibes. There are many factors as to why these areas don't resonate with the highly sensitive person, but it is a good list to refer to if you are planning on traveling or moving. A fellow HSP's input could mean more than family or friends that don't have the gift of sensitivity!
I hope this got your inquisitive mind thinking about a cozy spot that you feel most comfortable in. Embrace your super powers of sensitivity and enjoy the journey to find your favorite spot! Mine is under a willow tree, reading a book with some sweet animals nearby - that is whenever I decide to come out of my turtle shell! :0)
Tami is grateful for all of her Highly Sensitive Person traits because they have made her who she is today: an optimistic, nurturing soul, full of great compassion. Being a mother has been her hardest and most rewarding job since her unique and sensitive children have been her greatest inspiration and teachers. She is currently writing a series of children’s books for HSP families, The Sunshine Books. Book #1 now available!
(A hint of illustrations by Gaspar Sabatar in this image. Edited the hair to look like me!)
Follow this blog in general or the HSP blog posts for more of her heartfelt ponderings about life and love. Or sign-up above to get notified when a new post is available or her children's book series is published.
Infinite Love & Gratitude for finding this!
{Copyright 2019 - 2022 - Most photos are the property of Tamara S. Graham unless noted otherwise}