From Blue Zone Bliss to Small Town Buzz: 8 Ways to Reduce Environmental Toxins at Home and Create an Oasis in the Matrix

If you caught my last blog, you’ll know life recently hit me with a plot twist worthy of its own Netflix mini-series. I went from living it up as a single woman in an eco-village and medicine community tucked in the jungle near a surf town… to finding out I was pregnant—unexpectedly. (Maybe I was living it up just a little too much?)

Still, new life is a gift, and I decided to embrace it with open heart and open palms. Cue the next chapter: moving back home, breaking the news to my family one by one, hunting for a cozy (and budget-friendly) apartment, furnishing it piece by piece, and growing a baby—all while diving deep into a 1:1 coaching program to finally master online sales. No big deal, right?

The Hidden Plot Twist: Apartment “Heritage” vs. Hidden Chemicals

What I didn’t expect was that my new apartment—as grounding and heart-clearing as it’s been—would come with its own invisible challenges. Turns out, “heritage charm” can also mean “hidden chemical cocktail.”

As an extra-sensory, the level of environmental (and spiritual) toxins my body now has to process is way more than I bargained for. I’ve started waking up with swollen lymph nodes under my arms and adrenals working overtime just to keep up.

That’s when I realized: it was time to learn how to reduce environmental toxins at home—to create a living space that supports my sensitivity, my growing baby, and my energy field all at once.

Looking back, I made a classic “looks good to my eyes but maybe not to my body” decision. I did exactly what I invite people not to do in one of my pinned Instagram posts: I judged a book by its cover. The place is stunning—freshly renovated, walking distance to everything, tucked inside a storybook heritage building. It checked all the boxes… except the ones my nervous system had on its secret checklist, tucked away neatly on the inside.

When your nervous system says ‘Blue Zone,’ but your postal code says ‘Small Town Buzz.’ So you try building your own sanctuary and call it a vibe.

Baseline, Baby: Why Your Nervous System Comes First

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that everything comes down to the baseline. Our bodies are magic—they can bounce back from almost anything. But when we’re not living or sleeping from a solid foundation, there’s no real chance to recharge.

Over the years, I’ve learned to see my sensitivity as a blessing—even when it sometimes feels like a curse. The gift of being highly attuned is that I can sense imbalance before it even hits the physical plane. The downside? Trying to explain that to others can feel like describing color to a bat.

In a world that worships toughness, sensitivity often gets mistaken for weakness. In my family—proud Scots through and through—“toughen up” was practically a love language. Yet here I am, on a quiet little mission to prove that sensitivity isn’t fragility. It’s intuition. It’s early detection. It’s a superpower in disguise.

When the Going Gets Tough (and a Bit Toxic)

When life turns up the heat, we usually have two options — well, three if you count surrendering it all to God (which, honestly, is step one). After that, we can either crumble under the weight of it all or find a way to protect ourselves.

Energy has to move somewhere, and we get to decide whether it flows into victimhood or to our inner warrior.

I’ll let you in on a secret: the last time I lived in my hometown—back during the COVID years—I didn’t fare so well. I crumbled. Fifteen extra pounds, spiritual gifts on mute, and the sinking realization that I couldn’t communicate with my family in the ways my soul needed to thrive.

Community, Conditioning, and the Contrast

Before that, I’d spent nearly seven years in community with people who knew how to set their egos aside. Nobody took things personally, so real conversations could happen. Deep ones. Healing ones. We held space with ease, created boundaries with love, and met one another soul-to-soul.

As much as I adore my family (and I’d genuinely yell it from the rooftops), they love in the only way they know how. Still, some nights I cry after meditation—not from sadness, but from awareness.

As a starseed, a sensitive, an old soul—it’s hitting me that I wasn’t given the tools I needed as a child to thrive as a whole being.

Meet Shanti, my kitty of 13 years and resident energy guardian on duty. Protecting the home grid one purr at a time.

Pressure, Purpose, and a Breakthrough in Bloom

Now, with a baby on the way, the pressure’s on. I’ve spent over a decade healing—much of it dedicated to my inner child—and I’m deeply grateful for who I’ve become.

Traveling the world, studying cultures, unearthing spiritual gems… all of it has shaped me. But there’s one part of me still waiting to graduate into full adulthood: financial sovereignty.

Money and I have a complicated relationship. I’ll give my wisdom away like free samples at a trade show, but when it comes to creating real stability, something in me still hesitates. There’s a block—something that keeps me tethered to my family for support.

On the outside, the image might look ideal—loving family, safe space, help when I need it. But on the inside, it comes with invisible shackles: masks to wear, roles to play, silences to hold—all of which run counter to my spiritual mission.

I swear, in a past life I must’ve been the princess in the palace—sweet, kind, and beloved, but destined to play a role and forbidden to speak her truth. Maybe that’s why it matters so much in this one: sharing my voice.

I’m here to rewrite the script—to unshackle myself with grace, not rebellion, and build a foundation that’s mine, rooted in freedom and truth. Right now, I’m knee-deep in a course to clear root chakra trauma, and wow… it’s a deep excavation. I’m unbinding vows of silence that make my voice go unheard, and past-life incarnations when I walked the dark side. I'll keep you posted as to how it unfolds.

This old trunk belonged to my great-uncle, carried with him through the war. Now it rests near my grandmother’s rocking chair and the wooden keepsakes my nanny (aka. my other grandmother) and grandpa made by hand. Each piece hums with ancestry—living reminders that even as I unbind old patterns and rewrite my story, I’m still grounded in the love, lives and gifts of those who came before me. What can I say—I’m a sap for honoring lineage.

Until next month—here are 8 ways to protect your whole self (and your growing family) from everyday environmental toxins.

8 Ways to Protect Yourself and Reduce Environmental Toxins at Home

1) Get a Water Purifier

Water holds memory. It carries vibration. And the water running through most city pipes? Let’s just say it’s seen better days.

Municipal water usually contains fluoride (for teeth), chlorine or chloramine (to disinfect), and trace metals that can leave your energy field feeling a little… crunchy.

That’s why I’m planning to use a Santevia Water System. A Canadian brand (but you can find equivalents worldwide), it filters out chlorine, heavy metals, and up to 99% of fluoride, then re-mineralizes your water with calcium, magnesium, and trace earth minerals—infusing it with the grounded frequencies of earth and stone.

It’s hydration as energy medicine—turning your tap water back into living, elemental flow. Want to take it one step further? Add a hydrogen bottle to charge your water with extra vitality—making it resemble the bright, oxygen-kissed current of a babbling mountain stream.

2) Get an Air Purifier

From the hum of passing traffic to the haze that settles after a long day of commuting and chemtrails, the air we breathe in town is… well, let’s just say it’s not what jungle lungs are made for.

That’s why I’m investing in a Mila Air Purifier—a smart, energy-conscious system that feels like a deep exhale for your home. Mila uses medical-grade HEPA filtration and activated carbon to clear out pollutants, allergens, and chemical residues, while built-in sensors continuously read your air quality and adjust automatically.

You can even choose from seven different filter options depending on your needs — like “Mama-to-Be” for pregnancy-safe filtering, “Overreactor” for sensitivities, or “The Critter Cuddler” for pet owners. Think of it as a personal air guardian: tracking smog, pollen, and particulates so you can breathe easy—literally.

Because just like with water, the air we breathe holds vibration. When it’s clean and alive, so are we.

3) Soundproof Your Space

For me, this one’s a big deal. Right now, I wear sound-blocking earplugs both day and night, to help drown out the endless hum of traffic—but I’m pretty sure nothing good comes from wearing tech in your ears 24/7.

That’s why I’m looking into Indow Window Inserts (or something similar) to help reduce external noise by up to 70%.

Noise pollution is an invisible stressor—and it’s brutal on the nervous system. Chronic exposure (to traffic, sirens, construction, or even appliance hums) keeps the body stuck in a subtle fight-or-flight loop.

Over time, it wears down your parasympathetic system—the part that helps you rest, digest, and feel safe. For empaths and energy sensitives, that low-level hum isn’t just “noise”—it’s energetic static.

Simple shifts help:

• Use white noise or nature sounds to mask harsh frequencies.

• Hang thick curtains or add plants to absorb sound.

• Spend time in quiet places—near water, trees, or just blessed silence.

  
  

Silence isn’t empty—it’s full of medicine.

4) Filter Your Shower and Bath Water

Alright—we fixed the drinking water. But what about the water that flows over your skin every day?

Your skin is your largest organ, and it absorbs much of what it’s exposed to. The good news: it’s an easy fix.

Install a shower filter between your shower head and water pipe to reduce chlorine, fluoride, and heavy metals. One option I’m eyeing is Invigorated Water’s 15-stage shower filtration—it does a solid job and comes in at a very reasonable price.

Clean water isn’t just about hydration — it’s about letting your body bathe in purity, not pollutants.

5) Exercise That Makes You Sweat

When I was living in Vancouver—often right off a busy street—I didn’t use any of the protections I just mentioned. But I did practice Bikram Yoga four times a week.

And as much as people love to give Bikram (the man) a bad rap for his fiery personal life, health-wise he created something profound: a practice that activates your body’s natural detox system and sweats out everything that doesn’t belong.

Now that I’m back in my hometown (and pregnant), I’ll need new ways to sweat—post-baby, of course. But truly, any safe way to get your circulation moving is gold.

Sweating is your body’s built-in purification system. Let it do what it does best.

6) Find Your Closest Natural Oasis

It’s simple, underrated, deeply healing—and the best part? It’s free.

Walking in nature is one of the most powerful ways to reset your nervous system and clear your energy field. The Japanese call this practice Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing—immersing yourself in the atmosphere of the forest.

The phytoncides (natural compounds released by trees) boost immune function, while the gentle sensory input—birdsong, sunlight flickering through leaves, the crunch of earth—soothes the vagus nerve and restores balance.

Even ten minutes a day can shift your entire frequency. Think of it as a soul rinse—a way to come back to yourself, one quiet step at a time.

7) Cook Simply from Whole Foods

Cook simply, from whole foods — ideally organic ones. Growing your own might not be realistic in a city or town, but you can always shop at your local farmers market. Local produce carries more life force—it’s harvested close to home, still buzzing with vitality.

Learn to cook from the root—literally and energetically. The more love and presence you bring to your cooking, the more nutrient-rich and energy-rich it becomes.

And here’s where I let my inner kitchen witch out: infuse your food with love and gratitude. Bless it. Ask it to vibrate with vitality.

Because when you stir your meals with intention, you’re not just cooking—you’re casting edible light spells for your body and soul.

8. Enforce Energetic and Psychic Protection

On top of all the small-town bustle, my apartment has one more intriguing feature—a graveyard just beyond the back fence. I can’t say I’m surprised (the building was built in the 1800s!), but it definitely adds a layer of spiritual “character.”

To keep my space clear, I’ve learned to anchor pillars of angelic light at each corner of my home, orient to the four directions, and invite only love and above through the front door with a prayer.

I’ve also activated a crystal grids to harmonize the energy and place guardian spirits at my entryway.

It’s part ritual, part intention—and it works. My home feels like a sanctuary: grounded, light-filled, and sealed from energies that don’t belong.

In Closing

If there’s one thing this chapter has taught me, it’s that healing isn’t about perfection — it’s about presence. Whether you’re filtering your water, clearing your energy, or choosing silence over static, every small act of care is a declaration that your well-being matters.

Creating an oasis in the matrix doesn’t require a move to the jungle (though, trust me, it’s life-changing). It starts right where you are—with small, intentional choices that realign you with nature, with spirit, and with your own rhythm.

So wherever you’re reading this—city apartment, country home, or somewhere in between—remember: you are your own ecosystem. Protect it. Nourish it. Let it thrive. Because when we reduce environmental toxins at home and tend to our inner and outer environments with love, the whole world around us begins to heal too.”

Until next time—keep your light bright, your water clear, and your heart rooted in truth.

✨ Feeling the call to reduce environmental toxins at home and restore your energetic baseline? Start small, start soulful—one filter, one forest walk, one breath of clean air at a time. And, Subscribe to the blog (link’s over on the right, or down below if you’re on mobile) for fresh insights, soulful stories, and practical tools for your journey. Want to go even deeper? Book a discovery call and let’s explore how coaching with Earth Heart Healing can support your next big step.

I’m Marnie, a lineage healer, spiritual coach, and lifelong adventurer. From jungle cacao mornings to surprise nine-month leaps, I guide seekers, healers, and empaths to embody their gifts, trust their path, and step boldly into the life they’re here to create.