Day 5: You're Already There

I'm going to conclude my 5 days of Feng Shui tips with the core understanding we have to have in order to make this wonderful practice work for us. It's all about energy. We are energetic beings with a complex system that moves and flows and communicates. Everything on the Earth is made up of moving particles that vibrate on a molecular level. Dynamic energy surrounds us, from the soil beneath our feet, to the dandelion that sprouts from the ground, to the dry leaf that falls from the tree, to the bird that flies overhead, to the waves that crash on the shore. All of the energy in the world around us works in a magical and fluid way to create an ever-changing state of being. Change is happening in every moment and this makes an undeniable connection between everything that exists on Earth.

There is another energy present though. Within the beating heart and breathing lungs and thinking brain, we have the essence of our true selves. The power we have to make our own decisions, to love, to fear, to experience joy, and to connect on a deeper, more meaningful level. And with that part of our selves we give another level of energy to seemingly inanimate objects. The piece of art that lifts your spirit each time you glance at it. The tattered blanket your child cannot sleep without at night. The dining table around which you remember sharing meals with your family for decades. The piece of jewelry sitting in your drawer that brings back thoughts of a past love and a broken heart. This may not seem like palpitating energy but it undoubtedly affects the energy of our spirit and is part of this web of existence.

Remember the concept of energy attracts like energy from science class? Our thoughts, actions, words, and beliefs are energy, and what we think, do, say, and believe is going to attract the same to us. As author Mike Dooley says, "Thoughts become things...choose the good ones!" To truly have positive change in our lives, we need to believe that we are already there. We need to speak like we are already there. We need to act as if we're already there. We need to embrace the idea that everything we want out of life is already within us, we just need to make it part of our reality. Affirmations and visualization are wonderful tools by which make this happen. And I am a huge believer in gratitude. When we stop to be grateful for the many blessings in our lives, we realize that we already have everything we need.

I recently read that according to Chinese philosophy, action and contemplation together equal a balanced life. That made me think of Feng Shui and what it takes to create the life that you desire. Feng Shui tells us how to arrange our environment to open up the pathways for positive energy to come into our lives. But we must make these adjustments with intention. There must be the internal, spiritual work that goes along with moving things around. This is what gives the adjustments their power. The words Feng Shui are translated to "wind and water"--the unseen and the seen. Our thoughts and the physical world. They are a reflection of each other.

Think about what your house says about you. Does it reflect the person you believe, deep down, that you are? Does it support the person that you you are striving to be? Does your everyday environment leave you inspired to move down the path to your true bliss? There is a lot of work involved, Feng Shui being one step in the journey. It's time to get started. Time's a wastin'!

peace, love, and NAMASTE!

http://www.cristinzinspiredliving.com

Day 4: Power to the People!

It often happens that when I advise people on placement of their furniture during a Feng Shui consultation, they respond with "oh, that makes sense!" A lot of Feng Shui does seem like common sense, but something blocks us from drawing these conclusions for ourselves. When your furnishings and accessories are arranged for optimal flow of good energy and with special attention paid to balancing the elements, we get a feeling of "ah-ha! and ahhhh..." Keeping the "power position" in mind when laying out certain pieces is key.

Your bed is a place of rest, regeneration, and intimacy. Its placement and its surroundings are very important for a healthy and prosperous life. The first thing to ensure is that your bed is not directly lined up with the entrance of the room. If you are laying on your back in bed and look down past your toes, you should not see out the door. This is extremely bad Feng Shui and should be changed straight away. Although you don't want your feet heading out the door, you do want to have a view of the door from where you lie. There are many other things to consider when arranging a bedroom, such as equanimity, and use of mirrors and electronics. But if you can see the door when you're laying in bed, that is a great start.

When sitting behind your desk, whether it be in the work place, your home office, or the "kitchen table office", you should also have a direct and clear view of the door. If the orientation of the room or the furniture doesn't allow for this, a mirror should be placed on the wall in front of you so you're not surprised by anyone entering the space. With the optimal seat you have command of the room--a seat of strength and security.

When considering where to put your couch, your favorite leather chair, or your dining room table, a clear view of the main entrance to the room should always be an objective as well. Fact of the matter is, the design of the room may not always allow for this. Again, mirrors work magic, announcing a new entrant to the room by their reflection. Feng Shui offers many solutions to tricky design problems, and each space is unique. If you're living with what you love, you can make it work.

If any of this seems particularly challenging for you, let me help you move some things around! If you're in the market for a new sofa or office furniture, I can help you chose what is right for your space and for the goals you have set. You can visit my website, http://www.cristinzinspiredliving.com, to learn more about my approach and my consultations--I'd love to help!

peace, love, and only welcome surprises...

Day 3: Under the Rubble

Spring is right around the corner and one thing I am always driven to do is get down on my knees and in to the corners and scrub all those places that don't see the light for so many months. The tradition of thoroughly cleaning the house in the spring can be traced back to several countries' traditions around the holidays that happen this time of year, or just for the fact that the windows can be open and dust and fumes can be swept outside. No matter where the tradition came from, there is an intrinsic nesting that happens this time of year, and it is a really good thing in Feng Shui.

Clutter is the first thing that needs to be addressed when looking at improving the Feng Shui of a space. If energy cannot flow freely, it gets stuck and stagnant and this can reflect on the quality of your life. If you live amidst clutter and chaos, that is what lives inside you as well. If our mission is to live a peaceful, happy, and vibrant life, the junk has got to go.

Are you a "stuff in piles to deal with as I go" type of person, or are you a "shove it behind a closed door so it's out of my sight" type of person? Either way, we all have work to do. When you walk into a space, notice where your eye goes. If it goes directly to a pile of old bills on the counter or to a bookshelf overloaded with nick-knacks, know that that is where the energy goes as well...and that's where it gets stuck.

You can't hide anything in Feng Shui, so if you risk your life every time you open a closet door, or your car hasn't been in your garage for months, it's safe to say your life is jammed up somewhere. Think about the last time you took a day to clean out a closet. Remember how good it made you feel when the task was complete. You felt lighter, you could breathe better--you felt free! Am I right? Imagine if you always felt that way--that's what we're striving for!

Live with what you love is a good rule to live by. If you don't love it, let it go. If you donate it or give it to a friend, maybe it's just what someone else has been looking for to make their heart sing. And by getting rid of the old, you're making room for new and more auspicious things to enter your life. Take a close look at your "collections" and be sure they're still meaningful to you. If they are, keep them tidy and sparkling. If the stack-system works for you in dealing with paperwork that crosses your desk, just make sure every item is in an active state. If not, file it away for another time. A lot of times, especially this time of year, it's a good idea to just clear the shelves, empty the racks, pull everything out and give the surfaces a good scrubbing. As you do so, think about the good fortune you have had to fill your life with so many treasures. As you put things back, if you see that they're not so much a treasure to you anymore, then purge them. You'll feel so good when you do.

If you look around your house and simply don't know where to begin, give me a call. A Feng Shui consultation is a great spring treat to give you a fresh start and some good perspective. There's so much you want to do, don't let your material belongings bog you down. Don't start off the season of new growth with the things of the past prohibiting your own personal promise. Get yourself out from under the rubble, polish things up and allow your inner light to shine!

peace, love, and big trips to Good Will...

Day 2: Water, Water Everywhere!

Feng shui works to balance the five elements of wood, earth, metal, fire, and water in an environment. When we have a good balance of these elements we feel most peaceful and in harmony in our living or working space. Have you ever walked in to a room and felt uncomfortable? Maybe you've spent time somewhere that left you feeling anxious or impatient, or even unmotivated for reasons you couldn't explain? It's highly likely that there was an imbalance of these key elements--too much fire or too little water--something was just "off." On the flip side, I hope you've enjoyed time in spaces that make you feel at ease, like you didn't want to leave, like it hugs you when you walk in. This environment is probably comprised of a nice collection of each of the five elements.

Each element, in excess or in deficiency, can represent a change in the lives of people living in a space. Attending to the Feng Shui of an environment helps to support what we all want in our lives: good health, prosperity, joy, and love, to name a few. With good intent while practicing Feng Shui, paths can be open for good energy to flow in to your life. If you feel like good things simply trickle into your life, or if you notice your mailbox being flooded with bills, the water element might be something to look at a little more closely.

Water represents prosperity and can be very supportive for finances and career. There are certain areas within a living or working space where water can activate the flow of positive energy and improve these facets of your life. This is something I can walk you through and give you recommendations for with a Feng Shui consultation. I encourage you to take a look at my website at http://www.cristinzinspiredliving.com to learn a bit more about Feng Shui and my services. In the meantime, I'm going to leave you with some practical tips to always keep in mind.

When we think of the presence of water in our homes we automatically think of the bathroom. In this particular room water is moving very quickly and if not tended to can literally and figuratively flush your money down the drain. Keep the lids to your toilets down and the drains to your sinks and tubs closed if possible. It is very important to repair leaky sinks or showers immediately. Adding some plants or even bamboo towels in the bathroom introduce the wood element which draws away some of the water energy. The element of earth also achieves this so using earth tones and ceramics in the bathroom can be very supportive.

Kitchen sink, dishwasher, washing machine, garden hoses -- keep 'em clean and in good working order. I know last fall we had a big flooding problem in my part of the world, and my New England friends are dealing with that now. My advice, as you mop and dry vac and sterilize in your boots and soggy clothes, is to stay positive. Remind yourself that you have a strong home and a strong family and a flood of water cannot uproot you. Bring some more of the earth element, which works to dam up the water, into your home. Before long you'll be past this tough time and your attention can be turned to your spring garden where working with wood (flowers and herbs) and earth (dirt) will further ground your prosperity.

So this week, contemplate how you feel when standing beside a rushing river versus a slow-flowing creek. Sometimes it feels like we're riding the rapids, but if we keep our intention pure and our attitude positive, we always find the shallow pools and find that peace again.

peace, love, and fountains of good fortune...

Day 1: Welcome to my home!

I am going to do five consecutive days of feng shui topics to commemorate this last week of winter. One of the main principles of feng shui is that everything is always in a constant state of change. The seasons are a wonderful example of this, and since living in good balance with nature is one of the things we strive to do with feng shui, I thought this would be a good time to embrace change and teach you all a few things you can do to create harmony and peace in your home.

There is no better place to start than at your front door. The main door to your home is very important in feng shui and this door should be used every day. I know many of us enter our homes primarily through the garage, the kitchen door, or some other entrance, leaving our front door to just sit there and look pretty. I encourage you to use this door whenever possible. This is the primary entrance for good energy to enter your home, and your using it keeps that flow active. If you're not using this door, ask yourself why. Is it not convenient? If so, consider changing where you park. Is it a pain because the lock sticks? Oil it up! Are there bushes that poke you when you approach the front door? Cut those babies back! Even if you come and go from this door to walk your dog or check your mail, that is bringing vital energy to the threshold of your home.

If a guest comes to visit you, what is the path they have to take to get to your front door? Make sure it is safe and well-lit. A meandering walkway is always better than a straight shot to the door. Think about how you feel when you're driving down a curvy country road as opposed to a long, straight highway. It just feels more easeful. Make sure there are pretty plants and flowers to look at and to soften the hard lines of the walkway. And in some cases it's appropriate to have a walkway from the street and the driveway so visitors don't have to dodge between parked cars or trudge through the grass to get to your home.

Once that visitor is standing at your front door, what do they see and how do they feel? Your front stoop should be welcoming and cheerful. Cobwebs, loose bricks, old newspapers, and a tattered mat don't leave a good first impression. Again, make sure this area has good lighting for the evening hours--safety is always the first consideration in feng shui. Just the attention you give to keeping this space clean and fresh does wonders for welcoming positive energy into your home.

You greet your guest (and your good energy) at the door...what next? Does the door open fully and freely or does it bang in to a basket of dirty shoes when it opens? What is in the entryway to welcome you in? Consider putting something there that makes you feel at home when you enter, something that reflects the people who live there and the impression you want to give people when they first arrive. This is the first place to make a statement about the rest of your home.

Many homes have staircases that run right down in the front entry way. Obviously, if this is how your house was designed there isn't much you can do about it. However, this layout is not ideal for the free-flow of energy throughout your floor plan. Placing a mirror on the wall at the bottom of your staircase will help discourage good energy from shooting out your front door. Another trick is to not stair-step pictures on the wall in your stairwell. Encourage the energy to meander down the stairs by creating a horizontal display, or by skipping the artwork all together.

In feng shui there is an energetic map that relates specific areas of your home to different areas of our lives. The front door, in almost all cases, will fall in one of three areas: helpful people and travel, career, or knowledge and self-cultivation. Depending on where your front door lies on the front plane of your house, distinct colors, shapes, and materials in your entryway can support these areas of your life. This is definitely something to be mindful of, and if you'd like some help determining what area this is for you, consider contacting me for a feng shui consultation. It's a fun and fascinating process to see how your environment relates to your life. And it's exciting and empowering to gain new knowledge of how you can create more harmony and prosperity by making conscious changes that are in alignment with what you want out of life.

I'm off to take a broom the corners of my front porch and deal with an unsightly pile of extension cords to the right of my front door. Check in again tomorrow for some more feng shui inspiration!

peace, love, and welcome mats....

Hints of Spring

Last night we had to put our 14 year old kitty down. My husband got she and her sister the year before we met. She saw a lot in her long cat life, and her life was good and ended quickly. I am blown away by the number of lives, human and pet, that are ending. As I posted about a week ago, my reality has seen a lot of these heavy transitions lately. But God willing, winter is ending and I'm looking to follow the earth's energy of spring and look outward rather than inward. This is not about me. It is happening and I have no power to change it, I only have the power to decide how it effects me. I feel a sadness for all my loss, but I am comforted by my faith, by trusting that God knows when each loved one's time is complete here on this earth. And others need me. I'm the one who comforts, lifts spirits, and finds the bright side. It's time to get back to that work. So what can I do? What can I do to not continue to be so self-absorbed, so consumed by grief? I can follow the advice I give to others all the time--give. When you feel like things are being taken, give something away. When you feel like things are slipping through your hands, fill someone else's cup. Instead of focusing on the sadness I have within me, take all the love I have within me and share it. I'm tired of examining the things that are happening around me and trying to figure out why? It's time for me to begin doing.

I'm going to start off with cupcakes. Yes, cupcakes. It's giving to me and giving to others. I love to bake--it is comforting to me. The warm oven, the smell that envelopes the whole house, the exacts of 1 teaspoon of this, 1/2 a cup of that. So don't be surprised if you find a half-dozen little packets of love on your doorstep this afternoon. It means I'm thinking about you, I'm thankful for you, and wishing you the hope and happiness that comes along with springtime. Ahhhh...I feel better already.

peace, love, and icing covered gifts of love...

Healthy Habits

Almost two years ago I made a conscious decision to cut out partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and food dyes from my family's diet. I would say we are successful with this about 85% of the time, and I'm happy with that. My son became an avid label reader, and for a while even dictated to me the sugar grams in every packaged food he came across. It was spurred by the desire to be proactive instead of reactive when it came to my children's health. Again, my son has been the primary motivator for this, since he was the fussy baby. Not wanting to pump his little body full of anti-gas formulas, I cut out dairy and certain vegetables from my diet. After chronic ear infections in his second year of life, we began taking him to a chiropractor. Not only has he had maybe one ear infection since then, I also truly believe that regular adjustments helped him with his developmental delays, in conjunction with the other arsenal of modalities: speech therapy, occupational therapy, clown therapy, music therapy, special needs preschool, and social skills groups. With all this work I was doing with him, changing the way we ate was more than I could take on when he was younger. But once we got out of the forest a bit and got him in to kindergarten, I was determined to put healthier things into his body.

My daughters are great eaters. They love most fruits and vegetables and will try about anything I ask them to try. Although what he is eating is limited in range, what my son consumes is pretty good for him. I make fresh salsa for him a couple times a week and on the back of an organic corn chip, he gets his vegetables. Right now his fruit is limited to green or purple grapes. I'm hoping he'll eat the banana waffles I make from scratch tomorrow morning, if he assumes they're just plain old waffles. Moms have got to be sneaky.

There are several cookbooks out about how to sneak healthy things in to your kids' food. I've tried them, but my kids are purists. They like their meat, their vegetable, their starch, all in their separate corners of their plate. No sauces with eggplant mysteriously mixed in, not even baked goods with chickpeas disguised as butterscotch chips. That's fine with me. I like the idea of exposing them to whole, real foods and if they don't care for them now, we'll try again later.

I want my kids to have a good relationship with food. They pretty much ask permission most of the time before they eat anything and although I sometimes feel like the snack police, I like having that control over what they put in their bodies. It's not always going to be like this. But that's why I keep the focus on health and fueling our bodies, so when they're out with their friends they can make better choices because they are educated. That's not to say I deny them treats. They have plenty of those, and my youngest daughter is quite a junk food lover. I don't want to forbid these foods because that can backfire and they'll binge the second I'm not monitoring them. Heck, even I like to sit down with a box of girl scout cookies and a glass of milk once in a while.

And to look at my kids, they look like healthy kids. Of course, my aggressive use of sunscreen on the girls' milky white skin keeps them quite pail all year 'round (my son has that beautiful skin that picks up a warm glow as soon as the temperatures warm above 60 degrees). Their body types are quite different, but they are lean, strong, flexible kids. I hope to instill the value of a strong body in them so as they develop in to preteens/teenagers/young adults they can resist the pressure to keep up with the magazine covers and the hottest pop star. That is an ambitious goal--I struggle with that as a thirty-something mom. But I tell them (and tell myself in doing so) that this is the body God gave us and it's our job to take good care of it. We can't make it taller or shorter, we can't move a freckle, we can't pick different ears. As Forest Gump said, "I am as God made me." We need to be grateful for our limbs, our senses, and our full range of abilities. Put healthy things in our body, keep it moving, and it will serve us well for a long time.

peace, love, and an organic apple a day...