Light and Dark in Balance

Today is a day that is created in balance. There are as many hours of light as there are of darkness. The high energies of summer mellow into the more introspective energies of autumn. It is time to harvest what sustains us--releasing back into the Earth the things that don't serve us. Life has light and darkness just as this day does. We only see the shining moon because of the light of the sun.

This is a good weekend to consider the dichotomy within ourselves. Letting go of what might be holding us back from reaching the goals we set earlier this year. That can be internally, such as thought patterns, negative self-talk, excuses, fear, and doubt. It can also be environmentally, revisiting the feng shui of your living spaces, paying close attention to the Knowledge & Self-Cultivation area, one of the most yin areas of your home. This is a great space for introspection and intuition. Truly, taking a feng shui tour of all areas of your home will cause you to reconnect with the intentions you have in all areas of your life in order to examine if you're on the right path for the highest success and happiness.

I'm going to spend tomorrow in my bedroom closet, tucking the summer clothes away, giving this little space a good cleaning and letting it breathe for a bit. Then I'll mindfully put the clothes that fit and flatter me back in in respectable order.

It's also a good time to revisit any goals you set and to check in on your progress. I did this for myself and kind of giggled at what I thought was of top importance last January. Life has a way of spinning me on my own axis, and man has it! I'm on track with a lot of what I wanted to accomplish, and some items I am scratching right off my list. Of course, I have new objectives that were not on my horizon nine months ago--and that's okay! It's a great time to charge myself up with things that motivate me right now while still working toward the more enduring achievements I'm striving for.

And I'm proud of where I am on this day rooted in balance. Acknowledging the hard work you have done and the ground that you've covered is vital. Celebrate your victories, and today let go of your shortcomings. Get outside and put your feet on the Earth, understanding the connection we have to the rhythms of the seasons. If it's raining where you are tonight, which I believe it is in many areas of the U.S., step outside and enjoy a few minutes in the cleansing power of the rain. And smile!

Refrigerator Love

The other day I dedicated 20 minutes to someone that works hard every day for me and my family. She endures the stress of us pulling and hanging on her, and she keeps us safely nourished and hydrated. She helps us get going first thing in the morning and can provide us a little comfort late at night. She's big and strong and cool.

Cleaning my refrigerator is like a ritual. It's an act of gratitude. This is how we need to treat all of our belongings, and our appliances are of optimum importance in Feng Shui. The kitchen itself is the hub of our homes these days. Not only are they the room where we go for storing, preparing, and eating our food, we use our kitchens to gather, to do homework, to pay bills, and to play games. A lot of creativity happens in a kitchen.

In Feng Shui the kitchen, and specifically our appliances, represent prosperity and well-being. The stove is of the utmost importance. Keep your stove sparkling clean, use all the burners, replace missing knobs, and keep it in good working order--that's the recipe for good finances. If your faucet is leaking, that can me a metaphor for money slowly trickling out of your bank account. Do you have funky stuff growing in a tupperware container in the back of your fridge? If so, take care of it and see if your health improves a little bit. Want to clear your head and feel a little less stressed? Pull out the all-natural all-purpose cleaner and scrape the splatters and spills out of your microwave.

It may sound a little out-there to think that the condition in which you keep your kitchen appliances can reflect on the quality of your life, but you know how good you feel when it all gets a deep cleaning. It's renewing and refreshing, and even inspiring! It makes me want to open up a cookbook and create something new. A kitchen nourishes the body and the soul. Treat it and everything that is in it with tender loving care. That energy will come back to you.

How to Gain Freedom by Working the To-Do List

A lot of people I know have been tackling "projects" lately. These projects tend to be laborsome, not always fun jobs around the house that just need to get done. We have a list, mental or hard-copy, of these things that are weighing on us. The places in our home that drive us crazy. They make us sigh or scream whenever we are in that space, and we swear we are going to do something about this! As soon as I have time...as soon as I get my bonus...as soon as the kids are in school...as soon as...

What if you knew that the energy of that space was directly related to your health? Would you deal with that project sooner if you knew it could help your migraines? Or what if you knew that the energy of that space was directly related to your career? Would it become more of a priority if you knew it could help you get out from under the pile of busy work you have to do so you could be more efficient and affective, doing the work that you enjoy?

Let's make a list of some of those projects--I'll just take a look at projects that are/have been bogging me down:

- closets: organizing and purging

- yard: clearing out debris and generally tidying and cleaning up

- car: vacuuming and removal of kid-related rubbish

- pantry: tossing expired/stale items, cooking with what I have

- playroom: sorting toys to be donated, toys to throw away, reintroducing old toys to spark new creativity in the kids

I could go on, and I know you have your own lists that are scrolling through your brain. Remember the last time you started AND COMPLETED one of these projects? How GOOD does that feel?! It helps us breathe a little deeper, stand a little taller, and think a little clearer when we devote our energy and intention to delving in to these spaces and clearing them out. What if you knew by doing this you would feel less stressed? You will!

I find that Mondays are a day when people start anew. What I want you to do today is pick one of your projects, make it a manageable one (I'm not talking paint the house or something major like that--unless you're really ambitious and driven to do it!). Give yourself a deadline. I'm going to help you--your deadline is this Sunday at 1:00pm. Now take a look at your calendar. Can you start today? Find the pockets of time you have in the next week and write your project on your calendar. Keep in mind that you are doing this for your own well-being. Dedicating time to this is a gift to yourself, even if it's not the most enjoyable exercise to go through. The next step is big--DO IT. You may live in disarray for a bit since this is probably something that can't be completed in one sitting. Active chaos is much better than inactive chaos, and the end product is worth the mess.

Take a before picture for me, then at 1:00 on Sunday step back and look. Then close your eyes and take a deep breath and realize that even though your eyes are closed you can still FEEL a difference. Smile, and pour yourself a mimosa, a coffee, a bloody mary, a beer, a milkshake, a green tea, an ice water with lemon, whatever your celebratory treat may be and be thankful to yourself for the gift you've just given and received.

I bet by this time next week you'll be reading my next blog feeling a little lighter and a bit more prepared to tackle the week that lies ahead.

Happy Feng Shui'ing!

Tips for Wealth & Prosperity

There are certain life energies that resonate with different zones in our homes. This may sound kind of "woo-woo" to you, and I could start talking a bit about Quantum Physics (Who am I kidding? I can't really have a conversation about Quantum Physics.), or you can try to just embrace it and give it a try.

We can agree that where your thoughts and attention go, energy goes. Yes? Okay, so let's talk about the energy that goes to the Wealth & Prosperity area of our homes. In very general terms, when you walk in the front door of your house (which you should use as your main entrance whenever possible) to to the far left corner of your house. If you have an attached porch or deck, this should be considered part of the footprint of your space. This general area is where your Wealth & Prosperity energy lives.

What's there now?

If it has clutter of any sort--an overflowing closet, a messy desk, a collection of broken pots and dead plants--clear that out! Dedicate your time and energy to cleaning it up and getting rid of whatever doesn't say MONEY to you. And let's think about that--what does say money to you? Pictures of grand travels you want to take? A luxury car? A new kitchen? Or what about playing golf every week or going to the spa on a regular basis? As you're doing your cleaning and purging visualize yourself doing/being/having what looks like "the good life" to you--whatever that may be.

Once you've got this space all cleared out and sparkling, you can use some elements to enhance the good energy, the life force energy--the chi in the Wealth & Prosperity of your life. If it's an outdoor space adding something that moves in the wind is a great choice. Think windchimes (maybe with coins that jingle in the breeze?), whirly-gigs, flags, etc. Flowers or feeders that attract birds and/or butterflies are also great here.

The color purple is very powerful in this area of your home, as are jewel tones--rich ruby reds, golds, and deep royal blues. The fire element gets things moving, like candles, lamps, and triangular or conical shapes. And a trickling fountain is a wonderful enhancement for this area (just make sure the water isn't flowing toward the outside of your house, like money flowing out--you want it flowing in.

You can walk in to any room in your house or office and apply the same fixes. You always find the back left of the space based on the main entrance to the room. My website has a diagram of how the life energies map out over your floor plan. Your main entrance is (almost) always going to fall in either the Knowledge & Self-Cultivation, the Career, or the Helpful People & Travel area. http://cristinzinspiredliving.com/feng_shui.html

I hope this gives you some Wealth & Prosperity inspiration this morning! Happy enhancing!

peace, love, and wild riches~

Smell

I got a facial a few days ago and for an hour I relished in the decadence of lavender then coconut milk then rose water then honey being gently brushed, tapped, and spritzed on my face. Each separate balm or crème or tonic immediately clicked something in my brain. I inhaled the aroma and I physiologically changed. The power of scent is very strong. It actually is the sense most directly linked to the brain (and the emotional part of the brain at that), causing more immediate reactions than any of the other senses. Memories are attached to smells, good and bad. Sometimes we have aversions to certain smells—my husband can’t stand the smell of seafood, my mother is very sensitive to musky odors. On the other hand, I asked some readers what smells they loved: cloves, clean kids, a freshly mown lawn. Scents can stir up emotions and transport us to a different time or place. Who doesn’t smell coconut and think of the beach or pine and have visions of the Christmas tree.

Scents can also be used to balance our bodies. I am fascinated with aromatherapy and hope to incorporate it in my Feng Shui practice. I love essential oils and use them to treat different conditions such as sinus congestion, anxiety, and skin irritation. Every person’s body chemistry calls for a unique blend of smells to balance, calm, or invigorate. I look forward to studying this art and science (most likely this will appear on my Goals for 2011).

Like many things in life, we should just do what we like! Surround yourself with what makes you feel good. I burn candles all the time—sometimes it’s spicy herbal scents and sometimes its sweet vanilla, or cleansing citrus. Aim to open your windows for half an hour each day if that fresh air makes a difference in your home. Keep a sleeve of cookie dough in your fridge for impromptu baking if that nostalgic smell lifts your spirits. Have a sample size of your favorite perfume or a bottle of your go-to oil blend on hand for those times when you are overwhelmed by an unpleasing smell in your environment.

Looking forward to the New Year and considering the change and personal development we intend to work on, I thought I’d throw out the idea of using the sense of smell to aid in our success. Let’s say getting more active is a goal for 2011. Sore and achy muscles might be a hindrance to success. Try soaking in a chamomile or ginger bath. If you are aiming to live 2011 with your glass half full, try the uplifting scents of rose or bergamot. When working to learn new skills or manage your money more responsibly, rosemary can help with clear thinking and focus.

I must admit, as I write this entry my sinuses are clogged and the only smell that is squeaking through my swollen nasal passages is that of fresh stain on my new kitchen cabinets. It’s funny how the sense of smell has played such a big role in my life the past week. I’m going to go find my eucalyptus oil and set the intention to use this magnificent tool, my sense of smell, to support the work I do in 2011. More to come in this department, for sure.

peace, love, and smellin’ the roses…

5 weeks till New Years!

It's December 1 and there are about 5 more weeks in 2010. I've noticed as people are pulling out their holiday decorations and getting their shopping started that they are also taking this opportunity to clean out closets and clear out under the bed. Maybe it's a preemptive effort to make room for new stuff coming in. Maybe they're checking in with themselves to see if they still fit in to those dress pants they haven't worn in a while. Or maybe, subliminally, they're getting prepared for the new energy of 2011!

Life gets so crazy this time of year (so much so that that statement alone has become a cliche). All the parties and crowds and traffic and noise and layers and layers of lights. Once January rolls around it feels like we've been at an amusement park (yes--it's crazy but it's FUN!). What if we took this month not only to celebrate the season but also to clear the clutter within ourselves so we can start a fresh new year running toward our goals and aspirations? Sounds a lot better than starting it off on a diet and a spending freeze, huh?

Beginning this week, for 5 weeks I'm going to post about what we can do to prep for a stellar beginning to our new year. In considering what my themes would be I pondered the number 5 and decided to focus my writing on the 5 senses. How fun and appropriate for this overstimulating time of year! So carve out a few minutes each week to read and ready yourself for that day when the calendar flips from December to January. My hope is it might help you navigate through these crazy weeks ahead as well. They are to be savored and enjoyed. I send you and your families my sincere wishes for a happy and safe holiday!~

peace, love, and joy~~

If These Walls Could Talk

I took my kids to see Toy Story 3 today and was reminded of a couple of Feng Shui principles (between laughing and crying at such a wonderful story). Even if you haven't seen the movie, pretty much everyone knows the premise, right? The toys come alive when the humans are not around. Who are we to say this doesn't ever happen anyway. I swear my glasses make the rounds of my house every day. These toys--a cowboy, a space ranger, a slinky, Mr. Potato Head--they all love the little boy to whom they belong. He drags them out in the yard, sleeps with them, takes them on errands with his mom, but most importantly, he brings them to life with his imagination.

In the third movie, this little boy is now 17 and is headed off to college. Throughout the movie I was thinking about "things" and how we treat the material objects in our lives. What if everything we owned came to life when we weren't around. What would they say? Would they be happy? Would they be as devoted to us as Woody is to Andy? With Feng Shui we are challenged to look at everything in our environments as being alive--alive with chi, with life energy. Our memories, our behaviors, our emotions are absorbed in to the matter of these objects. If years of holiday meals are shared over a dining table, that table holds the energy of those people, of those gatherings, of the bread that was broken there. If intimate parent/child talks are had on a front porch swing, that swing holds the energy of that relationship, that precious connection, those emotions. That table should remain polished, screws tightened, wood protected. The chain that holds that swing should not get rusty, the pollen should be cleaned off, the cushions fluffed.

Remember also that our environment is a reflection of what is going on within our spirits. Look around you. What do you see? Really look, and consider if this rings true for you. I'm willing to bet on some level it does. Everything you own should be precious to you. Keep in mind the role these objects have in holding you back or moving you forward. If you are divorced and are still sleeping on the same mattress, get a new one. If there's a dent in your bike helmet that reminds you of that big wreck, treat yourself to a new helmet. Does your artwork represent who you are? Does your couch make you feel comforted? Live with what you love, and love what you live with.

On the morning the boy in the movie was heading off to college, his mom walked in his room and gasped because he had taken all the posters off his walls, all his belongings either packed away or passed on. It was a shell of a room. A room that just the day before felt like her son. He slept and played and studied and grew up there, and his energy was sucked up by those four walls and everything else within them. As a mom I could totally relate to this moment. I look around me now and see my kids' books, a barbie doll, a plate made in art class, nail polish, and photographs. My kids are tucked in their beds asleep right now, but they are all around me. This house pulses with their energy all the time. If all of these items that remind me of them were in one day gone, it would take my breath away too.

In the end even Andy had a hard time letting go of the one thing that most reminded him of his childhood. Was he ready to grow up? Was he ready to move on? We need to consider if letting something go is going to open up space for something new and wonderful to enter. I sometimes pretend that material things are of no importance, but sometimes they are. I have an altar filled with simple and thoughtful gifts from precious friends and I could never get rid of these items for the sake of "spring cleaning." At least not now. Right now they reflect who I am and what is important to me.

When my grandmother passed this spring, my mom and my uncle had the daunting task of going through her belongings and determining what should be kept (and by whom) and what should be thrown away or donated. Nana is gone--these things are of no use to her anymore. But these things hold memories for the rest of us. The costume jewelry, the funky glasses, the blankets she knitted. We now look at them and smile, remembering her fondly.

So this week why don't you pick a room a day to explore. Just sit in that space for a few minutes and look at what's around you. If it came alive when you left the room, would it be happy? What kind of energy has it soaked up in the time that you've had it? Does it reflect who you are now? Does it support where your life path is taking you? Is there someone else that would benefit from it far more than you would? Just one room a day. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

peace, love, and a few of my favorite things...

Creating Sparks

How fun and exciting and interesting it is to be in a new relationship. It’s so easy to get swept away with the emotions of the moment—and why shouldn’t you? You’re discovering one another, and discovering something new about yourself.

But then, after time, there’s real life. Real life is not so sexy and we don’t always look forward to the next encounter. We can’t always have a deep conversation. After years there isn’t something new to discover on a regular basis.

I think it’s real to yurn for those early days, that curiosity, that spark, those butterflies when something totally new in someone else just turns you on. Marriage, kids, careers, families…despite all these things that try to keep us confined in this little box, remaining the same person day in and day out…we need to keep growing. We need to keep exploring within ourselves so we still have the fuel it takes to ignite that spark—in others and within ourselves. It’s not impossible to have those same reactions after being with the same person for a long time. In many ways it’s deeper. With time and life and experiences come confidence and comfort and security. It’s not the same, and I’m not going to even blow smoke and say that it’s better. Well, in the macro view it is most certainly better. That moment though—that moment of thrill and exuberance—they’re certainly fewer and farther between. But if we keep pushing ourselves to step out of that box we’ve been put in, we are richer, we’re more fascinating, we have the best chance of living a life that has more of those incredible, passionate, and fiery moments.

So what can we do now, as we go through the motions of our daily lives, to connect with that free-spirit that lives in each of us? We can get creative! Paint a picture with your fingers, lay on the ground with your camera and take photographs from a different perspective, listen to music and dance! Change your hair color, wear a fun costume or your favorite heels, have a picnic dinner in the yard! Don't let that box confine you and define who you are--you get to decide who you are. And other people will see your perception of yourself and respond to that. If you want to have more of those exuberant moments in your life, inspire that in others! Get creative and express yourself.

This is part of the essence of the second chakra. It's the same energy that ignites our sensuality that sparks our creativity. In Feng Shui there is even an area of the home that resonates with this energy. This energy is rooted in honor and respect, for others and for ourselves. Nurturing this part of ourselves is wonderful self-care and it shouldn't stop when the newness wears off or when life becomes more routine. In fact, maybe that's when we need to pay the most attention to keeping that fountain full.

peace, love, and being silly...

Belonging to Something Bigger

I was born into my family for a reason--we all were. Each one of us has something to learn from one another--each person we encounter in our lives has something to teach us. A child born into a family in the jungles of South America has a completely different experience than a child born into a family in the English countryside. Born in the 1970's I was raised in the midst of different attitudes and beliefs than my mother who was born in the 1940's. There is a tribal energy that we take on as children. Our worlds are so small. We only know what is taught to us by the adults that care for us day-to-day. As we grow and are exposed to more worldly energy, we begin to think bigger and break away from the rules we lived by and form our own beliefs and values based on our own experiences in the world. This is the beginning of spiritual growth.

This tribal energy is related to the first chakra, that sense of belonging to a group. To some it's a family. To others it's a tight group of friends or a religious group. In reality, it can be any of these, and several of these, at different times in our lives. This is what got me thinking today...the times when these changes in affiliations force us to look at ourselves differently and examine who we really are and what sparks our passion. It's not just when we get on the school bus for the first time. It's when we join a sorority in college, move to a new city, join the world of parenthood, or get involved in community activism. We can be catapulted into a tribal change when tragedy strikes--divorce, death, financial challenges, or when good fortune enters our lives--big promotions, getting married, running our first marathon. We become part of a collective group, and we're challenged to find alignment with those around us. In doing so we explore more deeply what we're made of and what we stand for as individuals.

Very often it's the inner drive, whether consciously or unconsciously, that weens us from our particular tribe. All of a sudden we don't seem to have as much in common with the people around us. Maybe members of our group are making decisions that just don't feel right to us. It could be we become sensitive to certain actions or patterns and we feel on edge. This is our intuition speaking--that inner voice--and we have to listen.

It doesn't mean that we can't still love the members of tribe, but personal growth is necessary. Each one of us will have our time of discovery. Sometimes life events put that opportunity in our laps. And although there is a greater plan behind every encounter, we all have the power of choice. We chose to align with the collective group or to assess the energy that is present and break away. We all must be personally responsible for our thoughts and actions, no matter what is going on with the group of people who surround us.

I have gone through this so many times in my life: Pulling away from my parents. Jumping around to different groups of friends in high school, trying to find the place I felt most comfortable (hard for every teenager!). Moving to Atlanta alone to make a new start for myself. Becoming a wife, and starting my family. Moving from the city to the suburbs. Seeking new companions that share similar interests at this phase of my life. I know myself pretty well by now and the spiritual growth I've experienced in the past 10 years has been incredible. I am in touch with the tribal energy of life on this earth, all of us being connected, from my neighbor to the soldier serving overseas, from my 15 year old cat to the lavender sprouts trying to bud in the pot outside my back door. Our energy is connected, our existence is ever-changing, and our potential to grow is inspiring.

peace, love, and belonging to something bigger...