You Snooze – You Win

We live in a society where sleep problems are all too common.  It is reported that the average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep to help maintain a healthy body.  Unfortunately, only 35% of folks are achieving this. 

Today, most children have computers and TVs in their rooms.  Consequently,  they are not getting adequate sleep, and performing at low energy levels equates to not functioning at peak performance in school. 

Stress is considered the most common cause of sleep disturbance.  Filled with anxiety, thousands of people suffer from insomnia.  Either they can’t fall asleep, wake up several times during the night only to have trouble falling back to sleep, or wake up too early in the morning without feeling rested. Continue Reading…

Making Scents of Feng Shui

As human beings, we are emotionally impacted by scent.  In fact, our sense of smell is considered the only sense that evokes a purely emotional response.

Research indicates that smells are not filtered through the part of the brain that ruminates or analyzes, but rather though the part that responds and operates without conscious thought.  It is reported that our responses to smell take place within 10 seconds after exposure — with no thought process involved.  We react and then think.

Our olfactory sense is the oldest of the five senses.  Smell, emotion and memory are all linked in the limbic system of our bodies.  Not only do certain smells affect how we feel emotionally, but they can also affect our energy level.  When entering a room, we can either feel suffocated by a lingering perfume or enticed by the aroma of delicious food being cooked. Continue Reading…

Feng Shui Your Stuff Away—Breaking the Clutter Cycle

I recently participated in my town’s annual garage sale.  From a financial point of view, my profit was $203.00; not too shabby.  From an emotional point of view, however, I made quite a bit more.

To prepare for the big day, I started doing inventory in the usual clutter hangouts, the attic, garage and shed.  I then found my way into more personalized clutter spaces such as the closets, bedroom dressers and nightstands.

During the clearing process, I went thru items such as old paint, tools, toiletries, CDs, linens, magazines, books, jewelry, and the insidious holiday decorations.  There was no stopping me. 

I came home from work one night and before I was consciously aware of it, I was tackling the kitchen.  My cleansing ran the gamut, from the obvious junk drawer to the fertile breeding ground of tupperware.  Even canned goods were victims of my maniacal purge. Continue Reading…

Fundamentals of Feng Shui Gardening

One of the earliest meanings of feng shui is the study of climate, geology and vegetation.  It was thousands of years ago in China that the seeds of this natural science were sown.

Natural climatic conditions such as wind and water were viewed as sacred signs that were looked upon by shamans as ways to help determine the most auspicious places for houses, altars and graves. When ideal spaces were not attainable, their search for remedies led to the ideology of feng shui, blending Taoism, astronomy, alchemy, astrology and shamanism.

In early times, Chinese philosophers seeking refuge and the serenity of nature headed to the countryside to paint landscapes of majestic mountains reaching up toward misty skies with winding rivers and pine trees.  Their awe of natural beauty was expressed on silk scrolls, screens and ceramics, as well as through verse, poetry and calligraphy. It was from this desire to be in harmony with the natural world that the philosophy of Taoism was founded, based on simplicity, intuition, spontaneity and the way (Tao) of nature. 

Feng shui is about the flow of chi and how it affects the human energy field. Taoism is about the unity of humanity and nature. Combining the two, it became apparent that having comfortable and harmonious environments helped inhabitants to survive and thrive.

Continue Reading…