Lose Weight Using Feng Shui: A Slim, Fit & Vibrant YOU

The human body is only a thing of beauty, grace and intelligence.   I approach every subject in my life from a Mind/Body/Spirit/Space perspective because I know blocks to our perfect health or body shape (or anything) are anchored in our homes, our emotions, thoughts and relationships.

No matter what shape or size your body is right now it’s perfect right now because it wants to be healthy too.  Your body is at every moment working to bring you in line with your dreams.

Open to Perfect Body by making some changes in your home and office.

Removing the blocks will allow your body to do its magnificent work.   Here are some tips and things to consider if you are working too hard at getting to your perfect weight:

1. Balance Earth Energy in Your Home & Office.  Earth energy is associated with food, gathering, nourishing, digesting and thinking.  An overabundance of Earth element in your environment will make it very difficult to invite the slim, vibrant healthy you in.  Earth energy is anchored in our spaces by things that are low, soft, comfortable, browns and tans, beiges and yellows, square and rectangular items and décor, representations of earth in art of photos.
   Are You an Earth Energy?  Click here to discover yours and then you can download the Guide for more information.  It’s very cool.  If your Personal Feng Shui Energy (Nine Star Ki) has an Earth Component in it  (2, 5, or 8) you will have a tendency to gather things to you, to hold on to things including past emotions which translate to weight gain.  Read on to discover how to balance that energy and unlock the anchors that prevent your perfect self from easily emerging.
   1. Counterbalance Earth  Just a little of the other elements can be effective to bring your spaces into harmony with your new healthy and slim self.  Balance in Feng Shui doesn’t mean 20% of each of the 5 elements, just a bit can be the perfect ingredient to life the energy and spice it up.
      1. Add a bit of Tree energy:   Trees pull their energy from the Earth;  in the same way that Trees pull their energy from Earth, Tree energy will uplift Earth energy and help to make things not so heavy.  Adding a bit of Tree energy will help you become more independent and visualize your best self.
         

         Tree Energy can uplift excess Earth Energy that can prevent permanent perfect weight. Add light blue, light green or even tall thin items to your decor to help you.  This set can be found at Frontgate.com

         Décor Items: Things that are tall and slender, light blue or light green, vertical stripes, plants, trees or representations of trees and plants.  Replace the light bulb in your refrigerator with one that is blue (your appetite will wane with the thought of blue food).  Other ways to bring Tree energy into your life: Be independent, look for creative ways to address your life, visualize yourself doing things in your healthy, fit body.

   2. Balance with the other elements  Balance can be achieved by making sure the other elements are also represented in your spaces:
      1. Metal—metal energy will give Earth energy somewhere to go.  For instance, Earth is all about gathering details and items, researching and Metal energy is about delivering those details to the world, timeframes, travel and accountability.  Décor Items:  silver and metallic items, things that are round, spherical, arched or oval, things that are white or metal colors (gold is more of an Earth color).  Other ways to get Metal energy into your life:  get out into the community and give of yourself, deliver a speech, work toward a deadline or even you want to use to motivate you, hold yourself accountable to yourself and your life, join a group that is focused on healthy activities or slim-gain.
      2. Fire—Clarifying and brilliant, we all need fire energy to express our best selves.  It helps us to network and be known for who we are.  This energy actually supports Earth in the biggest way, creating more Earth energy.  Use Fire energy to balance and light the fire of passion and interface with others into your life.   Décor Items:  Light, open the draperies and let the sun shine in; campfires, candles or representations of fire or sun; red, orange or vibrant pink; triangular, conical or pyramidal shapes.  Other ways to get Fire energy into your life: Get out with people, exercise: take a walk, get outside, and networking.  Do things with people that don’t include food: hiking, rock climbing, yoga…  It’s important that you take care of you and building YOUR resources…do something that is ‘self-ish’ each day that doesn’t include helping someone else, or volunteering and taking on other people’s pain and stuff.  Once you take care of you, you’ll have a lot more to offer others.  Do something that makes your heart light and happy—a belly dancing class, karaoke, find a topic you love and give a talk on it at the Ladies Club.  Pets and animals are Fire energy, just petting a cat or dog, talking to a bird can uplift your positive Earth energy.
      3. Water— Water energy is two things: its flow is downward, toward all things deep, spiritual and emotional and it is bubbly, social and fast moving.  Water energy can unground you and get your life flowing again.  Water energy is associated with our Kidneys and sexual organs. Kidney energy in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is the life force.  When Kidney energy is low, we are tired, look aged, and decline.  Water energy can bring freshness, insight and vitality.  Be cautious using Water energy as too much can erode or muddy Earth energy.  Your front door and all doors are associated with the influx of life force into your spaces and life; make sure they work perfectly, are used daily, are beautiful and welcoming and open onto a beautiful view inside.  Décor Items:  water feature (flowing toward the center of your home or in a 360 degree fashion), black décor items, mirrors, reflective surfaces, organic shapes, asymmetrical items.  Other ways to get Water energy into your life:  Check below regarding underlying emotional issues that keep you stuck, take a bath or shower, drink more clear, clean high pH water (not with meals as it will dilute your digestive acids), get onto water or put your feet in water—canoeing, kayaking, swimming, etc.
2. Notice and Change The Images Around YouThe shapes and the images we see create our reality.  Place tall thin items around you. Avoid low, squat or ‘fat’ things like pony bottles of Heineken, or squat pillar candles.   Remove the fun, but chubby chefs, the images of eating or food. Enter through your front door rather than through the kitchen, where you’ll be reminded of food.  Turn the lights off in the kitchen at 6:00 pm; go for a walk and look at the trees.
   

   What you see around you programs your reality. Which one of these images helps you feel fit and healthy?

3. Address Your Wardrobe:  You are initiating change:  discard or donate all the clothing that you don’t love or use.  If you’ve been working for a while at changing your body image, you may have a few different wardrobes in different sizes.  After you discard the items you don’t truly love or the ones that aren’t stylish or classic, box the rest according to size and get them out of your closet and dressers.  Have only one size wardrobe available at a time and as you move down, shift the others.  If you notice those getting tight, don’t go get the larger size, make a special effort for a few days until you are back on track.  Do the above emotional releases and Feng Shui to help you.

Other Tips on Getting to Your Healthy, Fit, Vibrant Body

• Start each day anew.  And start each moment a new.  See your day as a 24 hour period and if you choose to eat something that you love, enjoy it!  Taste it fully. See it glowing in your body, fulfilling all your nutritional needs.
• Take Your Time Life is never the same, every summer is a different one and developing the core of a healthy life STYLE will give you an anchor…but this takes time and be patient with yourself.  Old habits, other people’s habits, and allowing yourself to pay attention to your own needs might not come right away.  Let it develop and keep learning about how you take care of you.
• Use Your Intuition and Answer your body’s REAL need.  Noticing what is really going on in our whole body, your emotions, physical, mental and social can help you stop eating food when what it is you really want is some attention, love or interaction. Do you miss company?  Do you need a hug?  Did someone bring up a sad memory or disrespect you?    I noticed that sometimes when tired, especially if I were driving a long distance, I would eat to stay awake.  I realized this was a pattern from my childhood and that my body, long ago, got the signals confused so that when I needed sleep, I’d substitute food.  When I realized this, it took some effort to just go lie down, take a nap or go to bed early (one day I was in bed for the night at 5:30 pm and slept until 9:00 am the next day!)  I have since been so thankful that I was brave enough to answer my body’s true need and think of the calories I didn’t consume because of it.
• Be gentle with yourself.  Unresolved childhood issues and programming are often the underlying cause of weight gain.  Don’t be hard on yourself and take good care with your inner child.  Be gentle and begin to parent that little child inside yourself from a loving standpoint.  Psychologists say that on the road to healthy, interdependent adult, we get stuck at the “age” and behavior where our parents couldn’t get us to the stage on the journey.  [This has tremendous effects on our own Inner Child as well as our parenting capability for our own children but that’s another post].  To claim your adult power, change the sayings from childhood like “Eat all that’s on your plate” or “Give the biggest piece to the guest” or “you are so fat.”  These are programmed into us and our subconscious inner child takes it as truth and acts on it.  As the grown-up in your own body, you can delete those old patterns and assure your small child self that there’s enough, that it’s worse to waste your healthy body, that food is just one way to have fun and we can also have fun playing other ways.  You’ll no longer have to rebel against this form of denial.  Reprogram that voice and say, “I can eat as much or little as I want,”  “I deserve the biggest piece and will take it if I want.”  (Check out http://www.tapping.com/magnus  (or his YouTube Videos) for one great way to remove subconscious cellular programming as well as The Emotion Code, by Bill Nelson to help you.
• Work with a trusted psychologist who can help you take back your life and help your inner child enjoy itself again.  I recommend working with a professional, getting a solid foundation and assessment of your underlying issues and allow someone to help you through.  You don’t get extra bonus points for going it alone, in fact, it can slow you down.  Our bodies register and sometimes house these events in our tissues to keep us alive in the greater scheme.  Oftentimes, through professional guidance, they can be released from our bodies by expending energy, punching, kicking, etc.   Where we hold our excess weight can often tell us the issues we need to release.
• Discover the Underlying Cause Check out: Louise Hay’s book Heal Your Body, which lists the underlying emotional issues associated dis-ease and with each body part and vertebrae.  This is no time to be timid.  If you are holding weight in your upper arms, ask yourself: “How am I perhaps holding anger at my mother for something she did or didn’t do for me while I was growing up? Did she defend me against abuse? Did she teach me how to be a powerful woman/centered man? Can I release, forgive and move on?”  Do this with love, you don’t have to confront her personally because she had her own limitations while raising or not raising you.  This is your private information and it can be healed.  Then do some yoga and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you become toned and healthy.  A few others:
  • Bodynamics, a study of work from that explains and heals the ‘interpersonal and developmental causes of illness.
  •  EMDR, Eye Muscle Desensitization Response is a non-invasive, practitioner driven way of healing trauma. Many have been cleared of PTSD such as Viet Nam Veterans.  Frankly, I believe we all have traumas that have thwarted our best health.   Sometimes just getting out of bed some days is a heroic feat, don’t you think?
  • EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique, is a method of healing the emotions stored in our cells by tapping specific meridians and points.   (See http://www.tapping.com/magnus or his YouTube Videos) He’s thorough and easy for me to follow.
• Discover life without wheat, sugar or dairy.  Or just pick one of those and focus on the joy of vegetables, sautéed with herbs and spices.  Get creative with the food you eat and understand how the human body works.
• Try acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and Massage, All this ancient information looks at the body through its systems and how they work together.  Focusing on detoxification, exercise and ‘right action’, working with a professional practitioner, can set your body in balance and help you not have to deal with pain or dis-ease.  Here are three beautiful articles that explain tiredness, over thinking, and weight gain understandably.
• Focus on healthy, fit, and trim.   Take your focus off ‘weight’ and ‘fat’.  What you say and focus on grows.  Instead, let the slimness in, the health in, the beauty in.  Before you go to bed, see yourself slim, get photos of your favorite body (yours or someone else’s’) and look at it and tell your being that this is the body you have now, easily and joyfully.
• Begin to LOVE your body, starting at your toes, say hello to them, the skin, the muscles, tendons, bones, blood, and work your way up.  Get physical, stretch and if you want, give yourself permission to have more sex — it’s healthy  (sorry if this is blunt and/or personal but it is a very healthy and can be fun way to get in touch with your body and begin to love it again)
• Delight in beauty of others. When you see a slim person, delight in how it looks and feels. Watch how she or he moves and honor it.

2017 Yin Fire Rooster? Oh yes.

January 28, 2017 marks the beginning of Chinese New Year, a two-week celebration marking the shift toward the rising energy of Spring.

The holiday falls on the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice, marking our journey back toward longer days and the shift from dormant winter to the rise of Earth’s energy.  The two-week long celebration concludes with the Full Moon on February 10.

Here in North Lake Tahoe, CA where I live, I can feel the beginning swell from deep inside the Earth rousing seeds to start the upward journey to meet the sun and longer days, even though there is nothing that even looks close to Spring. Everything here is buried under newly fallen 200+ inches of snow. [However, the skiing is the best in 20 years! I think we’ll have enough water!]

Winter is Nature’s time for going deep inside ourselves, nourishing the seeds for the new harvest and cycles of life which will bring opportunities for growth.

Last year was, for many of us, a year to focus on endings and to release what holds us down.  Perhaps you shifted ways of seeing, being and relating to claim more of your time, energy and beauty for yourself?

2017’s energy brings a year of new beginnings, one in which we are will be served especially well if we can be impeccable in our thoughts, words, actions, efforts and our spaces.

2017 is the Year of the Yin Fire Rooster.  Take the time to dive into your inner world (Yin) and keep the ember of self-love (Fire) glowing and honored;  champion (Rooster) your Heart’s Truth, be self-referential, self-reliant, and give to community.

Bring some Fire energy into your world to remind you to honor yourself, claim your worth, and share your gifts/talents.   Red, orange and even vibrant purple are colors that support us this year.

In the outside world, Fire enlightens and also burns away the unnecessary dross, exposing what has lain hidden.  Rooster crows, so be alert to ways you can gently speak your truth and be known for the gifts you posses and can bring to your world.

Your spaces:

• You can still purge what doesn’t serve you, clean and organize everything in your world, touch it all with love.
• Introduce delightful sound via uplifting music, chimes, laughter, or even flowing water.  Change your spaces to reflect who you really are.
• Honor all your entrances and the area of your rooms and home, offices and buildings associated
• Clean the areas associated with your Reputation and Fame: the furthest most middle third.  Be sure it’s bright and represents what you want to be known for.
• Look at the artwork around you:  what does it represent?  what does it say to you?
• What are the colors you are living with?  The grey tones that have been trending for so long are now giving way to softer, warmer grey/beige tones, lighter walls and white kitchens are attractive to us.  Creation of a color scheme that is current, relevant AND supports your energy and purpose takes a little time but is well worth the effort.  Contact me if you’d like your personal color palette for your home or office.

Feng Shui Time and Space

Nine Star Ki is the Japanese system of relating time to our spaces and our bodies…everything is interconnected.

According to Nine Star Ki, the energy influence of this year in general

• Will support us to look deeply into our own inner well for inspiration.
• We are cautioned in our communication — it may sound like we are talking “under water” translate: clarify and ask those to whom you are speaking to “mirror” back what you have said.  That little trick can save you countless irritation and miscommunication.
• Give us the opportunity to slow down, look inside for the answers and then gently bring them forth to our own world.

Each of us will feel the influence of the 1 Water year, and each of us has 3 other influences according to Nine Star Ki.  Click here to get your Feng Shui Energy makeup.  The information is uncanny; I use this in my consultations and it helps me help others change their lives, relationships and office dynamics.  (The site is in its infancy, if you’d like to know more information, contact me.

If you’d like to know what Nine Star Ki says about your year ahead just send me an email.  If you’d like to know which colors, designs and shapes support you and your relationships, or if you’d like assistance with design or Feng Shui, be sure to contact me.

Reading the energy of your spaces is just like wind-surfing, we have to learn the skill and then we can learn how to navigate the ever-changing energies around us, we can avoid the pitfalls/rocks and sail ourselves toward clear waters.

Much love,

Fawn

 

Multitasking: What you NEED to know

 

Have you ever been around a little child who is engaged in what they are doing? Their focus is laser-like. Our society trains that out of us so it’s up to us to put it back.

 “Unfortunately, the human mind cannot, in fact, multi-task without drastically reducing the quality of our processing.  Brain activation for listening is cut in half if the person is trying to process visual input at the same time. A recent study at The British Institute of Psychiatry showed that checking your email while performing another creative task decreases your IQ in the moment 10 points. That is the equivalent of not sleeping for 36 hours-more than twice the impact of smoking marijuana.”

The above quote was excerpted  from a beautiful blog article by Timothy Ferriss, best-selling author of The 4-hour Work Week.  

I recommend this article:  It’s a surprise and very well written:

The Multitasking Virus and the End of Learning (part 1)

To get the most out of your day and life, learn how to manage yourself and learn about multitasking and time management fallacies, watch this great free video .  It’s just plane good advice about how to be successful in life.  Wake Up Productive

 

Quick start: You’ll need a routine that works for you daily:  one you can do every day to create the persistence needed to build a great life.  Here are some suggestions from the video, but it is really worth watching.

1.  Clean Focus spans of 90-180 uninterrupted minutes.  Eliminate interruptions: clutter, email, distractions, interrupting others-focus only on the task at hand.
2.  Pulse:  focus and then relax.  Based on our bodies’ ultradium rhythm our natural cycle is a rhythm that occurs every two hours.  (This is the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s transition of energy from organ system to organ system.  Every two hours is associate with vital energy nourishing a particular ‘organ system’ of the body.)   The ability to have clean focus requires clean breaks:  drop it, go outside, don’t think about it and then return refreshed.
3.  Create Routines.  We are creatures of routine.  Create ones that strengthen you:  In particular:  how you start your day sets the tone.  Get up, have a big drink of fresh water (add some lemon is you can), exercise (for a fresh mind and freed emotional body), sit in silence for 5-20 minutes, eat a healthy breakfast, read something renewing and you’ll be excited to live your best life.
4.  Renew yourself.  Take time off, at least 1-2 days a week and at least 1-2 weeks a quarter.  You’ll be more productive, create more value in your life and more value for those around you.  And for your sake, get enough sleep.  (Read my article about how lack of sleep will ruin your life.)

 
You need a home that supports your routine and rituals for your day. 

 

If your home and office do not create a background for your life that is supportive, you need to revise and use Feng Shui to help it–and you–flow better.   

 

Where to start? 

Watch yourself throughout your day, honestly.  Where are you duplicating effort?  Where are your energy and flow “speedbumps?”  (Those things that slow you down or muddy your tasks.)   Are you spending time looking for things, repeating motions, walking out of the way to get from one place to another? Does your home support your routines?  Does the design and layout of your home and it’s furnishings make it easy to stay organized, feel focused, happy and engaged in your activities?  

Check out the Clear Your Clutter Weekly Plan to begin to look at yourself and your spaces differently.  Go to my website and sign up for the plan.  Then you can call me, we can start where you are and get you a plan that will work for you, your time and your budgets (emotional, physical and financial). 

 Let me know what you think.

 

How To Buy a Happy Home – The Secret To Avoid Trouble

The Secret to Buying a Happy Home

-or- How to avoid a divorce, illness, job loss, or worse..

 

When you buy a home, what you are buying is the next phase of your life.  By the end of this article, you’ll know some major things to look for.

Why would you want to imagine what it’s like to live in their shoes?

If you buy their home, you will begin to live the same life.  If it’s a wonderful life, buy now.   But unless you use “Feng Shui eyes” you could be in for an unexpected turn of events.  In my experience, homes don’t lie.  Rarely is a home so toxic it can’t be solved, but it does happen.  Most often, the energy can be adjusted but if you don’t know the difference–you’ll be in for trouble.

Things that matter when buying a home:

• The Outside: Neighborhood, Land, Style & Layout
• The Inside: Style, Layout, Colors, Shapes & Items
• The History

Feng Shui wisdom can save you a trip to the divorce attorney or worse.  If you find a home that you love and that home has some challenging Feng Shui issues, you can usually reverse the negatives by making some changes that won’t cost a fortune:  that’s the beauty of the science of Feng Shui. 

The Outside – The Neighborhood
     determines your ability to be effective in the world

 

1.    A healthy and vibrant neighborhood:  good life force means you won’t be drained or asked to devote YOUR energy to keep it vital.  It will support you rather than drain you.

2.    A healthy business district, health trees, well-maintained homes, gardens and streets.

3.    Not directly near a cemetery, hospital or church –while these are important aspects of a community, living too near these can deplete your own health.  Avoid living near a prison or municipal buildings such as Fire Station, Police Station or water treatment plant.

Great New Product — Do You Care About the Color?

Design and color aren’t separate.

We are attracted by the next new “thing” and then make instant, often subconscious judgments about the product many of which are based on color: what to do with it, how it will perform, if we want to take the next step to investigate or even purchase it.

If you watch the video for Formcard, notice your response to the color as it is used.  This is not meant to be a spoiler by any means, I think the product is fun and useful…it kind of reminds me of Gumby and Pokey, but maybe that’s the joy of it along with the McGyver factor.  The saturated, “happy” colors add to this whimsy.

Notice your response and you’ll begin to understand the power of color in your own life and purchases:

Do you wish the color were different when used as a stand for the mobile phone?  Do you like the spunkiness of the product, and do the colors add to that for you?  Does it matter that the yellow Formcard is used as a repair for a tent pole?  Is the marketer using the color to draw your attention to the product and its capacity to offer quick repair? (If you have set up a tent in the wilderness, you know that you probably don’t have a glass of boiling water just sitting around–but the concept is exciting–quick repair!)  Will anyone use the yellow Formcard to draw attention to the repair, or will it be attractive to bees and you won’t know why?

Would you buy more of this product if it came in colors that were more like the items in your life already?

All of those questions above are secondary to my excitement about the product itself.  If you try it, let me know how you like it … and the colors!

 

 

 

Healing Advances in Light and Color

2015 was declared “International Year of Light and Light-based technologies” for a good reason.

Light, which in its visible wavelengths we call color, has immediate and deterministic impact on our lives, our circadian rhythm, our moods and behavior.

Beyond light therapy, there is a growing trend aimed at addressing how our bodies metabolize light for health and well-being and development of every-day products that will foster environmental comfort.

Philippe Rahm’s Spectral Light for Artemide          Image Courtesy of Artemide and DesignBoom.com

The most recent issue of Azure Magazine (one of my favorites) carries six significant articles about advances in lighting products and designs being which further foster health and well-being, for the planet, humans and animals.

You might imagine that my favorite of these articles is entitled, Natural Rhythms.  Addressing the harsh effects of “bad lighting” — something we may not consider adversely affecting our ability to stay focused at work and healthy in life–Oivind Slaavato took to designing a better light fixture.  After suffering a concussion, Oivind Slaavato, was unable to cope with bright light becoming physically ill when exposed to what he calls “bad light.”

Using sacred geometry of the Fibonacci series, this pendant not only shields the body from harsh effects of light but adds a beneficial and therapeutic effect.  The fixture will be produced by the Danish brand Louis Poulsen.  Read the digital article here.

Other products:

1. The Drift Light, a low-blue bulb designed to dim at the same pace as the setting sun, allowing the body and mind to gradually relax, found at drift-light.com.
2. Called the “Life Enhancer of the Year” this table-top lamp helps to balance circadian rhythms which are vital to health. Changing from energizing blue in the morning to calming amber in the evening, this light can be found at elenoredelisse.com
3. Studiotoer.com has designed a wall sconce that acts like a clock, thereby connecting us to the sun’s movement and re-calibrating our body’s internal clock.

See the lights and decide for yourself here.

Full-Spectrum Lighting

Philippe Rahm, Swiss architect and installationist who has designed a series of spectrum specific lights.

Rahm designed a pendant of 36 LED bulbs each emitting it a single wavelength which then come together at the light’s core combine to create a rich white light.

By offering the specific spectra that interact with the human body, according to Elizabeth Pagliocolo, author of the Azure Magazine article: Spectral Light, “The portion of LEDs selected for humans mixes specific wavelengths in green, yellow and ample blue, which blocks our pineal gland from secreting melatonin to keep us alert through the day and ward off SAD.  The rest are combined to benefit pets and plants.”

More information about Philippe’s light for Artemide can be found at DesignBoom.com, another “don’t miss”  online magazine that I love.

Other articles of note in this recent edition of Azure include:  Turn Down the Volume, (p. 58) which features acoustical light fixtures that  absorb sound, Come Together, (p. 60) introduces Ommatidium, a street light in London that acts as an internet hub and makes the streets lighter and safer, Q&A with Lee Broom (p.62) the British lighting designer talks lighting design trends: contemporary inspired by traditional, and Special Effects (p.64) cutting-edge design trends that will influence our lighting designs in the future.

 

 

Quick Holiday Feng Shui

 

Quick Tips for A Delightful Holiday

What’s on YOUR list?

If you find that you are harried and hurried and not enjoying those feelings (sometimes being frantic it is a LOT of fun), this list will give you a few ideas to add some time and delete some scattered-ness from your life.

• “Pre-PROGRAM” EACH DAY:  At the beginning of the day (or any event) see it going smoothly and effortlessly.  When you re-script your day and see things working out the way you’d like them to, you begin to draw to you the things that you need.  It seems magical, but “Any sufficiently advanced technology is usually indistinguishable from magic.” (Arthur C. Clarke)   Write the script for your day, see yourself beautiful, happy, easily accepted and hold the feelings.  You will be amazed.  For more on that, see my post about Intentional Feng Shui; it works!
• PRIORITIZE Everything according to your heart:  When considering Holiday events and activities but them through the test:  Which ones bring you most joy?  Most Peace?  Most return on your time and energy investment?  Saying “NO” to things is not going away from those you love or respect, it is an act of personal power.  Give yourself a day to respond to invitations and then be true to you and what you value most.  You’ll have much more to give when you are fully centered, poised and present.  You will be giving yourself and the world a precious gift…You.
• OUTSOURCE:  Your most precious resource is your time and feeling nature.  When you actually look at the amount of time you spend on a task, you may be surprised that your hourly rate might be less than minimum wage.  Decide what you really, really love to do, do that and delegate…once and for all and let it go.  You might be surprised how well things actually do go.  (I let Whole Foods cook my Thanksgiving Dinner and it was fantastic; I got to cook just the dishes we really love and enjoy my family all day long.).
• GIVE LOVED ONES FUN JOBS:  A young mother at Starbucks was making my coffee and mentioned how frustrated she was with her young children bickering and fighting.  I told her they needed jobs to help direct all that extra energy and excitement.  She said, “I tell them to clean their rooms and do their chores,” and I interrupted:  “those aren’t fun jobs”…Here are some fun jobs to give kids and family members a sense of your joy in making this time of your special:  1) Ask them to decide how they want to decorate their rooms by drawing a picture of it for you.  (spends time drawing and gets them excited)…then tell them they’ll have to clean it up before they decorate so it looks just perfect!  2) Put out a few crayons and papers and ask them to draw their Santa’s list.  3) Engage them in your tasks:  ask them to make suggestions for the menu on Christmas Eve, or how they’d decorate, or whom they’d seat next to whom at Christmas Dinner, have them make place cards and see what happens–don’t forget to wink at them.  4) Ask them to put all the Christmas books and movies together in one place.  5) Ask them to go through their toy collection and put in a laundry basket everything that they don’t use so that they can donate it to charity.  6) Ask them to place all broken or parts of toys in a special box to make room for what Santa will bring them.   Kids (and adults) just want to be useful and kids’ currency is attention, they’ll do just about anything for attention–good or bad.  When they think they are contributing and getting your attention for helpful things they do, you’ll discover a side to Christmas you always knew would be there
• KEEP LUXURY TIME AND FUN ON YOUR PRIORITY LIST:  Every day schedule and do something that will enliven your Spirit.  (after all, it’s not called the “Rat Race of Christmas”…).   A warm cup of your favorite tea, a nap, saying NO to that extra load of laundry, looking for the morning star, smiling at yourself in the mirror.  Schedule some corn-y old fun: I guarantee you you’ll have memories that make you smile.
• FENG SHUI TIPS:
  ~ Keep the knives out of sight and remove the carving knives from dinner table; this will help keep arguments to a minimum.
  ~ A round or oval dining table gives the best energy for an enjoyable dinner.
  ~ Add something yellow or golden to the center of the table, place a beautiful saying underneath each chair (“I am healthy and happy, safe and loved.”)
  ~ Limit the amount of red this holiday, focus on softness and gentle peace.  ~ Focus on you, your own place in the world and stepping up to be the best version of you.  There’s a lot of extra emotional fire energy flying around, opt for soft gold, glowing blues or rich greens.
  ~  Allow for breathing room:  out with the old, in with the new (or newly loved and re-freshened).  When adding your decor or any gifts, remove whatever else you can.  Patty Kraemer, of Kraemer Connect suggests:  “one thing in, and two things out!”  Clear all last year’s clutter, donate all you can’t or don’t use, leave some things empty and open.  This will bring freshness and more light into your entertaining.
• WRITE YOUR WISH LIST:  Just because we are ‘grown-ups’ doesn’t mean the magic of Santa isn’t really there.  The metaphor of Santa is even more powerful as we understand that we always get what we are asking for.  There is no degree of difficulty for the Universal Life Force:  it can create a person as easily as a mountain, a planet and a Universe, so get on it and ask.  Make your list of what you want and put it away until next year…then check off all that you got!  It can be things, events, feelings, anything!    Be honest, don’t edit it, just ask! What would I love to do next year? What do you want to say at the end of  next year about how 2011 went for you?  What’s on your list?

You are the expert in your life:  did you have fun?

Doors — Make us Forgetful? Push Away or Invite Vitality and Opportunity?

A welcoming and open doorway, this home could use a little protection from additional landscaping and a bit more color to attract attention.  Photo courtesy of Houzz.com

It seems that the whole world is beginning to understand the impact doors have on our lives.

Published in the Quarterly  Journal of Experimental Psychology in 2011, performed by Gabriel Radvansky and her team at Notre Dame look at the ‘event model’ for forgetting things as we pass through doorways.   Susan Gilbert of Notre Dame explains:

“We’ve all experienced it: The frustration of entering a room and forgetting what we were going to do. Or get. Or find.

New research from University of Notre Dame Psychology Professor Gabriel Radvansky suggests that passing through doorways is the cause of these memory lapses.

“Entering or exiting through a doorway serves as an ‘event boundary’ in the mind, which separates episodes of activity and files them away,” Radvansky explains.  (Read more here)

Doors, doors, doors  (and not “The Doors”)

Everything is relative in Feng Shui.  Not only are the forms and colors we live with important, they define our experience in a deeper way than we thought possible–unless you’ve studied or paid mind to Feng Shui’s thousands’ year old wisdom (oh THAT old line again?  sorry).

Doors do create event boundaries, as above; part of the reason why the bagua map is relative to each room individually, why more than one door in a room creates a particular energy flow, and why doors are so vitally important to address the doors in your life, energy which leads you to your Life Purpose, your journey and career and why it’s only one part of the entire picture, but an important one.

PS As I am writing this, on the radio is the tune:  “Let my love open the door…to your heart.”  Awesome.  

Here are a few things to think about when making friends with your doors:

• According to Feng Shui, Doors open us to opportunity.  Our front door is the Mouth of Ch’i which brings fresh Life Force into our homes and our lives.  Really look at the entrance to your home.  Is it obvious, beautiful and well cared for?  Stand at your doors, inside and outside and look around:  what do you see?
• Are your doors beautiful? Do they look inviting and work perfectly? They can send off fresh life or invite all our goodness to find us. Here’s how Feng Shui looks at doors and what to do to make yours work FOR you.
• If you see a beautiful view, if your eye is led around to entrancing views, you are on the right track! If not, clear anything that is clutter and anything that takes your energy down.  What we see speaks a language of metaphor to our subconscious, as well as the language of energy and emotion.
• Doors directly across from each other ‘steal’ energy.  If your neighbor’s front door or garage is across from your front door, you are losing energy and life force.  Place some landscaping between your door and the other or at the very least, if you can, hang a bagua mirror above your front door.  If you cannot do that, place a wreathe on your front door and place a small round mirror facing toward the offending door.  Other options apply, if you have questions, just email me.
• A home or door that is hard to find, a walkway that is in disrepair or overgrown by plants, hidden street number or not-well-lighted doorway all signal that we are unavailable for the goodness in our lives.
• Make sure it’s well lighted, that your handle, hinges and your doorbell work perfectly.  If not, put this on the list for you handy person or whoever handles your ‘honey do’ list.  Even make sure your garage door works perfectly, the light works, the remote works, etc. and everything is easy and welcomes you home beautifully.
• If you have cats, think about installing a cat door on a closet door to allow the kitties to have access to their litter but keep it out of sight.

Feng Shui TIP:  Your main entrance is vitally important in your ability to live the work that feels like play to you.  Not your daily entrance but the front door that the post office tags your address to.  If you don’t use your front door daily, it is equivalent to covering your mouth and trying to live your fullest. Your front door is known as the Mouth of Ch’i…if you are not using it daily, you are not getting your full breath of fresh air and opportunity. 

 Open your front door daily, welcome the new, and use it often! The Life Force doesn’t listen to ‘Reason’ or excuses, so invite it in with positive arrangement of your entrance, make sure the doors open completely and onto a beautiful view.  Have you tried to have a conversation with a storm lately? It’s an advanced move.

For today, make sure your doors open completely, with nothing blocking them.  Note which doors need to be repaired, which ones might need to have a spring-hinge that will keep them closed, like bathroom doors, especially ones that open onto the foyer or other rooms like a bedroom.    Clear the space behind and around your doors.   Remove items from the stairs and be sure your walkways and hallways are open and clear.

Everything matters, so also, make sure your car doors work perfectly.  Hit the hinges with a little WD-40, wipe the door frame and clean the door itself.  You’ll be so amazed at the difference it makes, all around!

Scientifically Proving How Space Affects Behavior

“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”  T.S. Eliot

Color, design, and placement of décor have much deeper of an impact on us than surface appeal.

A new science, called Neuro-Architecture, is our modern way of looking at life from the ancient and natural Feng Shui perspective.  To me it only matters that we take the time to learn to view and adapt the human experience of space to fulfill the purpose of the room.  With knowledge of  line, shape, color and “just paint” used artfully will dramatically change the architecture of a room where its occupants can begin to thrive.

Everything matters — Purpose, proportion, line, shape, nature and full-spectrum light and color.

Myriad research and a new field, Neuro-architecture, explores how one’s environment can be a trigger for hormones that either promote happiness and calm or add stress and anxiety.  More than a marketing spin, Neuroarchitecture, at its most basic, looks at how we and our spaces are wired for success. (See Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture.)  In another post, we’ll look at how full-spectrum light and full-spectrum color create a healthier human experience.

How space affects behavior

In one study showing the connection between our minds and our habitats,  Professor Joan Meyers-Levy of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management studies the effect space has on purchasing behavior.  [“The Influence of Ceiling Height: The Effect of Priming on the Type of Processing People Use,” Journal of Consumer Research, August 2007]

Any scientist will tell you energy expands to fill the space allotted and this is no different for humans in their environments.   In our public buildings, offices and as well in our homes, our perception is stretched or compressed due to our brain’s interpretation of the walls.

High ceilings, for instance, activate sections of the right brain associated with freedom and abstract thinking. In low-ceilinged rooms, thought is more constrained.*

Too much space will create ungrounded-ness, lack of intimacy, inability to focus on details,  we will not stay in those spaces very long, after a while feeling too expanded and pulled out of our center (think of the expansive feeling of a symphony hall, a large library or a beautiful church).  We will seek to balance ourselves by moving innately to another realm, however easily [leaving the room] or painfully [quitting the job, divorcing your spouse, etc.] it will occur or create illness.  Ancient Chinese saying: “the bigger the bedroom, the higher the divorce rate” is one example of the expansive area pulls us away from intimacy.

Too little space will cramp us, make us sleepy, lethargic, overly detail-oriented, stunt growth opportunities, and basically “cramp our style.”

Feng Shui is an ancient science studying how spaces will assist humans to revert to an experience of health fostered by   being in balance. Spaces out of alignment with our goals creates tension, disharmony, and dis-ease.

It is important to use all the rooms of your home, and with use of color to define architecture, rather than follow it we can design rooms to fully foster the proper purpose of the room and honor our human “animal-body” wisdom to move in rhythm with our needs.

By scientifically defining how aspects of architecture can influence the way we live, breathe and relate, Neuro-Architecture provides right-brained proof for the ancient wisdom.  Either way using this knowledge allows us to go deeper into the synergy between human and space, both affecting each other, hopefully providing positive results.

Ceilings affect our thinking and creativity

To the Rescue: How’s and How To’s Suggestions and tips for raising or lowering your ceilings.

Raise the ceiling to create expansion, vision and ideas

As much as you may want high ceilings in certain rooms, it may not be in the budget to ‘raise the roof.”   Ceiling height affects ability, mood and intimacy and is best to be relative to the activity you’d like to have occur.  High ceilings in the bedroom will decrease the ability to be intimate and the Chinese know, “The bigger the bedroom, the higher the divorce rater.”

•Paint your ceiling a soft, receding blue/grey, like one of these colors:

◦PPG Pittsburgh/Porter’s 348-2 Stratosphere

◦PPG Atmospheric Collection ATC-62 Winter’s Breath.

◦I also love Donald Kaufman Color DKC-44

◦Farrow & Ball’s Borrowed Light (No. 235) or Skylight (No 205) or Parma Gray (No. 27)

•Paint the wall and the ceiling the same color.  Our eye and brain read edges to create a picture for us to recognize.

No difference in color means “no edge” to read and our brain then looks quickly for something else to define the space and create a picture for us.  Don’t be afraid, just because the can says “ceiling white” doesn’t mean you have to have a ceiling that is white.

• Add upward directed lighting by using touchier or sconce lights.

Lower the ceiling to create intimacy, nourishment, sleep and detail awareness

To effectively ‘lower’ the ceiling, you can determine a height that is of ‘human scale’ [depending on how tall you are, somewhere between 8 and 10 feet will do nicely] but remember to look at the entire wall height and room because proportion is as important as perception.  You can ‘draw the line’ in a number of ways:

•Align the window treatments and large artwork so that the upper edge effectively creates a line around the room.

•Use a ‘Block of Color’ to create the ceiling height.

◦This is one way to get some rich color into your spaces without fully committing to an entire wall or room (once your risk it however, you will be enthralled by living with color.)

◦If you have smaller artwork or pieces you love, highlight them or architectural features with a block of color that stops at the height where you would like to draw the ceiling.

•Around the perimeter of the rooms, use crown molding to draw a perceivable line a distance from the ceiling; paint the upper portion of the wall the same color as the ceiling. You can paint the molding an accent color or stain or the same color as the upper wall and ceiling.

•Painting a ceiling a very dark color will not always make it seem lower, a deep black can make it recede even further, depending on how you treat the space where the ceiling meets the wall.

Our architectural resources expand exponentially and our ability to positively impact human interaction and lives  when we look at our spaces through the Ancient science of Feng Shui, which makes the old adage almost true,  “There are only two professions, Architecture and Physician.”

Green OR Healthy? Why the Choice?

On the road to personal and global health, we shouldn’t have to choose:  Green OR Healthy…Let’s do Both!

Consider this:  fluorescent light bulbs have been linked to  migraine headaches and worse.

Modern life has brought new exciting developments, most of which make life and living more fun, none of which alone would have a negative affect, but added together, our bodies have trouble adapting.   As we take a look at these influences and how to shift gently we can lessen our experience of ‘allergies’, illness and crabbiness, to mention a few.

The Light Link

Although florescent bulbs use less electricity and run cooler than incandescents, the use of these lights has been linked to minor and even more severe health risks.   Migraines, epileptic seizures, decreased immune system function, nervousness, inability to focus and depression are some of the problems linked to time spent with fluorescent lighting.

What are our options?  We have a few:

• Install New Fixtures
• Use full-spectrum bulbs
• Integrate natural daylight
• Use new LED replacement bulbs for florescent fixtures (avoid blue spectrum bulbs if you can)

The Canadian Center for Occupational Health says that some of the problem comes from the “flicker” effect of the fluorescent light bulbs.  That ‘flicker’ effect is inherent in the operation of the bulbs as bursts of electricity ignite the gas inside the tubes. The effect is worse in older fixtures.  According to the CCOH, you can reduce the ill-effects of ‘flicker’ by buying new fixtures which have electronic (rather than magnetic) ballasts, by replacing your bulbs frequently and making sure all parts of the fixtures work perfectly.

A study done by the CCOH also showed that employees whose offices were located on upper floors (where there is greater exposure to daylight) suffered less ill effects from the bulbs.

Question: If there is a way to reduce stress, inability to focus and immune system suppression, and help our children in schools, our employees everywhere (hospitals, banks, prisons, you name it) shouldn’t we DO IT?

“Flicker” is not the only issue.  Most of us use ‘cool-white’ bulbs, and Jacob Liberman, OD, Ph.D., in his groundbreaking and hopeful book Light: Medicine of the Future, suggests that we can reduce the ill-effects even further IF we use the correct fixture and ‘full-spectrum’ bulbs.  These bulbs are more costly initially but when that cost is weighted against our ill-health, increased crime rates the figure becomes minimal.

Consider just this ONE study:

“…The development of full-spectrum artificial lighting…prompted Ott to further investigate the possible negative effect of improper lighting on health and performance in human being.  In 1973, Ott and the Environmental health and Light research Institute undertook a study involving four first-grade classrooms in Sarasota, Florida.  Full-spectrum, radiation-shielded fluorescent light fixtures were installed in two of the window-less classrooms in Sarasota, Florida.

“Full-spectrum, radiation-shielded florescent light fixtures were installed in two of the windowless classrooms, while standard cool-white fluorescent fixtures were installed in two other identical windowless classrooms that served as controls.  Concealed time-lapse cameras took random sequences of student and teachers in the classroom. Although teachers were aware of the program, neither they nor their students were aware of when they were being photographed.

“The photographed results were significant.  Under the cool-white fluorescent lighting, some students demonstrated hyperactivity, fatigue, irritability, and attentional deficits.  In the classrooms with full-spectrum lighting, however, behavior and classroom performance , as well as overall academic achievement, improved markedly within one month after the new lights were installed.  Furthermore, several learning-disabled children with extreme hyperactivity problems miraculously calmed down and seemed to overcome some of their learning and reading problems while in the classrooms with full-spectrum lighting.

“This study additionally demonstrated that children in rooms with full spectrum lighting developed one-third the number of cavities in their teeth as children in the classrooms with standard cool-white fluorescent lights.”  Liberman, Jason, Light: Medicine of the Future, Rochester, VT:  Bear & Company Press, 1991

Empower your home:

• If you must use fluorescent bulbs, use new electronic fixtures and full-spectrum bulbs.
• When possible, daylight is best.   Take advantage of the healthy properties of sunlight.

Think you can’t more daylight into your home?  Think about installing Sun Tubes (aka Solar Tubes, Sun Tunnels…do an Internet search) which allow natural daylight to enter even your ‘captive’ rooms.  There are many companies making and selling them; be sure to use a reputable installer.

Here is a link to the Daily Mail article:
Energy-Saving Bulbs Causing Migraine Headaches

Awesome News! Houzz.com study shows we are ready to make our homes flow better

And 83% of those undertaking renovations are motivated to: “improve the look, feel, flow or layout of the home…”

Houzz.com, one of my favorite sites today sent results of their second annual Houzz & Home report.  This apparently “Largest-ever Study of Home Remodeling and Design Reveals Top Drivers, Challenges and Spending for U.S. Renovation Activity” and the full report can be linked to below.

You can go to Houzz for my Feng Shui advice for some common designs: Feng Shui Good or Bad

No matter what your renovation, the things to remember are:

1.  Hire a professional to help you get it right

2.  Money spent up front is always the best money you will spend

3.  When choosing colors for your home, choose your paint color LAST!

4.  Every change you make influences the energy flow and “Feng Shui” of your home.  Before you make changes, consult with a Feng Shui expert to make sure you are not inadvertently robbing yourself — “robbing Peter to pay Paul” as my parents used to say.

The majority of those surveyed (over 100,000) say they will hire a professional to help them get it right.  All those reality shows have done a great job of showing us the true reality of a renovation when taken on without help.  The more you do up front the better will be your renovation and the better your home support you for the rest of your life, and make a resale when you are ready happen smoothly and effortlessly.

Majority of U.S. Homeowners Believe Now is a Good Time to Renovate, Houzz Survey Finds

The 2013 Houzz & Home survey is the largest survey of remodeling and decorating activity ever conducted, covering historical and planned projects, the motivations behind these projects, and the impact of the economy on home building, renovation and decorating plans among Houzz users across the United States and around the world.

Some of the findings include:

• Significantly more U.S. homeowners are moving forward with renovation projects compared to last year
• A majority of homeowners surveyed believe now is a good time to remodel (53 percent)
• 58 percent of those planning projects in the next two years will hire professional help
• 81% of Houzz homeowners say reviews are “very important” when it comes to hiring a professional for their project, only 8% said “lowest cost option.”

Together with last week’s Commerce Department report showing the rate of single-family home construction at its highest level in four and a half years, the results of this study point to a strengthening economy, housing and renovation market.

Read the press release

Download the full report

How to Use Mirrors in Feng Shui

One of the biggest benefits of Feng Shui is that it can take a less-than-optimal environment and shift the energy to be nourishing and positive. Once you learn what to look for, and how to see through the “eyes of Energy,” you have taken the first step.

 Many people who begin to study Feng Shui become overwhelmed and concerned that their homes and offices are “all wrong” but don’t fret.  Feng Shui translates aswind waterbut I say it really means “It Depends.”  I often say that their is neither good nor bad…only: does it work for you or not?

Remember: Your spaces are NOT all wrong, they are a reflection of where you are now and with Feng Shui wisdom, we can see and make simple changes to rebalance and harmonize you and your spaces.

Mirrors

The mirror is one of those powerful objects used in Feng Shui to redirect energy. Called a Feng Shui ‘cure,’ mirrors have many different effects depending on what is around it, how close and who is viewing it. For these an many other reasons, mirrors are used very gingerly in Feng Shui.

Mirrors will, at the same time:

1. expand space 2. add ‘water’ energy to a space 3. activate a space 4. double what it reflects 5. redirect and reflect energy 6. draw boundaries 7. repel negative energy 8. more…

1. Expand Space

A mirror will expand space, calling in light and energy from other rooms or the outside view.

Take for instance an entrance to a home. Walking into a cramped entry where it’s pinched and dark will have a negative effect on us. As we walk into a space, when we have the feeling of open and expansiveness, our bodies and subconscious translate that to our phsyiology and the feeling of opportunity, welcome, and space. A mirror will easily open up a space and make it seem larger, but depending on how far from the door you place the mirror you could be pushing beneficial life force away. In an entrance, it’s recommended against placing a mirror across from the door if the wall on which the mirror is hung is less than 6 feet away. The front door is the “mouth of ch’i” and where the life force enters your home and your life. The alternative to a mirror in that position would be to expand the space by placing a beautiful ‘long view” painting or artwork in that space. (Be sure you don’t have art with a waterfall flowing toward the door, as that will do the same thing as push the energy/life force out)

To open a space, placing a mirror to the side of the door is more acceptable, but be sure you know what it reflects. For instance, reflecting the powder room, where folks forget to close the door is a negative. (A spring hinge is easily placed on the door to correct that issue.) Also, a mirror (or water feature such as a fish tank) to the right of the door is not-so-good in Feng Shui and is seen to cause day dreaming and wishy-washiness.

2. Add Water energy to a space

Balance is  key to life:  just enough and not too much of any one thing.  Water is fundamental to life and the Feng Shui element that allows us to move in harmony with our life’s purpose, brings freshness, spiritual connection, emotional depth and more.   Too much water and we can become wishy-washy, bogged down, sleep too long, see our fortunes and life force running away from us.  To little water and we can become rigid, shallow, opportunities bypass us, our life force is not fresh and nourished, our ideas seem to dry up.  Just the right amount of water or water energy is what we strive for.

In the Bagua position of Journey, Life Purpose, using a mirror to add water energy would be helpful, depending on the other factors like what it reflects and it’s proximity to the door. In a home or room where the fireplace is located in the Health or Wealth sector, using a mirror over the fireplace would help to quell the Fire energy that would be burning up the health, family relationships or wealth. In a bedroom however, a mirror is recommended against on two factors: 1) adding water energy to a space that is primarily associated with deep rest could cause excess restful energy and cause ‘sleep hangovers’ or lethargy or 2) mirrors activate a space and a space meant is best to be quiet and calm.

3. Activate a Space

Mirrors are considered active because mirrors move energy around, reflect it back and also reflect motion.

Because they reflect and capture motion, often mirrors are used to put people in the “Power Position” , where the person would otherwise be facing a wall, such as in a work cubicle or a cook who faces the wall with her back to the crowd. In this case, a mirror strategically placed to signal an approaching person would be recommended to help the body to relax from its alert status and allow more creative thinking and efficiency.

4. Double what it reflects

Whatever the mirror reflects will be doubled.  Be careful when placing a small mirror at your desk or in a room to open it up.  If the mirror is reflecting a large stack of work, bills or the powder room you could be working against yourself again.  Allow it to reflect something beautiful and wealthy. Also, a mirror that reflects the drain of your vanity sink is a negative so place the mirror above the faucet. Remember: water flowing toward the center of the home brings beneficial energy into your life; flowing out translates as energy and money flowing out.

5. Redirect and reflect energy

As in the case above of water flowing to or from the home or office, a mirror can be used to redirect the flow. Many corporate buildings have a waterfall that flows toward the street. This position is beautiful for the community but is draining to those in the building or complex. The simple answer is to place a mirror, even a small mirror to reflect the energy back into the building. Of course scale matters, but even a simple small mirror will have a dramatic impact. This can also be used in a bedroom above a garage, for instance, as one way draw the boundary between the spaces. Place a mirror under the bed facing toward the garage (shiny side down). Mirrors can be used to deflect energy from a bedroom or bed that is located above a garage or refrigerator, near an HVAC unit or adjacent to a bathroom or any other overpowering structure. If possible, avoid having a bed/bedroom in this position, but with the use of mirrors and other feng shui cures (color, shape, placement) we can help to rebalance the space for harmonious and nourishing sleep.

6. Draw Boundaries

A mirror can also help to draw boundaries: mirrors can ‘call in’ missing areas on a floor plan or lot plan.   The mirror need only be as small as 1/2 inch diameter and can be found at craft stores.  These little mirrors become power ways to send away negative energy.   These small mirrors can be used as ‘laser points’ to call in missing areas of the bagua when it’s placed over your lot plan or floor plan or room plan.

Small Mirrors as found in craft stores can be used to make amazing changes.

Mirrors can be used If you are unable to ‘anchor’ the energy of the bagua with other methods such as placing landscaping, lighting or other features relative to the particular area (for instance in the wealth area, wind catchers or upward lighting can help redirect the energy).  I talk about this in my seminars and if you have questions, be sure to email me, as it would take a while to explain it here in this post.

The small mirrors can be used to send off negative energy of a crabby co-worker or neighbor as explained below.

7. Repel Negative Energy

Mirrors can be used to deflect and repel negative ch’i, whether it be from oncoming traffic, overhead power lines, unsightly neighboring environment or even cranky neighbors or co-workers. (Elinminate Negative Energy)

Feng Shui uses BaGua mirrors, placed only on the exterior of a building, to deflect negative chi and encourage positive ch’i.

Concave Bagua Mirror, Early Heaven Sequence 3 solid lines at top — only use outdoors

BaGua mirror placement is very specific: I use primarily concave mirrors (because they absorb negative ch’i rather than send it back to the person/place/thing.

I also use only what the Chinese call Early Heaven Sequence: where there are 3 solid lines at the top of the octagonal mirror. This mirror is placed above the front door or above a window, or even on the side of a building if necessary, but never inside and not in an apartment building. http://www.fengshuibestbuy.com/SL10272-Bagua.html

You don’t need to use a Bagua mirror, if that is not in line with your philosophy or decor. You can
deflect or repel energy away by using a mirror (or even a reflective surface) to reflect back the issue/person/etc. and it can be subtle and invisible. (No need to exacerbate a negative situation by engaging disdain or ridicule if having this piece above your door would do so.) You can place a mirror on the outside wall (or on the inside of your space-shiny side toward the offending issue/person-you’ll see the back of the mirror and can cover it with a piece of art). The mirror can be small (1/4 inch round available at hobby shops like JoAnn Fabrics and Michaels.) If you hang it inside your space (home,, office or work cubicle) it can be hidden from your view under a painting, at the baseboard (painted to match the color of the baseboard), behind a drapery or curtain-always facing shiny side toward the negative energy.

One of my favorite Bagua pieces, that hangs outside my own front door is the Lady of Nine Heavens Bagua.

I use the company  www.fengshuibestbuy.com and recommend them if you are interested.

This part is very important: Thoughts are things…detach from the drama of any negative situation and allowthe others to have the right to be as miserable or objectionable as they want. As you are placing the mirror, say, “good luck with ‘that’ over there.” When using cures, never curse the other person or interfere with their free will to live their lives as they wish; otherwise the energy will become stronger – as though you have essentially held out the tug-of-war rope and you are now tied to them.  Release them, drop the rope and they will move on.

What usually happens: the person will calm down, get a transfer or quit to move to a different position…with your good wishes, perhaps they will open to a better place for themselves. Either way, you have stopped giving it your power and the Feng Shui has worked to assist you.

8. More…

There are many notes about mirrors and here are a few more:

• Use large mirrors that reflect as much of the person as possible; don’t cut off the head or make them squint to use the mirror
• Use clear and clean mirrors; faded, cracked mirrors are a negative and will inhibit clear thinking and clear vision
• Use whole mirrors…pieces of mirrors or segments of mirrors fracture a person’s image and also fracture the person’s view of herself/himself and life.
• Avoid placing mirrors directly across from each other as this creates what Feng Shui calls “infinity” and creates confusion and disorientation.
• Clean mirrors often — I always do a mini space clearing when cleaning everything: “Good healthy reflections and increase of happiness and abundant love and wealth flow into my life and my home…” or something like that. What you focus on when doing any task is the energy that gets into that area…may as well do a wonderful job!
• Esoterically speaking: in some realms it is believed that a mirror across from the bed will confuse the dream traveling part of the spirit as it attempts to return to the body after traveling through dream worlds. I cannot speak to that but want to include it as it may be relevant to some of my readers.

I have many, many stories, and personal experience with the power of mirrors used this way. As always, Feng Shui puts you in the center of your Universe and helps you look at how energy is moving through your spaces and moving YOU. Let me know if I can help! fawn@fawnchang.com

Feng Shui for Budget Success

Today I gasped in horror, when I realized that as I cleaned I was robbing myself of money.  I was moving “shoebox accounting” of receipts around the house as I cleaned.

Now this is not a ‘bad’ way to keep track of receipts: a Ziploc bag marked properly, but still, I didn’t want this negatively impacting my wealth of all sorts and I know that it can. Photo courtesy of BloomsnBugs

This is NOT great Feng Shui: a bag of random, unorganized receipts that kept ending up in the Wealth corner of every room I tried to place them.

I noted this, looked across the room to the “Accountability” corner to see what was there…yikes! It’s become a stopping point, all cluttered with winter clothing and things to be donated. Let’s shift that before it becomes a block.

Because life moves, and we move things…those things sometimes get moved to places where it’s not long before they have a direct (and negative) impact on our lives.  Being a Feng Shui expert simply means, I notice it sooner and make changes — it’s my goal to help you do the same.

Wealth Management

There comes a time when we are ready for more money, more life, more fun and the one way to do that is to take charge of our money.  Getting serious about a budget, estate planning, and the flow of wealth into our lives can be made much easier if we look at our spaces to make sure they support us.  Taking care with our money is as important as taking care of our pets and our plants, they depend on our awareness and vigilance.

3 things to allow your house help you budget better:

1.)  Organize your wealth corners (your property, your home, each room all have their own bagua).  What’s there or is this area ‘missing’ from your spaces? Remove the clutter and make it feel upward moving, wealthy and beautiful.  If there’s a bathroom in that area, bring in some light green, light blue, vertical stripes to match your décor and make it clean and organized.  Remove all those things you don’t love or use, especially anything that is older than 90 days.  On your desk, place a beautiful, healthy plant or fresh flowers, the largest money you can find or a check to yourself in the amount of one month’s expenditures (include the fun you’d like to have).

2.) Look at your Helpful People area of each room.  Make sure these areas are open, fresh and organized.  If there is a water room (kitchen, laundry, bathroom) in this area, add some extra “Metal” energy in the form of round or oval shapes and décor items, images of the “Helpful People” in your life (mentors, community, teachers, spiritual guides, etc.).   Many of us have a garage in this and the next space, make sure it’s clear, organized, clean and that your car(s) are clean and working perfectly too.  Clear and keep clear between 1/3 and 1/4 of the space in the drawers of your desk in this area, remove and archive files you don’t use daily, place new files marked “Perfect Client #1, #2” and so on.  (If you build it, they will come.)

3.) Look to the Wisdom and Knowledge areas of your spaces.  Knowing we are inherently deserving of our own very best and why, makes it easier to give to ourselves first, time, energy, clarity and money.  When we know clearly what is important to us,  and knowing how to invest in ourselves, budgeting becomes a snap.  Keep this area soft, quiet, almost sacred.  Add things here that are grounding to you, but keep it clean, fresh and organized.  The natural feel of this space is one of a library or a meeting with your advisors and teachers, one where you’ll open your mind and allow wisdom to pour into your being.  If Water is located here, use extra “earth” energy:  colors from light yellow to cocoa, even deep green, square or rectangular shapes, a few rocks nicely arranged, a citrine quartz crystal, or other representations of Earth energy.

Join me for the 33-day Easy, Online Feng Shui Coaching:  Clear the Way for Your Best Life starting March 21.  Make your life what you want it to be with easy daily help and understanding of YOUR spaces.  I made it personal, easy, doable and online so you can go at Your pace with my help.

The 3 Unexpected Reasons Your Life Isn’t Perfect (YET!)

and How to Shift Gears to “It’s Great!”

The three reasons are not laziness, procrastination or bad luck.

In fact, procrastination is just nature’s way of allowing us to gather our energy and focus.  Work, or anything, expands to fill the time or space allotted.  With less time, we become more efficient.  The trick is to give set a false deadline that gives us enough time to hone the product for the best outcome.  By allowing ourselves to reach critical mass, we use what looks like procrastination to actually be efficient, build our energy and focus our forces.  Check that one off.

Laziness?  Nope.  The way I see it, laziness is pure efficiency.  I once had a professor of project management who’d look for what others called the ‘laziest’ person and give him or her a task to perform and then the professor would watch the process–always learning at least one way to take hours of useless effort out of the project.  Genius!  Check that one off too.

Bad luck?  Can’t blame that one.  In the world of energy bad luck is a way of looking at the world through a microscope.  According to the Law of Attraction, and Feng Shui, energy is like electricity, which we can use to light a nursery or a torture chamber.  When we are young, we learn to program our lives through repeated  thoughts, cliché’s, and home arrangement.  All of it can be changed–it just takes addressing the REAL reasons behind our apparent lack of success, love and/or money.

The REAL reasons we aren’t living the life we want?  They are simple:

1) we don’t know how 2) we’re afraid to have it be good 3) our homes won’t let us

Answer these questions for yourself:

1. Do I know exactly what I want and do I know anyone close to me who is living it?

2. Who would I disappoint if I lived my dreams?  Who would feel “less than” if I actually had a great relationship, tremendous life’s work, great vacations and laughter every day? Can I initially disappoint them to live my own life?

3. What can I easily change in my house to change my life and make it come together easily? Where are the blocks of energy preventing the flow of good energy into my life?  How can I move them out?

No More Excuses: Take Charge, Make Change

What you surround yourself with, internally (mind talk) and externally (home, office, images, furnishings, colors and people) are the things that are anchoring your present existence.

33-Day Clear the Way with Feng Shui program to help you finally move into the BEST version of yourself and your life…no more waiting!

Those who have taken this program are saying:

“You made it easy for me… I felt like there was always someone right there with me, each day and I loved that you helped me change my spaces and my days…I never wanted it to end!…(A. Martello, Florida)

“I am so much more centered and sure of my life and my purpose.  I loved this program and would recommend it to everyone…” (Alicia Dubrawski, Ontario)

“I’ve been trying for 10 years but finally after a few weeks my life has shifted and it’s because of this great program…” (F. Valley, Pennsylvania)

“I love this program…I want everyone I know to take it!”  (Barbara Solomon, L.Ac. Pittsburgh, PA)

Join me  We start on March 21–I’ve made it easy, personal, understandable, online, and doable at your pace, with daily prompts to help you along the way.  It will change your life for the best!  Take advantage of the growing Spring energy and the desire to clear and get on track with your happy life.

Sign up now and recieve your special DISCOUNT Available until 3/19/2013

Timing is EVERYTHING: Light and Color Activate Health in our Bodies

Blue light tells our bodies to “Wake Up!” The Blue TV and Computer light at night is wreaking hormonal havoc on our bodies.

You may have heard about Circadian Rhythms, the cycles of life driven by the sun’s rising and setting and the amount of light and darkness in our days.

What you might not know is that light is color and color is light.  The colors of light, at specific times of the day, activate our bodies to respond in different ways.  Mix up the colors and the rhythm and you would be challenging your body’s ability to regulate itself through sleep and hormonal cycles.  Some recent studies have actually shown decreased human growth due to overexposure to the ‘wrong’ color light at the ‘wrong’ time of day.

Researchers have discovered that blue wavelength light, which is most available in the morning, has a way of signaling the pineal gland to stop producing Melatonin, the sleep hormone.  No melatonin, you lie awake unable to sleep and you body is unable to regenerate itself as efficiently and you are deprived of the all-important REM sleep needed for a healthy mind, body and soul.  The answer, turn off the TV and the computer in the early evening or at least an hour before bedtime.  You’ll have better sleep and perhaps more cuddling with your significant other.

Wall Color

Color is actually Light, and each color is its own frequency that speaks to our bodies unlocking different responses in our physiology.  The color around us, either on our walls or reflected to us from the greenery outside, or from the TV or computer screen,  speaks directly to our bodies rearranging our ability to be healthy, happy and wealthy.   Feng Shui has known this and .

Here’s the bottom line:  the colors of our spaces influence us:  our moods, our associative memory and our phyisology.  Feng Shui has been telling us this for thousands of years, the Egyptians for thousands of years before that and now researchers are proving it with scientific accuracy.   To paraphrase T.S.Elliot, its as though  our explorations have led us back to the place where we started and we know it as if for the first time.  (full quote here.)

A Better night time color scheme: warm, soft “flesh tones” and sunset colors. Prior to sleep: full darkness allows our bodies to regenerate and reach REM sleep.

Excerpt and link:

Research Team Shows Skin Stem Cells Run By Circadian Clock

(PhysOrg.com) — Most everyone has heard of the circadian rhythm or the internal clock that people have that tells them when to do things, such as go to sleep. In fact, researchers have actually located where this “clock” resides in the human brain. It’s in the suprachiasmatic nuclei, a pair of distinct groups of cells located in the hypothalamus. So, that would seem the end of it right, except it’s not; new research by a group in Spain has found that individual stem cells in skin have their own circadian clock of sorts that tells the skin when to do certain thing, like regenerate. The team led by Peggy Janich and Salvador Aznar Benitah, has published the results of their study in Nature.

Happy Women’s Day–10 Ways to Be a Powerful Woman–Can you name more?

What does it mean to be a truly strong, happy woman?

Do you know what it means to be a strong feminine presence?  It seems that to be able to define this as women we actually NEED to have men around.  (See below for Feng  Shui’s take on it.)

It seems that no matter how I tried to frame it growing up in my Boomer generation of burning bras and announcing our equality, we are just plane different…but that’s not the important part.

What I wanted to know is how to be a powerful version of woman.

Here are few things I have discovered…can you think of more?

1. Honor your beauty–you are beautiful.  
   1. Learn to accept a compliment and let it roll around in your beautiful soft inner being.  Women need to feel they are beautiful, powerful women know it, powerful men delight in it.   Check out this excerpt from  Women Who Run With The Wolves, Clarissa Pinkolas Estes.
   2. Discover what it means to be a woman:  Secrets and Pleasures of Being A Woman, by Denise Linn, reveals how we can activate our inner strength to become the magnificent and glorious version of ourselves awaiting discovery.  This wonderful journey helps each woman understand the mysteries within our being…mysteries that are accessible and beautiful.
2. Access and follow your daily intuition, through mediation or stillness 
   1. The feminine inside each of us has a powerful component:  we need connection, to our self, our source, the cycles of earth, the rhythms of life, those around us, our heart’s desire, name it.  Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, you need connection to something greater than yourself.  Your intuition is one of those things that is greater and will also lead you to the right people, places and experiences for YOU.  
   2. Powerful wisdom lies within you; sometimes it’s stronger sometimes its so subtle we dismiss it but it’s always correct.  Follow your intuition and you will develop a stronger and more pure connection that will never let you down.  If you didn’t follow it, (say you didn’t go left when it told you to, or you didn’t make the purchase if incorrect, just notice where the message came from and next time act on it
3. Forgive.   Let it go, start fresh each new day is truly only a new day if you let it be so.  Forgive yourself, forgive your parents, forgive the earth, forgive God, forgive your past lovers, your siblings…let it go, cut yourself a break.  Try Ho’o Ponopono.  Email me for an easy script that has changed my life and the lives of millions so that they can have a new day and be happy, finally!  As Gary Chapman says “I am amazed by how many individuals mess up every new day with yesterday.” ― Gary Chapman, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate (life, self, friends, etc.)
4. Develop your interests and talents; follow your heart’s desires as they are the message from deep inside you of what you are supposed to be doing, even if it sounds silly to the outside world–go for it and live your life.
   1. Learn about yourself from as many aspects as possible.  I highly,  highly recommend:  Strengths Finder 2.0   Take this test and you will be amazed.  Check out my post about it here.
   2. Learn your Nine Star Ki to discover which colors, shapes and people support you and surround yourself with ones that do.
   3. Another great book I recommend:  The Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen Laney, Ph.D.  (Thank you Laura Fisher!)
5. The Company of Women Seek out and develop your connection with the wisdom of women of all ages in your life
   1. make friends with women, listen to them, allow them into your heart
   2. ask older women for their advice — ask younger women for their wisdom too!
   3. show girls how to connected to themselves and nature and men in a healthy way
6. Accept help, Allow others (men and women) to help you,  Ask for what you want.
   1. In her funny, insightful and easily read book, Making Sense of Men, Allison Armstrong explains that it’s up to us and how we understand ourselves and men that determines if we will experience a life of manipulation or  if we will open ourselves up for love, care and attention of all the men around us.  You NEED to read this book, I loved it.  Women need to be loved, men need to be respected (and tickets to the World Series).
   2. Resist the urge to do it all yourself;  not only seek out the company of women but allow the men in your life be a part of your life, to give to you, ask them their advice, “I need help making this decision and I trust your clarity.”  Even if you can do it for yourself, resist sometimes.
7. Discover your “Love Language.”  How do you perceive love and how do you give it?
   1. This is not only for a romantic relationship, but makes all relationships more enjoyable because you understand better how you receive love.  If you are expected one form of love and whomever you are relating to is giving another, you both are missing a valuable expression of personal giving and personal receiving.
   2. According to Gary Chapman, the 5 ways to give and receive love are:
      1.  Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Quality Time, Physical Touch, Receiving gifts. Discover yours: check it out here
         
8. Care deeply for yourself 
   1. In all ways, it’s important for both genders to care for all aspects of ourselves.  Take time to care for yourself  which allows you to be more centered and powerful in the expression of your wonderful female nature.  Make your bathroom a spa experience, buy yourself wonderful sheets and undergarments because they feel good.  Buy yourself some flowers, take yourself to dinner.  What used to be called pampering is now recognized as responsible self care:  a pedicure is more than just pretty feet, a massage is a healing experience, dinner and candlelight for yourself honors the beauty of you.  Take time to be alone and discover your beautiful connection with all of life around you.  Can you actually BE with yourself?
9. Laugh
   1. I notice that when I am smiling, it looks like I am 15 years younger, especially when I don’t have my own glasses on. (cue: laughter)    Laughter has myriad health benefits not the least of which is that it makes you magnetic to life and more joy around you.  Laughter is life force…take yourself lightly.   Norman Cousins, Harvard Professor, chronicles how he cured himself of ankylosing spondalytis in his book Anatomy of an Illness.  Check it out.
10. Spend time in Nature
    1. We call the life force and intelligence of our planet, Mother Earth.  A container for all that is receptive and brings forth life, spending time in nature connects us to our own feminine nature as well.

The Feminine Principle in Feng Shui

In a three letter word, the feminine principle is:  YIN.  A concept that is not just the opposite of male YANG qualities of outgoing, upward moving,  fast, direct, etc. but cannot exist in isolation or as a single entity.

There’s a saying in Feng Shui:  “The bigger the front, the bigger the back.”  One cannot BE without the other.  Just like it takes two hands to clap, we genders need each other and need to celebrate ourselves and other.  We rock together!

If it means that you must actually show up as the feminine principle — then, by jove, let’s figure out exactly how to show up ladies! Enjoy your girl-ness, love the other, honor all life and keep your heart open and always connected to your true, beautiful desires.

YIN is like the sea and the wind (feminine) that holds the ship (masculine direction): YANG.   Both together create balance, one cannot be without the other, ends of the spectrum that complete the cycle, and if you look at the Yin/Yang symbol of T’ai Chi, you’ll see that within each is a piece of the other.  Quite beautiful actually but what does that all mean when we are in a relationship?  How do we actually relate to ourselves and posture our behavior to foster healthy relationships with the other gender?

I am still learning and looking for models of strong, feminine grace and love and there are many.  I offer gratitude and homage to all the women and men in my life and in the world who really love themselves, show up as strong women, and love the men in their world for all the roles we each play and the differences we are.

Women and men: Can you help me?  Can you fill in the blank here:

A strong woman ______________________________________________.

Thank you!

Program Your Day for Success

How to Write a New Script So That Miracles Occur

“What you are thinking, you are creating in your life.”  Esther Hicks

We don’t often realize it but what we think will occur in our days is usually what does occur, except for that random moment when something fantastic happens and we think — how’d that happen?

Well, I can tell you exactly how that happened:  at some point you thought or dreamed it and have forgotten that you actually programmed that piece of your day and life.  Most people don’t want to believe it, but we are powerful beings in the ability to create our lives.

Take a moment each morning to program your day.  Push the thoughts toward the joy you are wanting, like skiing through spring snow, it might be difficult at first but you’ll soon be sailing on well groomed thought patterns toward your best day.

Here’s how: 

The few moments between sleep and wakefulness are magical moments.  Of course, all moments are magical, but these are ones that, in our current state of ‘doing the day’ seem to be the closest we actually get to the magical flow. 

You can use those moments to script a different day, write a different story and program your day.  I want to show you how to do it, because it works!  Of course you can do this at any time, before a meeting, when driving to work (see the traffic moving smoothly) when looking for a parking space (imagine a great one where you’d like it to be and then let the thought go–pay attention to the flow of traffic knowing this is putting you in the right place at the perfect time for your parking space, etc.)  Just reprogramming your expectations will reprogram your day and your life for the better.  

1. Write a different script.  
   1. The stories we tell ourselves, sometimes without even knowing it, are creating our lives.  Take time to write a different script to positively program your day.  See the Script Below and make changes to suit your life.  
2. Next, take control of your life by learning to create limits and boundaries.
   1. I am a big fan of the book, The Four Hour Work Week, by Timothy Ferris.  There are many hints within this book to learn how to positively delegate, take control of your time and your energy and thrive in life and business.  I read between the lines of many of his antics (no judgment–it’s all an open field as Rumi says, “Out beyond the ideas of right doing and wrong doing is a field; I’ll meet you there.”  What he has done has made his life rich and most of the tips and information are extremely valuable.   One of my favorite tips:
      1. Only check emails two times a day.  Note on your signature:  I only check emails at 11:30 and 3:30.  It works.
3. Give yourself and others a break.  Forgiveness might sound lofty at best or impossible at worst but truly forgiving everyone and allowing things to be different opens the space within your life that your world can change.  
   1. Forgive yourself for everything that you often regret or feel guilty about.  This wipes the slate clean even though you might have to do it a few times.  (The ancient Hawaiian method called Ho’o PonoPono is a significant help and very easy…Watch Michael Goddard explain how to use this method easily to shift everything for the better.)
   2. See the people you are familiar with acting in a different way and then step back and allow it. When you recognize it, you’ll be amazed.  If you don’t recognize it, you’ll still experience better flow throughout your days.
4. Watch your language.  We often repeat cultural ideoms and responses because it’s our habit.  Really listen to what is bumping around in your vocabulary cache because this is what is being created by your subconscious.  Instead of the negatives, catch yourself and change it:  “I am lucky, I live a charmed life, I am always happy to see ______, I always get a raise, money comes to me easily and from expected and unexpected sources…”  

As I mentioned, you can do this at any time you think about it…making a shift in your internal world will always make a shift in your outer ‘reality’.   The same holds true in reverse,  with Feng Shui knowledge, you can make a shift in your outer world that will always make it easier to remove struggle and make life, wealth, health and happiness easy.  It can be easy.  It can be easy.  That was easy!

My Script

My post New Book Finds on My Nightstand, I posted the script from Carol Tuttle’s book, Remembering Wholeness.  It’s a great book and she’s a wonderful Energy Therapist, I recommend you Check her out.  But her script, although beautiful, wasn’t what I wanted for my own life so I wrote my own.

I keep this on my bedside table and each morning and each evening I read it.  I also have one on my desk that I can glance at throughout the day.  Periodically,  I adjust things here and there, but I have to tell you: it works. 

Here is my script:

  Good morning.  (usually have the tune of “Oh What A Beautiful Morning” rolling through my head and heart) I am so lucky,  I am so happy with how easily my day goes.  Everything in my life flows smoothly, easily, and happily.  It is as if the Universe knows who I am and what I want and things flow to me in a perfect and timely way. It is as if I’m dancing with the Universe.  It’s easy for me to choose those actions and things that bring me the most joy and align me with the greatest potential to live my true potential.

     Every morning I awake, eager for the beauty I will experience today.  I am infused with the energy of well-being throughout my day.   I am rested, refreshed and filled with love.  I am so glad to be alive.  I can hardly wait to exercise my body .  I am healthy and perfectly fit. 

    I am thankful for each moment I can spend with my children.  When they awaken, they are joyful and happy to be alive, rested, healthy and eager to join in the day and live their full potential.  We have such fun interacting with one another.  We laugh and embark upon our day together–positively anticipating what will unfold and expecting marvelous things to happen, great and small surprises, gifts from Universe every day.  I love being a Mom.  I ask that I be given opportunities to show and tell my children how special they are to me, to tell them how much I love them and to guide them through their lives toward fulfillment, peace and pleasure. I receive their expressions of love into my deepest my joyful heart and into every cell.

    As I go through my day, it’s a lovely time.  I see beautiful nature, beauty in everyone I meet.  I so much appreciate all the wonderful people in my life.  I love to see their smiles and joy.  I love and appreciate everyone I meet.  Just by being around them, my joy helps their lives go more smoothly.  So much well-being abounds. 

  As I travel through my day,  I sense those little urgings of my inner guidance and know just the perfect way to travel, the perfect speed and the perfect route, traffic flow is smooth and easy, I send sparkles of love and peace, harmony and laughter ahead of me on the roadways as if they were a ribbon of love, light and healing for everyone to absorb.   I love new surprises that come, my ability to move with them, and the inspiration tht comes to me effortlessly.

     I listen and my guidance moves me to the highest opportunities for joy and to do my work, to help others live the bliss and happiness that is just a thought/feeling frequency away. I am so thankful to be able to align with my Divine Guidance and my High Self.  I ask that I be cleared, cleansed and aligned with the Divine, that my chakras and energy systems be balanced and that all my relationships be clear of negativity and infused with clarity, joyful communication, understanding, respect, love and laughter.  I love connecting with the Infinite Power and Knowledge of my life, I love the joy of the unfolding.

     My Universal manager, and my Universal committee are always working to align me with my greatest potential and opportunities for success.  My Universal secretary takes care of everything, feeding it to me with grace and ease; my day goes smoothly and I am always pleased with the wonderful surprises.  (Here I usually insert something that I’d like to see or receive like:  my sons smiling with me or succeeding in school or with friends, I see an animal that I have never seen before, # new clients each week , huge sums of money from expected and unexpected places, an opportunity to exponentially help more people, delightful vacation travel, a new dear friend, or that someone anywhere on the planet feels the love they need…or whatever I would like to bring into reality.)

   I see all my current, past and future clients thriving.  I am so happy that I can help others make positive differences in their own lives.  The people that come to me are thriving because I help them see the power inside them; Divine Guidance comes through me giving my clients exactly what they need to joyfully create their best lives.  I love remembering to tune in and I am excited by how perfectly everything unfolds.   Most I love knowing that I can participate in anything I want to participate in.  I love knowing I have infinite choices.  Thank you for this beautiful day.”

How to create your own script:

Copy and paste this one into a document and change whatever you’d like to change.  Give attention to your health, your wealth, your roles (family, friends and work), and what you are grateful for.  Don’t be shy about appreciating the ‘things’ you have been asking for, but it’s a great idea to analyze as well the feelings underlying the ‘things’.  You may be wanting a new job, new mate, new car, new clothes, new body, but the feelings under that wish may be:  more freedom, happy relationship, no worries, self-confidence, or self-esteem, feeling secure within yourself and your world.  You can have it all… when you are grateful for the feelings, the things come more easily.  Your Divine Self sees you as perfect now, when you start to love yourself in that way, miracles flow to your and through you.

An important key

Phrase it in such a way as though you have it now and love it.  No matter what you have or don’t have in your current experience, be thankful and craft your script so that you are thankful that you already have what it is that you are creating.

Watch the feeling inside that might clench and say: no way, I want revenge, that person is a jerk and will always be so, or traffic is always backed up….  This is where you get to create a miracle difference and allow another reality.  That’s all, just allow it.  If you can’t do that, then just pretend you have hired a better actor for that role, someone who is funny, someone who is smarter, kinder, more centered and helpful–it’s YOUR screen play.   Go write the best day you can think of–imagine what it’s like to get that call from the headhunter that so-and-so GotRocks Company wants to hire you at such-and-such, which is 20 times what you thought you wanted…and then imagine how your new life will be–fantastic work, enjoyable creative people, great projects, fun with your family, you in those great vacation commercials.  Go for it. It’s only your mind–but that’s the engine that creates.

Word of caution

Whatever you think, you are creating and if you are creating a negative experience for someone else it will always backfire on you.  What you send out, you receive, so if you want to write a character out of your script, see them moving on to a new and joyful life somewhere where they will thrive, feel great for them moving out of your life.  This will help you create more in your life in an easier and better fashion.

Other Notes

Wording and feelings are subtle.  For instance the saying, “the rich get richer” carries with it a negative, “isn’t that bad and aren’t they taking advantage of the poor” connotation.  It’s often true that the ‘rich get richer’ because why?  It’s what they focus on…it’s their though pattern, it’s their script.

There’s enough for everyone and if you think your good comes from someone, you are missing the boat.  Your good comes from Source and when you focus on that and program your day, with your focus on what you want, you’ll be very pleased that this is always true:  “the rich get richer”

Example of a limiting program: I love anticipating all the positive changes in my life. (This will put you in the mode of constant anticipation)
Better:  Each day I am healthier and richer in all ways and more wise.

Feel free to send me your draft and I’ll critique it for you.  Between the two of us, you can be sure that your ‘script’ will see you living your best life in each and every ‘now’ moment.

Enlightenment Through Your To Do List — Chop Wood and Carry Water

As I prepared my daily “To Do” list for today the first thing that came to mind was

•  chop wood

Not unusual, it’s winter, I live in the mountains and love a fire in the fireplace.

As mind would have it, a Zen parable came to mind and I just had to write on the next line:

• Carry Water

I smiled.

Here’s the story:

A seeker asked his teacher:    “What do you do before enlightenment?”
Answer from the Sage:            “Chop Wood and Carry Water.”
Student:                                      “What do you do after enlightenment?”
Teacher:                                      “Chop Wood and Carry Water.’

Don’t believe it

Don’t believe it.  In truth:  After enlightenment?  Chop Wood and Carry Water—And LOVE IT.

Things look totally different after that.  I’ll tell you how.  Feeling your body, carrying water, chopping wood, driving, making dinner, phone calls, cleaning, selling, decorating, speaking, and Loving the moments, loving it! That’s the difference that will make the difference in your life and the lives of those you love.

I laughed because right after I finished my daily TO-DO list,  I realized I had already taken a case of bottled water from my car into the house, HAH! Carried Water—check, done.

Did I love it? Well, I didn’t hate it.  I’ll do it differently next time, in fact, right now, I’ll dial back into that moment and Love it. Send a bit of love back into the moment, into the water, appreciate the weight of it sloshing in the bottles, the dogs barking around and tripping me, the door needing to be opened.  Hah! I love you all.  I’ll share a most powerful example of this with you.

True Story

One evening, at about 7:30 pm, when my younger son was in High School he came to me and asked, “Mom, can we clean this sweater?  I need to wear it to tomorrow’s match.”  I looked at him and the wool team sweater and explained that normally this would need to be dry cleaned, but let’s see what we can do.  I decided that rather than be grumpy about the event of 11^th hour cleaning, I’d LOVE it. I smiled and told him to go finish his homework and then I put the wool sweater into the sink with some natural shampoo, cold water and baking soda and loved the sweater and the fibers, did Reiki on the sweater, sent comfort, confidence and health into each fiber as it would be worn by my son whom I love dearly.  I imagined it gently and harmoniously* filled with light and vibrance.  I squished it clean, rinsed it, rolled it in a towel, stepped on the towel (that part feels so good on my feet) and hung it on 6 hangars stacked together (to prevent the shoulder pops).  I hung it near the warm blower of the gas fireplace and loved it.  I checked it often, hoping that it would be dry for tomorrow’s match.  The next day it was, he put the sweater on and went off to school with a “Thanks, Mom.”

Late that evening, as I checked my emails there was one from his Coach.  “Mrs. Chang, I just want to tell you that today Jordan was more confident and composed than I have ever seen him.  He played extremely well, and was especially considerate and welcoming of the visiting team.  I wanted you to know this because although he is always kind and considerate, there was something different about him today and I was very proud of him and thought you should know too.”

“Hmmmm,” I thought as I wiped my tears, “Chop Wood, Carry Water, Do Laundry and Love it!”  That’s the power we all have, intention, action, enlightenment.

Sometimes I do forget, but it’s less and less often that I forget.  I realized since that I can do this with everything and anything that I want to be filled with ease and eagerness.

I am always amazed that I am amazed by how much greater the results of my day and my life become, how the return on my ‘investment’ is way over what I expected, when I LOVE what I am doing.

Try this today:

What is on YOUR to-do list today? How can you remember to do the mundane and banal things and bring ‘en-lighten-ment’ and love to each “to-do”?  With whom do you wish to share enlightenment, health, personal confidence and personal power?  Who would you gift a day free of struggle as if the wind were at their back and the sun shining gently on their skin?  You can do this:  enlightentment is right now.

From your To Do list, choose:

• 1 thing that you can do to put something from the past to rest (go all Ho’o Ponopono on it …Watch here as Michael Goddard explains how to make everything shift for the better with Ho’o Ponopono)
• 1 thing that you can do to support your today (breathe, laugh, walk, finish a project, delete a project, say no to an expectation that doesn’t make you joyful, add 15 minutes between appointments for nothing)
• 1 thing that you can do to support you in your future, your heart, or your relationship…1 person or situation you want to open to possibility, joy and personal alignment with the best version of herself or itself, the best outcome for the highest expression of more love

Then, make the choice to be/feel ‘in love’ while doing the task.  Think about the most joyful, happy, healed powerful thing you can while you are doing that ‘thing.’  Put Love In to the moments, LOVE the task, love the process, caress it, see it, hold it. Finish it and let it go. Thank it and check it off!

On to the rest of my to-do list! I hope you love yours!

All my best,

Fawn

*This is an important piece when offering Love to someone…ask that it be harmonized to them.  In the same way that  your eyes might hurt and you’ll flinch when you come from a dark room into the bright sunlight, filling a situation with light can be uncomfortable for someone not expecting it.  If you ask that it be harmonized, that person can more easily adapt, similar to the way a fresh scent that they love would please them. 

Classic Chair Designs of the 50’s by Charles and Ray Eames

The “Eames Plastic Chair” is a stackable design classic. Photo © Ailine Liefeld

Almost everyone of us has parked ourselves in one of their chairs.  Perhaps you have seen their video “Powers of Ten,” one of my favorites.

The chair designs by Charles and Ray Eames are iconic.

Even if you  like the Aeron by Hermann Miller better, there’s no getting around it, the Eames chairs are legendary.

Here’s a look at just a few of them.

Watch the video linked below, complete with retro music, that will show you a behind the scenes view of how the Eames fiberglass chairs were constructed in the past–those design changed the way we view seating.  You can read an more about  how the Eames are still influencing Scandinavian Design today in Europe.

Eames’ Mid-Century Modern furniture can be combined with many different styles, inlcuding this one that closely resembles the new 2013/14 Trend Artistic Expression.    Everything comes around…especially good design.   Photo © Ailine Liefeld

Other Eames Chairs replicas are  available to view or purchase at IconicInteriors.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WNGVWWJrZls#!

Artful Expression: Vibrant Color and Pattern Popular 2013/14

The  2013/14 Artful  Expression  palette  is  pure  energy and an  eclectic  mix  of  traditional,  contemporary,  and multi-­‐cultural    references  in  bold  and  dynamic  palettes  and  prints….

Color and trend forecasting is big business.  Forecasters reference global zeitgeist in social, cultural, economic needs sometimes 5 years out.  This information helps manufacturers meet the needs that we’ll all be feeling.

As you may know, color is one of those intangibles that not only drive each of us to make a purchase but will deeply answer a true emotional need within us based on who we are and what we are experiencing in our lives.

The person who wants to Live Out Loud will love this color & design trend. Pattern-compulsive, color obsessed with a flare for vintage and cultural references, bold mixes are haphazard yet artful

One of 5 core themes identified by PPG Pittsburgh/Porter Paints  Global Color team as being the colors and design cues that we’ll be wanting to surround ourselves with and begin to see across multiple industries.

The other 4:

Every Day Hero – which portrays the design aesthetic of a low key, eco-friendly hipster with a penchant for smart, functional basics….

Illusion – a playful theme of fantasy – some childlike, some a bit more dark and dramatic…

[discreet] Luxury is a contemporary classic take on design that embraces both masculine and feminine ideals…

Modernist Tech is pared down and fashionable with the added appeal of futuristic-technology.

Color trenders explore the needs of a variety of lifestyles and each particular character, and understand the color palette and design details unique to each; details and colors that are interpreted across industries:  home furnishings, automotive, tech products, architecture, and more.

The Palette: Vibrant mid-­‐tones and amped brights from the full color spectrum work in powerful combinations. Hybrid hues of acidic yellow greens, petrol green-­‐blues, red-­‐infused orange shades and purpled-­‐reds suggest a range of hues in constant Flux.

The living  space  for  the  Artful  Expression  theme has either a mildly  bohemian  take  on  transitional  styling or leaves transitional  styling  behind to offer  a  look  that  is  much  more  contemporary. Either way, sunny  yellows  and  soft    melon  orange  hues  pair  with  craft  browns  to  create  an  earthy  and  optimistic  vibe amped up with geometric patterns and striking colorways.

Returning  to  the    bohemian  art  spirit,  this  look  plays  up  some  of  the  70s  era  references.     String  art,  crochet  references  for home  furnishings,  and  hand   made  pottery  all  give  this  environment  a  touch  of  hippy-­‐ commune  living.  Patterned  wall  tiles  returning  to  other  areas  of  the  home,  free  of  being limited  to  bathrooms  and  bedrooms.  Wicker,  wire,  and  knit  open  work  create  an  artistic  spirit,  but  are  kept  fresh  and    contemporary  when  paired  with  masses  of  white.

The  artful  kitchen  does  not  shy  away  from    color,  and  this  year  we  see  more  and  more  brands    embracing  bold  color  stories  for  big  ticket  kitchen  items  -­‐    suggesting  that  consumers  are  becoming    more  open  to  color  long  term.  Rich  oranges,  greens,  blues  and  yellow  work  together  to  create  the    perfect  eclectic  ensemble.

For  kids  rooms,  the  First    Artful  Expression  direction  is  great  for  boys  and  girls  in  the  3  -­‐7    range.      Transformable  and  interactive  furniture  encourages  engagement  and  helps  improve  navigational  and    manual  dexterity  skills.

For the  outdoor  space,    creating    a   sense  of    Bohemia  from    an  almost  monochromatic  range  of  beige-­‐y    browns.     Rope  seating,  basket  weaves,    and  crochet  mats  all  serve  to  complete  this  look — surprisingly,  the  bolder  colorations  shown  here  are  the  more  contemporary  option  for  outdoor.

This trend  is  really  all  about  intense  color  weaves  in  grid-­‐like    patterns,  paired  with  graphic  geometric    prints  and  patterns.  Melon  oranges  and  tangy  yellow-­‐greens    are  essential,    as    is   open   work.

Join me on Houzz with Exciting Colors! to view more beautiful rooms in the Artistic Expression Design & Color Trend for 2013/14.

excitingcolors’s ideabooks

The more vibrant colorways of Artistic Expression allows for bold color and pattern in a bohemian take on transitional styling.  We’d love to credit this designer — if you know who did this room please email us.

Softer colors, yet still inspired by pattern, this transitional take on Artistic Expression allows color to enliven even the most sophisticated spaces.
We’d love to credit this designer — if you know who did this room please email us.

Vibrational, Stunning Architecture by a Friend of Mine

“We’re building an idea…it’s a house but in fact it’s a built idea.  And the idea is that it’s a container of vibrations…whether there are people moving through it, or music, or environment, it’s a vibration in the landscape.”   David Hannawalt, AIA

I met David Hannawalt, AIA a few years ago in Traverse City, Michigan and fell in love with his sensitivity, ideas and work which touches the face of the fabric of our existence and becomes a friend with it to create delight.

David’s work brings alive the quote “Architecture is Like Frozen Music.”*  If you study Geothe, his colleagues in the 19th Century, their quest for the connections between human, vibration, light, sound and color, you’ll begin to understand that nothing is ever frozen but always changing and alive.  To the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese, everything is alive and interconnected.

David’s work creates a pathway to richer realms of experiencing our built environment and its interface with nature and human on a subtle, intangible but very powerful realm.  With his help, we are beginning to pierce the veil of ignorance and that allows us access to more beauty, joy and creativity by pursing architecture and design in this way.

David and William Close designed and built the Symphonic House.  Mercedes Benz TV featured David’s work, and you can get a feeling of just how exquisite the interface between music, vibration, architecture and human living environment can become.  Watch the video:

The Symphonic House, Featured by Mercedes Benz.  Watch the video of this magnificent accomplishement of vibration, light, music and sound….an homage to the sensitivity of partnering with nature towards delight.

From Mercedes Benz:

When most people look at a wine tasting pavilion, an office building or a house, they see a collection of rooms. They see a bedroom here, an office there, but when David Hanawalt, a Northern Michigan architect, who honed his style on the buildings of Paris, New York and San Francisco, looks at a building he sees solutions.
He sees the needs of his clients answered in the form of what we call, a building. To him they are “organic mixes of spaces grouped in the different ways in which they are used. I see them as a built idea. The idea, is a container of vibrations, whether there are people moving thorough it, or music, or environment, it’s a vibration in the landscape.”
For the Symphonic House, he combined the location and the forces of nature that prevail upon it. He then transformed these forces into musical harmonies, using the house as his resonator.
He chose to work with William Close who quite literally uses the Earth as his instrument. William, a Malibu based artist, creates and plays Earth and architectural instruments. He created the Earth harp where he strung eight 1000-foot metal strings across a valley and played them as an instrument. He has done many architectural musical installations around the world. He is always looking for a way “to turn the architecture itself into a musical instrument.” He transformed the Symphonic House into a gigantic harp that resonates the magical music of the Earth itself.
Find out more about the Symphonic House /http://www.symphonichouse.com./), David Hanawalt (http://www.bluprince.com/) and William Close (http://earthharp.wordpress.com/about./).
Production Just a Guy Named Pete / Director Pete Erickson / Post FishSoup Films / Music William Close

*The phrase “Architecture is like frozen music” [Baukunst eine  erstarrte Musik nenne] is first used by Goethe in “Conversations with  Eckerman” (published 1836); however it appears earlier in Schelling’s Philosophy of Art (published 1802-3).  [Source: Wiki:Answers.com]

[discreet] Luxury: 2013/14 Trend for Interiors

The [discreet] Luxury color palette for 2013.14 and beyond. Warm, rich, earthy and elegant.

Our sense of ourselves and our needs is changing…and here is one of 5 trends introduced for 2013/14 and going forward. Ready for luxury and with a heightened awareness of our impact on our planet is moving us toward a trend being called discreet luxury.    Colors, shapes and artisan yet glamourous design are at the forefront of this trend, one of 5 major trends in color and design introduced by the Global Color Team at PPG Voice of Color.

Bulbs by Lee Broom blend luxury, high quality material with simple design.

Integrity of design, the expertise of the past, and a lack of overtly “showy” styling work together to create a theme that is simultaneously luxurious, elegant, and inviting.  The crystal light bulbs by up-and-coming designer Lee Broom offers the perfect juxtaposition between high-quality material and simple design.

 

The Discreet Luxury personality exudes a unique blend of contemporary stylishness and classic, old world charm. Mixing curvaceous, feminine forms with sturdy masculine materials, the design aesthetic of the Discreet Luxury character is a bit like modern-day Mad Men with an extreme interest in craftsmanship.

Soft, subtle yet rich, we’ll be seeing these designs and drawn to these colors which reflect what trenders call Persona’s…we develop a personality profile that best embodies a particular segment of the population and then investigate what would appeal to that segment, what their preferences and needs are for now and the future.

This color/design story is a powerful statement of masculine and feminine shapes If you can see yourself or your clients in this color and design story, or perhaps just a part of it.  Either way, you’ll see here how to put it together and also how to add pieces that will delight you.

 

Tired Lately? It’s about New Moon’s Shift into 2013

Did you feel it?  This past week I’ve had many clients and people connect and ask me, “What’s going on?  I feel so tired!”  and even exhausted…pay attention and here’s why:

This is the energy shift of this healing new year beginning and the New Moon in the sign of Aquarius on Feb 10 (EST).

As I mentioned, go with it, listen to your body, take extra special good care of you and read on how to use this energy and this year to make it your Best Year Yet!

In addition to the feeling of tiredness during this shift in the new energy coming onboard, you may also experience what astrologers call the “freedom-closeness” dilemma in relationships.

The Ancient Greeks spoke of many types of love: pathos, ethos, eros, to mention a few, and to the Aquarian sensibility, it’s all about loving in a helpful, gentle, balanced way.  Aquarius is the sign which helps us connect to the nature we all share: flowing, loving, heart-centered and free. Freedom is a huge personal banner carried by those of us with Aquarius in our astrological makeup — an Aquarian will often disappear without notice, but will also be thoroughly charming and engaged in sharing joy with all unequivocally.

Things to do today and throughout this New Year:

• Take some time today to rest deeply and recharge.
• Clear away those emotions that don’t serve you: guilt, fear, anxiety, regret and remorse. Breathe light into and around them and release them like little bubbles.
• Clear your calendar of things that don’t serve you.
• Take some time to balance heart and head…the water of emotion and inspiration with the logical, learned responses.
• Freshen your bedlinen, buy a new pillow, take an Epsom salt bath this evening to refresh your energy and get to bed earlier than usual.
• Review your BIG YES! Write a list of the 27 things you want to have be better in your life this month and this year, even if it seems redundant.
• Write yourself a check from the Law of Attraction for an amount that you could realistically accept from the Universe.  $20,000?  $30,000?  How much would you like to win, encounter or earn extra or accept from unexpected sources?  Don’t limit it.  Perhaps you can realistically accept $4 million.  Check in with your body when you review these amounts and you’ll know your body’s ‘oh yeah, sure!” limit.  Go just below that and then next New Moon, be grateful for the extra money you did receive from Source (where all money and abundance comes from) and write it bigger next month.  Place this check in your Helpful People area or in your wealth area on your desk, or in your home and let it ‘bake’.
• Today, take some time to focus on your Helpful People area…
  • What is in this area of each room, your home and your office?
  • What type of Helpful People would you like in your life?  How would they help you? What would you like to accomplish in business, in the community, in your travels?
  • Make sure this area is anchored and not missing in your home, rooms or office.
  • Be sure it’s organized and offers plenty of open space, something designers call “white space” or “negative space” allowing the mind to rest and creating a void and opening our energy for something beautiful to enter.
  • Clean it and place representations of where you’d like to travel, mentors who guide you (physical or spiritual, living or passed on), wealth, commerce, metal energy: metal, oval, spherical shapes.
• When confronting a dilemma: open your heart, seek your internal guidance, and express love, to yourself and to others around you.
  • How to express love?  Feel it.  Send it. Surround yourself with a smile, or golden Angel wings, fill the space between you and the other person with peace, love, allowing and openness to possibilities.
  • Trust your internal feelings and guidance.
  • Shift from fear to trust and love by focusing on exhilaration and breathing.  Fear just lets you know where you are at the edge of your former experience.  With breath, you can allow the fear to travel through your veins as excitement.
• Send a text of gratitude to someone, perform random acts of kindness, cut someone a break, cut yourself some slack, pay it forward and forget it, doodle hearts and flowers and sparkles, laugh!

This New Year: The Chinese Water Snake

The energies of Spring and the Earth’s New Beginning began to emerge on February 4 with the beginning of the Solar New Year and on February 10 they shift again with the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year: The Year of the Water Snake.

Don’t fret, animal associations in the Chinese lingo don’t have the negatives that they do here in the West.

If you read yesterday’s post, you may have read your energy forecast for the next 9 year cycle.  This cycle is also flavored by the overlay of the Chinese Animal Horoscope.  In concert, it gives us an idea of the weather, but more, it gives us a reminder of how to manage our many experiences toward our greater goal of living our Best Year Yet:  Our Heart’s Desires.

Remember, these ancient sciences were made relevant and understandable by anchoring the wisdom in things that were easily experiencial: water, tree, fire, metal and earth, as well as the characteristics of certain animals: monkeys are brilliant and energetic, rams are steadfast, and snakes are transformers. Water is associated with emotion, depth, and spirituality as well as flow, life force and wealth.

Put that together for this year and we have the energetic support and will feel the impetus to transform ourselves in the area of heart-centeredness, trust, emotions.  Allow yourself to ask for help and to begin becoming a helpful person and attracting helpful people into your life.

One of the reasons many of us have been tired is that our bodies are seeking the best medicine to heal.  As the Irish say: “The best medicine is a good laugh and a long night’s sleep.”

Our bodies know more than our minds about healing and being tired is our body’s way of making sure we go deep into sleep and begin to heal from whatever has jangled us in our lives.  Through sleep we can connect to the Source within, our inspiration, guidance and intuition.

What have you noticed in your life lately?  How do you plan to add more love to the world around you?  I’d love to know!

The Best Gift of 2013: A Nourishing Home

Soft furnishings, warmth of a fire, clear of clutter, cozy spaces all help to nourish our lives. One chair will signify being singular and allow you to gather your thoughts but might keep you single…two chairs will make the space for a relationship to be enjoyable. Now you know and you can decide what works for your life right now…single or relationship: “if you build it, they will come…” or go!     PHOTO: HOVERCRAFTDOGGY 

A home that is nourishing will serve to increase your health, wealth and happiness.

Do you love to come home, does it feel like you are being hugged and allowed to rest?If not, a few changes can make it a haven.

1. Notice the feeling you have as you approach your home…are you happy, do you feel really excited to be “coming home”?  If not, change your mind!  Immediately notice the stress and chose to think about something fun about coming home.
2. Make your entrance a special place by clearing the clutter, organizing the space and placing something there that makes you smile and feel welcome.
3. Use your front door daily.  Called the Mouth of Chi, this is the entry to our home of the fresh life force.  Make sure that your front door, (not just the one you always use) is well, lighted, fresh, beautiful and that the door opens completely and on to a beautiful view.
4. Clear your clutter, physical, mental, emotional and social.  Release everything that doesn’t make your heart sing with joy.  This can be hard at first but it is  well worth the effort:  clutter can be responsible for extra weight and lethargy, so getting organized will help you feel light and breezy and open to abundance and opportunities around you.
5. Decide.  “Decision is the most powerful force in the Universe.” (Stuart Wilde)  Most of life goes by, most clutter and blockages stay put because we don’t make a decision.  There are no bad decisions, except to not ake a decision…even that is a decision.  Get clear about what really serves you and leave the rest behind.  It is imperative that you trim the fat from your racing mind (for instance, schedule paying bills  for one hour a week, until then, file them and don’t think about them over and over again).  Arrange your home so that repetitive tasks take less time:  sort your mail over the trash can, sign up for eBills and reduce clutter.  Be choosy with your time and schedule “ME” time to do nothing or something that makes you very happy.
6. Make yourself proud…check your Fame Area.  All the areas of your home are important in your life, but if you are looking to make changes to help you feel better about yourself, look to see what is in FAME area (see Bagua article).  The Fame area is the middle 1/3 in the furthest back of your home, office, property, rooms, etc.   Is there something there that makes you feel proud of yourself?  Is the energy  uplifting, bright and cheery?  Does it make you feel good? Do you have representations of things that you are happy to be known for?
7. Create a Spa feeling in your bathroom.  Bathrooms are representative of cleansing and caring for our bodies. Make your bathroom a beautiful space where you can feel special,  safe and able to cleanse your body, emotions, mind, and soul. Be sure that all areas are clean; remove the extra bottles and jars and everything that is expired.  Add new towels and  a beautiful shower curtain, upward facing and beautiful lighting and a bamboo plant or two.  Get tactile: select an area  rug that your toes and feet feel luxurious will help you know that you are worthy of the pleasures of life.
8. What you see is what you create.  Each time one of my clients and her husband went to bed, they saw the titles of two books on the shelf above their heads:  Civil War, and Struggle for Power.    This (and a few other Feng Shui no-no’s) significantly influenced the arguments she experienced with her husband. Change the dynamics every way you can.  Our brains read everything, our subconscious brings us more of what it sees.  Really look at the words on the newspapers in your home, the titles of books on your shelf or night table, the magazine articles lying around.  These things over and over create feelings inside you.  Remove the ones that aren’t consistent with nourishment, joy, happiness, freedom, abundance, etc.Or…write down a few of these sayings and post them around where you’ll see them often:

• I allow pleasure and goodness into my life. I am pleased.
• I know that I deserve goodness and joy. I am joyful.
• I accept that good health is my natural state.  I am healthy.
• I deserve to feel peace in my life.  I am peaceful.
• I allow abundance into my experience. I am rich!

Our happiness can easily become a casualty of our overly-serious world.  We can get lost in our “Always ON” society; so we have to make a special effort to remind ourselves how really valuable it is to take time to rest, turn off the TV and the World for a bit and recharge.  The reward for that is a deep and lasting joy, knowing we truly deserve everything our heart desires.

Dry Erase Walls? Awesome!

When I was a kid, it was a bad thing to write on the walls…but it sure was fun and convenient.  And now it’s not just for kids!  We grown-ups get to speak our minds…the walls have not only ears but doodles and drawing and well, you get the point!

Without changing the color of your decor, you can turn nearly any wall of any color into a dry-erase board.  There are some great products for helping us get our point across easily–and one of them is dry-erase paint that you can use on any wall!

 

There are a few companies who produce the paint.  I like Whitey paint, from www.whiteboard.com which costs about $65 per gallon but is one coat and done.  Or–you can use a very inexpensive stickon erase board made by the same company…blank or preprinted, white or midnight, these things are fun, easy and awesome! Check out also www.ideapaint.com (until December 31, 2012 30% discount on their products).

So go ahead! Speak your mind, write your list, even paint this on the inside of cabinets, on walls in your garage, or in your powder room…leave a crossword puzzle or love notes for those you love, especially yourself. Life should be fun and colorful, don’t you think?

Helping Kids Decompress

This is a great product for children who need to express themselves.   Caution, make sure you are clear about which walls are fair game…keep the walls isolated in one room or one wall to keep from having to repaint your entire home.  Also, the markers are not ‘natural and organic’…I don’t recommend leaving them alone with small children, of course.

My sons loved the midnight boards…black backgrounds with neon colored markers.  Have fun!

 

Crazy Tip for a Great 2013

Crazy Exercise that Will Amaze and Delight You all year long!

It’s been said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re sure to get there.”

Many folks do this with holiday letters, recapping what happened significantly during the past year, updating their friends about events, births, vacations, etc.

With a little tweak, this same exercise will amaze and delight you and help you create your best year yet in 2013.  This can even be used to help you with your 3, 5, 10 and lifelong autobiography–backwards!

This works so well that you’ll be amazed and surprised all year long, especially when you dig out your list next year.

Where you were and where you are now…

As we quickly approach the end of 2012, if you haven’t already, take some time to look back on your year; write down what happened.  In January, hmm, what happened of significance in January?  Anything? Nothing?  It’s all important.  In February?  In the First Quarter?  What happened that was surprising, what did you do that changed your life? What worked well?  What were the significant milestones or markers you experienced?  Who did you meet? Where did you travel?

This is important because you have probably forgotten a good part of the joy, luck and struggle that you experienced.  Take time with this, it’s significantly important.  When you are finished, set it aside, file it but keep it in a place where you can refer to it later.

Now, here’s the crazy exercise:

Now pretend that you are at the end of 2013…pretend that it’s now the beginning of 2014 and you are doing the same exercise.  This is what’s amazing.  When I do this, what seems like miracles happen.

This precious exercise can be used to set the powerful stage for all aspects of your life.

Try this now:

1. Think for a moment about your life and what you want.   Don’t think about what’s ‘realistic’ or what is ‘possible’.  Just think about what you want…if you had a Genie and you could have endless wishes…
   1. What kind of relationship changes do you want?  Write it down. What kind of career changes would you like to be living? List it and give it a story, date and time that it already occurred. What about your health, your finances? Your vacation and travel plans? What about your family? Your children? What breakthroughs would you like to have for them?
2. Next, get 12 pieces of paper and begin.  On the top of one write:  January 2013.  Now write the things that ‘happened’ in January 2013.
   1. In January 2013, what did you get clear about?  What magnificent thing happened?  Did you suddenly enjoy a beautiful relationship with your significant other?  Were you given a promotion or job that you always wanted? Did you make the committment to clear your clutter and keep your resolutions?
   2. In February 2013, what did you do?  What surprises occured?  Who called out of the blue and changed your life for the better?  What amazing doors opened? Who did you meet that you always wanted to meet?
3. Keep going…do at least the first 6 months of the year.  This exercise takes about 2 hours but it will save you thousands of hours of struggle and surprise and delight you.  If you are really interested in changing your life, do this for the next 5 years, 10 years, your entire life! What will you be able to say as you sit at the end of your life? What will be your story?  Then here’s the important part:

Share it with a friend

This part will turbo charge this exercise.  Set aside a time to share this with a friend.  Get a cup of tea, a glass of wine and sit together, either in person or over the phone.  Pretend your are in 2014 and looking back, sharing your amazing year.

Speaking this outloud with a friend who will “play the game” with you is important because it magnifies the exercise and makes it real to your body, mind and spirit.

Next:  go live your life. 

Do the things that you are intuitively guided to do.  Do the work to clear your clutter, reset your spaces and stay open-hearted and happy in your daily life.  Do this and I guarantee you that you will be surprised at how things happen in this beautiful, quirky life of ours.

I can’t wait to hear about how 2013 was your best year yet!  I can’t wait to live it!

Play

Weeeee!  Weee hooooo!

Welcome to Day 16:  Play

“Whoever wants to  understand much must play much.” ~Gottfried Benn

“So, like a forgotten fire, a childhood can always flare up again  within us.” ~Gaston Bachelard

“It’s never too late to have a  happy childhood.” ~Tom Robbins

“Those who play rarely  become brittle in the face of stress or lose the healing capacity ” ~ Stuart  Brown

This  post was going to make this about connecting with your Inner Child.

I was  going to give you tips from the Ancient Hawaiians, and my other teachers.   Important tips about how  to reclaim the part of you most connected to Spirit  and responsible for Manifesting the experiences of your life.

All of  that is important and helpful in Nourishing Your Spirit (we cover that in depth  in the Clear Your Clutter Program) but for today, I want to make it as simple as  possible.

But   I want to help you shift immediately into a powerful way to Nourish Your  Spirit…drumroll (doesn’t work so well in print…):  Play.

When I  say that word, my heart immediately softens and I become enthusiastic. How about  you?  Please let me know how  you play, what do you do to Nourish Your Spirit  each day?

Day 16  Nourish Your Spirit Challenge:  Play

“Grown-ups love figures. When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, “What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?” Instead, they demand: “How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?” Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.”  –Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince, 1943, translated from French

Today is a great day to bring out your Inner Child. Reconnect to an important part of yourself to Nourish Your Spirit.

Reconnect

The Ancient Hawaiians know about the importance of a healthy Inner Child. According to Ho’oponopono, the “Unihipili” (Inner Child, Subconscious Mind) in each of us is responsible for creating our individual reality. That’s one reason it’s so important to design our environments to be in line with our desires…what is around us speaks to our Subconscious mind, which takes us literally and at our word, thinking that what we think, feel and place around us is what we want more of.

Two things are important here:

1. It’s important to connect to your Inner Child because this part of us has a direct connection to the Divine. When we are creating, lost in time and enjoying an activity for its own sake, we often step back and say, “Wow, did I do that?”
2. It’s important to be aware of our spaces, thoughts and feelings because this is how we communicate with our ‘Inner Child’.

One way to reconnect to your Inner Child and the Divine in every moment is to play.  For today…play.  [Join us for the Clear Your Clutter Coaching Program to learn how to arrange your spaces for your Best Year Yet in 2013.]

Play

Think about the last time you just played or lost yourself in an activity not conscious of a desired outcome or deadline. That was play. Simple. Uplifting. Delightful.

What do children want most? Attention, time, freedom to explore and…play (oh, and to be thought we are precious and cute…which you are.)  Give yourself some attention, a little slack, some time and freedom to explore and be curious.  Ask, each morning as you awake, to be shown something beautiful that you have never seen before.  When you see it, you’ll know you are heard and you’ll see that you aren’t alone and you are a precious child of the Universe…given what you are asking for.  Let’s make sure your spaces are asking for what your heart desires.

Do something that is ‘play’ today.

Even if you don’t remember how, give yourself some attention, time, freedom to explore and…play.

What did you do as a child to play? I would design houses for my Barbie and Pepper dolls, or for myself high in the branches of an apple trees. (I thought I was daring, adventurous, in a sky scraper. Looking back, apple trees aren’t very tall, but then again, neither was I.) I’d play in the mud making pottery and hamburgers. (I hope you laughed too.)

What would you do to play today?

Sometimes cooking or anything creative can feel like play…even if its’ decorating one cookie, all by yourself, alone…play.

Components of play

[adapted from Helpguide.org (a particularly non-playful article but helpful nontheless)]

• Involvement – Complete focus and concentration,      either due to innate curiosity or as the result of training.
• Delight – A sense of bliss and positive      detachment from everyday reality.
• Clarity – Great inner clarity and a      built-in understanding about the state of affairs.
• Confidence – An innate sense that the      activity is doable and that your skills are adequate to the task.      Additionally, you don’t feel anxious or bored.
• Serenity – A sense of peace and an      absence of worries about self.
• [Timelessness] … – Thorough focus on the present      and a lack of attention to the passing of time.
• Motivation – Intrinsic understanding about      what needs to be done and a desire to keep the moment of play moving.

Regain your sense of play today and this Holiday season, for no good reason but to Nourish Your Spirit.

50 Ways to Nourish Your Soul

As I am writing the 21-Day Nourish Your Spirit Holiday Challenge, I come across some amazing resources on the Internet that I share with you and I thought you’d like to read this …written about September 11, it’s timely as we come up to what media and many have told us will be a significant date.   December 21, 2012 may be, but I doubt it will be the drama they are hoping for. I think it, and each day, holds promise we only see with our heart’s eye and can be joyful.   We have a few more days left of free daily inbox reminders of how to Nourish Your Spirit…please join us!

Let me what you do to Nourish Your Spirit…..

Fifty Ways to Nourish Your Soul

Enjoy the whole article by Rosemary Cunningham, posted on http://www.spiritualityhealth.com/articles/fifty-ways-nourish-your-soul

“What would you do if you knew the world was coming to an end?” I was first asked that question back in the 1970s when I was on the road with a dance company, passing time before a flight. The choreographer said, “I would dance until I died.” Dance away his life! Meanwhile, as stage manager, I thought — but didn’t say — that I would sink into total terror and panic. I couldn’t grasp how anyone could answer otherwise.”

“On September 11, when it felt like the world was coming to an end, I discovered my real answer. As I moved about my workplace numb from the news downtown, knowing that a friend was most certainly in one of the World Trade towers, a voice inside kept saying, “Go to the river.” In recent years the Hudson River has become my place and my practice. It began one hot summer afternoon as a friend and I sat on an old wooden dock during one of those moments that truly matter. I asked him to name the place, but his first response, “Dock A, 79th Street Boat Basin,” didn’t convey the feeling. So I asked again. He answered, “Cape Grace.” Bingo!

I began to go to the river on weekends to watch the sunset. I noticed that each was unique. I saw gulls dip, swirl, and glide with ease. I saw ducks appear to work hard to fly, but float and paddle playfully in the water. I saw a thunderstorm come down the river and the small sailboats in its path cease to rock, and for the first time I experienced the power of stillness.

One day it occurred to me that the loving force that had made the glorious sunset had made me, too. This deep sense of connection made me cry for joy. I started going to the river on weekdays, no matter what the weather. Against the railing on a cold winter day, I huddled in my down coat feeling that God was there, arms around me. I was jobless and almost broke. But no matter what happened, I would always have this place. I could always come here.

I began naming the places at the river’s edge. Fear Rocks marks the place where a friend and I each dropped a rock in the river to symbolize letting go of our fear. The Point of Despair is where I stood as I felt the depths of my self-doubt. Courage Place marks a moment when I realized I had the courage to express my heart fully and appropriately — no matter the result. As the river changed, so did my life. A wonderful job, where gentle people and enthusiastic preschoolers surround me, came my way. Last January, the day after my birthday, I noticed that a new pier south of the boat basin had opened. Its graceful sweep takes me out to what feels like the middle of the river. I call it Cape Faith.

On September 11, I walked the river path. Three years of sunsets, tears, joy, prayers, fireworks, hugs, smiles, friends, kisses, solitude, and moments with God came flooding back. I stood at the Point of Despair, knowing I had been comforted in this place time and time again. So much changed on September 11. This had not. A friend of mine likes to say, “The solution is simple and spiritual, and has nothing to do with the problem.” That’s what the river is for me. It’s what all fifty ways to nourish your soul have in common. That’s why, when the editors asked me to help organize the wonderful collection of practices their readers had submitted, I jumped at the chance.

1. See the world through your pet’s eyes

I make pet visits to the local hospital with my golden retriever, Dakota. My schedule has us visiting oncology patients and their families. Dakota’s schedule has us visiting everyone. We greet all the housekeeping staff, the people outside the hospital in the smoking area, the office staff, hospital volunteers, and anyone else he sees. When I’m with Dakota, I “see” and talk to many more people than when I’m alone. It’s my goal in life to “see” everyone — as he does — even when he’s not with me. — Susan H. Skinner, Iowa

2. Create your own prayer book

I use a black-paper spiral notebook and cut-out pictures from nature magazines of peaceful scenes and create my own inspirational prayer book. When I come across a wonderful quotation or a prayer I like, I copy it into my book with silver, gold, or “milky-gel” colored pens and paste a nature scene across from it. Just leafing through my personal prayer book calms me and gives me courage to face my day. — R. Jane Williams, Pennsylvania

3. Sit quietly in a room alone

Whenever I feel down and out, I shut myself in a room and sit quietly and meditate. I think of all I have to be grateful for; sometimes I think about something charming or funny my kids have said recently so that I smile, and sometimes I just close my eyes, breathe deeply, and let myself be. — Abha Iyengar, India

4. Create beauty at work

I have recently begun providing fresh flower arrangements for the reception area at my workplace. The weekly ritual of choosing the vessel, shopping for flowers, and slowly and mindfully creating a work of beauty has become an integral part of my soul nourishment. It provides an outlet for my creativity, centers me, and is something I really look forward to. — Jill Sheeler-Shenk, California

5. Breathe!

Relaxation breathing can calm, de-stress, focus, and relax me in several breaths. It’s free and the results are immediate. No planning or equipment is required. It is such a simple thing that provides big benefits and rewards. — Vicki L. Dury, Massachusetts

6. Carry your spirit in your pocket

Over a couple of years, I have collected small, smooth river rocks the size of large marbles. I have written positive yet reflective words on each one with “paint pens,” such as love, laugh, compassion, delight, etc. I keep these rocks in a small velvet bag. Each morning I draw one out and put it in my pocket where my hand finds it often. It becomes my daily spirit word with which I can bless myself and pass the blessing on to other souls without their even being aware. P.S. These make a great gift for a soul friend. — Mary Therese Breuning, Washington State

7. Simply swim

Swimming. The fluidity of my body connecting with the water and the meditative motion of each stroke connect me with the divine. In the summer, I swim in the ocean. I am then reminded of being part of something so vast and unknown yet feeling so much a part of the universe, as if I really matter in that space.– Celia Grand, Maine

8. Harmonize with the kids

Children’s music and Christmas music always feed my soul and take me to a place of gentle innocence and happiness. On stressful days and in rush-hour traffic, I give my soul flight when I tune in to my favorite songs. Sometimes the children and I sing along and it always makes us smile and act silly.– LeAnn Malecha, Illinois

9. Light a family candle

Last year for the holidays, my wife and I packed a box with special foods, one gift for each person, a tape of our favorite holiday music, and a candle with a cranberry-orange-cinnamon scent. We sent the box to my family in Florida, with instructions to light the candle as they enjoyed the contents. We lit a similar candle as we opened their gifts to us. Each day now at mealtimes, we light the family candle and include our family in our prayers.– Chuck Goodman, California

10. Live in the middle

I carry two little strips of paper, one in my left pocket and one in my right. My rabbi gave them to me around the time of Yom Kippur. On one is written, “For my sake was the universe created”; on the other, “I am but dust.” Somehow I manage to stay in the middle.–Gale Maleskey

11. Go treasure hunting

When my husband was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, I was devastated. My morning walks became a litany of self-pity and fear. One morning I discovered a small blue flower peeking up from behind a rock. It was simple in its beauty. I found myself smiling. Now every morning, I go treasure hunting. I always find something to inspire me: a puffy cloud, a smiling face, the color of the trees, a scurrying squirrel. Nothing out of the ordinary yet God’s handiwork. Miraculously, amid pain one can find some modicum of peace.– Celia L. Marszal, New York

12. Pray for someone else

Whenever I feel discouraged and think nothing could be right in my life, I try to find a quiet place to sit and write down a prayer for someone I know who needs a loving thought. Composing the words of the prayer helps align my soul with the loving Presence I need at the moment and reminds me that I am not alone in the universe, that no matter how I feel, I am truly loved and blessed.– Elizabeth Simons, Missouri

13. Let spirit rock you to sleep

Since I’ve passed 50, I often wake up in the middle of the night. Instead of tossing about while chewing guilty thoughts or solving other people’s problems, I now get up and move to the living room, where I read and reflect on one or two pages of a spiritual reading. This replaces the daytime meditation I’ve never been able to do and sends me back to sleep with a peaceful mind. Our cat usually joins me.– Richard Lalonde, Canada

14. Connect

Whenever I feel the need to remember that I am a child of God, I call friends or acquaintances and ask how they are. This simple act reminds me that a word or deed — however inconsequential — sends the powerful message that God is all Love, and each time we share that Love with another person with a word or smile, we create a powerful force in the world that combats fear and loneliness.– Elizabeth Simons, Missouri

15. Plant a forest… in your office

I have planted a forest in my office! I placed a plastic sheet on the carpet and on it put three tree stumps (18″ high and 15″ across). Cedar chips are sprinkled all around the stumps like ground cover. On the left stump a plant resides, in the middle is a copy of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, and on the right side is a fountain. Above the stumps is a tapestry with the phrase “Ingredients for a Happy Classroom” in the center. Around the perimeter are words and symbols highlighting those ingredients: Humor, Friendship, Kindness, Curiosity, Respect, Patience, Praise, and Recess.– Sean Kelly, Canada

16. Stand soul to soul with nature

I try to find time every day to walk barefoot on the earth, even if it’s just standing outside my door in the rain for a moment. I focus on the skin of my feet touching the skin of the earth — my body connecting with the body of the earth, allowing energy to flow back and forth between us. I used to think the sense of peace I experience was a gift from the earth to me, but I’ve heard (through the “souls” of my feet, of course!) that it’s a gift we give each other — that my mindful presence and bare feet are a healing gift to the earth as her grounding presence is a gift to me.– Patti Rieser, North Carolina

17. Look into your eyes

When I awake every morning I look in the mirror before washing my face. Tenderly looking into my own eyes, I cross my hands over my heart and say to the familiar face, “How can I remember to be more loving, juicy, and joyful with you today?” It sets the intention for the hours ahead and keeps me focused on what is truly important.– Sylvia Cohen, New York

18. Relish the moment

As a full-time working mother of two children under five, my soul-nourishing moments are captured in quick-as-sound-bite opportunities. I make it a practice to stop and absorb the beauty God provides in such abundance: the crisp air of a new fall day, a band of swans twittering as they swarm above the trees, warm sun embracing cool skin, squirrels bickering over a corn-cob, the stars and planets on a clear, bright night.– Laura Erickson, North Dakota

19. Welcome the day

Each morning before I dive into the hectic activities at work, I stop at a particularly beautiful place high up on the red rocks surrounding my town. I breathe in and out deliberately and consciously, aware of my connection to Great Spirit, the true reality in all life, and within me. Sometimes I say a more formal prayer. Sometimes I shout joyously for a new day of life, like no other day before it or to come. I do what feels right for me that day. Then I come down from the mountain and go to work.– Jerome Thailing, Arizona

20. Sense the love that surrounds you

When I awake in the early morning to the scent of my wife, the sounds of the birds, and the hush of the leaves in the trees, I am reminded how love from within me and from outside me guides me to a place of peace.– Ben Fowler, Maine

21. Share your abundance

When I’m feeling disconnected from myself, I gravitate to the kitchen. Comparing inspiring recipes to available ingredients gets me back in touch, and I begin to hum old hymns as the cooking process begins. I make lots of two or three different dishes, enough for my family and a few neighbors who may be more stressed out than I am. Then I call and say I’ll deliver or they can pick up something hot and savory in time for dinner. Amen! We’re cookin’!– Colleen Myers

22. Surrender to the rhythm

Once a week I meet with friends to drum, which loosens up all sorts of insights for all of us. I go to a conventional church in our rural area, but consider Tuesday-morning drumming to be my real church. It is one time during the week when I can believe I live in a sane world.– Laurie Petersen, New York

23. Appreciate loved ones

Whenever I hear my daughter sing or my son laugh, I stop and thank God for my children, their safety, and God’s guidance to me and their father for raising them. I remember that soon I’ll be looking back on these days, perhaps with longing, and that I must treat my children as dear guests who are about to leave.– Ellen M. Cosgrove, Maryland

24. Pin-up pictures

On the back of our bedroom door I’ve collected a little rogues’ gallery of mugshots of friends who have died, old pals whom I still love, who look at me as knowledgeably and encouragingly as they ever did, quietly urging me to die wisely. I feel connected still — and hope somehow I am. — Bill Cleary, Vermont

25. Sing out

After my mother died, I needed to clear out her closet. What got me through was the repetition of a hymn I sang. I am no singer, but those words had deep meaning for me at that time and whenever I hear it or read the passage in the Bible, memories flood back of how good God is.– Karen Kneedler, California

26. Slow down

When I begin to feel disconnected, I walk and type more slowly, and pay close attention to my task, rather than allowing my mind to whirl around. I practice deep gratefulness during those few moments, whether it is for the green pepper I’m cutting up, the shape of the clouds outside my car window, or the smell of the tea brewing.– Louise Monacelli, Michigan

27. Caress the cat

Stroking my cat several times a day has a calming and soothing effect on me. When she comes up to me, I stop what I’m doing to rub her silky coat and speak to her. She is my reality check, when the world gets crazy, and her soft purr reminds me that I am serenely blessed.– Carol Wilcox, Texas

28. Offer a blanket

St. Paul’s Chapel, two blocks from Ground Zero, opened shortly after the World Trade Center attack as a place of rest and nourishment for the emergency workers. It has remained open around the clock through the efforts of a legion of volunteers. One very cold night, a volunteer — a guy about 6′ 3″– told me that he had gone around and put blankets on people. I was so grateful to him for teaching me that. Haven’t we all been almost asleep but too cold, not wanting to make the effort to get a blanket? And if someone covers you, aren’t you in heaven? Later, as I followed his example, one sacred and tender moment followed another.– The Rev. Gwyneth MacKenzie Murphy, a St. Paul’s Chapel volunteer

29. Change what you can

When the world seems chaotic and I feel myself falling into despair and helplessness, I remember something I do control: my personal environment. So the more frightening the news, the more nurturing I make my home: the bed is made, there are no dirty dishes in the sink or clean ones on the drain-board, the garbage goes out daily, clothes are hung up immediately, fragrant candles burn each evening, etc. If I can find peace at home, it stands to reason that I can send it like a beacon of light into the world.– Regina Leeds, California

30. Take care of your precious self

After my father died of colon cancer, I knew I needed to have a colonoscopy and be screened for colon cancer. It wasn’t something I looked forward to. But when I thought of it as an act of self-nurture, I dreaded it less. It truly was an act of self-nurture because knowing that I’m cancer-free gives me a sense of relief every time I think of it.– Diane Dora, Iowa

31. Read what matters

I choose my reading carefully. I choose what will open my heart and open my mind — developments in science, the spirituality of many religions, health, nature, and philosophy. I read poetry, essays, and stories that open my eyes to wisdom and experience. If I can read on a garden bench in good weather or with a cup of tea beside a wide window in winter, then my soul is nourished indeed.– Bobbie Silk, Illinois

32. Feast on soul food

I spent years trying to feel better by using food. I have learned, instead of overeating, to feed my soul. I’ve created a CD of my favorite feel-good music to listen to when my spirit is in need. Taking a walk by the lake or in the woods fills me up. So does working in my garden or giving someone I love a phone call or email. By the way, I have lost over 40 pounds and kept it off for two years!– Teri Wiest

33. Seek perspective

I start my day from a “heavenly” perspective by visiting a website that posts photographs of the cosmos:http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html. Each day a different image or photograph is featured with an explanation written by a professional astronomer. When I gaze at the galaxies pictured there, at first I feel small and inconsequential. Then I begin to feel immensely privileged to be part of such a magnificent universe. My “problems” — really challenges and growth areas — seem manageable, and I’m eager to live my life to the fullest and to contribute something of significance to the lives of others.– Kathleen Hawkins, Texas

34. Maintain the sweet balance

Eat M&Ms! I could eat the whole bag, but to contain my consumption and nourish my soul I keep them in a box that says M&M and take only a few to remind me of Martha and Mary. I need to balance Mary’s contemplation with Martha’s action, so the balance is sweet without excess in either direction or in chocolate.– Sheila Otto, Ohio

35. Serenade your kitties

I have kitty cats and each has its own song with its name in it. Olio’s song goes to the tune of “Baby Face”: “O-lee-oooh. You are the cutest little O-lee-ooohh… You are my kitty and I love you soo… O-leee-ohh…” So, every night when I go to bed I sing their songs. They come tiptoeing in from wherever they are. Pretty soon I feel little lumps of fur snuggling in until I’m surrounded by a purring cat-blanket and we all doze off into dreamland together.– Udana Power, California

36. Practice gratitude

Every night before retiring, I step outside on my back patio, reach up to the sky, and thank God and the universe for this day and this life. I also keep a gratitude journal and write down at least five things I am grateful for at the end of each day.– Karen Evans, Ohio

37. Bless your creditors

Instead of dreading paying my bills, I am grateful for all that those bills represent. I give thanks out loud as I write each check, for such blessings as electricity, heat, water, my mortgage, gasoline for the car, etc. I bless all the workers for those companies who provide those goods and services, and remember to be grateful for the money to pay those bills. Before I put them in the mail, I hold the envelopes in my hand one final time and send love and light out with them.– Leslie Hoy, Pennsylvania

38. Plant your own sunrise

I don’t live close to the water as I once did, and I missed watching the sunrise behind Mt. Rainier and the sunset behind the Olympics across Puget Sound. I needed a new way to refresh my spirit daily with nature’s blessings, so I started a patio garden with a San Diego hibiscus that has new blossoms every day. First thing in the morning I look at my “sunrise” of fresh flowers to start the day.– Melissa Johnstone Allinger, California

39. Catch the enthusiasm

I nourish my soul by watching my three-year-old daughter eat. When something she’s eating is delicious, my heart actually quivers. Her enthusiasm for life and sustenance is contagious.– Viva Delgado, California

40. Carry a reminder

I have a small rock imprinted with the seven-circuit labyrinth. On days when I need a boost, I carry it in my pocket to remind me that life’s path is often circular, and the center of my Being remains whether I am near to it or more on the fringe.– Peggy Babcock

41. Listen for God’s whisper

Last year I was runner-up in a national contest for the world’s busiest family. Every morning, though, I rise earlier than the others, make a cup of my favorite tea, light my candle, sit in front of the window that looks out over the pond and gardens and write down questions or thoughts that may be troubling me. I listen quietly for the answers and write them as well. It is in the stillness of daybreak where I feel God whispers to each of us.– Sue Hollihan, Canada

42. Allow others to pray for you

Chemotherapy has given me an unexpected gift. I find that I must go within and connect with my soul on a daily basis. It has brought me closer to myself. I am more aware of the rhythms of daily life. I am more reliant on my faith and spiritual practices. Every morning when I begin chemo, I say a prayer and light a candle. Many of my friends around the country do the same thing for me at the same time. Then, in the evening, I light my candle again, turn off the television, and turn on soothing music. I say another prayer and praise God for the day. Even it if was a very bad day, I praise God that I was here to experience it and perhaps help someone else.– Joli Spencier, California

43. Take advice from a holy man

Something I heard from an old Dakota Sioux holy man: Take a moment to relax after a busy day. Find a nice quiet place, close your eyes, and imagine a warm white light of God shining on you from the heavens. That will chase all negative thoughts and replace them with comfort, peace, and joy.– J.C. Pratt, Canada

44. Surrender your time

Friday is my Sabbath time of recreation. Slowly winding our pendulum clock on this day is one way I honor the sacred in ordinary time. My clock-winding prayer is the Psalm line “My time is in your hands, O God.”– Roy Howard, Maryland

45. Look in the eyes of love

A friend designed and gave me a beautiful framed mirror only big enough for me to see my eyes. Each morning before I dress I look in the mirror and say an affirmation for the day, and every time I pass a window or mirror I meditate on the affirmation and know that God loves me.– Toni Hill, Pennsylvania

46. Go on a playdate

A good friend and I make time once or twice a month for a Girls’ Night Out. It’s never anything elaborate, perhaps some shopping, or an evening class (we took line dancing together last spring), and dinner at an inexpensive restaurant. Just a few hours to connect with each other, away from our family obligations, makes a world of difference!– Lisa Rubin, New York

47. Count your blessings

I have been going through a difficult separation from my husband. A friend asked me, “How do you do it?” I wrote out all the supports that keep me positive and focused on what matters most: the essential role of God in my life; my gratitude for life itself; my unconditional and immeasurable love for my daughter and thankfulness for her returned love; my comfort in simply knowing my father lives; thanks for the companionship of a few good friends whom I truly care about and whose lives are an eternal fascination for me; the belief that difficulties in life are challenges that can be understood, and once understood, go away; and finally, trust in the basic goodness of humankind. I put the list on my refrigerator for a daily reminder of these irreplaceable supports.– Susan Thompson-Hoffman, Maryland

48. Share your garden

Three years ago my husband and I purchased a vacant lot, and I planted it in the pattern of the Chartres labyrinth. (A walking meditation tool.) Surprisingly, my nourishment from this project came not in the form of walking the path myself, but in sharing it with others.– Christine Wolf, Hawaii

49. Whistle as you walk

As I walk down city streets or the corridors of my office building alone, I softly whistle whatever tune is in my head. It makes me happy and seems to make others smile.– Sharron Emmons, Connecticut

50. Reread these 50 ways…

…and think about your own!

Get into Green: Pantone Color fosters Growth, Prosperity and Health for 2013

2013 Pantone Color of the Year:  Emerald

This year, Pantone announced the color that we are needing, based on what they see on runways from designers, our economic climate and our global social environment is…drum roll…(doesn’t work so well in print)  Emerald.

“Green is the most abundant hue in nature—the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the GPantone Color Institute, said in a press release. “It’s also the color of growth, renewal, and prosperity—no other color conveys regeneration more than green. For centuries, many countries have chosen green to represent healing and unity.”

Growth, health and prosperity, sounds good to me!

Ways to Use Green

Customers will be wanting to use this beautiful, healing, inspirational color as they will begin to see it all over the place.  Pantone, global leader in color marketing and matching, each year announces a Color of the Year and each season announces color palettes that tend to define the colors manufacturers select for their products.

How does this impact you and your clients?  Consider this:  What color do you remember popping up all over the place last year?   Did you find yourself attracted to  rich, motivating, social oranges?  Did you see it perhaps in fabrics, accessories, even clothing?  That’s the power of Pantone’s color of the year which is  based on research about who we are and what we need, what color will motivate us in the direction we are wanting to go.   Where you and your clients fall in what marketers call the Product Diffusion Curve, you’ll understand which clients want what’s new and which you can sell from the back of your stock.

Here’s a great blog post from SHAPE magazine about 5 FUN ways to use green…I love this post.

Feng Shui of Green

Green is the color in Feng Shui associated with wealth, prosperity and Tree energy…upward moving, independent and visionary.  Green in bedrooms will create independence and relaxation because it inspires us to focus on movement, growing ourselves and ideas — it’s not what you want to use to create intimacy and partnership (use flesh tones for that–beige to cocoa–Earth colors).   Green used in bathrooms is highly recommended in Feng Shui as it will uplift the downward flow of water energy and help to increase wealth, at least help you keep more for yourself!

Paint the Town Green:  or just your walls

Using Green in your client’s rooms will help them experience freshness and health and be inspired to rest.  Emerald is a specific color, but when choosing green, be sure that you have all the other items and colors in the same room so that you can be sure the colors and lighting will work together well.   After all, Pantone is setting the color ‘tone’ (Pantone actually translate to ‘all colors’) with the color rich green, an emerald being a precious gem.  Remember, names have significance when customers are choosing colors.

Green is often paired with white for a crisp, tropical feel, as in this room by Skyla Freeman published in the Washington Post Online. 

Pull your color swatches and check out Emerald–it is PPG’s Congo Green.  What do you think?  Does it match what you see on the screen?

Here is a rich palette offered by Pantone for Spring 2013:

Notice the freshness and spirit active through these colors.  Pantone recommends colors for all industries, from fashion to home interiors, vacuum cleaners to coffee pots and, shoes to speakers.  When we are looking at home interiors, fabrics, furnishings, fixtures and wall colors, we’ll want to limit the palette to 3 to 5 colors, which include all the items in the room’s portrait.

Take the cue from either your room or from the fabric itself.  The fabric manufactures have taken the guesswork out of choosing colors for the most part…use the fabric as the color scheme hero and you can’t go wrong.

Lily Pulitzer for Lee Jofa brings an upscale and current twist to 2013 and interiors with her line of home interior fabrics.

Green can be paired with just about any color, depending on—you got it!—it’s undertones.

Green and white gives a fresh, tropical look, but as you can see, this photo doesn’t quite look like the image of Pantone’s colors.  That’s why it’s very important to have fabric and paint samples, etc. together in the room you are designing when you select your colors.

Notice the subtle color shift

2013’s color trends, and Emerald, have a very different feeling than the one used in traditional color schemes.  Dorothy Draper is famous for using many bold and rich colors in her decor.  If you have the opportunity to visit The Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia or The Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island, you’ll be living with this legend’s wealthy, colorful decor.

Other Ways: Green or Emerald in Decor

How to Avoid the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying

We can learn a lot from the polls conducted by British hospice workers of thousands of dying people.  The answers were intended to help us take full advantage of our lives and not experience these Top 5 Regrets.

1. I wish hadn’t worked so hard.  Working is a great thing, but working exclusively, or at the expense of relationships could very well lead to having this regret yourself. What might you do to balance your work with more fun?  What is fun for you?  Do something really silly and fun…have a marshmallow war at home with your kids…schedule some  daily fun activity, even 15 minutes…

2. I wish I’d stayed in touch with my friends.  Right now, pick up your phone and text or email.  Just say, “Hi.” Make an excuse to get together because social support is one of those resiliences that leads to a happier, longer, healthier life.

3. I wish let myself be happier.  Just do it.  Be happy right now.  Not possible?  Okay, look around you.  What makes you happy right now?  Nothing? Really?  Then do a web search for something happy…search images for “Baby Elephant” or Smiling and happy people.  Donate, discard or otherwise remove and replace things in your environment that don’t bring you joy.

4. I wish had the courage to express my true self.  Do you feel safe to express your true self?  Does your home reflect your favorite colors, styles, furnishings?  Can you say what you feel and be honest about it?  Express your true self…show up and your people will come to support and love you for just who you are.

5. I wish lived a life true to my dreams instead of what others expected of me.  What are your dreams?  What do you want?  Do you know?  Take time to write down the feelings, experiences and things that will be true to your dreams.  Place images and pictures of the things your heart desires around you…create a Vision Seed Board or a Mind Movie…getting clear about your dreams is the first step to living them.

What can you do to not be living these top 5 regrets now?

If you don’t know, try clearing your current clutter, spending time removing the things that you don’t like and allow the void of space to be empty until you do discover what it is that you want to create.    You can join me on January 10 for the Clear Your Clutter, Claim Your Best Life in 2013 — together we’ll help you live your life true to your dreams.

How Online Gaming Helps Reverse the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying

Studies are now showing just how online gaming directly converts those regrets into the strengths established by many people who experience Post Traumatic Growth…yet, without the trauma.

When Jane McGonigal, video game designer, found herself bedridden and suicidal following a severe concussion, she had a fascinating idea for how to get better. She dove into the scientific research and created the healing game, SuperBetter.  In her moving, free online TED talk, Jane explains how a game can boost resilience — and promises to add 7.5 minutes to your life, just for watching.  Jane also explains how video games shift the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying into a happy, successful and enjoyable—and longer life.  Watch the video: Jane McGonigal: The Game That Can Give You 10 Extra Years of Your Life.

The Top 5 Regrets and How Gaming Changes Them for Us

1. I wish hadn’t worked so hard.  Jane explains that this usually means: I wish I had more fun and spent more time with my family.  She cites a study from BYU that shows parents who spent time playing video games with their kids have much stronger real life relationships with them.  The other day I played  a video game with my sons: Tiger Woods Golf.  It was a blast, we played a course that we played in ‘real life’ only better; what a great memory and so much fun!

2. I wish I’d stayed in touch with my friends.  Jane explains that online games help us stay connected. A Michigan University study outlines how online games are an incredibly powerful relationship management tool, helping people stay connected.  Jump onto Scrabble With Friends or Fantasy Football!

3. I wish let myself be happier Get this!  A study conducted at East Carolina University shows that online games outperform pharmaceuticals for treating clinical anxiety and depression.  Just 30 minutes of online gaming created dramatic boosts in mood and long term increases in happiness.

4. I wish had the courage to express my true self.  Many online games allow us to create an Avatar which helps us express our most heroic, creative version of who we might become.  A 5-year Stanford University study is documenting how playing a game with an idealized avatar makes us more courageous, ambitious and more committed to our goals.

5. I wish lived a life true to my dreams instead of what others expected of me.  You’ll have to watch for the answer to that one.  And in the meantime, Jane promises to add 7.5 minutes to your life just by watching this.  It’s exquisite!

Online games also help increase life span by building 4 specific life strengths called “resiliences” in a way similar to those developed by some people after experiencing a trauma.  Without having to experience a Trauma, read more or watch Jane’s video to learn how you can right now build these important strengths and enjoy your life more and for longer!

Jane McGonigal: The Game That Can Give You 10 Extra Years of Your Life.

4 Skills That Increase Health and Add 10 Years to Life

When Jane McGonigal, video game designer, found herself bedridden and suicidal following a severe concussion, she had a fascinating idea for how to get better. She dove into the scientific research and created the healing game, SuperBetter.  In her moving, free online TED talk, Jane explains how a game can boost resilience — and promises to add 7.5 minutes to your life, just for watching.  Jane also explains how video games shift the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying into a happy, successful and enjoyable—and longer life.

Jane found that scientists have been working hard to discover just how some people recover from Trauma and live longer.  They haven’t found the magic bullet that determines whether you will develop these strengths or not, but Post Traumatic Growth is dependent on the development of  4 strengths have been developed that are directly opposed to the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying.

In her online, free TED talk, Jane McGonigal, explains how she used the principles of video gaming to shift from suicidal to happy and powerful and wants to share this tremendous discovery that will add healthy years to life, without experiencing a trauma.  Jane used the format of gaming to create a powerful tool others can use to triumph over trauma and life-threatening diseases, called Superbetter.

These resiliences are scientifically validated activities to do every day to build these resilience   Jane walks you through it.  You will earn the 7.5 bonus minutes of life.  You don’t have to experience Trauma, or play video games, but you can increase lifespan and joy – even the video is engaging and humorous.

Jane McGonigal: The Game That Can Give You 10 Extra Years of Your Life.

4 Resiliences to Increase Life Span and Health

Simple, easy things you can do to add health and years to your life.  Develop

1. Physical resilience…MOVE…don’t sit still…every single second that you are not sitting still you are actively improving your heart, lungs, and  brain.  Watch children; they innately know how to stay healthy and you can regain your child like wisdom.  Movement is key; every hour just move: get up, walk, wiggle, do anything: just move.
2. Mental resilience…focus, discipline, will power.  “Develop mental resilience easily by tackling even a tiny challenge without giving up like snapping your fingers 50 times or counting back from 100 by 7 will build mental resilience,” claims Jane.  Calculate your directions in your head for your next journey, a Sudoko game or any small mental task followed to completion, will increase this strength.  Don’t give up and you’ll build strength that helps you enjoy life and more success.
3. Emotional resilience…experience positive emotions. Having 3 positive emotions for every one negative emotion during the course of each hour each day will dramatically improve your ability to tackle any problem you are facing.  Here is where your spaces can lend a hand…set up your spaces with things that lift your energy and feelings and make you happy.  (remove things that don’t, including clutter, disrepair, flesh-eating furniture, colors or items that you don’t love).   Instant Feng Shui & emotional resilience:  do something as simple as a web image search for: “baby_____ (your favorite animal),” or for “smiling and laughing people/children”, or think of one of your ‘switch’ phrases.  Your response shows you have the ability to provoke powerful positive emotions; do this often and you and everyone around you will benefit.
4. Social resilience…more personal strength comes from your friends, social, community, gratitude, touch, trust.  “The simple act of connecting with another person, either by sending a text of gratitude or greeting or even shaking someone’s hand for more than 6 seconds dramatically raises the level of Oxytocin in your bloodstream…oxytocin is the trust hormone which in your bloodstream shows you are biochemically primed to like and want to help each other,” says Jane.

By regularly boosting these types of resilience, you will live 10 years longer than those who don’t and that also will exponentially increase every time you do one of these 4 things!

Color Trends Reflect Who We Want to Be in 2013

These color and design themes may not speak to you right now but you’ll begin to see these color schemes everywhere…now you can be on the leading edge.  Color is tied to our emotions and culture and you can get an idea of  the emotional nature of where, as a society and global culture, we see ourselves going in 2013 and 2014.  Where the history of war and conquest shows us some of the darker nature of humanity, the history of art, color and design can give us insight into what is inspiring us, and how we strive for beauty and to be surrounded by those colors and furnishings that help make sense of the world around us.

Color is medicine for our spirits.  60-95% of our decision to by something is based on it’s color.  We choose those colors based on two basic things: what is going on inside us (memories, emotions, feelings) and what is going on outside of us (economy, our generation and socio-economic group, our friends, family and co-workers). Whether it’s a car, a laptop or cellphone, or your coffee mug and linens—all come in colors that marketers know drive our decisions to purchase a product or not.

William Butler Yeats is quoted, “We are happiest when for everything something inside us, there is a corresponding something outside of us.”  We want our wishes and our personalities to be expressed in the designs and colors we live with, work with and wear and drive…and they are.

“Color & design stories” are based on people.  Marketers develop ‘personas’ to give names and faces and personalities to segments of the population.  This helps marketers address the needs of real people; it also helps marketers and designers determine the styles and colors that will appeal to individuals of a certain genre.

The 2013-14 color trends reflect what is happening on a global scale.  As we become more regionally sensitive, more aware of nature and the world around us, and more in need of fantasy, expression, and escape from things we cannot control, trends move towards colors that help us downshift into delight more quickly when we arrive home or even at our offices and the things we buy to get from here to there.   Colors, toned yet rich, are at the forefront…not so many clean brights, we are needing vibrancy with softness around the edges.   Some palettes are subtle with and surprise and interest is added by a brilliant green, aqua or salmon color; others are sultry and given levity with copper, silver or jewel tones.

Let’s look at the 5 themes as defined by PPG for their Global Color Market.  Which “type” do you fit into? Which of these would you like to live with?

• Everyday Hero
  
  The Every Day Hero favors a low-key, functional aesthetic. Highlighting designs and products that simply work well with no added fuss or embellishment, this theme embraces clean, crisp lines, order, lightness, honesty and simplicity. Everyday heroes select eco-friendly materials; they shirk any design aesthetic that comes across as ostentatious. A mellow yet optimistic vibe is the foundation of the color palette. The hues are soft and desaturated, as if sun-faded or gently worn with time. Earthen, terracotta shades of red and brown warm the palette, while khaki, grey, and white serve as neutrals.
• Ellusion
  
  Ellusion highlights a playful and fantastical design ideal, like a fairy tale environment for grown-ups. The perfect escape from reality, this is a theme that balances dark and dramatic designs, melding delicate and playful forms. Loaded with whimsy and a fl air for the extraordinary, this strange enchantment gives Illusion a sense of wonder. As with the overall design aesthetic, the color palette is a mix of dark and delicate. Bright colors such as fuchsia and sea foam are the energetic middle ground between dramatic black and the pale pinks, blues, and greys that serve as neutrals.
• Discreet Luxury
  
  Discreet Luxury is a classic twist on contemporary design that embraces both a masculine and feminine aesthetic. Relying heavily on texture, surface design, and material to convey craftsmanship, this theme emphasizes the importance of integrity in design. The expertise of the past and modern-day styling work together to create a look that is luxurious, elegant, and inviting. The color palette conveys the mood of the theme by pairing rich, sumptuous reddish-browns with rich blues and pale blues and greys. Mixed metallics are a feature of this theme, and a copper brown can easily read as a metallic as well.
• Artful Expression
  
  This deeply expressive theme embodies a live-out-loud spirit, but also celebrates a deep, emotional connection to tradition and multi-culturalism. Playful yet sophisticated, this theme is a touch bohemian and is loaded with intense hues, graphic patterns, and bold and dynamic palettes and prints. For those comfortable with vivid color as a permanent part of their environment, this palette is pure energy, with vibrant mid-tones and bright colors from the full spectrum working in powerful combinations. Hybrids such as mustard yellow, olive green, and salmon shades provide energy and suggest constant flux.
• ModernIsTech
  
  Minimal yet fashionable, with the added appeal of futuristic-looking technology, Modernist Tech rejects any outdated aspects of daily life and instead seeks to identify a sleek new vision for living. This theme is a true blend of the modernist spirit with the stark but friendly appeal of contemporary technology. It is cool and precise without feeling cold; chic without feeling snobby. The color palette includes blocks of black and white against almost-primary hues, offering concrete grey shades as a midway point between the two. The grey provides subtle warmth while lending to the decor, sophistication.

Check these out and let me know what you think?  Can you see yourself living in these styles and colors?  You may not now, but in a few months you’ll be surprised.

Everyday Hero is a design and social aesthetic as our culture moves into a more casual expression of life, and solutes the joy of working, whether on Main Street or Wall Street.  Earthy, terracotta orange hues, cornfield yellow, lichen greens and warm grey act as neutrals basic denim blues are essential.

Illusion is for those of us who, in one room or in our entire house, condo or urban loft want to touch fantasy.  It’s a palette full of contrasts; 80s brights – sharp fuchsia and magenta play against hues of teal dark plum and lilac are dramatic against midnight black fleshy pink, metallic blush, and tinted white ground the palette.

Artful Expression is a modern, global version of Bauhaus with artistic tribal patterns and up-to-date colors—blocked colors and simple design is on the forefront.  Vibrant and energetic palette comprised of mid-tones and brights in hybrid hues, mustard yellow, and moss green, kelly green, teal, and sky blue,  reddish oranges, purple-reds.

Discreet Luxury rich, bold and understated…contemporary with classic details, this segment embraces both masculine and feminine in our love of rich luxury with modern day global sensibilities.   In design and in color, sumptuous browns  dominate the palette,  from dark chocolate  to cinnamon to soft mink …rich, rustic red and metallic copper and gold add elegance  faded black and delicate pinkish grey add a touch of timelessness

Modernist Tech is futuristic, pared down, bare-bones luxury where design and aesthetics become one.   This palette is primary and literal–easy to imbue spaces with blocks of color and simple  tribal pattern.   Primary red, yellow, and blue take a slightly darker turn soft neutrals ground the palette khaki green and pale cosmetic-peach add a touch of the unexpected.

How long before your clients might ask for these?  There’s a way to know based on where you live and the socio-economic range of your ideal clientele, when they will be on board with these or any trends.

Become a Certified Color Specialist and become an expert in your area.  Whether you are a current design professional, or would like to break into the decor and design field, learn how to expertly offer color consultations that will easily increase your profits, referrals and average sale!  We make it easy for design professionals to add color savvy and market with color to increase your business and enjoyment!

Design Tips for A Delightful Holiday Decor

Whether designing your own home or a clients’ elegant decor, here are some important tips to keep it simple and easy this year.

• Choose a theme.  Experts design their holidays the way they design everything, for simplicity and focus.  Of course, whichever holiday may seem to be your ‘theme’ already, but sometimes the theme could be traditional to match the decor, or rustic/organic, homemade, even golfing “Santas” to highlight a collection.  Choose a theme and hold back what doesn’t go along with it…remember, not everything we have needs to be displayed at one time and sometimes absence allows special joy later.   Museums rotate collections for a reason, to keep things fresh (which sounds like an oxymoron now that I think of it: museum, fresh? hmmm).
• Choose your colors thoughtfully. 
  • Choose 3 colors and stay with them:  60:30:10 is a sure-fire decorating scheme that allows calm as well as happiness.  A limited color palette will create calm and serenity.
  • Pick up an accent color already in your home and add a bit of old world homeyness  which is a beautiful theme this year: Old School Christmas is helping us enjoy warmth of our spaces and each other.
  • Look carefully at your favorite decorations from years gone by and try to find a theme color to pull it together in a coherent design.
  • A few color schemes that you might like:

    

    soft and subtle, the browns and natural greens of this color scheme can be accented by warm burgundy and and rich gold.

    • green-red-brown of nature allow natural items to be hung on the tree: dried apple slices, fresh cranberries and popcorn on a strung as garlands, large pine cones or bundles of cinnamon sticks tied with a dried orange and a ribbon
    • blue spruce trees work well with soft blue and rich red decor.  Presents wrapped in red and a touch of pure vibrant color like aquamarine or Tiffany blue…stunning and elegant.
    • Silver and platinum are strong this year…you can even try bronze instead of gold with indigo and white lights.
    • Indigo and orange are very lively and popular colors this year.

      

      Great colors for Christmas 2012: Indigo, gold and orange.

• Create a focal point. This is a very important factor in design and Feng Shui (where your eye goes, energy goes).  Find one thing that you want to direct the attention toward and allow that to be the room’s HERO. Everything else will be supporting characters. If it’s the Tree, allow space around it so that it takes on a even more special role.
• Grouping gives coherence and calm. Think about arranging your Holiday items in groups or themes: all the Santas together, displayed as if in an old-time Macy’s window, or all the Nutcrackers together or even all items of the same color or material. Rather than scatter things about, this thoughtful arranging will give them coherence and power in number.  Look for ways to turn a table or console into a beautiful display, honoring of what delights you. When buying new items, buy three and group them.  It makes a statement of design, impact and importance.
• Don’t over ‘do’… if you have a lot of ornaments, consider separating them by color or by theme and decorating more than one tree.   A small tree in the entry or living room and one perhaps in the family room or a child’s bedroom or guest room; even one with old ornaments and one with themed ornaments like those gathered from vacations around the world.   Organize the ornaments on each tree and even create a themed tree for each child, in their bedroom with their own favorites.
• Live with what YOU LOVE.   Don’t be afraid to discard or give away ornaments or items you don’t like. Only use decor that you love and makes you feel good. If something has a negative memory or is broken, depleting energy will surround it. Give it away and allow for beauty to fill the void where negativity once existed.
• Engage All Senses.Scent creates emotional responses and memories. Simmer mulling spices on your stove, light a peppermint or evergreen candle, use clove or cinnamon ornaments or place potpourri in your linen closet and bathrooms. The warmth of these scents actually triggers our bodies to respond with seasonally characteristic coziness.

  

  One of my favorite smells: Orange and clove. Spiced Orange One of my favorite of these natural holiday decorations are the spiced orange ornaments. The combination of the citrus and clove smell is wonderful.  To make these you will oranges, or even the small Clementine oranges, whole cloves, ribbon, scissors and a skewer . First decide if you’d like a bow or hoop at the top of the orange.  Secure it by placing the ribbon between the orange and the cloves you insert.  Howto insert cloves: use the skewer to make the holes in the orange and just push a clove in each hole. You can use as many or few cloves as you like and in any decoration or pattern you choose.  I love it when the orange is completely covered by the cloves.  It smells great!

• Use Your Feelings to Decorate   Whichever theme, color scheme or ornaments you choose, be sure to decorate with intention and purpose, thoughtfulness and joy. The energy with which we do things permeates those items or spaces – it is true. We are each powerful beyond measure and remember: “any sufficiently advanced technology is initially indistinguishable from magic.” You are magic – create it well.

Smell: a Powerful Health Tool

Our sense of smell gives us powerful information about whether things we encounter will support or deplete us.  Smell can attract us to our mate, identifies to us our children, and remind us almost instantaneously of imporatant events in our lives. [HHMI University]  Smell can even alert us to the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease. [See Dr. Oz’s Alzheimer’s Smell Test.]

Smell is also vitally important to good Feng Shui; after all, everything is connected.

An animals’ sense of smell is highly developed because they use it all the time.  They glean myriad information from the many layers of smell.  Smell is one of the diagnostic tools for a Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner (watch the movie The Last Emperor).

Our own keen sense of smell has been diminished due to many factors, not the least of which are strong synthetic and manufactured, non-natural substances cummulatively take a toll on our bodies’ abilities to read our internal guidance system and heed the signs that would guide us to our best health–bar none!

In Feng Shui and Health, the sooner you notice an imbalance and the sooner you make a correction, the easier and healthier your life is. There are many illnesses and deaths from “side effects” of our modern day products and manufacturing, we need time for our bodies to process daily toxins and a deep breath is a great start.

Energy is always moving, either growing or declining.  The sooner you make positive changes, the less pain and illness and disaster you encounter.

Healthy Home & Office:

• Give it a smell test.  Go into all areas of your home or office and actually smell it.  If it smells dusty, moldy, or not fresh, do something about it: Clean it completely.  Using citrus scents, pine, french lavender (with a camphor note) will help reduce the causes of nasty smells, deter insects and create more healthy environments.
• Out with the bad air: In with the good!  Open the windows often.  Especially after a thunderstorm, when negative ions help to clear the air.
• Surround yourself with beautiful smells that lift your spirit.
• Use only natural, non-petroleum candles.  Beeswax is best. There have been some indications that too much soy in our diets and environments has a negative impact on our bodies. I’ll do more research on that but until then, I’ll be using Beeswax candles and aromatherapy for my scenting needs.
• After you’ve cleaned, add a moving water feature which actually helps to clean the air, by, you guessed it, adding negative ions to the space.  Still water doesn’t do this, only splashing and crashing water, even lightly splashing, moving water will work.
  • Place the water feature flowing in toward the center of the home or office or in a 360 degree fashion.
  • Make sure you clean it often with vinegar and water to keep mold and fungus from forming.
  • I used to every quarter actually clean my water cooler dispenser but flushing it with vinegar and water–keeping the water we were drinking fresh.
  • A fountain placed to the right side of a door as you enter through it can cause daydreaming and drowsiness.  Notice if that’s happening and move the water or the aquarium to the left side of the door (as you walk through the door).
• Read about Healthy Cleaning Products that are antibacterial, antifungal and anti-immune depleting.

Healthy MIND / BODY / SPIRIT

Well, it’s really all connected–for the “body” part:

• Aromatherapy:  Small scent molecules that are fat-soluable can cross the filter known as the Blood Brain Barrier.  Not all molecules can do that, but the ones that can directly influence our physiology almost immediately.  Essential Oils, the carefully distilled essence of a plant’s healing capabilities, have molecules small enough to pass the blood brain barrier.  Regardless of whether these substances are affecting physiology, they are powerful and not to be ignored.  Because something is natural, doesn’t mean it is all good, or all good for you.  It’s important to know that you probably can’t get much hurt by your rosemary or thyme, but how to use these oils for therapeutic issues is the realm of a professional who has studied the physiological affects of aromas and oils.  I personally recommend Jan Polansky of Personal Health Dynamics as an expert in Essential Oils.  Jan has a BS from CMU in Chemical Engineering, an MBA from CMU, is a Certified Naturopath along with a host of other education.  On top of all that, she is a very lovely person.
• Here is a site that will give you more information about the use and specifics of Essential Oils.  It’s not totally easy to gleen the information but it’s unlike sites that are more flippant with their approach.  Young Living Essential Oils
• www.naturalbloom.com lists a few recognized professional Aromatherapy organizations around the world.
• Emotional healing:  scents inspire and evoke emotion.  Grapefruit will lessen your desire to eat, vanilla is known to inspire earthy sensuality and also mental clarity.  True Rose Geranium will help to balance hormones, Lavender will deter insects as will Citronella (yep, it’s a natural scent).
• Alzheimer’s Test:  Loss of recognition of smells is a possible indication of Alzheimer’s Disease, according to Dr. Oz.  Here’sDr. Oz’s Alheimer’s Smell Test: a simple test you can take to determine if the part of the brain that stores memories and smells needs some attention.

Smell can be refined and regained, it takes focus and work so do your nose exercises!

Clear Your Clutter For a New Beginning in 2013

Is this you?

• Why am I always exhausted? The answer could be in the layout of your bedroom or your garage.
• Every year I make resolutions and they never stick!  Whatever you are resolved to change in your life, you’ll still struggle unless you change the corresponding area of your home.
• Diets don’t work, I tried and it’s just hopeless! The colors and shapes in your home, as well as the art and the layout all impact whether or not you can easily reach your fitness goals ad  and stay healthy and happy.
• Money goes out faster than it comes in…what can I do? Here we’ll look at the water areas of your home…your kitchen, bathrooms, plumbing and the Wealth Area of your spaces.
• I wish I had more romance in my life. Your bedroom, your front door, your furnishings all impact your ability to live a romance that delights your heart and soul.
• Why can’t I find my perfect mate?  Same answer as the above romance issue yet deeper…we’ll look at the area of your home associated with Wisdom & Self Knowledge as well as your basement…these areas all impact your ability to be a magnet for your perfect mate.
• I’m stuck at a job that isn’t enough.  This is depleting to your health and your finances.  We’ll work here to engage all the support you need to be seen, to be nourished and to move into a career that activates your life’s purpose and joy.
• I wish I knew what my life’s purpose is.  When you discover your life’s purpose, all your decsions become easier, your relationships more nourishing and enjoyable and your wealth in all areas flows abundantly.  Discover how your home and office anchor confusion about who you are and what you are meant to be doing and we’ll shift it so 2013 is your best year yet.
• How can I get rid of these nasty ______ (neighbors, boss, co-workers)?   Never practice negative Feng Shui…but drawing boundaries and deflecting others’ negative energy is a focus of this powerful science art of arranging spaces.  We’ll look at simple ways to create harmony and to repel negative energy from your life.
• Why are my kids having trouble in school? Children are often the first to experience negative effects of poor Feng Shui in a home, because they have less history to burden their choices and energy.
• Why are they always fighting? Room placement, colors, shapes, and items all have an effect on people, and children respond quickly to the changes in their environments quickly netting happier children, easier study and better school success too!

Simple Changes Net Huge Results

Everything you are living right now is anchored in your home and office.  When I work individually with clients, I we resolve these issues once and for all by making simple changes to their spaces (homes and workplaces) that finally shift the energy.

Would you like expert help to easily know what is blocking you and how to turn it around?

Feng Shui is more than just moving the furniture around and we’ll explore it all and know what to change to positively shift your spaces.  Changing your enironment can lead to changes in the way you finally accept the joy around you.  The keys to Nourish Your Spirit, easily keep New Year’s Resolutions, a fit healthy body, finding your life’s purpose, enjoying fulfilling work and relationships, having plenty of money and true wealth are in experiencing good Feng Shui all year long.

Join me on January 10 as I personally coach a small, private group online to know exactly how to remove the blocks to your wealth, health and happy relationships of all kinds when we Clear Your Clutter and Make 2013 Your Best Year Yet.   Space is limited.  Sign up by December 15 and Save!.

The 24-day program walks you through, step by step, the Feng Shui and clearing to remove the clutter of all kinds, and gives you powerful tools to shift into your best year yet.

Join me…Now is the time for you to live your dreams.  Believe me, I know because I have lived it!  And now you can too…

Dare to Be Happy

When you want to, you can see happiness in everything,
even a marble loaf slice in Starbucks. Can you see it?

This is Day 8 of the 21-day Nourish Your Spirit Holiday Challenge…I hope you enjoy this sample from the 21-Day Nourish Your Spirit this Holiday Challenge…Join the  Challenge Now!

“To the woman who complained that riches hadn’t made her happy, the Master said “You speak as if luxury and comfort were ingredients of happiness; whereas all you need to be really happy, my dear, is something to be enthusiastic about.”
–Anthony de Mello

Enthusiasm lies at the intersection of inspiration and promise. Newness and freshness, promise and excitement all create giddiness and joy: pure happiness…balm to Nourish Your Spirit.

Even though we are often ‘programmed’ to think that if we are happy, for too long, something bad will happen, like “the other shoe will drop” or we’ll be seen as daffy because we aren’t “serious” or buying into the drama around us we can choose to change it.

One answer to shift from unhappiness, over-seriousness, helplessness and into enthusiasm and nourishing joy is to initiate some change.

Shake it Up

Make a few changes to your environment to awaken yourself to genuine joy. Change it up and your spaces will allow you to raise the happiness factor in gatherings that may have caused tension or stress.

Feng Shui Changes you can make for a Happy Holiday:

• Love it or Lose it: Look around you at your spaces before you decorate them, is anything there taking your energy down?  Clutter, artwork, furniture, all hold memories or feelings for us…if these feelings aren’t positive and giggly, give yourself permission to be happy and move them out of your home or office…donate, discard or discard them.
• Don’t over ‘do’ it: our brains will overload if there is too much to look at and our bodies will be exhausted by the      overwhelm of too many things. Limit your decorations, group them into vignettes,  chose only 3 colors for the décor and wrapping. Your stress level will drop and your happiness rise!
• Change the decorations, the menu, the snacks: move the decorations around to different places. This will unconsciously bring freshness into the environment and signal to you and everyone else that the old ways are about to leave and the new, joyful experience will be the order of the day. A new recipe or menu at a traditional holiday gathering will shift the energy and add more joy.
• Review and shift. Take time to think about past events or holidays that may have been less than pleasant.
  • Observe. Is there a place in your home  or office where arguments mostly occur? If yes, you’ll need some space       clearing and Feng Shui to erase the negative impact that space is harboring. Starting January 10, I’ll be showing those who join me just how to remove the negative influences that cause arguments and block  harmony, career, health and money.
  • Investigate. Try to remember conversations  or incidents that led up to the drama, arguments, discomfort or anything less than happiness? Make changes to derail the past and shift to the new  nourishment. If alcohol allowed some of your guests to behave badly, limit the alcohol, serve a premade punch at those events or move the time  of the party all together.
  • Take control. If certain topics incited turmoil, have ready a few topic shifters: questions you can ask that will shift the energy of the conversation. When I do this, it is often only a nanosecond before everyone jumps onboard and leaves the old train of  thought behind.These might seem silly and random but the result is a happy experience where you move out of your comfort zone and into joy. Some possible questions to insert:
    • “Which states have you played golf in?”
    • “What are some of the best presents  you remember as a kid?”
    • “Ok, who can name the   Reindeer?”

Engage the senses  to bring joy to the season

• Add softness. Soft textures and long needles on trees will round out the Holidays and help to remove stress. Feathers      and wispy fur pillows can ground and nourish your spaces and your spirit.    Look at your décor and round out or remove any sharp shapes, or pointed  items if you can. Try to edit the amount of décor you use, limiting the numbers, grouping items rather than scattering them about offers our minds a more peaceful, restful experience.
• Check your colors. Colors also influence behavior.      Fresh green is a color that will signal freshness and health to our bodies  and minds. If any of your holiday events have the potential to be stressful or end in a meltdown, limit the amount of red or purple in your décor. Add something yellow or gold to the center of the table for an  extra measure of nourishment and happiness and remove the knives from sight. If you must serve dinner with a sharp knife, wrap it in the napkin to the side of the plate.
• Scent it. Smells trigger emotional  responses as well as memories immediately, whether we are conscious of it      or not. Add new smells to your holidays to shift the energy. Consider new scents to anchor change and positive energy:
  • oranges, stuck with cloves, as  ornaments, will freshen and warm your spaces
  • a pot with of apple cider and  cinnamon and simmer it on the stove will also add cozy nourishment
  • peppermint will clear the air
  • vanilla is a round, rich scent  that will bring youthful romance to an intimate gathering
• Anchor it. Feng Shui is about energy in everything, from physical items and their placement and colors, to the  “feeling” that you experience as you walk into or past a room or business.

Energy is real:

We can feel it and we can change it. During the Clear  Your Clutter, Change Your Life  program, starting January 10,  2013, I will teach you how to do this but for now, know that you can set the energy tone for happiness in your spaces with a few simple methods:

• Stand at the door to your spaces and clap. Listen to the crispness…it will most likely be muffled. Clap to shift the energy…clap until the claps are crisp and resonant.
• Use beautiful, classical, ‘new  age’ or soft jazz music played when you aren’t there to act as an energy  shifter. Try Reiki  Mountains by Sambodhi Prem..I use it and it works beautifully.
• Light a candle and fill the  space with love.
• Sit quietly before the events in  your home or office and image golden or white opalescent sparkles gently  filling the space. Gently ask for the space to nourish all who enter,  including the relationships between everyone, for the fulfillment of  their own hearts’ desires and happiness.

There are more Feng Shui methods and ideas coming.

Feng Shui is more than just moving the furniture around. The keys to Nourish Your Spirit, easily keep New Year’s Resolutions, a fit healthy body, finding your life’s purpose, enjoying fulfilling work and relationships, having plenty of money and true wealth is in experiencing good Feng Shui all year long.

Join me on January 10 as I personally coach a small, private group online to know exactly how to remove the blocks to your wealth, health and happy relationships of all kinds when we Clear Your Clutter and Make 2013 Your Best Year Yet. Space is limited. Sign up by December 15 and save.

In the 24-day program I walksyou through, step by step, the Feng Shui and clearing to remove the clutter of all kinds, and gives you powerful tools to shift into your best year yet.  Daily guidance, weekly online coaching and personal strategy help you move forward fast.

Join me.  Now  is the time for you to live your dreams.

Take The Challenge: 21 Days Through a Joyful, Less-Stress Holiday Season

Now is the time…Need some help remembering the Joy and reducing the Stress of the Holiday Season?

Starting on December 21, for the next 21 days, I will be sharing secrets and tips for a stress-free, enjoyable Holiday Season.  Sign up and each day you’ll get an email with gentle, easy, take-it-in-stride ways to help you stay centered and joyful with the things that that matter most to you.  (you can join us any time)

Don’t wait until ‘someday,’ don’t let the moments go right by, don’t let your experience be “over before you know it,” don’t lose the gifts of this time  in the packaging and stress of the Holiday season.

Now is the time…in just a few minutes each day together we”ll make moments that help you experience the joy and the nourishment in each day — all the while preparing yourself to take advantage of the energy all around you, in your spaces, in your conversations and in your Holidays.

Join the Challenge

Join the free 21-day Challenge to Nourish Your Spirit

Starting on December 1, 2012  get ready to ring in a new era os Spirit based living and Join me as we create stress-free Holidays.

You Can Have More — Secret to Let Go Today!

Time to let go of what doesn’t serve you!  You can have everything you want but only when you make space for it to come into your life!

Make a list of all the things that you can let go of that are blocking you from moving ahead…then burn the list. You can have everything you want, but only when you make room in your spaces, your emotions and your body for it all!

Make a list of everything that you feel attached to, including people, things, events, feelings, conversations, agreements, and beliefs… especially release feelings of  confusion, unworthiness, indecision, guilt, regret, overwhelm, poverty consciousness, body toxins and unhealthy eating habits, agreeing to be ‘less than’ so someone else doesn’t feel uncomfortable…anything that doesn’t bring you uplifted joy, effectiveness, happiness and peace.  Start your page with I am so thankful that I have released:  and then keep writing until you can’t write any more.

Write it all down and read on… (See Marianne Williamson’s quote at the end of this post.)

Take These Steps

1. Look around your home and decide:   “What is there that doesn’t make me joyful?”    Just write it down for right now.
2. Look around your office to see what has been there for longer than 3 months that you haven’t touched or dealt with.
3. Write it down…in a bit you can let it go...discard it, donate it to a co-worker or plop it in the recycle bin.
4. Make space  with this exercise for what you want to attract.  Create the open void so that what you are wanting can come into your life:
   • More clients?  Clear out the old archived files.
   • More ideal clients?  Fire the customers that drain your energy and the ideal ones will have space to come in.
   • More energy?  Clear the clutter from beneath your bed, from your closet, from your basement and from your storage.
   • A new love or romance?  Make the space, clear out the closet and give him or her a place to park, sleep, and live.
   • More vitality?  Clear your refrigerator, cabinets and closets of everything that is older than 3 months.
5. Use today’s Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse (11/28/2012) for a extra boost to let go of the list and the items.  You can release things at any time, and do!
6. Burn the list!  This bit is a powerful statement to yourself and to the energy around you.  Let it go!  Release it!  Thank it for leaving and making space for the good stuff to come in.
7. Be comfortable with the empty space.
   Let go of the physical and non physical.  When those old thoughts or feelings come up, just change your focus, think quickly of what it is that you say you want, focus on the positive things, delete the others and soon they will be really gone.Be okay with empty space in your spaces, heart and emotions and let the fresh energy, light and openness to just be there.  (I love the song Crazy by Gnarls Barkley  “even your emotions have extra space…”)
8. Get clear about what you DO want and then focus on those things instead.
9. Learn about Feng Shui or have a consultation to move ahead really faster.  (email Fawn to get started)
10. Create a Mind Movie to jump start your attraction of the things you want and watch how quickly your dreams are fulfilled.  Feng Shui tells us that our environments set up properly will bring our good to us.   Until then, use Mind Movies (it’s super easy) or create a Vision Board to reprogram your subconscious and move you into your joy.

Let go and embrace the wonder of YOU and your Life!

Here’s one of my favorite quotes from Marianne Williamson taken from her book I highly recommend:  A Return to Love

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Namaste……………

Design Your Office For Profit and to Attract More Clients

Online Now!

What most people don’t know is that our spaces are usually working against us, making work and life more of a struggle than it is meant to be.

Our spaces directly determine our ability to be profitable, effective and attract more clients.  What others know is that life was never meant to be a struggle.

You call it Luck… They call it Feng Shui

Online now, you can learn to Design Your Office for Profit, Success and to Attract More of your Ideal Clients!

I am so excited to help you learn the secrets that have helped thousands, including Donald Trump, Richard Branson, Disney, Citicorp, Madonna, Oprah and others become what some would call ‘lucky.’

Those in the know understand it’s more than luck…it’s environment – it’s Feng Shui and design.

Making simple changes to our environments will allow business to grow faster, you’d be more efficient, have better visibility, more customers and more profit by making a few simple changes in the way your office (and your home) is set up.

From home offices to cubicles to corner offices and retail stores, find out why businesses flourish easily while others struggle to stay alive and how to make yours successful.

The solution is very well anchored in your spaces.  You can learn which changes to make to maximize the resources right in front of you.

Learn how to change your spaces to:

• Increase your profit
• Attract more clients
• Position your desk, your receptionist, your furnishings and your products to increase sales and support your goals
• Know which desk position, colors, shapes, art and decor are drainng your wealth and which will increase it
• Increase your time off, enjoy better health and more productive relationships with your partners, employees and clients
• Increase efficiency and productivity
• Make sure you stay in command of your business

Online Now!

To Begin Allowing your Spaces to Support YOU,  join me Now!

 

Before Nov 13: Clear Your Home & Office, Release the Past & Push Forward

“Decision is the most powerful force in the Universe.”  Stuart Wilde

Take steps to move yourself Forward Now!

It’s time to get real…many of us have been faced with devastation but also the opportunity to pick up the pieces of what we used to know and love that have changed and learn to move on as hard as that is.  Grief and forgiveness come in their own time, but we can use all our resources to , heal our wounds, bury the past and envision and move toward our brighter future.

Now is the time to make a big push forward for what you want to accomplish in your life.

Important Feng Shui Weather Watch

The Nov. 13 New Moon solar eclipse (2:08 p.m. PST) is a powerful time that we may take the chance  to reflect on the past and retrieve what’s most valuable.   Because the eclipse falls during Mercury retrograde (Nov. 6 – 26), we may need to experience grief and loss in order to let go of what no longer serves us or our lives as we live them from our heart and soul.

On November 13, take time to make yourself a ritual to bury the past and allow your new life to begin.  Sit quietly, reflect, grieve the losses of expectations that weren’t aligned with your heart’s desires (if they were you would still be living them) and look forward to what it is that comes from your heart and joy.  Ritual is important as it engages your physical nature,  focuses your attention and energy follows action.  You are the power in your life and when you set specific time aside, engage your focus and use scent, sound, motion and attention, you create the magic in your life.

It doesn’t have to be hard, just stay focused.

1. Decide what you want and where your heart is the lightest.  When your heart is happy, you are aligned with your gifts, no matter what anyone says to the contrary.  Follow your heart and learn how to arrange your home and office to support that desire.  When you do, you can’t go wrong and will be living your full wealth, health and happiness sooner than you can say Feng Shui.

2. Release the Past —  If you keep thinking about something in your past, or mentally trying to solve an old situation, you aren’t opening yourself to the power of planning your future.  Believe it or not, you can’t go back; but you can let it go, give it permission to die, bury the past and take only from it what you have learned to use in your new and fantastic future.

3. Clear all clutter:  in your office, in your home, your thoughts (just stop thinking limiting thoughts and when you catch yourself, give yourself a ‘high-five’ and think about where you want to be in 6 months), your emotions (guilt is a waste of time, and so is regret…vow to spend 5 seconds to acknowledge why you feel that way and then ask yourself–and anyone else involved–what can I do better next time? — this little step will open you up for more love and the flow of more abundance into your life.)

3.  Clear and enhance your Wealth area–Making your spaces reflect the joy you want to create is easy with Feng Shui.  Color, shape, item and placement all matter.  Clearing and adding things that make you feel wealthy are a significant statement that makes a tremendous difference in your ability to create what you want.   To find your Wealth Gua: look to the farthest left hand corner of your spaces, every room, your home and your office.  After you have cleared and cleaned it, add something beautiful there reminding you of the constant support you have coming to you.  Add something red, purple, gold, a soft or rounded-leaf plant, something that makes you feel wealthy and you can write a letter to your invisible support system, in gratitude for all you have received and all you are receiving.  Tip:  Write this letter as though you have already received what it is that you are now ‘wanting’.  For instance: “Thank you for the 12 new clients that engaged with me this month to help them recieve more wealth.  Thank you for the (money, love, joy, relationship harmony, help with your business, ease in regaining full health) that I have recieved this month, November 2012. Thank you!”

4. Take the Webinars that I am offering this month:

• Design Your Office For Profit   November 13,  11 am EST (2 pm PST)
• Prepare for Your New Year   November 15, 11 am EST (2 pm PST) Learn what you can do to use the resources to get ready for complete success in 2013.

5.  Decide and Push ON!  Get some coaching and talk to someone who can show you how.  You may have heard that your time is your most valuable asset.  Learn to use the resources available and delegate that which you have been struggling with.  I know that the reason we don’t do something is that we just don’t know how to start, plan, go about it, or finish.  Learn how to Clear Your Clutter and get your own plan for success.  Feng Shui Coaching for success in all aspects of your life.  Contact Fawn

Astrology can give you special insight 

I love to get a snapshot reading from Astrologer Simone Butler when she offers them.  Through it I have gained validation and wisdom that helps me prioritize my energy, time and efforts.  Simone says, “The house of your chart containing 22 Scorpio reveals the area of life in which you’re laboring, and about to deliver the final push. For clues, look to where you feel the strongest sense of stuckness or urgency. Contact Simone Butler for a Snapshot reading via email ($35) if you need help figuring out what house or planets are being activated, and how best to work with the energies.

Join the Challenge: Meditate for Abundance

Meditation and Feng Shui have helped me to completely transform my life.  The inside influences the outside and the outside influences the inside.

I have joined Deepak Chopra for these online 21-day Meditation Challenges and always experienced great results.  This one is by far my favorite.

Join us, it’s not too late and you can always purchase the Meditations online after the Challenge is completed.  I will be.

From Deepak:

It’s my sincere privilege to share this time-honored practice with you so you can begin to enjoy the infinite benefits of meditation in all areas of your life.

I’m especially eager to begin this next all-new challenge with you, Creating Abundance. I will be your guide each day, as we journey to an authentic abundance consciousness. We’ll discover what true abundance is, the source from which it springs, how consciousness and the mind affect its flow, and that each and every one of us is worthy and deserving of an abundant life. You will learn how to leverage the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success to manifest your heartfelt intentions and live a more abundant life, attracting more comfort and ease, joy, peace, love, or anything you desire.

The challenge begins on Monday, November 5, 2012. You will receive an email from the 21-Day Meditation Challenge with access instructions on Day One. In the meantime, I encourage you to add meditationchallenge@chopra.com to your contact list to ensure all our emails reach your inbox safely.

I also encourage you to invite your friends and loved ones to join you for this life-changing
experience. You will be sharing what I consider to be an invaluable gift—the gift of  meditation—which will infinitely enrich the lives of those you love and enhance your relationships with them.

I look forward to this challenge with great anticipation, knowing that together we are sharing an experience of expanded consciousness that is increasing peace, joy, love, and abundance throughout the world.

New Office Chair Increases Health: TipTon by Vitra

Movement is vital for health.  Moving,  once every hour, increases physical resilience, and when coupled with mental, emotional and social resilience can add up to 10 healthier years to life to enjoy.

Ergonomic, Sustainable TipTon Chair by Vitra builds physical resilience and increases life span by aiding movement and posture.

Movement, at least once an hour, increases physical resilience and contributes to a healthier, happier life. The Tip Ton Chair by Vitra is a simple, sustainable ergonomic solution for the workplace, no matter where that is.

The Tip Ton by is a new chair ‘typology’ developed in Switzerland by Vitra and is helping make office work more ‘ergonomic’.  AVailable worldwide, you can find a dealer near you though this link.  Vitra Dealers

From Vitra’s Website:

Tip Ton defines a whole new chair typology: the solid plastic chair with forward-tilt action. Its name refers to the two types of sitting experiences that characterise the chair – from a normal position, Tip Ton can be tilted a few degrees forward where it then stays in place. The innovation behind this seemingly simple feature lies in the skids, which rise at a nine-degree angle. The forward-tilt sitting position, until now the preserve of mechanical office chairs, straightens the pelvis and spine and thus improves circulation to the abdominal and back muscles. Thanks to its striking appearance, Tip Ton is an outstanding dining table or home-office solution; it is also ideal for use in restaurants, conference and meeting spaces and educational institutions.

Ergonomics

In a 2010 study, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), one of the world’s leading universities of applied sciences, investigated the health-promoting attributes of a forward-leaning sitting position. The results confirm increased muscle activity in the abdominal and back areas, which improves oxygen supply to the body – and that in turn has a positive effect on concentration. Tip Ton makes all of this possible for the first time ever in the form of an economical and robust plastic chair, thereby opening up many new areas of use.

Sustainability

Tip Ton is made of polypropylene and is manufactured from a single mould without the use of mechanical components. This makes it extremely durable and up to 100% recyclable.

Options

Tip Ton is stackable up to four chairs high and comes in eight different colours.

About Vitra

Vitra is a furniture company dedicated to developing healthy, intelligent, inspiring and durable solutions for the office, the home and for public spaces.

Following in the tradition of Charles & Ray Eames, who have influenced Vitra’s approach to sustainability in many ways, product longevity is central to the company’s contribution to sustainable development; short-lived styling is avoided at all costs. This can be seen most clearly in the classical pieces of furniture that have been used for decades, had several owners and have then even ended up as a part of a collection.

“Sustainability is just like morals: one should live by them and not just talk about them. Our roots in modern design make the first step easy: we make products that avoid the superfluous and last for a very long time.”  Rolf Fehlbaum, Chairman of Vitra

Caution once again! It’s Mercury Retrograde 06 Nov – 26 Nov 2012

Schedules nutty? Communications amiss? Don’t sign contracts or make major purchases unless you double check the details…or wait until December 1, 2012.

Computer problems? Communication issues? Scheduling mistakes? Missed appointments? Lost mail?  Lost tempers? It’s enough to make me think it’s Mercury Retrograde again!3 or 4 times a year we have the chance to slow down…I say chance to, but what it might really feel like we are going nuts!  It affects each of us a little differently as well.

My experience over the last many, many years I have been tracking this phenomenon is that old friends will come back, issues that you get to handle may resurface and it’s best to embrace those things that cause you angst because they are the ones that are up to be handled so you can get past them to the great things you’ve been wanting.

Farmers’ Almanac Update

I know that life was ‘never meant to be a struggle’ and with that in mind, I look for the best possible use of something that might not seem so pleasant.  Those times when I am made to slow down can actually be exactly what I need to review, refresh and renew.

It’s the perfect time to do everything that starts with the letter “RE”: recheck, reconnect, reframe, re-view, re-read, rest, rejuvenate, renew, and take time to remove all that is no longer serving you, from your files, your head, your calendar, your home and office.

If you want to know how the ‘energy weather’ might be affecting you,  here is what the Old Farmers Almanac  has to say about it:

We are all influenced when Mercury is in retrograde.

When Mercury is Retrograde

Someimes the other planets appear to be traveling backward through the zodiac; this is an illusion. We can this illusion retrograde motion.

Mercury’s retrograde periods can cause our plans to go awry. However, this is an excellent time to reflect on the past. Intuition is high during these periods, and coincidences can be extraordinary.

When Mercury is retrograde, remain flexible, allow time for extra travel, and avoid signing contracts. Review projects and plans at these times, but wait until Mercury is direct again to make any final decisions.

2012 Retrograde Dates

In 2012, Mercury will be retrograde from:

• March 12–April 4
• July 15–August 8
• November 6–26

A Man With a Message

Mercury comes from the Latin word merx, or mercator, which means merchant. Mercury is the name given by the ancient Romans to the Greek mythological god Hermes.

Mercury is depicted as a male figure having winged sandals and a winged hat, indicating the ability to travel quickly. He was the official messenger of the ancient gods and goddesses and, as such, governed communications.

In 1782, Mercury became the first symbol of the United States’ postal service. Today, he is the Icon of an International floral delivery service.

In astrology, Mercury influences travel, literature, poetry, merchants, and thieves. He is cunning and witty at a moment’s notice. But he is also recognized as a trickster and prone to misbehavior.

Zodiac Profiles

In Aries: Expect to be frustrated and frazzled. Assertive, impulsive Aries wants to move ahead, and all of the energy is going backwards. Watch what you say and how you say it. Pay attention to what people say to you; you might be pleasantly surprised.

In Taurus: Take time to formulate your thoughts. Taurus, an unhurried sign, slows down the mental processes. He also governs banking, so delay money matters. Review financial matters, and position yourself for growth.

In Gemini: Because Gemini rules communications, be prepared for miscommunications. Expect lots of phone calls or none, and lost or misplaced mail. You may not articulate clearly. At the same time, old friends may reconnect.

In Cancer: Expect annoyances at home with baking, gardening, and household duties under domesticated Cancer. Complete repair projects that weren’t finished or done correctly.

In Leo: Avoid speculative investments. It is not a good time to buy or sell or do any trading. Instead, analyze your investment portfolio. Use your know-how and advisory skills to help friends and associates.

In Virgo: Challenging situations arise, especially in the workplace. Expect product delays and equipment breakdowns, as well as crankiness among coworkers under finicky, detailed Virgo. Double-check your work before you call it finished.

In Libra: Accept your physical attributes; do not have a makeover. Indecision resigns, so limit purchases—or risk returning them. Libra, representing beauty, grace, charm, and diplomacy, is out of balance. Refresh, relax, and rejuvenate.

In Scorpio: Emotions rule—not common sense—so beware. Avoid affairs of the heart. Passionate Scorpio is also secretive, and your secrets may seep out. Keep them in a diary.

In Sagittarius: It is not a time to travel, so reschedule or just expect delays, lines, and lost directions. Instead, take care of local affairs. Patience and a sense of humor are needed.

In Capricorn: Avoid buying, selling, or renting real estate under Capricorn, the sign that governs property matters. Expect problems with paperwork, packing, and movers. Reunite with family or vacation at home.

In Aquarius: With Mercury retrograde in Aquarius, the sign that governs relationships, friendships are put at a risk. Petty squabbles, misunderstandings, and miscommunications abound. Know who your friends are.

In Pisces: Foggy thinking, daydreams, and escapism are the norm; day-to-day realities confound otherwise clear heads when Mercury, the planet that rules logic, is in Pisces, which governs illusion. Practice creative pursuits—writing, dancing, photography, film, or painting.

Do you know your Zodiac sign? Click here for our Zodiac Profiles tool and just enter your birthday.

[You can  also check the three ways it influences you by going to this site (www.alabe.com/freechart) and entering your birthdate for your own astrology chart because astrology is more than just what the newspapers print about the month of your birth.  Your Sun sign will tell you something about your personality proclivities, your Moon sign will give you information about how you emotionally relate, your Rising Sign will give you information about what motivates you and what is on the Midheaven (on top of the chart that you’ll find at this site) will tell you the energy umbrella you live under.

How to Use Color Combinations to Create Excitement or Calm

The way colors are placed together creates a conversation and motivation that our bodies understand.  We respond below the level of our conscious awareness to the colors and how they are used in a room.

There are a few ways to create a calm room with color as well as with variation of tone, value or saturation.  You can do this without knowing the glossary of terms used above (if, however, you wish to claim your stake as a color professional, it’s a good idea to be able to properly use color terms that we cover in the Exciting Colors! Color Certification Course.).

For now, let’s look at how to create calm or excitement in your clients’ rooms, just using color.

To create calm  Keep the color tones similar and don’t vary the tints, shades or tones too widely.  (tint=add white to the color, tone=greyed version, and shade=add black to the color).

1. Use a monochromatic color scheme which means using variations of the same color.  Mono=one, chrome=color.  Kelly Hoppen authored a book called  Monochrome Home.  It’s an exploration of contemporary calm (not all of it is good Feng Shui, but that’s another story all together).

“Monochromatic” could mean your room has  shades of beige all the way from very light beige to a deep chocolate or shades of blue sky and sea, colors of cottage greens or even greys or periwinkle.  Calm will also be imparted with the specific color, where as a monochromatic room in reds will have a certain feeling of calm but the red color will lend itself to action and vibrance.

Monochromatic color scheme is calming; be sure, however, that there is enough contrast to delineate steps, doors, windows and of course furniture!  Photo courtesy of Casasugar.com

2. Use an Analogous Color scheme.  For this we refer to the Color Wheel and look to use colors that are next to each other.  For instance, we’d use blue and green, or yellow-based and orange-based colors.

Two, 3, even 4 colors next to each other on the color wheel make an analogous color scheme…how I think of it: analogy=similar=almost alike.

3. Use cool colors for a calming, relaxing environment.  Just think of the color of the ocean and sky, those greens and blues are restful to our bodies and minds.

4. Use soft, warm colors for creating restful nourishment and intimacy:  rich, warm beige and tans are great colors for a couples bedroom or for a family room and kitchen where nourishment of food and friendship are the hallmark.

To create excitement in a room:

1. Use colors opposite each other on the color wheel. These colors, called ‘complimentary’ create a vibrant exchange.  For instance, yellow and purple, orange and blue, or green and red are exciting.  (See color wheel above.)

2. Use warm colors for vibrancy. Red is a color that our bodies respond to physically, creating inside us a hormonal shift toward action and excitement.  Yellow has been called the happiest color and is very activating; Orange will be a color that will combine both the aspects of red and yellow and is a social and energizing color.   These colors are great to be used in a basement where there might be low-level lighting, or in a North-facing room, where the light will tend to be more soft and grey.  The yellow, orange and red will immediately activate a room.

A quite active room, the red used in this dining area will help with digestion and intensity/passion; too much red would create hypertension and argument. Red is a color that motivates; people would move more quickly out of this room, as they would be more aware of the passage of time.

3. Use white and white based colors.  White is a color that activates our senses and our creativity.  White based colors, also known sometimes as ‘clean’ colors, don’t work well with other more muted colors or with upholstery or carpets that may need to be replaced or cleaned.  Be careful when using white and white-based colors in a bedroom as you may not be able to find that restful sleep.

Here is an example of a di-chromatic room color scheme (di=2) The blue-grey and the warmer pink-beige offer the muted background and the vibrant accents in blue and pink add excitement). Notice how the blue and fuchsia in the accents are white-based colors and stand out making the soft, muted tones of the furnishings and walls look more subdued.

Color is light and our bodies respond physically to light in all its variations.  When choosing colors, you’ll now know more about the impact they will have on the outcome your client wants to experience in her rooms.

If you’d like to learn how to become an  Exciting Colors! Certified Color Specialists and learn to use and market your business using Color click here or contact me.  Learn to become a color specialist or use this service to increase your business easily and conveniently through our online classes.  Check us out! Exciting Colors! Certified Color Specialists

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Greening of Jaujac, France by Gaelle Villedary

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New Moon Energy for a Loving Week End Oct 15, 2012 5:02 PST

DaretNew Moon October 15, 2012 5:02 am PST — a container for healing old wounds and making space for new depths of love, of compassion and passion.

Throughout this weekend, the New Moon energy will be building toward a loving crescendo that can bring us all closer to the love we know we want to be living.  Deep, transformational, passionate and compassionate love is the birthright of each of us…knowing it’s really possible, knowing how to change our spaces to make it even easier is also something we have a right to know.Take a bit of time this weekend to get ready to take advantage of the special boost of energy opening us up on October 15, at 5:02 pm PST.  Know it or not, we will be showered in beautiful, harmonizing and balancing energy of the New Moon.

Darkest Night Shines Tenderest Light

The New Moon is more than just a dark night, it is a time of energy that is associated with deep and fresh beginning growing in the soft quiet waters deep within us.  It’s also a time for growth, this month we are aided in growing our love.  Allow this time to bring out the best in you and your mate or grow the opportunity to connect to the lover of all life that lives in you.  (The opposite, the Full Moon is a time of high tides when the energy of the full moon is that of pulling from us all that needs to be relinquished or released.)

The noticeable energies are building for the 3 days before and ebbing for 3 days after the Moon phase.  This New Moon gives us the opening to be more receptive to love, more engaged with our sweet heart and with all things beautiful.  The opportunity exists to fully mourn a post, a lost love or even a lost opportunity or potential for love, and then release it in order to open the space for the tremendous love your heart is longing for.

Astrological terms aside, this new moon’s energy is supportive of sweet, chivalrous, tender and balanced love.  We’ll be bathed in a salve of energy meant to help us heal old wounds and release the lamented past.  There will be support for using your ability to know and live passionate and compassionate love to make the world a better place, which starts in your own life and home.   We get to revel in the joy of physical love with the added spice of primal sexuality and emotion which raises the stakes for connecting male and female energies either in our marriages or in our own selves.

Getting the good love you deserve and the love you want

If you aren’t in a committed and tender, passionate relationship, perhaps this will be the time when you decide you are ready to define what you want to live with.  If you are holding on to a past relationship, old wounds or something that you haven’t let go of, now is the time to mourn it, embrace the learning and bury it in the rich, receptive Earth, making way for the one that you want to create.

Change Your Home…Change Your Life

The arrangement of your home and bedroom can be holding you back from or moving you into your bliss.  Send me some photos of your bedroom and for $50, I will make recommendations of how to make simple changes to finally get the relationship you want and deserve.  Take photos of all 4 corners and all 4 walls, the view from the door and the view out the door and I’ll send back suggestions that will surprise and delight you.

You can also go to my website and for free, learn the colors, shapes and people that support you.  You can input the names and birthdates of you and your significant other (and even your pets) and learn how to understand the why’s of your relationship and how to see each other’s strengths and make environmental shifts to support a more harmonious and loving togetherness.

BIG BONUS:

Understand the ones you love even better when you know their Nine Star Ki.  I have used this information with countless clients and corporations to make relationships easier and even flourish.  Enter Your Birthdates and discover so much more about those you love and work with — this knowledge takes the pressure off and allows you to open to true love and happiness.  Listen to the free mp3 or send me your information and I’ll help you learn how easy it can be to love again.

And One More Thing…

A few more things you can do this week end to support your ability to love and be loved:

• Do a thorough cleaning of your bedroom:  remove reminiscences or mementos of past relationships or dashed hopes
• Open the windows, if even for just a little bit, to allow fresh air to circulate
• Clean the sheets and linens in sea salt and lavender, flip the mattress and remove the clutter from your bedroom, especially from under your bed.
• Clear the room of laundry or clothing; if you have dressers and closets, remove all that you don’t wear, all unpaired or worn items, ones that you don’t wear or don’t like.  Leave 1/3 to ¼ of the drawers and closets open to attract new and fresh experiences.
• Look at your artwork; is it reflective of the relationship you want to have?
• Take stock:
  • Do you need to release the past, either an old relationship or old way of expecting relationship to answer your needs?
  • What kind of relationship do you want?
  • What kind of relationship do you have with your Self, or with your Source?
  • What type of relationship do you want?  Write a list of all the attributes you want in a mate and put it away in a safe and sacred place.

Get clear of the past, get clear about what you really want to live with and give yourself permission to welcome it into your life.  I guarantee this works, it has for me.

P.S. You can also use the new moon to bring on abundance in all aspects of your life.  Write yourself a check for a large (but believable amount), sign it “Law of Attraction” and place it in a sacred place, perhaps next to your list of ways to increase your love giving and receiving.  Place it in the Wealth area, in your Relationship area or in any place where the energy of your home you have made special and sacred.  Leave it there and open your awareness for the beauty coming your way in every breath, with every bit of light coming from the Moon and the Stars.

The Coolest App I Ever Found!

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I love to take photos and have about 4000 of them on my iPhone right now…not
all of them good ones, the lighting is off–until I found this amazing App, check it out!

Often a photo won’t turn out as beautiful only because the camera doesn’t automatically do what our eyes do: adjust for the lighting.

Because I am a Color expert, Interior Designer (and fussy about things)  and because I take lots of photos, I usually have to put things through Photoshop to make the colors precisely what they were when I saw the scene.

Not any more!  This App I have to share:  called Pro HDR look at the difference between an image taken with my regular iPhone and with Pro HDR.  And it’s EASY!

Great for interiors — you can show the room and the natural lighting through the windows. Also great for photos of people and whatever you find beautiful!

Same scene taken with PRO HDR I look like a Professional for $1.99

Photo taken with iPhone Camera — not too bad but wait!

Scene with iPhone camera

Same scene with Pro HDR App loaded onto iPhone

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The Urge To Purge: Using Nature’s Second Cleaning Season

Using the energy of Fall to clean Space, Body, Mind and Spirit all have the same result: Vibrant Life and Great Use of Winter’s Magic

“Better out than in, Donkey”  Shrek

Cleaning Space, Body, Mind and Spirit all have the same result: Vibrant Life and Great Use of Winter’s Magic

Ever wonder why, in the two ‘busiest’ seasons of the year, we get the ‘bug’ clear our spaces.  Why, in Spring and Fall, when there’s so much else going on, we feel the urge to clean, organize and donate?

It’s Natural and we are intimately connected with Nature, even if we sometimes doubt it.  In March and April, the winds and storms of Spring snap off the dead twigs and branches, making the trees and plants healthier for the pruning.

As Fall approaches, winds and storms again de-frock the trees and create a warm nest of leaves for the roots of plants and bulbs to weather the winter storms.

Not only do we need to get down to it and clear out spaces, readying for Winter, all aspects of our lives can be revamped to give us fertile ground for health, vitality, clarity of thought, emotion and purpose. Remember that in Feng Shui: Everything is interconnected.

By giving ourselves a clean slate in Fall, we can use Natures push inward to enter Winter’s quiet and dive deep into ourselves to discover the seeds of greatness we can nourish in the next Spring season.

Here are some tips that can help you make the most of this ‘second cleaning season’:

Mind:

You mind creates your perception and you can change your mind. Your subconscious creates your reality from the things around you and your perception of them. This is how life is created and you can, with some effort, take control of what’s feeding your reality and change it to create what you want.

Determine what takes your energy up and what takes your energy down. What fuels your joy and then decide what you will let in your life. For short or extended periods of time, give yourself permission to take a media fast: don’t listen to the network news or talk radio. Look at the art, posters or book titles around you, those words and images are programming your reality. Give your mind and soul a break to discover the real beauty around you. Trust that you will get the information you need when you need it.

Body:

Our cells hold all the substances our body cannot metabolize or detoxify in a timely manner.  We spend a lifetime inputting food, air, water and toxins into our cells but it’s only recently that mainstream America has gotten wind of the need to detoxify to assist our bodies in healing themselves.

Even a simple body brushing or shower mitts (start at the ends of your arms and legs and brush toward your heart) will help to detoxify and exfoliate your skin, allowing your bodies largest organ to refresh itself, help you actually breathe better, move you lymph and an added benefit, you feel so soft and look beautiful.

Reset your health:  Although Spring is the best time to do a body detox as the energy on Earth is rising and helping toxins to leave the cells, any time is a good time to reset your body.  Many indigenous cultures have a one day per week fast and rest to allow healing to occur naturally.

Stephanie Merchant is your “Guide by the Side” to help you walk through to Vibrant Health.

Because the energy of Fall is contracting, it is not the best time for a medical or physical detox, but I have found a wonderful way to reset your body using natural foods.  Rather than a deep or harsh detox, Stephanie Merchant offers a program that will walk you through an easy, gentle diet change to help your body recalibrate its needs, diminish cravings for sweets and carbs and bring more vitality back into your step and life.

It’s never bad to ‘lighten up’ and Stephanie coaches you to help you stay on track.  During Fall our bodies need more warming and cooked foods, more root vegetables and you can work these into your diet along with the RENEW Cleanse.  Find it here at http://thenutritionmom.net/the-renew-cleanse or you can go directly to check out the coaching and program at  RENEW CLEANSE.

I highly recommend Stephanie and her program.  I met Stephanie recently at a conference in Fort Lauderdale and she is delightful.  I am thoroughly impressed by the life she lives and the programs she provides.  We even went food shopping and yes, she really ISthat good. She has her feet in real life and makes it easy to learn to eat and live healthily while being a loving, busy parent.

Stephanie and her Husband: Before and After See what I mean? She walks her talk!

Even if you are not a parent, you probably have a lot going on and Stephanie helps you take healthy eating in stride.  Better yet, she walks her own talk.  Here’s to your vibrant health!

Spirit:

What feeds your Spirit?  This is where FUN comes along.  What is fun to you?  Start to warm up to the notion that you can laugh, giggle, enjoy, and just play without having a ‘purpose’…which is, by the way, its own purpose—unscheduled joy.  Nourish your spirit and soul with little things, all day.  Laugh a lot, be a kid, enjoy the juiciness of the colors around you, make pictures of the clouds.  Take a shower in candlelight, luxuriate in the feel of a large oversized towel, the scent of your favorite body wash, replay the giggle of a child, notice the hopping of a chipmunk or silly squirrels as they dart around the trees.     These little things feed your Spirit and help to detoxify your soul.

If you can’t get to that space quite yet, perhaps you need to quiet the noise of today’s society that might be clanking around in you.  Meditation is a wonderful way to soothe and detox your Spirit.  There is no ‘right’ way to let the programming of life just wash over you, but try many until you find the one that works for you right now.  I have tried just about everything from Transcendental Meditation to teaching Primordial Meditation, to the One Breath to guided meditations, imagining the thoughts are clouds across the sky, noting them but keeping your mind on the ‘blue sky’ between the thoughts, knitting, making fishing flies, walking can all be a meditation to delete others’ directives and the past or future and just allow the present to be your gift.  They all work, some for longer than others.

Tip: Keep doing it:  “you never get IT done, and you never get it ‘right’”…  life keeps moving and coming at us, and the more often you return to stillness (if even for the time span of one inhale and exhale) the more your body, mind and soul are being reconnected to the healing force within you.

Space:

Take advantage of the boost of energy left in this Fall Season.  The ‘metal’ energy prevalent now helps us to cut through the clutter and the excuses and get down to business.  It also helps us be accountable, make decisions and get moving.

This is all good but If you don’t know where to start because you are overwhelmed or just tired at the end of the day, there’s hope.

You probably don’t know that there are many little moments throughout the day that can actually be used to your benefit.  We have become a nation of multi-taskers, and although this in itself is a depletion of your energy, we can take advantage of a bit of it by using our time and brain power to it’s full advantage.

Tip #1—5 Minutes to Less: Next time you are on the phone, open a drawer in front of you and empty it out, put back only what works, what you love, and what is beautiful and organize it.  If you have a damp cloth around, wipe the drawer before you put everything back.    During the span of the phone call you have made a huge inroad toward your ability to think more clearly, make decisions more effectively and open space for more opportunities in your life.  Can you image?  All that from one drawer?  It’s true, that’s the power of our spaces through the science of Feng Shui.

Tip #2– Attract MORE! Give yourself 5 minutes to attract more of what you want.   If you want more clients, more clothes, more shores, a new relationship, more creativity, etc. making the space for them to show up will guarantee they arrive.

More clients:  go through your file drawer…empty everything that isn’t current and put it in a box marked, 15 minutes.  Before you go home from work today, set your timer for 15 minutes and archive the files that are more than a year old, discard the files that you haven’t touched for over a year and be clear that you only have 15 minutes to make those decisions.

More clothes:  go through one drawer or one closet and pull out everything you haven’t worn in a year, 6 months or a season.  Replace only the things you are currently wearing for this season.  Take a few minutes, not more than 15, to make decisions about the clothes you just removed.  Do they fit perfectly and make you feel sexy and alive? If not, to the donation pile they go.  Do they compose a part of an outfit that is happy and stunning?  No?  donation pile again. The more space you make, the more you will have available for not only clothes, but for opportunity, clarity and fun.  Be clear and decisive and be patient because you are opening the space, it will come.  I guarantee it!

More romance:  What does your bedroom look like?  Does it make you feel like you just entered a beautiful spa hotel?  Do you feel ready for romance?  Is it a room that you and your significant other would find pleasing?  If you have items from your childhood, clothing under your bed, a view of the bathroom or you are sleeping with your dirty laundry or photos of lots of people you know, you aren’t setting yourself up for the joy of relating, relaxing and refreshing that you need.  Take a few hours on a Saturday to make the effort and within hours you’ll feel better, within no time at all you’ll be floating along on romance way.

There are more tips like this in the 28-day Clear Your Clutter Programyou can download it right now.

Get started easily with the free eBook and sign up to be notified to join me when we start the 28-day Clear Your Clutter Program

By doing so, you’ll also be notified and you can join me as I lead you through, step-by-step in this gentle but no-nonsense way to clear for your new life of fun, peace, joy or whatever it is you are needing and wanting in your life.   It will be online on November 1, filled with steps, tips and videos to help you clear the way for your new life.

Important Non Self-Sabotage Tip:   Eliminate the “just in case” syndrome.  Many times we keep things ‘just in case’ we think we’ll need it.  Often, we prove ourselves right, after discarding or donating something, we say, “Oh I just had that and now I need it.”  But wait!  This is subconscious confirmation of lack, believe it or not.  That’s actually coming from a place of lack of resources, time, energy, ideas: ‘Lack’ thinking.  Affirm abundance instead.

You can reprogram yourself for abundance by letting go of the things that you don’t love, don’t use or that done work.  Allow yourself to know that at every point in the future, you will have exactly what you need, when you need it.  That will become law in your life.  You’ll begin to see that if you don’t have the ‘thing,’ either you really don’t need it or you’ll have a brilliant idea of what to do instead.  In the meantime, you will have opened up space for more goodness, less stress, more weight loss, and more vitality by unburdening your spaces with extra stuff.

Important Step:  Be proud of yourself.  You have just opened up space in your life for more…more of what you have been wanting.

Energy got you down? Clean it Up!

If you are not experiencing delightful days, happy relationships perhaps you need to do a little space clearing.  These tips are able to be done by anyone to lighten up the energy of your home.

You already feel energy.  Some places just ‘feel’ right, others have lingering energy from past arguments, illnesses and even deaths.  Anytime you choose one chair or room or store over another, you are responding to energy and placement.

It’s All Energy

Feng Shui teaches us how to understand the energy of our homes and its effect on our lives.  A Space and Energy Clearing is a necessary part of a clean and healthy home or office and often a part of everyday life to ‘clear the air’.   Without it, it’s like living in a pile of other’s dirty laundry.   Like going into a smoky bar, that energy influences you, lingers on you and colors your energy.

As we move throughout spaces, our thoughts, words, and actions become imprinted with in the energy of the space.  Popular ghost hunting and psychic phenomenon shows elaborat on the fact that we can feel the remnants of conversations and people who have been there.

Even after a thorough cleaning with natural products, the energy can be depressed and stagnant.  An energy and space clearing will do wonders for your ability to focus, enjoy and brighten your whole life.  A Space Clearing, or House Blessing, will reset the energy for ease and enjoyment free of negative influences.

Shifting the energy

You can begin to easily shift the energy of your spaces using your intention, sound, scent and/or more elaborate and traditional methods that will take some time and focus.

There are levels of space clearing, some as simple as clapping, others are more elaborate that remove negative energy from generations and eons and reset the space to the Divine blueprint for nourishment.  The latter is best done by a professional.

I highly recommend that each home or office have a professional thorough space clearing to reset it back to its original blueprint to support life.   I have done Space Clearings on many homes and offices, often within a day or so shifts occur in the people who live and work there, less stress, more joy, easier relationships.  I have also performed space clearings for real estate that have netted offers within days of the clearing.

Do It Yourself?

You can shift the energy for an evening or forever, before a meeting or before dinner.  It takes intention and focus.  You can do a more thorough clearing using a system I recommend for beginners called the Do-It-Yourself Space Clearing Kit by Christan Hummel.  It will take you about a day to learn and about 2 hours to do yourself.  Buy only the entire kit, as the CD’s are wonderful and add benefit to the clearing.

A Quick Energy Reset

I recommend that you take a centering breath and set your intention to shift the energy.  I always imagine myself surrounded by a Golden Sphere of protection, you can too.

Stand at the entry to the space or home and set your intention for fresh new energy of love, light and health (or whatever you want to experience there: easy communication, harmony, equity, etc.)  Walk clockwise using one of the following methods and you’ll have shifted the energy to the positive.

Clapping, Chiming a bell

Clapping is a wonderful and abrupt way to shift the energy.  In China, traditionally they did not clap at the end of a grand performance so that they would take the energy of the performance home with them.  We clap in acknowledgement, but it also severs the ties that were formed between us.

Set your intention to clear the room of any and all negative energy and to fill the space with Light and Love.  Stand at the door and clap three times.  Notice the sound of the first clap, usually it’s dull, and gets more clear and crisp as you progress.  Clap into each corner, each closet and as you do say your intention:  “Light, Love and Happiness” or whatever it is that you want to fill the space with.

Bells are wonderful energy clearers, the more beautiful and sacred the bell the better.  Use it in much the same way you would use your own hands to clap.  Just like the song “If I had a Hammer” by the Mamas and the Papas, “I’d ring out danger, I’d ring out warning, and I’d ring out love between my brothers and my sisters…”  Of course, using a Hammer wouldn’t quite have the same affect…do not try that at home.

Music is another way to embed the energy with positive frequencies.  I particularly like soft classical, happy music and I often use Reiki Mountains by Sambodi Prem to play in my home while I’m away.  I come home to a peaceful space.  Click here to listen to a sample of the CD.

Sage Clearing

Ancient indigenous civilizations around the world use the smoke of a grey-green herb to cleanse their spaces.  Native Americans use white sage, although when you go to purchase sage you’ll find many other herb combinations in the traditional sage wands.  Yet, not everyone can tolerate the smoke & smell that is sometimes confused with marijuana.

Sage wands are available either online or in some places like Whole Foods.  They vary in their intensity and strength usually comes bundled in a wand or sometimes you can find it loose.

Make sure you have a bowl or large shell to hold under the sage to catch any embers.  Light the sage and let it burn for a few moments then blow it out so that the embers are smoking.   Set your intention for a ‘smooth, easy clearing’ and connect to your Starting at the door of the building, I set my intention for “Clean, Clear, Light and Love.” As I walk around the rooms (usually clockwise) I repeat that phrase continually as I wave the smoke into all the edges and corners, all the way around the outside and inside of the space.

Incense and Essential Oils:

For thousands of years the healing and energetic benefits of plants and herbs have been known and used.  Incense and essential oils are potent forms allowing their effectiveness to be magnified.   When used in Space Clearing, they add their own powerful impact to further clear the energy and reset the space for health, wealth and happiness.

“Essential oils…are the natural, aromatic volatile liquids found in shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, and seeds. The distinctive components in essential oils defend plants against insects, environmental conditions, and disease. They are also vital for a plant to grow, live, evolve, and adapt to its surroundings. Essential oils are extracted from aromatic plant sources via steam distillation, and are highly concentrated and far more potent than dry herbs. While essential oils often have a pleasant aroma, their chemical makeup is complex and their benefits vast—which makes them much more than something that simply smells good.” (Young Living Essential Oils)

A few drops of an essential oil diffused into a space can uplift and clear the energy.  There are many blends available; I particularly like Clarity, Joy and Release from Young Living.  I also use Rose Oil which is a very high frequency, White Angelica will impart a sweet, light and almost holy feeling, lavender oil which is antiseptic and calming at the same time (when applied to a non-broken skin burn quickly will actually reverse the damage), citrus is clearing, grapefruit will help you lose weight, vanilla is warm, sensual, relaxing and sexy, and so on…

Incense is a tree gum resin that is captured and dried into small nuggets.  Sometimes you’ll find incense sticks, some with charcoal in the mixture and some without.  Sometimes you’ll find the nuggets themselves, which are burned on a special charcoal with an indentation in the center and all of it is placed in an incense pot.   My favorites are Blood Dragon, Nag Champa and Frankincense & Myrrh.

Enjoy

The intention with which you do anything is imbedded into that ‘thing’ or event.  Take a moment to reset the energy and watch how you will begin to have more fun, lighten up, see the joy and love and this is what will continue to fill your spaces and your days.

Questions or Space Clearings for Yourself

If you have any questions, comments or would like a space clearing for your home or office, whether onsite or remotely (it’s all energy and it’s all connected), email me to schedule.

A Vital Key to the Good Life: Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep

“A good laugh and a long sleep will cure most ills.”  Irish Proverb

After a good night’s sleep, anything is possible!

When the sun moves south and the days are ‘shorter’ it’s our cue to follow nature and rejuvenate our bodies, taking time to allow the natural healing that is programmed into our cells.  A nap, and especially a healthy night’s sleep is  the best way to insure a prosperous day, a vibrant immune system and more.

Here are a few tips to get you right on track:

Your bed:

Who are you sleeping with?  Remove dust mites by washing sheets weekly in temperatures above 130 degrees; soaking your linens in eucalyptus oil and water will kill dust mites, whereas washing sheets in cold water will kill up to 90% of the little buggers.

FENG SHUI: If that’s not enough reason to switch to a new mattress consider this:  If you are sleeping on a mattress from a previous marriage or relationship, you are keeping yourself tied to the past.   Especially after an illness, and sometimes during (especially for my sons) I wash the bed linen (add sea salt to your laundry and you’ll clear the negative vibes), vacuum the mattress and sprinkle sea salt between the sheets and mattress to clear the air.

Choose Organic cotton, Hemp or Peace Silk (eco-friendly production of luxurious fiber that lets the silk worm live a full life.) Conventional bedding, often treated with formaldehyde and chemical dyes, can be full of irritating allergens and non-organic cotton is harvested from pesticide-laden farms.

Clean, clean, erase*…:  Remnants of the day, laundry and clutter, negatively affect your psyche all night long as does clutter anywhere in the room, and especially under the bed.  Best solution: keep laundry out of the bedroom, keep the room clutter-free and remove all but the essentials from your bed stand.  Not more than one book, a battery operated clock, and drawers that are empty except for a few things will have you dreaming sweet dreams.    *This is a phrase used in Ho’oponopono, an ancient Hawaiian system for clearing energy clutter and restoring sacred balance.  (The whole phrase:  Clean, Clean, Erase, Return to Divine Source.)

Position your bed for a good night’s sleep.  If your bed is over a garage, near an electrical box, or even over the refrigerator or major appliance, think about moving it.   A further feng shui note: if your headboard shares a wall with water (sink, tub, laundry, toilet) move it to a wall that doesn’t.  If you cannot, use the mirror cure to send the offending draining energy away from your head.   North, South, East or West?  The energy of the directions that EM comes onto the planet

Close the bathroom door:  if your bed is exposed to a view of water,  that creates an overly ‘yin’ environment that could result in a sleep hang-over, or not waking refreshed.  Eliminate water in the bedroom, either in the form of art, or by a view of a bathroom or tub.  Feng Shui advises you eliminate the view or water in the bedroom.  If you cannot, use a screen to shield your bed from the downward moving energy which will drain your energy.  Gaiam makes a beautiful from natural fibers that can conform to any space and neatly rolls for storage.  *Don’t use this to hide clutter, as your body will know it’s still there.

Here are some resources for Green and Healthful Bedding:

The best mattress I have ever found can be had at Soma found in Canada.  These wonderful, healthful, organic totally customizeable mattresses are available also in the States.
By Phone: 416.789.2337
By Fax: 416.789.3791
By Email: soma[at]somasleep.ca

Great Organic Bedding

Gaiam
Pottery Barn
The Company Store

What’s on your walls?

Mirror, mirror – not in my room

Mirrors are activating and I recommend you don’t use one in your bedroom.  If you don’t want to move your mirror, try covering it with a soft cloth or beautiful scarf and notice how much quieter your room feels.  Removing it all together is the best solution.

NOTE:  if your bed is positioned so that you cannot see the door (but not directly across from it) you may need a mirror to reflect a vision what might be approaching.  Position the mirror so that it doesn’t reflect the sleeper but will reflect the entry to the room so you can see the door and who might be approaching.

Artwork & Photos

Since our minds are most receptive and still working all night, it’s important to have artwork in your bedroom that is only in line with what you want to create.   Soothing and loving subjects and colors, romance if that is what you’d like to create.  Remove artwork with energizing scenes, sharp abstracts or vibrant line drawings; remove images showing waterfalls or lakes/oceans (too much yin energy, too much emotion) or with bright and energizing colors.   Images of singular people will work to keep you single or create a single life.  Abstracts with sharp edges or contrasting colors will keep you energized at night.

Photos of people will keep you from diving into a restful sleep, like having a party in your room all night.  Remove photos of people and more than 2 books, as our brains are always tracking what is in the room.

For kids, it’s important to have a photo of parents with the child in the room, to remind your child of being cared for and loved, as well as who is the guiding factor in their lives.

Color?

Colors we live with change our lives.  Warm, muted “flesh” tones are best for a bedroom (anything from soft pale yellow to rich cocoa to pink to burgundy).  Blues and greens are called restful and it is because it inspires a need to be with one’s self, inspires independence and reminds us of our connection with nature, but might not be the best for a nourishing relationship.  Avoid more than 20% of the room in black or dark blue as this can cause oversleeping or a sleep hangover.  Red is a passionate color but too much can cause arguments and Peach is only recommended if you are looking for an outside romance—avoid peach if you want to stay happily married.

New research has shown that not only does our brain control the hormonal changes associated with Circadian rhythm, but that there are cells in our skin that read light and color and signal changes in our body’s regenerative schedule.  Wall color, and lighting, all carry color frequencies to which our bodies respond in a what that will either keep us healthy or inhibit our immune and hormone systems.

Smell:

Our sense of smell can keep us healthy and alive:  take the nose test.  With attention, we can discern subtle nuances of flowers, fruits, and herbs found in wines and perfumes, but when it comes to our own homes, sometimes our sense of smell is turned off to the smells we live with.  Take some time to do the smell test and then use natural scents to help your body relax and rejuvenate.

Out with the bad:  If you smell mildew or mold, take steps to rid your bedroom immediately as those are toxic and cause myriad disease.  Rid yourself of toxic building materials: old carpets, anything musty or mildew-smelling, check walls for condensation or dark spots, even ceiling tiles if you have those.  Remedy the problem thoroughly and then paint with a Zero VOC paint or use a natural/green wallpaper.

In with the good:  Essential oils are nature’s pharmacy.  Eucalypus will kill mold and mildew, lavender will prevent blistering from burns (not on open skin), peppermint can alleviate headaches and pain and so much more.  Most essential oils are antibacterial and anti-fungal and healthful benefits and smell good as well.  Scent is the sense that will connect us most quickly with memories and molecules smelled find the fastest route to the brain have been used in scientific tests of pharmaceuticals.  Here are some scents I use to help a good night’s sleep:

Give your bedroom time to recover if you clean  with citrus,  a wonderful cleaning agent, the scent awakens us, and grapefruit will actually help us lose weight.

Lavender:  restful and relaxing, one of the big surprises for me about Lavender was when I watched “A Good Year” and scorpions were discouraged from entering the beautiful French Chateau by sprigs of Lavender mixed with other herbs.

Vanilla:  this slightly arounsing scent is warm and nourishing and would be good for reconnecting with your significant other.

Blends of oils:  I use essential oils as a large part of my routine.  I love the blends and oils I can find through Young Living Oils (available from distributors).  These are high frequency oils, albeit expensive, but I find them worth it.  Their blends are beautiful and I use Theives to ward off colds and flue (named for the blend of oils used by raiders during the Black Plaque to ward off illness) and I also love Clarity, Release, and Abundance.  You can explore the other blends by following this link to Young Living Oils.

Temperature:

A cooler room is better for getting a good night’s sleep, 65 degrees F (18.33C) and covering up with a delicious organic down blanket will help you enjoy a deep and nourishing sleep.  Feathers are a sacred symbol and as such impart a frequency of healing.  I sleep on a feather mattress and under a feather comforter.  It’s yummy.

Light:

If you can see your hand after the lights are turned off, you have too much light for a good night’s sleep.  Our entire physiology is based on the color of light and the timing of that color.  Called Circadian Lighting, blue light in the evening adversely affects our ability to regulate our sleep hormones and is being implicated in stunted growth patterns of our youth.  Our pineal gland operates to regulate our hormones and the mechanism is light or darkness.   Full darkeness is best for a good sleep and light exposure before bed, especially the light emitted from a television or computer, can reset your biological clock and make it difficult to sleep.  One step further: turning off the power grid to your bedroom if you can will guarantee that your body isn’t being affected by electromagnetic forces that could interfere with your body’s own natural systems.

NOTE:  The light we see all day affects our ability to sleep:  Circadian Lighting, being used and further studied in Europe is now being taken seriously in the US.  The color of the light we see, blue being the most important color, tells our hormone system how to behave, when to turn on and off.  Drive past homes in the evening and you’ll see a blue light emanating from some homes…this is the light given off by the television and computer screens.  This light will essentially activate your pineal gland to shut down the production of melatonin, which means you’ll be awake.  It’s recommended that you don’t watch TV or work on the computer for at least 45 minutes before you want to sleep.  Instead, read a real book under incandescant light, meditate or review your day and set the intention for a nourishing and restful night’s sleep.