Corporate America has millions of us cramped in tiny, bland boxes that are the farthest thing from an ideal space for creating and producing fabulous work. With no inspiration, comfort, or much-needed calm, your workspace can drown you in boredom, making it that much more enticing to b-line for the nearest exit. However, just as your work environment can hinder your success, it can drastically improve it too… so long as you have the right techniques.

To read the rest of this guest post I wrote for GlamSpirit clickhere!

What is it about going barefoot? Whether it’s the sun kissed sand in the afternoon or the dewy grass field at dawn, there is something simply amazing about feeling the earth under our feet. In today’s concrete world we rarely find ourselves frolicking in a daisy field or taking long walks through the forest. Hell we hardly get outside! Research actually reveals that on average most humans spend 95 percent of their time indoors. While we might be getting a ton of work done, what are we sabotaging by not connecting with nature?

As human beings who have evolved with and as a part of nature for over 40,000 years there is an intrinsic connection we have with Earth. Just taking a walk through a park or wood is enough to lift our spirits and calm the nerves and mind. While you may be thinking this is a little esoteric, numerous psychologists believe that prolonged separation from nature can result in psychological problems such as depression, alienation and dysfunctional behavior. These Ecopsychologists study how our psychological health is tied to our relationship with the natural environment. In short they believe that de-natured environments create de-natured people. Theodore Roszak, founder of the Ecopsychology Institute of California State University, states, “We have detached ourselves so completely from natural environment that it is wounding our mental health.”
Think about it, when was the last time you actually touched soil with your bare hands or feet? Gardeners excluded (you lucky souls!), most people go for months without ever coming into contact. We live our lives inside temperature controlled rooms, and walking on concrete or other flooring. Even when we do take a walk on the wild side and venture into the city park or to a tranquil beach we still have a layer of rubber or leather between our feet and the ground. Usually in horribly uncomfortable shoes!

So Here Is Your Challenge: At least once a week take time out to commune with nature. Get your hands dirty! Whether you plant and mend a garden or dance naked under a moonlit field, feel the Earth under your feet. Inhale the fresh air, smell all the smells, take it all in. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel. You’ll soon crave that time outdoors. There’s a reason after months of long work indoors that we have to escape to some gorgeous tropical place… we need to see and feel the beauty of nature! Don’t wait until you go stir crazy, find a little touch of nature here and now.

Another fabulous way to do this is to add nature to your home. Create a harmonious environment that will nurture and sustain you by bringing plants, rocks, shells, and branches into your home as accents or decor. Gather leaves or flowers from the park and create a stunning centerpiece to bring nature to you. Fill your fountain with local river rock, that will remind you of the beauty of that particular river and adventure.

See you at the beach!

Resource: Feng Shui For The Soul, by Denise Linn. Bestselling author of Sacred Space.

With how busy our lives are now days it’s critical to our health to have a place where we can have down time and get a restful nights sleep. The bedroom should be an oasis of calm and a place you can’t wait to retreat to every night. Feng Shui, the ancient art of placement, offers several tips for creating the perfect haven. From bed placement, to wall color, to imagery, the Feng Shui principles of creating chi (energy) flow around a home will have you sleeping like a baby and improving your relationships to boot! So let’s get started with some simple changes you can do to shape your dream bedroom.

Use The Command Position: Place your bed diagonally across from the entrance to the bedroom. So, when you are sitting in bed you can see the door, but not be in the direct flow of chi coming through the doorway. It’s subconsciously unsettling to not have a view of who (or what!) is coming into the room.

Clear Out From Under The Bed: Having back problems or trouble sleeping? Don’t blame the mattress necessarily. The type of objects you keep under the bed can effect your sleep and health. Bed related items are okay, but anything metal or disruptive like drawers can disturb energy. Use the drawers for long term storage and clear all the junk out to allow chi to move freely on all sides.

Remove Inappropriate Imagery: The bedroom is the room linked to relationships. If you are having trouble in your current relationship or wanting to meet someone, check out what imagery messages you’re sending yourself. Pictures of solitary people, animals, etc. is supporting the opposite message of a relationship. Pick art for the bedroom that has images of pairs (eg. pictures of you two on your last vacation, two birds, etc.).

Avoid Sha Chi: If possible, position the bed away from overhead beams. Heavy beams create pressure over the area directly beneath them. This pressure is called Sha Chi and can cause health problems. For example, if a beam is directly over your head at night you might suffer from headaches; over the knees and feet can create knee and leg problems; over the stomach can cause digestive problems; and beams running lengthwise over the bed can cause relationship problems (since it’s separating the couple). The lower the ceiling the greater the impact.

Shelving overhead can cause the same type of pressure and unease. Subconscious fear of objects falling on you at night can cause disrupted sleep. Another sha chi problem could come from behind the wall. Check out if you’ve got a ton of plumbing, an air conditioner, toilet or appliance on the other side of the wall behind the head of your bed. A toilet has a very draining energy, and any kind of waste water carries negative chi. A stove’s strong yang (fire) energy conflicts with the yin nature of sleep.

Use The Bedroom As A Bedroom: This means, try to keep the bedroom for strictly sleeping and relaxing. Having your desk or office in the bedroom brings (yang) or active energy into this (yin) or passive space. When you work at your desk you want to be in the command position, but the bed is already there. If you must have your office in the bedroom, turn off all the equipment and drape fabric over it before bed so as not to be reminded of work when you first wake up.

Same thing goes for workout equipment. While there might be no other place to stick that huge treadmill, having it in the bedroom can send off energy related to your strenuous workouts.

Activate Chi: Create more chi in the bedroom by bringing in live plants. Plants are a symbol of growth and health. Fresh flowers in white, pinks, and reds are perfect for the bedroom.

Set The Mood: For improved relationships and relaxation we turn the the element of Earth. Add these to ground and calm the room:
- Soft, luxurious fabrics (now you’ve got an excuse to buy those high thread count sheets!). Make the bed as comfortable as possible by adding down comforters, a foam mattress topper, lots of pillow and soft throws. Whatever soothes your soul.
-Use earth tones, and shades of pink, white, and red for the walls and decor. Blues and green are also very calming.
-Add a dimmer switch for that all important mood lighting
-A round mirror to signify unity
-Use aromatherapy. For calm use: chamomile, lavender, and lemon. For love use: freesia, gardenia, jasmine, and plumeria essential oils.

Implementing a few or all of these Feng Shui cures should have you sleeping better tonight! I’m looking forward to hitting the sack already.

Feng Shui is an incredible philosophy that can drastically change the energy of your home- directly effecting aspects of our lives like health, wealth, love, and personal growth. To learn more about Feng Shui check out some of my favorite books on the subject. Want more tips? Click here!

Source: Fast Feng Shui, by Stephanie Roberts

I am a huge fan of several of HGTV’s design shows, but I always wondered why Feng Shui was never utilized or talked about. Feng shui, the ancient art of placement, has become extremely popular in the West over the last 5-10 years, so it’s about time home and garden programs caught on.

Well, at last all of us feng shui lovers out there can get some great inspiration and tips from HGTV’s Fun Shui design show. The show aires on Friday at 9:30pm… can you say horrible time slot… but you can still get some awesome tips from the Fun Shui website. Here is an excerpt from their Home Office Feng Shui Dos and Don’ts:

Dos:

• Place your desk in the power spot, the area directly opposite the door.
• Add sensual objects and artwork to inspire resourcefulness and productivity.
• Bring in rounded shapes and move sharp-edged furniture out of the traffic flow.
• Add healthy plants, which are beneficial to counter-balance the effects of electrical equipment.
• Create a filing and storage system that is clearly labeled and easy to use.

Don’ts:

• Sit in the line of energy coming in through the door.
• Hang uninspiring or mismatched artwork.
• Paint the room in drab colors.
• Use broken or uncomfortable office chairs.
• Pile up paperwork or create clutter and disorganization.
• Sit with your back toward the office door. If you must, hang a mirror to see behind you.

The Fun Shui website also offers an interactive floor plan where you can learn quick tips for changing your space to improve certain aspects of your life. Like how to spice up your love life…

To learn all their is to know about feng shui and how it can benefit your life pick up some of these awesome books that go more indepth.

If you’re in the process of looking for a new job or hoping for that big promotion, up your odds by making your home ready to accept opportunity. The front door is the mouth of chi flow, where chi travels in and out of the home. To make sure opportunities come knocking on your door it’s essential to welcome chi with a clutter free, noticeble entrance.

The ideal pathway to your front door is wider at the street end and narrower at the door, creating a gentle curve. If your path is stick straight chi will flow too quicly, so place some flowers or a windchime near the front stoop to slow down the flow. Make sure to keep trees and shrubs pruned and move all other obstacles, like toys, recycling bins, etc… otherwise you may feel like your life is an obstacle course.

For apartment dwellers who don’t have a walk-up path, try painting your door a bright, standout color to attract chi. Also make sure to always use the front door to access your home, otherwise opportunity will not know where to knock. Replacing or fixing your house/apartment number will also clear up any confusion as to where opportunity should arrive.

Making these subtle changes to your entry way may bring that job to you. Happy job hunting!

For more feng shui basics and fast feng shui books click here.