5 WAYS TO SHIFT THE ENERGY IN YOUR OFFICE

September 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A recent article on creating Harmony in ones’ work place, has inspired today’s post.

Perhaps you’ve wondered how you might improve the energy in your workspace.

Whether or not your office is in your home, these simple design suggestions will give you something to think about.

By no means are these ideas limited to just your office – you can apply this to any place in your home.

 

Do Aim for Clean, Uncluttered Surfaces

We don’t always realize how important it is to have our work areas impeccably organized, with a designated place for everything to be stored.

The tendency is to have little piles on our desk, each one representing a portion of our To Do list for the next day.

Do you really tackle each of those little piles on a daily basis?

I know I don’t.

And yet, I’m fearful of storing things away, being very guilty of an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality.

Here’s the thing, though:  according to Chinese Feng Shui, having too many things on your work surface can impede the flow of energy, or chi.

There is a lot of truth in this ancient wisdom, so take heed.

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The Raw Food Diet vs Gluten-Free

March 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Raw Foods diet seems to be all the rage lately, and while it’s a seemingly healthy way of eating, I’m by no means an expert.

Which is why, when an acquaintance asked me:  “Are Raw Foods always Gluten-Free?” – I almost caught myself saying ‘yes’ before realizing that wasn’t necessarily true.

Eating Raw Foods involves sprouting grains – and those grains can be just about anything!

Which means, if you are sprouting wheat, or barley – then no, this is not a viable solution for your gluten-free diet.

It comes down to knowing which grains, or foods in general, are gluten-free in their natural state, and which are not.

I have a few cookbooks  – (really, you need a cookbook to prepare foods that don’t require cooking?) – and yes, I’ve have dabbled with a few recipes.

Ultimately, though, I like plenty of variety in my meals.

While I eat a fair amount of salads, and other foods in their raw state, I still prefer cold foods when the weather is warmer, and warming foods on colder days.

Also, if you’re going to go all out with the Raw Foods diet, it really pays to have a dehydrator.

And while I’ve been tempted, I haven’t bought one.

The reason why is simple. I already have way too much kitchen equipment and from what I’ve seen dehydrators are fairly large.

I have no idea where I’d store the thing, and I just don’t want anything else cluttering my kitchen counters.

Also, if I stop to ask myself “Do I really need it?” – the answer is no.

Yes, it’s possible to use your oven instead, and I have tried this but haven’t been all that thrilled with the results.

One other thing.

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SENTIMENTAL VALUES

April 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The ancient Chinese revered their ancestors.                                            

Perhaps this is nowhere more evident than in the ancient Chinese bronze vessels used for sacrifice.

These priceless objects were part of an elaborate ritual ceremony to commemorate the deceased, based in part, on the belief that one’s’ ancestors would continue to watch over you from the afterlife.

As long as you kept them happy, that is.

In those days, Bronze was an expensive metal, not easily obtained. It was reserved for use by the elite members of the aristocracy and upper class citizens – those that could afford to honor their ancestors properly.

Thus, by offering food and wine in these intricately carved bronze bowls and ewers, honor was maintained.

In our Western culture, we have a different set of customs that dictate how we honor our loved ones, and we do this primarily through family heirlooms and treasured keepsakes.

A common practice is to cherish an object that we know was previously loved by the deceased – such as an antique chair, a decorative object or other works of art.

It’s as if our loved ones live on in these keepsakes, and so, for sentimental reasons, we continue to keep them in our homes and our hearts.

However, at some point, we may need to ask ourselves whether these family treasures are still fulfilling their original purpose.

Do you truly love those keepsakes that you’ve treasured for so long? Are they inherently beautiful?

Or, is your devotion due to sentimental reasons only?

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IS LESS REALLY MORE?

February 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

“Less is More”  Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe

A few years ago, a friend sent me this picture.  

The house, located in downtown Toronto, Canada, was about the size of a postage stamp. It was, at the time, for sale.

This immediately captured my attention. I was intrigued, wondering what it could possibly be like to live in such a tiny space. I found the challenge of maximizing the living space in a house this size, and creating a warm and inviting interior, to be exciting!

Now, I realize that a miniature dwelling of this scale just doesn’t cut it for most of us, including myself.

If nothing else, it certainly puts things in perspective, especially if you’ve ever felt you don’t have enough room and need a bigger house.

You’re not alone.

The thing is, you can move to a larger home, but if won’t be long before you’ve once again run out of room.

Because the problem isn’t lack of room, it’s that you have too much stuff.

The bigger the house, the more things you can accumulate, and the more you accumulate, well, sooner or later there might not be room to store it all.

So the problem, or challenge, is simply to get by with less in the first place.

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