The Advent of Yin Day 16: Silent

"Silent night, holy night; all is calm, all is bright"....Yin, yang, yin, yang. The Christmas story, and likely every story can be a study in the movement of yin and yang.

It is notable that in this most yin part of the year we celebrate the story of the birth of Christ. Heaven come down upon the earth. A bright star punctuated the blackened sky to announce the birth of Jesus. It is a visual not unlike the most full black part of the tai chi symbol and it's symbolism is shared amongst many traditions besides Christianity. Within the deepest of yin, there is a seed of yang. Within the darkest part of humanity's soul resides the light.

Allow yourself the luxury to turn off the Christmas clatter and enjoy a silent night.

Silent is my final yin word, as the solstice is upon us.

The Advent of Yin Day 15: fear

By Jimee, Jackie, Tom & Asha

Sometimes when I am frightened it is evident to myself and to others. When scared or startled my heart pounds, my breathing rate increases and I might even scream. But often fear is a more yin emotion. It is farther from the surface, and closer to the truth behind my actions, than I might care to admit.

Fear of failure, or sometimes success, is often hidden way down deep when I chose not to follow an action which I think is probably in my best interests. Fear of rejection lurks below my radar when I say something defensive to someone I love. Fear of the unknown keeps me from pursuing a particular fork in the road. That sneaky yin word can get in the way of a lot of great potential.

However, the gift of all of the more 'negative' yin words lies in their opportunity, once discovered, for incredible growth. Maybe that will be my New Year's intention this year. To lovingly look into the actions that I am least proud of and see if underneath them I might uncover a little fear.

The Advent of Yin Day 14: Feminine

Feminine is one of the most primary yin words. It is also the one which I think subtly makes women cringe when they hear yin's associations. To have femininity associated with words like dark, below and negative seems somehow like a blow to the female ego.

What is essential to remember though is the beauty and mystery which is also associated with the feminine. As women regain their balance after the sometimes harsh feminism movement they are once again wrapping their loving arms around their basic feminine nature. The Goddess is back! We as women know that being receptive, warm, nurturing and co-creative is at the core of our beings and that we can use the patriarchal model to our advantage without embodying it. We are helping to unplug the patriarchy.

Our job now is to guide the pendulum closer to the center and resist the temptation to swing too far in either direction.

If you are in the Calgary area, author Lucia Rene will be holding a workshop for women on Feb 5 in Okotoks. Come and learn to stand in your own feminine power! www.womenstandingintheirpower.eventbrite.com

The Advent of Yin Day 13: Home

Are you going home for the holidays? Is it a place or an experience?

Photo by frumbert

There is a difference between a house and a home. But did you know that it could be defined in terms of yin and yang? A house is yang, a home belongs to the realm of yin.

A house has structure, it is concrete and somewhat permanent. A home on the other hand is built on the unseen. It is fabricated through care and attention to relationship, through love and nurturing. Home is where we go when life is difficult, or when we wish to celebrate our successes with those who matter to us. Home has a mysterious quality which draws us to it, sometimes even when our time their has, in the past, been challenging.

I once had a house burn down, vanish into smoke. But I have luckily always had a home. Not everyone is so blessed.

It is an interesting thing that the downtrodden are not called the houseless, they are called the homeless.
 
http://www.innfromthecold.org/

The Advent of Yin Day 12: Balance

Balance, balance, balance. As feng shui practitioners my colleagues and I are constantly espousing the benefits of balance. Balance is a yin word.

A true, pure balance is basically static. It implies that things on both sides of an equation are in some way equal and the same. There is no movement. Life, as we all know is not like that. Life is always changing and moving and without an inequality or imbalance nothing would happen.

So when we talk about achieving balance it is important to remember that we are talking about a sort of organic balance. A flow. Things tip one way a little too far and then we must draw them back toward the center. This is a much more accurate picture of the kind of balance that a feng shui practitioner is trying to achieve. Balance is difficult.

The Advent of Yin Day 11: Low

Low is another yin word with a somewhat depressed (excuse the pun) reputation. But how could we look at low in a different light? Low is definitely something we want our cholesterol levels to be, and our blood pressure. Low light is always more flattering. Low energy is a signal to us that we need to rest and without it we sometimes crash unexpectedly (note to self...).

The most intriguing question to me though as I am writing this is whether there might be an advantage to low as a place of reference, a place to look at things from. Those of us on a spiritual path are often thinking about seeing something from a higher place, taking the higher road, or striving for a higher plane. I wonder though, if we spend too much of our time up there, what might we be missing down here?

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite parts about Christmas was to wait until the tree was all lit and decorated and then to lie underneath the tree and look up into it. From that vantage point, it took on a whole different magic.

The Advent of Yin Day 10: Internal

As we inch closer to the winter solstice on December 21st, and to Christmas itself, the busyness of the season is a very yang energy. Our activity can take us outside of ourselves in good ways. For example when we put ourselves in another's shoes to find that perfect gift. However, all of the external business can require a little yin balance. We need to do a little internal practice.

Prayer, contemplation or meditation are so important at this time of the year as they are in natural alignment with the season. For those unfamiliar with any of these practices it is not as daunting as you might think. Here are a few simple ways

• Gratitude. A simple statement such as "thank you for the beauty of this day" works wonders
• Attention. Washing the dishes must have some sort of magic power as it is often recommended as a meditation. Any activity will work though. Slow your mind and really pay attention, to anything. Really! 

• Walk. Get outside for a few moments and walk. Pay attention and have gratitude for the beauty of the day and you have a practice.

Now that was easy!

The Advent of Yin Day 10: Below

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go. —William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Below is today's yin word and it is closely related to 'hidden' which I blogged about a few days ago.

Photo by Cybershaman

Below is a word which forces us to come out of our comfort zone. I think that is true of many yin words. We like things which are above. Above board, above average, above all else.... But below seems to have a sneaky underbelly sort of side to it. It requires us to work a little harder at liking it. However, as with all yin words there is a gift to below.

Often the most interesting part of something lies below the surface, just out of sight. Under a seemingly monotonous expanse of ocean lies a world of incredible beauty and diversity which we have yet to fully understand. Under the tip of an iceberg is a gigantic portion of the same which is hidden from view without inquiry. Under the vastly diverse human experience is a basic truth in which we have more in common than not.

As we enter the most yin season, it would be my wish that we search within our hearts (also below the surface) to find that commonality and to rest in that for a moment.

The Advent of Yin Day 9: Defeat

We love winners! "To the victors go the spoils" the saying goes and humans take this to heart. But what might come of defeat?

I am not one of those people who thinks that competition is bad. Competition is a natural reality and Feng Shui philosophy, based on the I Ching, recommends that we work within the natural order, rather than against it. We must naturally compete for resources and mates as just a few examples.

Though we all have a natural desire to be the winner in these competitions, what happens when we are defeated? We suffer. Our ego's are damaged, our self esteem takes a temporary dive and perhaps we back away from trying again. However, if we have been taught resilience and have an understanding that all situations bring us the opportunity for growth we end up winners in the long run.

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, teaches that all things fluctuate and that when things seem most bleak change is usually right around the corner. The gift in the yin of defeat is that when we are the victor some time down the road, the spoils are all the sweeter.

The Advent of Yin Day 8: Soft

Soft is a yin word which does not seem to have that same nagging negativity associated with it that some of the other yin words have. We appear to like soft. Soft feels good. We like it when our beds feel soft, when we can slip into a soft cashmere sweater or sit with our feet up under a soft throw.

Soft is one word in the realm of dualities which has a relationship with it's partner 'hard' that seems to be sort of, well, soft and is one case where the yin word is the more positive for most of us.

We have created a world which by necessity has a great deal of hardness in it. We require the durability and resilience that hardness brings to our homes, cars and in some cases our hearts. Surrounded by severity on so many levels soft is a welcome respite.


At this time of the year we allow ourselves to soften our gaze and see others, particularly the less fortunate, more clearly and to soften our hearts and give freely.

Please support your favorite charities and tread softly upon this great blue ball this Christmas.

The Advent of Yin Day 7: Hidden

The world watches in interest as the Wikileaks drama unfolds. While I am not informed enough to even begin to offer an opinion on Julian Assange and his organization, the whole episode has the world immersed in a conversation about today's yin word; hidden.

My overall thought is that more transparency in the world would be a good thing, however if we knew everything about everything where would the magic be? Some of the most cherished human experiences require a little digging to get to. Where would the fun in Easter be if the eggs weren't hidden? What would happen to the anticipation of Christmas if your parents had left the unwrapped gifts out in the open? The hidden feelings of a newly unfolding romance are what make it so sweet when it is finally revealed that you are, indeed, cherished.

We love to discover something which has been previously hidden from view. Without this yin word there would be no mystery and where is the fun in that?

Can you find the hidden face?

The Advent of Yin Day 6: Yielding

As we count down to Christmas I think we could all learn to be a little more yielding, today's yin word. There are two forms of this word, one which means to bear fruit and another which means to sort of give up or resign one's self. Since the second would be more likely to be seen as negative that is the one I am going to try to illustrate positively. Interestingly the second form of the word often leads to the first.

Give it up! Surrender! Relax, Succumb, Let go! Doesn't it sound sublime?

 That's it. Have a great day.

The Advent of Yin Day 5: Slow

Today's yin word is slow.

In a world which seems to be in a constant state of rapid movement, slow has become a foreign concept for many. Remember 'old people' saying how fast time seemed to fly in their world? Well, I must be an 'old person' because it sure seems to me that time flies! So I say rather than getting too caught up in the season crazies, make time for a little slow. Here are some great reasons;

• slow cooked always tastes amazing
• a slow walk lets you know your neighborhood and possibly even your neighbors
• driving more slowly is less dangerous
• eating slowly can be a meditation
• thinking slowly lets us respond rather than react
• slowing down increases awareness

What else is great about slow?

The yin of the winter season naturally begs us to slow down, to cozy up with a good book and a cup of tea, to reflect on the harvest of the year. Rather than forge against that natural cycle, why not take the time to practice slowness? I just noticed (because I slowed down) my friends at Cafe Divine in Okotoks are holding a Terra Madre slow food dinner this Friday night, December 10th. Yum!

The Advent of Yin Day 4: Black

Black, now there is a yin word that I can say I like! What is not to like about black? Black clothing makes you look slimmer, gives you an air of authority and goes with everything! Black allows all other colors to 'pop' creating a backdrop for more vibrant yang colors to be seen against it.

Black is the color of the element of water. Water represents wisdom and reflection in it's still form, and socialization and life flow in its more active form. Adding black accents to your decor, particularly near the entrance, can symbolically bring these qualities to your environment.

Black is inclusive of everything as it is the color which absorbs all others. While white may be seen by some as the color of purity, black cannot be muddied by outside influences, rather it absorbs and assimilates. This is one of the basic teachings of Black Sect Tantric Buddhism which has incorporated the philosophy of many other traditions.

Yup, so far black is my favorite yin word.

The Advent of Yin Day 3: Cold

Ok, I admit it. I do not like this particular yin word. In the Chinese Zodiac I am a 'fire horse' so the cold and I do not get along all that well. Fire represents the south, warmth, light and of course fire so you can see how the yin qualities can be a challenge for me personally. Fire is a very yang element.

However, my goal was to look at the positive aspects of all things yin and cold is definitely yin - so here goes. The most obvious positive of the cold for me is that without it, there is no warm. What is always important to remember is that without an aspect which we consider to be negative, there is nothing to measure the positive against. Relativity is the key.

Actually, though I am not fond of being cold I do love some of the things that are a result of it. I love the beauty of a cold, snowy landscape particularly if the sun is out for a little yin/yang balance. The tiny rainbows which are everywhere make my heart sing. I love that on cold sunny winter mornings the mountains west of me turn pink for a few precious minutes. That does not happen at any other time. I love the fur coat my dog puts on as a result of the cold, she is practically teddy bear soft at this time of the year. I appreciate that the cold here in Canada keeps us relatively pest free (can you tell I'm stretching here?), and that I get a rest from the garden duties for a portion of the year.

What do you love about the cold?

The Advent of Yin Day 2: Contraction

Day two of my Advent of Yin has me thinking about the contracting quality of yin. While yang represents all things expansive in nature, yin is a more concentrated, inward energy. At this time of year we have a natural desire to hibernate, to go indoors and to reduce our social activity. Contraction can also be seen in our families as they come together for the holidays after being apart for much of the year.

For many, gathering together to celebrate with family and friends is truly the best part of December. However, over extending ourselves socially is also pretty common and to some degree goes against the natural flow of the yin nature of the season.

For some people, the constant activity at this time of the year is positive and it helps to energize the yin of the winter months. For others, the pressure to go against the natural order of things creates serious imbalances and creates undue stress at this time of the year. Paying attention is the answer.

If you find that you become stressed out at this time of the year, see if you can allow yourself the luxury of relaxation. Scale back your social commitments, reduce your compulsion to over decorate, over shop and over eat. Take the time to be alone, to meditate perhaps, or soak in a hot bath.

If you love the constant activity that has been created around this yin time, go for it! Enjoy the parties, soak up the lights, and celebrate the season.

"Winter is the time of promise because there is so little to do - or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so."
-Stanely Crawford

What do you think? Does the extra social activity at this time of the year invigorate or drain you?

The Advent of Yin

As we end the first week of the month we are approaching the winter solstice which falls on the 21st of December. This is the most yin time of the year.

I always find it interesting that when teaching about the qualities of yin and yang there is a subtle undercurrent of favor for all things yang. In many ways this is inevitable as we live in a Patriarchal world where masculine qualities have been favored over the feminine for thousands of years. We are a culture addicted to growth, expansion and competition over others, all yang qualities. However what must be remembered is that without the opposite of these qualities, the yang fails to exist at all. Without the dark, there can be no light.

So I think that I will start a sort of advent calendar of yin. For the next 17 days, ( I wish I would have thought of this 4 days ago for the entire 21) I will write a blog posting on the positive qualities of yin.

Here goes; Yin is dark. Anyone familiar with the yin/yang or Tai-Chi symbol recognizes that the black half of this symbol is the yin side. It is a good place to begin to explore. In general we are afraid of the dark, but could we learn to embrace the dark? These are 4 qualities that I love about the dark;

• The dark encourages us to go inward, to explore the unseen worlds of the mind. 
• Darkness asks us to be still, to suspend our constant movement and to rest.
• Darkness absorbs all color, it is inclusive. 
• The darkness allows us to view the stars and wonder about life's mysteries, to feel vastness and to see ourselves as a very small part of a larger picture. 

 "Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it"
-Terry Pratchett

Any thoughts? I would love to see you add to my list!

Chi-va Las Vegas

I took my first ever trip to Las Vegas this month and found it to be a fascinating lesson in Feng Shui.

Vegas is a city built in the middle of no-where, on land that grows nothing. It is hot, dry and desolate, hardly the sort of location that an ancient Feng Shui master would have recommended for a home or business.

However, Grandmaster Professor Lin Yun used places like Las Vegas and Dubai to illustrate the power that man has, using Feng Shui, to harness the chi from deep within the earth and draw it to the surface to create lively environments. Three types of enhancements are particularly evident in Vegas.

Light: Vegas is a city where the lights never go out! Light is controlled in Vegas to a science. External light sources are removed from Casinos so that patrons have no sense of time, and the strip is lit like a Christmas festival so that people can party into the wee hours of the morning. Light is a powerful Feng Shui enhancer. Imagine how different the strip would be if the lights went out at midnight!

Water:

There is water everywhere in Vegas, an incredible contrast to the desert which surrounds it. In the residential areas the City of Las Vegas is offering cash subsidies for those willing to remove their grass to conserve water. On the strip though, water is used to draw people like a magnet. Thousands of people gather every day to watch the famous fountains at the Bellagio Hotel. There are fountains and lagoons at nearly every hotel. If there is water, there is life and Vegas is a lively as it gets.

Sound: Vegas is loud - really loud! Sound is used to create atmosphere matching the theme of each hotel, to convince customers to visit this bar vs. that bar, and to keep you stimulated for your entire visit. Sound is nearly inescapable in Vegas. This is not the sort of sound that most of us would choose for our home, you can certainly see how important it is to bring life to the strip.

Though Vegas is a particularly surreal environment which would overstimulate most of us if we stayed for any length of time (3 days is the average stay, and likely as long as most of us could stand), it is an excellent lesson in the use of Feng Shui for environmental transformation. The addition of light, sound or water in your own environment is a powerful way to bring Feng Shui into your home, uplifting your chi and creating movement in your life.

Joyful, Bountiful Tui

Tui is expressed beautifully in this painting by Lester Ancheta.

Tui, or Lake, is the trigram or symbol of the I Ching which expresses the energy of this time of the year. As we head into fall and the time of harvest, the efforts of the spring planting and summer heat begin to bear fruit. This is evidenced in the natural physical world as well as in our inner realities.

If we have worked hard to plant seeds of the highest quality in our gardens and our lives throughout the year, our efforts have been paying off with an abundance of fruits, vegetables and beautiful flowers. The bounty of fall brings us great joy, and an abundant harvest allows us to share that joy with others.

In contrast, if the seeds that we have planted were of low quality, if our gardens were not tended regularly, and if our thoughts and actions were less than expressions of our highest nature, these too will bring forth fruit of a different nature.

In our homes, Tui represents creativity and children. The bountiful product of our minds and our bodies. It is a metal gua in five element theory, supported by earth, reduced by water and melted with fire. The use of images and materials which reflect these elements can help to create balance in Tui areas. The colors of metal; gray, silver, and gold all work well in metal areas and bringing earth tones and materials into these areas is also helpful. Limiting fire, fiery colors and images will keep our metal from being destroyed.

Perhaps the most important element in all Feng Shui cures is the element of intent. Our strong intention to plant seeds which we know will bear the type of fruit that we want to see manifest in our lives is of utmost importance. Seeds of kindness, of honesty and of love will create a ripple effect in the Lake of our lives which we can enjoy the bountiful harvest of.

H.H. Grandmaster Professor Lin Yun

Professor receives the honor of the White Hat in Calgary, 2009

The BTB Feng Shui community is in mourning this week over the loss of the beloved Grandmaster, Professor Lin Yun. 'Professor' as he is commonly referred to, changed the history of Feng Shui forever with his revolutionary, modernized theories about the workings of Ch'i in the person and the environment.

BTB stands for Black Hat Sect Tantric Buddhist (Feng Shui). While the entire explanation of the name is not the intention of this post, two words are important today. Black as a color is the inclusion of all colors. It represents a deep, oceanic wisdom unsullied by outside influences. Tantra is a word with many connotations and definitions, most of which are inaccurate and misunderstood. The Sanskrit root of the word means 'loom, or warp' as in the weaving of a fabric into a consistent whole. These two words are important in understanding Professor's lineage and teachings.

They are also important words in understanding Professor himself, his impact on his students and the current versions and schools of Feng Shui in the world. Professor wove many cultures and ideas together, incorporating modern thinking, science and ideals into his world view. He taught his students to see Feng Shui as the Tao, a living and ever changing path. A wisdom which has forever altered thinking in this field of study.

Professor also wove together people from all over the world. His students come from many countries and have taken his teachings across the globe, sometimes modifying them into their own unique schools. He encouraged his students, many of them teachers in their own right, to be seekers of knowledge and understanding first and foremost.

He created a community; a tantric web of like-minded individuals all looking to improve their lives and the lives of others. It is a community which I feel honored to be a part of. I am forever changed and deeply grateful.

Lovely Lavender

I travel nearly every year to the Okanagan Valley to visit with family living in Penticton, British Columbia. If you haven't been, or if you haven't been since you were a kid you've really got to go. In the last 15 years the whole look and feel of the valley has been transformed. Where apples, cherries and peaches used to dominate the landscape, wineries abound. The feel of the valley is morphing from down home to upscale as people try new cultivars of grapes suitable for making quality wines.

It is not just the big players who are experimenting though, hobby farms are also getting in on Nappa North and trying their hand at growing crops which are newer to the area. One such crop is lavender. While traveling, Ok wine tasting, our way through the Naramata area recently I stopped to visit a local grower of the aromatic herb, Forest Green Man Lavender.

The place is beautiful. A field of purple, the sound of thousands of busy bees, and a smell that is just heavenly. Forgetting for a moment that you are in Canada, you can be temporarily transported to the fields of Provence. I was given a wonderful lesson in the cultivation of lavender by one of the owners, Doug Mathias, and allowed to wander the field to soak up the smell, check out the little gift shop, and bask in the wonderful atmosphere.

Lavender has been used for centuries to promote relaxation and healing. It can be used for mild space clearing and to engage the sense of smell in our interior spaces. It is particularly wonderful sprayed on a pillow a little bit before going to bed to help with insomnia.

In an upcoming newsletter I will expand on lavender's uses in the interior landscape. For now though, I will think of Forest Green Man and be transported.

Welcoming Water

Without water there is clearly no life on this planet. A fundamental building block of life, it is largely what we are made of. All ancient cultures revered water and included it in their categorization of the elements. As one of the five elements in Chinese culture, it plays a very important role in Feng Shui. The very name Feng Shui means wind and water.

The use of water in the Feng Shui of our landscapes is essential, particularly if we live inland and do not have access to lakes, rivers or the ocean. Dynamic water features provide movement to delight the eye, sound to encourage relaxation, and they increase the air quality by charging the surrounding air with negative ions. Each of these benefits will add to the positive chi of your outdoor spaces and create a stronger connection to the natural world.

Your front door is considered the 'mouth of chi', the place where energy enters your home from the surrounding environment. Creating a water feature at the front entry to your home is a great place to start. Water is symbolic of money as well as your social status so placing water at the front door encourages prosperity and an active social life to enter your home. An added benefit is that the gentle splashing of a water fountain will help to mask any traffic noise, creating a buffer zone between the neighborhood and your home. It is important that water runs either toward the home or straight down and not away from the home as we want to encourage prosperity and friends to flow in to our lives.

Water features do not need to be large or expensive but it is best if they are moving, or if they combine both moving and still water. An example would be a fountain which ends in a small pond of still water. This combination represents overflowing abundance which gathers and stays around for a while.

For those of us who either don't have the space or the resources for a large water feature even a birdbath can add life and movement to the front yard by attracting our avian friends and beneficial insects to the garden. Just be sure to keep the water very clean, preferably changing it daily preventing stagnation as well as mosquitoes.

Kindness and Prosperity

As all Feng Shui practitioners know, some of the most commonly requested cures are those which enhance the prosperity of our clients. Everyone wants prosperity. Money makes the world go round and most of us don't think we will ever have enough to buy, or to do all of the things that we want in life.

As the world consciousness is shifting though many of us also realize that abundance, like any other physical reality, is first a state of mind. The universe is in a constant state of yin and yang, a state which Walter Russel called 'Rhythmic Balanced Interchange'. What we put out there (yang), comes back to us (yin) in a non judgmental and perfectly balanced way.

So before we look to change our prosperity only through Feng Shui adjustments in our environment we must remember that this is only 1/3 of the equation. Our destiny and our actions make up the other 2/3 of the formula. We may have little control over our destiny but our actions are completely within our reach. Professor Lin Yun has advised all of his students that the key to prosperity is kindness. If we want to change the world economic situation his most sincere instruction is to encourage each person to do one good deed per day.

While it is easy to see the nobility in such an act, many will have difficulty understanding how this can contribute anything real to an economic situation. However, when we understand Rhythmic Balanced Interchange it becomes plausible that a simple act of kindness can make an impact. When one does something good, solely for the benefit of another, the reality is that both benefit. When many do something good, many benefit. If we would all just do one small deed in service to another we all benefit.

Coyote Kirtan

About 4:30 am this morning the quiet was pierced by the cry of a lone coyote. The sound he made was very distinctive and unlike the howl that most associate with the canine. It struck me as a very specific message sent out into the night. After only a few seconds I could hear the call answered. Quiet howls responding from a seemingly impossible distance, and from many directions. Clearly something had been said, in a language that I had no access to. A sort of prairie Kirtan, call and response.

All creatures communicate with each other in some way and humans have the most complex of all languages. Even then we often run into trouble. Misunderstandings are common and good communication skills sometimes elude us.

In Feng Shui, the gua which is associated with communication is Dui, or Lake. This is also the area which is connected to creativity as all creativite endeavors use a specific medium to get across an idea, express a feeling, or answer a problem. If you are having trouble getting your ideas across to others, feeling that you are not heard, or that you could use a little creative spark then Dui is the gua to enhance in your home.

This gua can be enhanced through the use of metal, particularly bells, chimes or gongs which ring out in a clear and resonant tone. The color white and spherical shapes enhance the metal element of the area while fire, red and pyramidal shapes should be limited or avoided. Earth tones and design elements can also be used to enhance the metal nature of this area. Be sure to display your creativity in these areas as well whether it be through art, music, poetry or another media.

These simple changes can help to bring your Feng Shui into alignment. You may find that like the lone coyote your message will be clearly heard, and you will more easily hear the quiet responses received through the stillness of the cosmos. Listen carefully to the answers within.

Lady Luna

Lady Luna had me awake all night last night. She shone her silvery beauty through the shaded bedroom window and begged me to come outside to bathe in her glorious light.
The one or two nights right before the full moon often see me lying awake, unable to sleep. It is the most yang of the most yin time each month. Last night was no exception. I was awake considering many options for White Lotus in the near future and while I sorted, re sorted, and categorized my options the stillness caught my attention and I got up. I wandered outside to find the air absolutely breathless and a kind of quiet which is hard to come by, even out here in the countryside. For just a few moments I was alone with the Universe and my mind matched the rhythm of the stillness. Then the mosquito found me and I was shuffled back indoors to try to catch at least a few hours of sleep before going back to my sorting and categorizing.
Pay attention to the moon tomorrow night, she will be in her glory and she has a mystery which we often forget to bask in.

A Special sort of Space

I have recently returned to my meditation practice after about a year long hiatus. I was diligent for nearly 18 months in making sure that I 'sat' every day. After setting up a special corner, a sort of 'sacred space' for myself I have come again to the silence. It is easier, I think, to meditate when we have a space to call our own. A sort of self imposed 'time out' place that we can go to when we need to know ourselves.

A corner, room or spot which is set up just for the purpose of reflection, meditation or prayer draws us in and calls us to practice. It waits patiently for us to take up the offer and just be, if only for a few minutes. It also will not judge us when we are unable.

While it can be hard to carve out a little niche for something which can seem self indulgent, it really makes a big difference to the consistency of our daily sit.

What I learned about myself today

I spent some time today with a business and life coach whom I know casually but am looking to work with professionally. I learned some stuff about myself while we talked. I learned that I am passionate about Feng Shui and about the direction that I want my business to go. I learned that I know more about where I want to go than I was giving myself credit for. I learned that it is Ok to ask for help.
That was a big one. I like my independence and I have recently realized that asking for help does not come easily to me. I'm Ok with asking my hubby to help me with something, or asking questions when I need the answer, but really asking for help is something I just don't do. I hadn't known that about my own nature, it was something I hadn't been aware of.
Sometimes when we are really stuck and feeling lousy it helps to know that under the quagmire is an insight just waiting to happen. For that I am eternally grateful.

I have spent the better part of a beautiful June day out on my deck, watching the laundry dry on the line ( one of my true pleasures of summer, I know its weird) and trying to get out of the land of technosaur on my laptop. I can think of worse thing to do but the tech part has become somewhat tiresome as I look for ways to get myself seen in the land of oz.

My venture into the world of blog...

Hello to all of my friends and associates who are clearly more computer savvy than me! This is the first official posting on my new Blogger account. It is my hope that this endeavor will be both helpful to me, by enhancing my business, and helpful to you by giving you Feng Shui tips and inspirations to enhance your lives.