Where Energy Flows

Dr. StrangeRebmann, or how I learned to stop worrying and love cleaning my chemical free home - Part 3
Read part One & part Two

My family and I sure spend a lot of time in our kitchen. I feel lucky to have my own kitchen sitting in the Family & Foundation and Abundance areas of the home. I love to prepare and share good food with my family.

I suggest trying to keep this area free from Clutter when possible, especially because of how much time we spend in the kitchen, and how great it feels when it is clear and clean. As we know, it is a powerful metaphor to have your space clean and clutter free.

I have to be honest and tell you this room is where I use the most commercial products. While I would like to use all homemade cleaners, I have run into difficulty finding ones that work well here. Yet, I do have some good tips.

1. Surface Cleaner – Mrs. Meyers All Purpose Concentrated Cleaner. I bought one of these sometime last year, and I haven’t even gone through a fifth of it. I take one capful of cleaner to 16 oz of water – and I am set for several weeks of cleaning up counters, tables and highchairs.

2. Dishwasher – Ecover Dishwasing Detergent. It works well with my pots and pans cycle. I have to use a little more water, but I think the reduced phosphates is worth it. Also – substitute white vinegar in your rinse aid compartment – works great – no chemicals.

3. Liquid Dish Soap – Mrs. Meyers again. It just works so well and I can clean an entire sink full of dishes with one squirt. I have also had good luck with Seventh Generation Dish Soap – it requires more - but is a bit cheaper.

4. Stainless Steel Appliances – Mrs. Meyers Stainless Steel Cleaner. This is more like a polish, but it works very well. I only have to use it once a month or so – and my stainless steel appliances and compost bucket look great!

5. Floor Cleaner – I use water. Unless it is raw chicken on the floor where I would feel the need to use some disinfectant, I use a damp microfiber mop. It works great!

6. Other cool tricks – Salt and Lemon Juice Paste for rust stains. Combine into pastes – leave on rust overnight – wipe off in morning. No need for CLR at all.

Next week – the rest of the house and laundry!

In the Midwest we are still experiencing frigid cold and snow.  Promises of warmer weather to come and the seed catalogs coming in the mail turn our thoughts to spring.  As the snow will eventually melt, giving way to nourish the soil, I begin to consider my closets and basement.

Consider this thought…as we spring clean our homes, clearing clutter we make space for the new coming into our lives.  In the January/February 2008 edition of Body & Soul magazine there is an article called More than Enough b y Terri Trespicio.  In this article Terri states that, “any feng shui consultant worth her salt will tell you, to bring about more of what you want, you have to make room for it.  This, in fact is one piece of the theory behind the Asian art of placement.”

Of course, being a feng shui practitioner and teacher, I whole heartedly agree with Terri.  I would add that when you include a clear intention of why you are clearing out what no longer serves a purpose for  you or that you don’t love, the clearing of clutter has a spiritual quality rather than being another annual task we create for ourselves (which by the way could be considered a ritual/ceremony – spring cleaning).

As we add the intention of allowing space for the new to come into our lives, we can then turn our thoughts to adding blessings for what we have consciously decided to keep in our homes, in our lives. Being grateful for all that we have and being open to all the blessings that are to come into our lives. Adding a simple and quiet ceremony, such as lighting a single candle as you state your intention, brings the meaning of space clearing to your spring cleaning, creating your own sacred space.

As we complete this annual spring cleaning, we breathe a little easier and notice that we feel lighter and happier.

Just as the melting snow nourishes the soil, we nourish our souls with our spring cleaning ceremonies.  As we begin to prepare for the new seeds to become flowers of blessings coming our way.

© Neshi Lokotz, 2008. All rights reserved.

Organization and creativity go hand in hand.  If you’ve ever walked into a messy kitchen and tried to bake or cook you know this.  It works much better when we start with a clean kitchen - then we get out all of the ingredients and make our delicious meal.  In the process we dirty a bunch of dishes and make a mess. 

The chaos that arises when you are in the process of creating something is active chaos.  I’ll give you an example from my own experience.  When I create a new class, I start out with a clean desk and a blank computer screen.  I make a rough outline and then pretty soon, I think of one of my books that I would like to look at.  While I’m at the bookshelf, I see a couple others that may have some ideas I would like to incorporate into the class.  At some point I will look for images to include in the presentation and I start looking at both paper and electronic images that I have collected.  After only a short time, my desk is covered with papers and books and my computer screen shows dozens of open windows.  My office is messy but it is all actively being used.  When I finish creating the class, I put everything back in it’s place and I create a place for all of the items associated with the new class.  That way, when I want to teach the class, I can easily access the materials.

So we see a cycle of:

• start from nothing
• create (byproduct is active chaos)
• re-organize
• return to nothing

Problems occur when we don’t take the time to re-organize and return to nothing.  If I leave all of my books and reference materials out and then start a new project on top of that, (And I have to be honest - this does happen sometimes.)  I end up working on top of passive chaos.  My old project now contributes to confusion and it slows down my ability to work.

Active chaos is a natural and desirable part of life.  Passive chaos will bog us down.  Make sure to take time to organize and re-organize on a regular basis.  Our space then allows for fresh new ideas to manifest on a regular basis.

© Copyright Ann Kucera, 2008. All rights reserved.

In my work (and in my own life), I often find a direct correlation between what’s going on in a person’s life and it’s physical representation in the home. For example, I consulted with a successful business woman who had all the exterior symbols of success. She had a lovely home, beautiful furnishings and an orderly overall appearance. Her walk-in closet was another story which prompted a conversation between us. She admitted that on the outside she appeared calm and together, yet inside herself she often felt chaotic. Her home reflected this statement. Everything that was open for public viewing was orderly and together, however, her private closet that no one saw but her, was in chaos.

There are many translations between how we experience life and how those experiences show up in our homes and businesses. This particular post will explore the area of blocked energy which may be experienced in life as swimming up stream, going around in circles, inability to make desired changes, and feeling especially weighted down. Because our homes are physical representations of ourselves, if we are feeling stuck or blocked, their physical expression may look like the following bullet points.

• Doors and drawers that don’t open completely, are in need of repair, or are not used.
• Hallways, walkways, and doorways that are congested with objects, furnishings, and clutter.
• Overgrown bushes, trees and vegetation.
• Garages, basements and attics filled with unused items.
• Passageways narrowed with furniture.
• Closets and cupboards filled to capacity.
• Oversized furniture in small spaces.
• Clothes, shoes, accessories that are not worn.
• An over abundance of toys, electronics, televisions, books, collections, etc.
• Anything broken or in need of repair.

Now, during the season of winter, is an ideal time to address any issues of stuck energy in the home. (Summer is fine too if you live in the southern hemisphere.) The season of winter is quieter than others and is naturally aligned with looking inward. Winter also gets us ready for spring, the time of year that bursts forth with new growth and change.

In getting started, chose the area that is the “loudest”. In other words, the project or task that has been the most nagging. By addressing the most annoying task first, it often provides the support to continue tackling the rest of the project. When addressing any project, it helps to solicit the support of friends and family to stay committed. And remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Have reasonable expectations in setting time lines to meet your goals. The best way to make permanent change is to be consistent, persistent, dedicated and loving. Your body will thank you and so will your home!

© Catherine Hilker, 2008. All rights reserved.

The nine areas of the bagua map can be applied to any room in the house. When applying it to an infant’s room we soften the intentions, making them age appropriate with a loving influence. As you gently energize all areas of the room you encourage your baby to grow in a well balanced way. Keeping the room and closets clutter free and child safe is most important. Keep colors soft and the content of all pictures or art loving and positive. Most of the time your infant will be sleeping in this room so remember to keep the themes of toys, art and wallpaper non-moving and restful. If you have items you wish to display in the room think of the following suggestions:

Prosperity. Intentions here support a wealth of unconditional love for your baby. A good spot to put a special piggy bank.

Fame or recognition. Help your baby to feel recognized for who they are as individuals and family members by placing items representing firsts for them.

Relationships. Baby’s first relationships are with family. This could be where Mom and baby sit for feeding time.

Family. Place family photos here that were taken when everyone was happy or items that represent your culture that are warm, friendly and infant appropriate.

Health. Try to keep this area open so that chi can move freely. Remove obstacles to growing up strong and healthy.

Creativity. This would make an excellent play area. Store a small number of toys here that are favorites and rotate new toys in that are at the next challenging level.

Self knowledge. This area can display books or be arranged as a reading corner to foster an early love for learning.

Career. Your baby’s job is to learn about themselves and their world. Educational toys that are age appropriate and safe could be stored here.

Helpful People. Gifts from god-parents, babysitters or items from anyone with a special supportive role in your child’s growth and development could be placed here.

Copyright 2008  Brenda Rosenberg  All rights reserved. 

This is the time of year for resolutions.  How can you motivate yourself to follow through on resolved activities such as exercise or applying Feng Shui principles to your homes in order to improve your life?  As you prepare to act on your resolved activity, how do you feel?  Do you hit a wall or are you pulled back into another activity, diversion or habit?  At this point, if you tune into your body you may very well feel tension, notice shallow breathing or other signs of anxiety.  In order to move forward you may need closure on the past.

We seek closure or an ending to our relationships, friendships, disagreements, past actions.  With closure we can physically, mentally and energetically move forward.  It feels good.  Clutter clearing is one method of finding closure. When you clear clutter you revisit the past and decide if you are ready to consider closure on that part of your life, that habit,  or that relationship with yourself or another.  Letting go of that object makes you feel good and releases serotonin in your brain creating a relaxed, clear state of mind.  If you have resistance to letting go of the object, you will feel those old feelings of anxiety.  You may need to ask yourself if it is too soon after the event to find closure or is there another reason that you are unable to cut the ties that are holding you in the past instead of in the moment.

New beginnings……as you resolve to create new beginnings in 2008 ask yourself……

• is this resolution a should do or are you creating the life you are passionate about?
• Is the resolution a necessary stepping stone to prepare you to pursue your dreams?
• Can you see yourself acting on this resolution?
• Do you need to release old ties or remove walls before you can move forward?

Copyright 2008  Brenda Rosenberg   All rights reserved.

There are times when things (objects, projects) in our lives seem to fit the bill of clutter, but are hard to let go of. This is a time to be especially kind to yourself because there is usually a reason for holding on.

Sometimes, holding on to the past is a way of keeping the door open on a part of your life that is almost over. It is similar to being immersed in a book you really enjoy or strongly identify with. When the book ends, your experience of being a part of the story will end as well, and often there is a bit of reluctance to finish the story.

So, in your life, holding on to something may be needed in order to:

• give yourself permission to let go of a part of your identity that you’ve outgrown
• allow time to absorb changes in your life
• get closure on a part of your life that is over

So when is it clutter? It is individual. No one else can really tell you what clutter is. For me clutter is an awareness of the ‘mind chatter’ attached to the item in question. Examples of mind chatter are self-criticizing, admonishing, and energy-draining, unpleasant thoughts that do not feel good. If there is no mind chatter, it isn’t clutter.

If something you’ve been holding on to you begins to ‘talk back’, you will know that you are getting close to being ready to release it. When the time is right, you will be ready to come to completion – whether it is finishing the project or finally letting something go. Until then, trust your feelings!

Copyright Deborah Redfern, 2007. All rights reserved.