Where Energy Flows

Following up on Elise’s article on being ‘green’, so what about your face and body? Are the products you are using green? I would love to be, but finding natural products that work for me have been a problem. When I trained as an Aromatherapist I tried making my own natural concoctions. I guess it depends on your skin type but I found the beeswax based ones do not work for me (no Bert’s Bees for me). The odour of beeswax gives me a headache and I find the products sit on top of my skin and I end up looking greasy. Yuck!

The best natural product I found were just plain plant oils: fractionated coconut was one I used a lot, with a custom blend of essential oils. I loved the smell so they were successful that way, but I eventually believed the oil wasn’t really doing much for my skin. 

I’m lucky that my skin is in pretty good shape but I do need moisturizer and I get red patches on my forehead and nose. At one point I caved in and began to use foundation and I looked better (I thought so, and got positive feedback on how well I was looking) but I didn’t feel great about it. I never was much of a make-up girl and I think it is better to solve a problem than cover it up.

So I have been on the lookout for green products for the skin that actually work.  Recently I’ve started using Skin Biology. I bought some trial packages to sample and I’m using a copper peptide cream, squalane (which is from olive oil), and Calypsos oil (which is a plant oil combination), a very light body oil. I also got Emu oil with my kit. I am not happy about using an animal product as a cosmetic but my face and body like it. I did muscle-testing and dowsing to see it was right for me to use. 

To reinforce the Emu oil, today while I was at an outdoor market I found a local supplier. They were created by a local physician who developed MS and then recovered by using Emu oil as well as a number of other nutrional supplements. We got another small bottle of Emu Oil for my husband to try out and I bought a lip balm. I have to admit I didn’t have high expectations on the lip balm since I’ve been disappointed by so many others. But this one works. It is light, lasts a long time and doesn’t burn my lips.

After using these products for a week - alternating between the 3 facial blends - the redness is practially gone. If this keeps up, I’ll be tossing out the cosmetics for good.

So…how do feel about putting on a green face? Are you ready to go green? Here’s what one person I admire has to say on the subject. Take it away Kermit.

© Deborah Redfern, 2008. All rights reserved.

I usually try to be as green as possible. I recycle, re-use, reduce, compost, and buy chemical free and organic products as much as I can.

There are quite a few parts of my life when I am not as green as I could be though. For instance:
• I use Charmin toilet paper. It is not recycled, it is chemically treated, it is not good for the environment in any way…but it’s good for me. The recycled toilet paper, that I have come across, is very scratchy.
• I shop at Old Navy and Target. I know these clothes are not made from organic cotton, and synthetic dyes are probably used too. But, the clothes are adorable and affordable.
• I drive, and kind of like, my car. Now, I did buy carbon credits for the use of my car for one year, and I think it was less than $60, but I know I should walk and bike more.
• I use chemical laden spider killer sometimes. I am getting better at letting the little spiders live and hang out it corners, but once they get big and scary – they die if I see them in the house.
• I’m a sucker for a nice Porterhouse steak – medium – with mashed potatoes and Caesar salad - mmm. I should be vegetarian or vegan, or at least buy grass fed beef. But, I can’t find it anywhere – and those mail order places are too expensive.
• I use bleach on occasion to clean my sink. It is the only thing I can find that really gets rid of the coffee and tea stains on the stainless sink.
• I still get paper magazines. I know that it would be greener of me to read everything online, saving trees. Yet, there is something so nice about being outside, or away from the computer screen for a while, and leisurely reading a nice magazine.
• I am unwilling to invest $35,000 in a solar roof to save $25 a month on electricity.

So, what does this say about me? It means I’m not getting as many green leaves on Facebook as I might want, and I know I should be better in certain areas. Or maybe it means, I do what I can. Maybe it means, who I am is enough.

This is a tricky subject, because I don’t want to encourage you to throw everything away and not worry about the environment. I want you to do what you can – to try – but to be comfortable with the changes and find your own balance.

I have some slight obsessive tendencies in my personality – and so do all the other women in my family. When I first discovered Feng Shui, I took my book and made all the suggestions it said in every part of my house, and then waited for things to change. When I first discovered Green Cleaning, I was a regular mad scientist with my funnels and mixers and vinegars. This is who I am – I really get into things. Can you relate?

I am really okay with some of my non-green ways…even though I truly believe in living as lightly and sustainable as possible. This time, I am working on being less obsessive and more me. And, I’m starting to kind of like this me - the recycling, green cleaning, composting, spider killing, porterhouse eating, soft toilet paper loving Feng Shui lady!

What are your green habits and secret non-green indulgences? Let’s share!

You never know when there is a new brand of soft, recycled toilet paper that isn’t toooo expensive.

© Elise Rebmann, 2008. All rights reserved.

It is human nature to want logical proof that something works.  It is also human nature to procrastinate. And, as human beings, one of our best qualities is that we are exceedingly quick to adapt.  These traits can often become the challenges we face when it comes to implementing feng shui cures and enhancements…  We put things off.  We hope the problem will resolve itself.  We doubt and we question. Is this really going to work?  Will it be worth the trouble?  Will it be worth the expense?  Will I really see any big results?  Even as a feng shui consultant, I find myself with these kinds of nattering questions.

Take today.  I really need a new office chair.  The ergonomics of the small, metal dining room chair I have been using just don’t cut it anymore.  For one thing, the chair has no lumbar support.  It has no arms. And, it is too short.  My back hurts.  So does my shoulder and neck.  I know these physical discomforts are a result of many hours spent working in this chair.  And yet I find myself entertaining thoughts like “C’mon, will a new chair really make that much of a difference to my life?”

Of course, my consultant-self knows the answer is “yes”.  Absolutely. 

But, there is the lazy side of me I need to wrestle with; that part of me that would rather ignore the problem and hope it goes away.  I know I will have to spend a half a day, take the bus across town (we don’t own a car here in Thailand), shop for chairs, lay out the cash and then figure out how to get it home.  I talk myself into how it is just easier, cheaper and more convenient to stay here at home and try different sitting positions.  Pillows.  Even ibuprofen.

Eventually I know that my consultant-self will win out.  I will consider how a better chair will help me be more productive.  I will perhaps view it as a symbol of abundance and success.  I know I will feel more supported.  And, certainly more comfortable.  Soon enough, I will be motivated by the part of me that knows good feng shui and good ergonomics do indeed make life better!

In the mean time, I think I’ll try a bigger pillow.

© Deb Swingholm, 2008.   All Rights Reserved.

Reducing our exposure to environmental toxins and chemicals is critical, and creating healthy homes is a large part of my Interior Alignment™ practice.  I’d like to share an article I just read about a recent study of toxic chemicals found in popular laundry products and air fresheners. 

Anne Steinemann, a University of Washington professor of civil and environmental engineering and of public affairs conducted testing and the study is detailed online in the journal Environmental Impact Assessment Review  website.

Anne says “I first got interested in this topic because people were telling me that the air fresheners in public restrooms and the scent from laundry products vented outdoors were making them sick, and I wanted to know, ‘What’s in these products that is causing these effects?’”.  What she found was a significant amount of volatile chemicals in a variety of air fresheners and typical laundry products.  And, many of the chemicals involved were not listed on the product label. 

Read the article here

© Deb Swingholm, 2008. All rights reserved.

A few months ago I wrote about how my husband and I enjoyed watching a colony of bees that decided to build a hive on our porch.  I also wrote then about the mystery of disappearing bee colonies, and now that it is summer it seems like a good time to revisit this story. 

Bees and other pollinators are suddenly in decline due to a phenomenon that has become known as Colony Collapse Disorder. 

While the exact cause has not been established, there is some evidence that bees are dying due to disease, loss of habitat and pesticide use.  Other possible explanations include a new parasite, flowers that produce less scent and a combination of stresses such as poor nutrition, limited or contaminated water supplies, and the need for bees to be transported long distances for pollination of particular crops.

In some areas of the world the bee loss is being described as “catastrophic”, with some beekeepers in 2006 reporting between 30-90% losses. Similar losses were reported in 2007, but scientists do not know how many bees have died overall, since statistics only reflect what is happening in managed colonies.  

Consider for a moment what will happen if the pollinators of our planet disappear! 

About three-quarters of flowering plants rely on birds, bees and other pollinators to help them reproduce. And, bee pollination is responsible for $15 billion annually in crop value. 

Ice cream maker Haagen-Dazs and Burt’s Bees, a maker of natural personal care products, are among companies who have pledged money for research and begun efforts to help save the bees.  The problem affects about 40 percent of Haagen-Dazs’ 73 flavors, because ingredients such as almonds, cherries and strawberries rely on honey bees for pollination.

Haagen-Dazs has created a new limited-time flavor - Vanilla Honey Bee - and will use some of the proceeds for research on the disorder. Burt’s Bees has introduced Colony Collapse Disorder Lip Balm to “soften your lips while saving honeybees.”

The US government is also taking steps to approve financing for bee research.

One reason I am an Interior Alignment^TM Teacher is to awaken people to the interconnectedness of all things.  All creatures are a vital part of the web of life and we human beings balance carefully on the shoulders of all other life on this planet.  It is essential that we live in harmony with the rest of the animals and plants on this beautiful rock we call Earth. 

This summer, if you find a hive in a spot that you believe would be harmful to you, your children or your pets, please do not spray the hive with chemical poisons. Contact a local beekeeper to relocate the hive.  Also, raise awareness by sharing information about Colony Collapse with others.  You can even write to your local news editors - newspaper or television - asking them to run the story and highlight local beekeepers as helpful resources. 

Help the planet, save our ice cream, save the bees!

Copyright 2008, Deb Swingholm.  All rights reserved

Many of my clients have been asking about Himalayan salt lamps and wondering what they do. Well, the answer is simple and complex. They affect different people in different ways, and most often people find the lamps assist in bring peace and calm.

Just their colors alone create delightful gazing stones -a diversion and rest to release your eyes from the computer screen, TV or even the book or heated discussion. Their striated coloration reminds one of a camp fire, perhaps, easing your being into a relaxed state.

Himalayan salt lamps are formed from rock salt found in the Himalayan Mountains. The important reason in selecting salt lamps from this source is that they were formed in an area that was relatively pollution free during their formation.

Millions of years ago, when the earth was in its beginning times, an immense pressure caused the Himalayan Mountains to rise out of the ocean. The primordial waters that were present at that time were forced up inside the massive Himalayan Mountains. Under incredible pressure this salt ocean was converted into solid Himalayan salt. This is the salt that is mined by hand to create the majority of the salt lamps we enjoy today.

In addition to contributing to relaxation as a gazing stone, the lamps emit negative ions which help the human body to experience a sensory relaxation response. Thus you feel the exhilaration you experience near the fresh ocean air or the clean fresh feeling just after a thunder and lightning storm. Thus Himalayan salt lamps work great near computers, in bedrooms and are the perfect night light. Bring back a natural fresh quality to the air and improve your home or office ambiance. I have a salt lamp in nearly every room of my home.

…to be continued.

© Roberta Binder, 2008. All rights reserved. 

For the next month or so, I am spending time in Ohio, where I grew up.  This area of Northwest Ohio is called the “Oak Openings Region” and it is one of the Midwest’s rarest ecosystems, with oak woodlands and savannas, dunes, prairies and floodplain forest.

One of the few remaining Oak Savannas in the world is found here in the Oak Openings Preserve.  The savanna is comprised of Black and White Oaks that live side by side with a mixture of grasses, sedges, wildflowers, ferns and shrubs. Some very specialized animals are also part of the area, including the rare Lark Sparrow and several species of butterflies such as the Frosted Elfin, Persius Dusky Wing and the federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly.

I cherish the Oak Openings Preserve.  It is a place that truly feeds my soul and brings all my senses back into balance. 

I spend as much time as I can out walking the trails and taking photos.  For the last two weeks I have been out nearly every day photographing the wild Blue Lupine, which is incredibly abundant this year.  These tall, graceful stalks loaded with deep purple-blue blossoms are simply beautiful.  As I stand surrounded by these flowers, I feel my whole body respond.  I breathe deeply and slowly.  All tension melts away and the most wonderful sense of lightness and joy fills my whole being (there are photos of the wild lupine on my website photo gallery).  It’s just a perfect way to  start the morning!

The preserve has been expanding in recent years.  And, as people become more aware of the importance of the unique Oak Openings ecosystem, many property owners near the park are dedicating some or even all of their land to restoring rare and native plant species.  Conservancy groups are partnering with local residents to reestablish the region’s natural vegetation.  Even some local businesses are setting aside small areas for native gardens. 

This practice of landscaping with native plants is sometimes referred to as naturescaping or xeriscaping.  Interior Alignment advocates healthy, “green” practices such as this.  We believe in caring for the well-being of our Earth and our work includes harmonizing the land and connecting with nature in ways that nurture body and soul.  Wherever you live, I would highly recommend that you consider planting native to at least some degree.  Some of the benefits of naturescaping are:

• Low Maintenance - Native plants evolved to grow in local conditions. They do not require watering, chemical pesticides and fertilizers or frequent cutting.
• Water conservation - native plants need less water, so you can conserve water resources.
• Health - Traditional landscaping can use large amounts of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, some of which are suspected carcinogens. During rains, these chemicals often run off into public water supplies, lakes and rivers. 
• Land Health - Many typical landscaping plants are not part of the original ecosystem and therefore contribute little to it and in some cases actually cause damage and displace native plants.  Naturescaping contributes to the overall health of the land.
• Savings - The cost of maintaining a naturescape can be less than that of a traditional landscape because a naturescape essentially takes care of itself.
• Song Birds - song bird populations have dropped steadily for the last several decades and much of the decline is due to habitat loss.  Naturescaping is beneficial to native and migrating birds.  Other native animals benefit as well
• Enhancing Life - An ecologically healthy landscape offers so much beauty, color, sound and wonder to all of us. It is cleaner, healthier and it can bring enormous joy and a sense of being in harmony with the natural world.  And, this is what Interior Alignment is all about!

Copyright Deb Swingholm, 2008.  All rights reserved.