Yin and Yang in the Unused Living Room

Many homes I go into are large enough to have two living rooms. 

Oftentimes, though, one of them goes unused, whereas the other one, usually called the family room, is very active pretty much all the time. 

These two rooms are out of balance in terms of Yin & Yang, the feminine/masculine polarities that govern the universe.

We can all use all the space we have at our disposal!  If you have a living room that’s going unused, it’s probably “too Yin:” too quiet, too dark, too soft. 

To bring it to life, invite people in with more Yang elements: brighter colors, better lighting, and large, healthy plants.

Today’s Full Moon

Be sure to catch a glimpse of the moon as it rises later on today, starting at around 5:30 this afternoon.    This is the moonrise that glows especially pink or gold as it comes up, reflecting the waning rays of the autumn sun.

Today’s Full Moon is known as the Harvest Moon, because it allowed farmers extra time to bring in their fall crops.  It makes sense that this full moon signifies the completion or culmination of projects, and the promise of new things to come.  So take the opportunity to bring your mindful attention to some of the things you want to complete — and use this moment as a platform for moving forward.

Feng Shui for Kitchens and Baths

Check out this blog post by Lori Dolnik, an attendee at my recent workshop, Feng Shui for Kitchens & Baths.  It’s a great summary of a fabulous class!

Making The Seasonal Switch

It’s finally time to admit that summer is over and fall is here.  Maybe you’ll use some of this weekend to make the big clothing switch and get yourself ready for fall – I know that’s what I’ll be doing for an hour or so tomorrow.

As summer ends and fall edges in, a closet can become especially messy as we try to figure out how to make the switch without doing the work.  But life is so much easier when things are easy to hand.

To tackle an overstuffed closet, pull all your clothes out and size them up.  What haven’t you worn this summer?  Is it because you don’t like it, it doesn’t fit or doesn’t suit you?  Be ruthless in sorting through your things and have faith that by letting things go better things will have the space to enter in.

Load up a bag with the discards and take them to the charity of your choice: you’ll be making someone else’s life better and opening up more room in your own at the same time.

Discovery: Using What You Have

Several months ago I came across some clear plastic dessert dishes, hiding on a shelf high in a kitchen cupboard.  Although they were perfectly attractive, I knew I’d never serve dessert in them.  I began to wonder, rather than throwing these out, or giving them away, is there some other use I might make of them?

It didn’t take long to realize that they’d be perfect for holding thumbtacks, rubber bands, and other miscellany in my office.  So now I have three containers — that are small, attractive, and look great together — for otherwise unsightly stuff, sitting on my office bookshelf.

What finds do you have in your home?  Take a look around… what do you need?  What do you already have?  Could their functions possibly match?