The Most Yang Day Of The Year

At 7:28 (EDT) this morning the earth was tilted at its maximum angle towards the sun, in the Northern Hemisphere.

This is the Summer Solstice — the longest day of the year, and the most Yang day of the year, when the sun’s arc peaks and it shines brightly on us the longest.

Now the cycle turns again towards the darkness of Yin, which gets to its maximum point in December.

In Feng Shui the season of the Fire element has begun: hot, bright and filled with activity.

Celebrate today by staying outdoors to enjoy the sunshine for as long as you can!

For your further enjoyment, here’s a little photo diary of Solstice celebrations around the world.

photo courtesy wikipedia.org

Top-10 Best Feng Shui House Plants

Feng Shui *loves* houseplants!  They’re the quickest way to lift the vitality of your home.

They enhance the Wood element, create fresher air, and add a wonderful soft energy to any environment.

Here are a few ideas to help you select the best plants for your home.

Generally your house plants should have a rounded leaves and an upright habit.

Spiky plants like cacti and snake plants bring aggressive “sha Chi” (also called poison arrows) into your space, whereas droopy plants like ivies can make you feel tired every time you look at them

Here are the Top-10 best Feng Shui house plants.  I chose easy-care plants for every type of lighting condition:

Low Light:

1. Aspidistra
2. Peace Lily
3. Rubber Plant
4. Dracaena

Medium Light:

1. Jade plant: also known as the “money plant” both for the shape of its leaves and its jade-like color.
2. Philodendron
3. Lucky Bamboo

High or Direct Light:

1. Begonia
2. Orchid
3. Ficus tree (Weeping Fig)

I’ve included one extra “low light” plant because they’re the hardest ones to find and care for.

If plants are not “your thing,” be sure to see my earlier post about great Feng Shui substitutes for live plants.

Are you having success with plants I haven’t listed here?  Please share!

photo courtesy of harmonygardens.net

Feng Shui’s Wood Element: How Do You Feel About Silk Plants?

In Feng Shui we’re always striving to balance the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.

Each element symbolizes important parts of our lives — the Wood element is all about New Beginnings and Family: vitality, growth, deep roots, our DNA.

The easiest way to anchor Wood is with healthy live plants, but if you have low light conditions or a “brown thumb,” silk flowers and plants are a good substitute.

There are a lot of absolutely gorgeous silk arrangements out there, and I use them quite a bit in my own home.

But I’ve been surprised to discover that a lot of people who can’t have live plants absolutely HATE silk flowers! (Why? I’m not exactly sure. If you hate silk flowers, please let me know why you feel that way )

What to do??

If you can’t grow live plants and won’t use silk flowers, here are a few other ways to add the vitality of Wood to your space.

• Vertical stripes: in upholstery & cushions, wall decor, curtains and more.
• Green items of any kind.
• Botanical prints.
• Tall, columnar shapes: floor lamps are just one example.
• Things made of wood that look like wood!

Is the Wood element present in your space?  Do you like the way it looks and feels?  Please let me know.

Feng Shui For Your Garden

I just found out that April is (was?) National Garden Month, which makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it? In April we return to the outdoors, celebrate Earth Day, and joyfully behold nature returning to glorious bloom in our gardens.

Gardens tie us closely to Feng Shui because they are perhaps the easiest way to stay in touch with nature.

Whether you have a full backyard spread, maintain a windowbox, or simply enjoy the plantings in your town or neighborhood, “garden awareness” adds positive Chi energy to your life by keeping you in balance and harmony with the cycles of the seasons.

If you have outdoor plantings of your own, you can use Feng Shui to enhance your Chi even more, and it’s a lot of fun besides.

Feng Shui In Your Garden
To get good Feng Shui going in your garden, start with the Bagua, using it just as you would in a room of your home. To start, download this pdf of the Bagua Energy Map. The map identifies the nine most important parts of your life and aligns it with specific areas of your space. (You can read my recent article, The Bagua Explained, for more information).

The entry to your garden is the place from which you enter it most frequently. Now, look around and use the map to think about how each area is working to support your life.

For example, what’s in the back left-hand corner, which is your Wealth & Abundance area? After you’ve ascertained that it’s not filled with debris or things you don’t want or love, think about what you could add to enhance this important zone: good lighting, strong vertical plantings, and red, purple or gold flowers, for instance.

How about the Relationship area, in the back right-hand corner? Enhance this section with romantic flowers in shades of red or pink, and with plantings that “pair up” nicely. This might also be just the spot for a small cafe table and two (or more) chairs to encourage conversation and companionship.

Special Ways To Enhance Your Garden
Water features are a wonderful addition to gardens, but you want to be sure you’re installing them in a spot that will enhance — not weaken – the Chi.

Looking at the Bagua map, the best locations for a pond or fountain are the Life Journey, Family/New Beginnings, and Wealth/Prosperity areas. These areas are all associated with Water or with the Wood element, which is nourished by Water in the cycle of the Five Elements (here is more information about the Five Elements).

Finally, consider the “path of Chi” as you lay out your garden. A graceful, sinuous path encourages Chi energy – and people! — to slow down, explore and enjoy your garden. And welcoming Chi energy into your garden with an open, inviting pathway will bring you its positive benefits, over and over again.

Please let me know if you have any questions about this rich topic. I encourage you to get started enhancing your garden with Feng Shui today!

The Highline — Great Feng Shui In The City

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

This quote from John Muir pretty well sums up how I felt yesterday during my Chi-filled walk on Manhattan’s Highline Park with two good friends.

I hope these photos convey just how much nourishment we’re all receiving from this fabulous addition to the cityscape.

Have you visited the Highline yet? Please share your photos and thoughts!