Essential Oils for Focus

I'm very excited to have just released the second in our line of mood mists on the Holistic Spaces apothecary. This one is centered around improving focus, and it contains some of my favorite essential oils along with some healing crystals. 

For the focus blend, Aromatherachi and Holistic Spaces decided on a combination of rosemary, cedarwood and frankincense, which provides mental clarity and precision, and included several pieces of carnelian for stability and grounding. Check out why this special blend works for enhancing focus!

As one of the first herbs to be used in healing, rosemary directly activates the central nervous system, which is the most important system in your everyday life. In fact, without the central nervous system, we would have no brain activity, no bodily control and no way to interpret the things that happen to us each and every day. You can see why a natural central nervous system stimulant is a good route for increased focus!

As for cedarwood, this essential oil also dates back to ancient use, and it appeals to part of the brain as well! Cedarwood specifically targets the limbic system in the brain, which helps us to relax and release a bit of stress. When you're not stressed and you're able to see clearly what's going on around you, do you feel you can better focus on the task at hand? I sure do!

Frankincense is said to welcome dignity, peace and calmness into our minds and to open up our beings to a much wider range of sight. As such, it can also provide inspiration and help us to get in touch with ideas we may not have access to when we are stressed and busy. 

We added carnelian to this powerful blend to bring a bit more stability. Carnelian is a widely used healing stone and is known for powerful, high energy that can help with everything from stage fright to athletic stamina, organization and more. Because of this high energy, carnelian is also a fantastic stone for use in stabilizing and anchoring thoughts in the present moment, which is obviously very helpful for anyone with an overactive brain and difficulty focusing! 

The combined energy and healing powers of these essential oils and crystals are bound to bring a more clear, focused energy to any space. What do you think? Could your space use a little more focus?

by Anjie Cho

What Your Cluttered Desk Says About Your Career

featured this week on Over the Moon 

I like to say that feng shui is original green design because it seeks to examine space and how humans impact nature and the environment around us. Feng shui looks at how physical spaces affect us on a spiritual and energetic level. Through feng shui principles, we observe how the earth influences us; how does earth affect us and how do we affect it?

A powerful place to start is to look at the feng shui of your desk. Your desk, whether it resides in your home or outside, represents your career and path in life. What you do and the direction in which you walk in this life.

So lets take a look at where your clutter happens on your desk.

If it’s in the top left corner, your money and wealth might be stuck or tied up. If you have a pile of papers on the furthest right corner, the “Relationship” corner, you might need to cultivate your relationships more. Clutter isn’t a bad thing, as long as it doesn't interfere with your life or cause guilt and distress.

Next, look at where you need to add some support in your life. On my desk, I have a status of Kuan Yin, the Buddhist goddess of compassion. The statue represents weight and stability. I placed the statue in the relationship area of my desk to provide support and cultivate compassion in my business and life relationships.

For some time I also had a beautiful orchid on my desk in the top middle of my desk in the recognition position. Recognition represents fame, and how you’re seen in the world. It also represents the fire element. The orchid is a living plant, which is the wood element. Wood feeds fire, so this orchid provided fuel to the fire of fame that I wanted to cultivate in my career. Finally in my top left corner is the wealth and abundance area. Here I have a beautiful piece of citrine. Citrine is a natural crystal that attracts prosperity and does not require cleansing.

I encourage you to look at these areas of your desk and select one or two that need the most attention in terms of your career and life direction. Stimulate some growth and change by clearing up the clutter and examining the feng shui.  

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

10 Real-Life Tricks for Creating a Calm, Peaceful Home

featured on Good Housekeeping and Country Living by Lauren Piro

Life is too hectic for your home to not be a quiet respite from it all. We asked interior designers, professional organizers, and (of course!) real moms for their easy, practical advice on creating some breathing room each and every day.

Allow some space for mess.

You won't have a completely spotless and tidy home all the time (sorry to break it to you). But you can contain the clutter by having a dedicated space for it. 

"Maybe you have a homework table for your kids, where they can throw backpacks and books," says feng shui expert Anjie Cho. Or, assign just one bin for forms and bills, or a basket where your family can drop bags, scarves, and whatever else they bring in every day — and know exactly where to find them later.

...read full article

by Anjie Cho