New Beginnings with the Vernal Equinox

It may not seem like it, with our recent blizzards, snowstorms and cold temperatures, but it is finally spring! As of March 20, we have experienced the Vernal Equinox and are moving toward warmer weather and new beginnings. 

In fact, though we often associate the change of seasons with temperature, the equinoxes and solstices are actually all about sunlight! On the Vernal Equinox, the sun crosses the celestial equator heading north, and all around the world, regardless of time zone, the day and night are roughly the same length. Once the equinox (which is Latin for "equal nights") passes, the Northern hemisphere can finally look forward to longer days of sunlight and yang energy. In ancient times, these changes in the sun's position were the only way of determining the new seasons and calendar days! 

Practically, and in feng shui terms, the arrival of spring is symbolic of the new beginnings of life and growth throughout. Worms begin tunnel their way out of the earth, trees and plants show foliage once more, and the extra sunlight even makes birds sing more! With such positive energy, spring is a wonderful season for starting anew in any aspect of life. Renew your space with a good spring cleaning and/or space clearing, clean out your closet to make way for beautiful new pieces you love, or just move nine things around in your space to stir up new energy. Now is also a great time to add new plant life to your home, open your windows to fresh air and sunlight and consider bringing additional wood element pieces into your space. If you're starting a particular project or hoping to make changes, you may even want to add a new beginnings mandala to your space! 

Whatever steps you may take to welcome the spring season, be sure to express gratitude for the chance to start anew and offer thanks to your space for providing shelter and warmth throughout the colder months!

by Anjie Cho

Creating Your Personal Altar

There are a variety of factors that contribute to creating a holistic, sacred space, but one theme we see over and over is altars. Some of our amazing guests, including Joe Mauricio, Rebecca Casciano, Katie Dalebout and more have all mentioned special areas in their spaces that they dedicate as altars, and I have a Buddhist altar in my own home! I have also used altars as feng shui treatments. 

What's so special about an altar, and why is it such an integral part of creating a nurturing, mindful space?

In many cultures, altars can serve as a powerful aid to spirituality, offering a dedicated place for meditation and focus. They are helpful reminders in our spaces to take time for centering ourselves and practice gratitude. Altars can help us tap into and re-align with the flow and cadence of nature and the spirituality of the universe to keep us grounded and balanced. The presence of altars can actually be seen in many cultures and religious environments, and each has its own way of creating and paying tribute to the universe and / or gods.

Hindu altars serve as a place of worship for families and individuals to pray to their respective gods and are very specifically set up. They should be created from sandalwood, if possible, placed in a separate room or space facing East or West and include items symbolic of all five senses in addition to a representation of the desired deity. Each morning, worshipers are expected to replace all the previous day's offerings (flowers, incense, fruit, etc.) with a fresh new supply. 

In Taoism, altars serve as a physical representation of the path each of us takes to immortality. Taoist altars can vary highly from practice to practice and person to person, but most all include a few common items including a sacred lamp, two candles, three cups, five plates of fruit and an incense burner. 

A Buddhist altar serves as a place to invoke holy beings to dwell in and enhance your space. As in Hindu altars, Buddhist altars often include items that symbolize each of the five senses as a way to ensure that all senses are involved in the Buddhist practice. Not only do Buddhist altars provide a place of worship, their presence helps to establish a habitual practice by providing a constant space for worship. A Buddhist altar serves as a demonstration of faith in addition to providing a place for guests to practice. If you have more than one story in your space, it is ideal to locate a Buddhist altar on a higher floor. 

Altars can even be found in the Christian religion, dating back to biblical days; however, in this realm, they are most often confined to churches and places of worship. 

Most altars include a selection of meaningful items in addition to incense, flowers or other small offerings, and you don't have to practice any specific religion to find an altar useful. Many meditators and mindfulness practitioners find that having altars in their spaces provides, as in Buddhism, a useful, constant space to create positive, life-affirming habits. If you're interested in seeing how one works for you, follow the easy steps below to create your own personal altar!

  1. Choose a Space - Choose a special place in your home or area that you can dedicate to your altar and / or meditation. Ideally, this place is the same all the time and does not move. 

  2. Clear the Space - As in many feng shui adjustments, it is imperative to clear your space of any negative and pre-existing energy before dedicating it to such an important purpose. Use orange peels, palo santo, sage or even our Space mist, and remember to take this step with positive intention. 

  3. Set up a Table - Since you will be placing items that are meaningful to you in this altar space, you'll need to find a small table, bench or or sturdy surface where you can place these objects without fear that they'll fall or be easily disturbed. If you'd like, you can also choose a beautiful piece of fabric to lay over your table before adding your items!

  4. Choose Your Items - To make your own personal spiritual altar, not necessarily associated with any specific belief system, choose items that are meaningful to you and represent positive aspects of your life. Items can include, but are not limited to, incense burners, space clearing tools, candles, photographs, statues, writing, crystals, mantras, symbols, etc.

  5. Arrange the Items - Arrange each of these items in a way that makes sense and is nourishing to you. Ideally, you'll be leaving them in this location, so take care to ensure they're set up so that they won't fall or cause problems (don't leave incense burning when you're out!).

  6. Create a Habit - Establish a daily habit of spending time in your altar. This can include meditation, chanting mantras and other spiritual practices that help you to make space in each day for your soul!

If you're creating a new altar for your space, or if you already have a beautiful area dedicated to your spiritual growth, let us know what items you include and what makes your altar so meaningful for you. We welcome pictures, too! If we receive enough, we'll share them as a photo essay!

by Anjie Cho

The Feng Shui Home Cleanse That Will Bring Your Intentions To Life

featured this week on MindBodyGreen

Whether you're an entrepreneur or work for a company, most of us have offices in our homes. Home offices can be a whole room, a desk at the end of the hall, or even sometimes the dining room table. In many cases, I've found that a home office comes with all sorts of challenges. The predicament that I hear most often as an interior architect and feng shui expert is "I can't get anything done! I get too distracted."

Well, there are things we can do to help with that. In feng shui, your home office is an important space, as it is a symbol of your career and affects how you succeed in the world. I'm so happy to share a few simple feng shui tips to create the perfect home office and transform how effective you are!

Location, location, location!

It's really quite important to have a spot for your home office away from the bedroom(s) and toward the front of the home. The bedroom area is about rest and relaxation. If you have trouble with focus in your home office, it's best to move the office out of the bedroom and closer to the front door. The rear of the home is more insular and more "yin," quiet and inward, whereas the front of the home is closer to the world and more "yang," outward and active. It's better to be alert and awake when you're working, especially when you have deadlines or need some motivation.

...read full article

by Anjie Cho