Feng Shui: Creating Space and Renewing Energy

Spring on the River                                                     Catherine Al-Meten Meyers

Creating space, renewing energy, and taking a fresh look at our lives, is something we often do at particular times. On breaks and holidays, just before or after a big project or event, or at times when we feel stuck or overwhelmed. The ancient Chinese system of Feng Shui is all about becoming more mindful and attentive to how we use and interact with energy--our own and the energy that flows in and around us. Aristotle once said, "Energy is the essence of life".  In Feng Shui, Chi is the word for universal energy that permeates everything around and within us. The practices of Feng Shui provide guidance for how to live in harmony with that energy. Energy is dynamic, and therefore is always changing. We can observe this in ourselves and in the world in which we live.

As humans we understand that we are always in the process of growing and changing. We do not stay permanently at any one stage of life, nor do we stop developing. The world keeps changing. The nature of the Universe in which we live is also dynamic...always in motion, moving through the different stages needed to maintain balance and stasis. We can use the principles and practices of Feng Shui to help create greater harmony in the journey of our life. One of the best ways to approach a good house clearing and cleaning is to start with an assessment. In the last article I suggested making note of those pockets of clutter or mess that were draining your energy just thinking about them. This week, notice the areas that need attention.

What needs clearing? Look around you right now. Notice where you are sitting, what surrounds you, and what catches your eye. Notice how you feel about the room or space you are in. Why are you where you are, and is the space itself meeting the needs you have? Look at the surfaces of tables, desks, counters, bookcases, and other pieces of furniture.

What needs cleaning? Notice where things are arranged in an attractive manner, and where things are piled up or messy. Look at window sills, floors, and appliance tops. What needs clearing and cleaning off? Look out your windows. When was the last time they were cleaned? We're now in Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, Autumn in the Southern, and the patterns and amount of light is changing. It's a good time to use what light there is to notice cobwebs, dust, mold, grime, or whatever has built up over the last season.

After doing an assessment of surfaces and external spaces, start opening some doors and drawers.

The Kitchen is considered the heart of the home. It is also where we prepare nourishment for ourselves and our families. Feng Shui considers the kitchen paramount in attracting good Chi into our lives. Where do we begin?

Refrigerator. Open the doors of the refrigerator, and note what the condition of it is. Make a habit of scanning the fridge, each time you open it, for something that needs to be thrown out or cleaned up. Rather that letting the fridge mess build up to crisis level, Depth Con 10, deal with it in littles. Each day do one thing to maintain the refrigerator as a clean, well-organized space to store foods and beverages. Right now go into the refrigerator and remove 2-3 items that have overstayed their welcome. I'm gong to do it too. Be right back. Okay, that took me less than a minute. In one minute I removed a number of small items that needed to go. Next step is to get them into the garbage or compost or wherever it is they can be properly disposed of. Make it a habit of doing this daily. One minute is not too much for most of us. If you find it is, you need to do it more often.

Stove. We prepare meals on our stove, and it is the stove in Feng Shui that helps generate energy. One rule of thumb is to use the stove. Use all the burners. The more you use the stove, the more energy you generate and release into movement in all areas of your life. Keep the stove clean inside and out. Use non-toxic cleaners. Mrs. Meyers all purpose cleaner is good. For the oven, use a mixture of baking soda, vinegar, and Dawn detergent. Mix it up into a paste, spread it over the surfaces of the oven, and leave it overnight. The next day wipe the mixture off, and clean the surfaces with a wet cloth to remove any residue. You may need to use a scouring brush for any hard to remove spots, but generally, this works very well.

Pantries, Cupboards, Draweres. Look inside your cupboards and observe their present condition. Take another minute to go through the pantry, shelves, or drawers to remove anything that you never use, is past the expiration date (spices have a limited shelf life), or is something you really don't like. Give things away to the local food bank, and clear space removing whatever you don't want or need. Do the same thing with dishes, cookware, eating utensils, or gadgets and appliances. How often if ever do you use that dish drainer that's been under the sink for a year? Get rid of things you're not using or don't need. Give it to a thrift shop or to someone you know is looking for an item. I love hearing that someone needs something that I have that I never use or don't want. Give things away. All that you release, releases energy and creates more space. And if you're iffy about something, set up an out box by the front door, and think about giving it away for a week. Then decide.

Today, we're not going to deal with closets and bureaus, but if you want, give yourself about 5-10 minutes to clear out just one small space. A drawer, a shelf, or a surface. Clear it completely of whatever is in or on it. Clean the space and then look at the items you've taken out. Toss what you don't use, or is empty (how many empty lipstick tubes or medicine vials does one person really need?). When you want to take a break, get up from sedentary work, or just add some more steps to your day, take the trash and recycling out. Go clean out a drawer, or wipe down one shelf in the fridge. Again, the point is to do things in little pieces, little steps.

Make Organizing with Feng Shui a daily practice. Make your clearing and clearning and sorting and rearranging practices a part of your meditative practice. Honestly, I have to do this with the dishes. I slow my pace, get more mindful, gaze out the window and lo and behold, I'm rewarded. The chickens up the street are out for a walk. An eagle is soaring on an air current outside my window, the Big Dipper is visible in the night sky. Slow down your pace, make what you're doing to keep your house cleared out, cleaned up, and organized, a part of the way you live.

Become more mindful of what works in your home and what doesn't. Remember those spaces I asked you to notice last week, the ones that were always calling you, draining your mental energy? Yes those. That closet or work table or the shoes by the front door. Those. Go do something with one of those spaces right now. If nothing else, clear the whole space off or out and put all the contents in a bag or box to sort through later. Wipe the space down. and just let it be for a while. Okay, I promised, I'm going to go do this right now. Let's see how long it takes?

Okay, that was maybe five minutes or less, and in that time I cleared off my work table, found two books I'd been needing, reshelved a few others, put photographs away, and moved my out box from my office to the front door area where it's much more likely to leave the house for its destination at Deja Vu (our local thriftshop).

Feng Shui is not about taking extraordinary measures; it's about viewing life as a flow of little tasks that move us to take larger steps, gain more energy to channel into more creative, productive, and useful projects. Get started, one minute at a time, to begin creating more space, releasing and moving more energy, and taking a new look at your life and the way you live. Make it more like what you want, less like something that just happened while you were busy doing something else. In the little bit of time I used during the writing of this article, I freed up more energy and feel better. My home looks better too, and now I'm going to rack up some more steps on my fitbit by taking out the trash and recycling...couple of trips up and down the stairs should do it. Happy organizing. Enjoy getting energized for a nice walk later on.

Straighten Up and Organize

In Reflection                                                                                Catherine Meyers

Welcome to Straighten Up and Organize, my new home, office, and studio guide for organizing. Using the principles of Feng Shui and years of experience learning how to control the chaos of running a home business in the midst of living a busy life, I will write about simple and easy ways to manage the practice of making our lives more manageable. Each week I will write about different aspects of how to cope with those out-of-control piles of clutter, overwhelming cleaning jobs, or closets, drawers, and storage units that are bursting at the seams. One of the main reasons I am doing this column again, is because it helps me keep my own life in greater balance. Another reason is because I know I'm not the only one who needs a little encouragement for living a life that is both pleasing and harmonious while maintaining a creative and happy life. We can do it. So let's get started.

This week I have chosen the them of reflection. Take some time over the next few days to reflect on what your life looks like right now. Without hurrying to fix things, simply slow down a bit and notice what is calling for attention. Even before you do a self-guided tour of your home, office or studio, think about the spaces that are draining your energy right now. From where you're sitting, that's right, don't get up. Just remind yourself of what you walk by repeatedly that calls out to you each time. For months I felt the call of the top of my refrigerator. I got myself a step ladder, and still did not answer. Finally one day, I set up the step ladder, climbed aboard, and took a look at what I needed to deal with. In no time at all, and much less fuss than I had anticipated, the top of my fridge was in great shape. So now, make a short list of those places that have been calling you. Just make the list, don't rush off to fix them now.

After completing your list, reflect some more about how your home or office is arranged to serve its purpose. Think about your kitchen counters, for example, or your desk. Is it set up so that it meets your needs? What do you need more or less of in the spaces that need attention? Where is the clutter in your house? In closets or on surfaces? Under beds or behind doors? Make another short list (5 items or less) of what you biggest problem areas are. We want to take small bites so that we don't wear ourselves out before we even get part way into our organizing process. 

Now we have a list of areas that are calling you and 5 problem areas that you feel need to be dealt with. Next take the next 10 minutes to do two things. First, clear off the surfaces in one or two rooms. If you live in a small space, clear off all the surfaces. And put the things on the surfaces in a box or sack. Don't put them back right away. Second, go to your closets and cupboards and find 10 items that you are no longer wearing or using, and put them in a bag or box to recycle.  The box or bag will become your GO box. When you've filled it up, put it somewhere near the door you use when you leave the house. 

Finally, take a look at your lists and prioritize them. For some people, starting with the smallest tasks first is the way to go. For others of us, starting with the biggest jobs works better. Do what suits you. For example, the fridge may be the one thing that gets most out of control so it may give you the biggest boost to do tackle cleaning the fridge out first. Go back to the surfaces you've just cleared and give each one a nice cleaning. For wood, use a nice, good-smelling furniture polish or oil to clean. For glass tops, I use alcohol and newspapers to get a clear, streak-free surface. For other surfaces, use something like Mrs. Meyers all purpose cleaner. Mrs. Meyers products have natural oils and are formulated to use aromatherapeutic scents to clean your home. Doing this few things over the next few days will set you on the road to straightening up and will help you get ready to organize your home, office, and studio or workshop. 

For an immediate infusion of energy into your home, open the windows, get out and pick a bouquet of flowers or herbs and place them on the table or in the kitchen. Make a big pot of iced tea or brew up a pot of tea and serve yourself in your finest cups. Take a few minutes every hour or so to mindfully take a deep breath, straighten up your body, and walk around in appreciation of what a good life you have. Enjoy your weekend and have fun reflecting on how you can begin to straighten up and organize for a more harmonious life.