Why Going Green May Be the Most Important Feng Shui Cure of All

Last night I gave my first "Green" Feng Shui lecture at the library in Homewood, Alabama.  Here are the highlights as well as my inspirations along the path of living "green":

1.  Appreciating nature.  
When you have lived and visited the most beautiful places in the world and take the time to get to know the nature there, you can't help to want to protect it...and be moved by it.

the Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, WY (source)

Kauai, Hawaii  (Source)

2.  The Redwood Forest and Julia "Butterfly" Hill.  Once upon a time in the 1990s, a 23-year-old woman sat in a Redwood tree because she was tired of big companies cutting them down.  After all, only 3% of these 1000-year-old (plus) magnificent beings were left in the U.S. (the only place where they grow), and she (like me) was touched and awed by their beauty, mystique, and wisdom.  Once up there, she knew that she could not come down until her job was done and her message was loud and clear.  It was TWO YEARS before she set foot upon the ground.

Here is her book about her experience:

3.  TreePeople.  I was smart and lucky enough to work for this non-profit when I lived in Los Angeles.  Andy Lipkis started it when he was only 15 years old, when trees were being killed by -- guess what -- smog.  He had a vision to replace the trees....and build community at the same time.  Today, forty-three years later, TreePeople is "planting the way" to greener, healthier cities everywhere.

TreePeople park planting in LA (source)

4.  Diet for a New America by John Robbins.  I didn't touch on this in the speech, but becoming a vegetarian has not only been the healthiest choice for my body, it's also been a major contribution to the planet.  This book sealed the deal for me.

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5.  Documentaries.  There are so many people putting the message into the world on what is really happening on our planet, socially, politically, economically, and yes, environmentally.
Here is a short list of the ones that have influenced me:
The Corporation
FLOW: For Love of Water
The End of Suburbia
Gasland
Who Killed the Electric Car?
The 11th Hour
Dirt: The Movie
Wall-E  (not a documentary, but a cartoon with a strong, smart, and very real message)

And here's an extremely thorough list that I stumbled upon:  http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/films_for_action_presents_the_top_100_documentaries_inspiring_the_shift_to_a_sustainable_paradigm/

6.  Anna Cummins and 5 Gyres.  I met Anna when I was filming CarLess in LA.  She and her husband are on the front lines when it comes to plastic, plastic, plastic, having personally been to sea to research.  Check their mission out here:  http://5gyres.org

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7.  Senor Enrique Penalosa.  Another inspiration from my CarLess in LA days, he implemented bike lanes, parks, better public transportation, and car-free days in Bogota, Columbia, where he acted as mayor.  His work has opened my mind to the importance of building cities for people rather than building cities for cars.  Today, his message is worldwide.

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8. Costa Rica.  When I was 19, I volunteered with some friends at various places throughout the beautiful country of Costa Rica.  First we helped with the endangered sea turtles, then at an animal rescue reserve, and finally, on an organic farm.  Being exposed first hand, and helping first hand, was fulfilling and wholly educational.  And fun.   No book, documentary, speech, or blog can replace being on the front lines yourself.

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9.  CarLess in LA.  This is the documentary that I'm in the process of making.  Again, front lines.  Again, priceless.  I'm proud that I accomplished this feat and of the amazing, inspiring, brilliant, and caring people I met along the way.  Here's a glimpse:

So what is "Green" Feng Shui?

In other words, how does feng shui apply to our greater, collective "home," the planet Earth?

Bottom line:  When you practice feng shui in your home, you are in the process of raising your vibration and consciousness.  When your vibration and consciousness are at their peak, you are living in joy/peace, which is what we all are ultimately after.

Similarly, when we being to become more conscious of our actions affecting the Earth, we are in the process of raising our vibration/consciousness and moving towards greater joy and peace....

....even if we have to "endure" a bit of "inconvenience" in order to do so.

So yes, recycling, reusing, and reducing is good feng shui.

Driving less and turning off your lights is good feng shui.

Insulating your home is good feng shui.

Making a vow to never buy plastic water bottles ever again is good feng shui.

After all, what if the Earth is crying out to us?  What if all the anxiety, depression, addiction, etc. that our society is prone to has a root cause:  that we are freaking out because we subconsciously know that we are messing up?  Could we all be blocking out her call by our busyness, our pill-popping, and our shopping?  (Note:  This theory inspired by a section in a book called Dream Tending by Dr. Stephen Aizenstat.)

There are many, many people who aren't satisfied blocking out her call, and they are leading the way in the ways of green.  But the tipping point hasn't happened yet.

After all:

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So now that your mind has been stretched even just a tiny bit, what choices will you make?  I believe the tipping point can and will happen.  And how cool is it that this generation gets to be such a huge part of it?

Plant a tree.
Buy at the farmer's market.
And spread the word.

It's our collective home, and it will take a collective effort.  And it will be well, well worth it.  I promise.

"Sex & the City" Had Feng Shui All Over It!

I indulged in a few re-runs of Sex & the City this weekend.   Total guilty, girly pleasure, but it must be done on occasion, right?

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It was the episode (episodes-- they run together, don't they?) where Carrie and Aiden (hottie) break up, and then she has to buy her apartment because he served her papers, yadda yadda.  Basically, we find out that she's totally broke.  She'll be out of the street unless she gets some major money fast.  Oh no.  What will Carrie do?

So---where's the feng shui in that?!

Ah-ha!  It's there.  It's so there.

Get this:  the show opens up with Carrie fixing her toilet!  It was "flushing" by itself or something and she had donned those yellow cleaning gloves yet still managed to look cute trying to fix a toilet.  Very dramatic.

So?  Hello!  In feng shui, a broken toilet represents broken finances!  i.e. Money flushing down the toilet.

And it just happened to be an episode about Carrie having money issues!

So that's feng shui clue number 1.

Feng shui clue number 2:

Charlotte is recently divorced, yet she is holding on to her ring "because she loves it."  It is quite a rock.  The poor dear secretly wears it when she's at home alone -- yes, on her ring finger on her left hand -- and just walks around her fancy NYC home...wearing it.

Later, Charlotte decides to help Carrie with her down payment by -- guess what -- giving Carrie the ring!  (Ta-da, happy ending!)  By letting go of the ring, not only is she helping out her buddy, but she is moving past and letting go of her failed marriage.

SO feng shui, right?!  Objects hold energy-- especially a freaking engagement ring from a marriage that didn't stay put.

I wonder-- especially with the toilet aspect -- were the Sex & the City writers schooled in feng shui?  Did they draw inspiration from it?   Or are they tapping into the universal consciousness where all feng shui knowledge lives, and it just sort of oozed its way into the creative process?  I mean, come on -- was that toilet intentional or not!?

I'll probably never know... but if I start seeing more feng shui sneaking into TV shows and money, I'm going to have start making a few calls to find out.

Awesome Feng Shui Books

Perhaps you want a little more info on feng shui?  Well, there are some great books out there to get you started.  Below are a few I recommend.  All these authors use the Tibetan Black Hat sect school of feng shui over the Compass school, like I do.  Keep these schools in mind when you are book-shopping, because it's easy to get confused if you are reading about both schools!

Enjoy!

Awesome Feng Shui books

(anything by these authors really, but…)

Sharon Stasney (my teacher!):

Feng Shui Chic

Feng Shui Living

Etc....

Karen Kingston:  Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui

Karen Rauch Carter:  Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life

Sarah Rossbach:  Interior Design with Feng Shui

Terah Kathryn Collins:  Western Guide to Feng Shui

Denise Linn:  Feng Shui for the Soul

Where Oh Where Are Your House Numbers?

So....what's going on with your house numbers?

Are your they displayed clearly...or are they practically non-existent?

If FedEx can't find your house, chances are that "all things good" (aka, positive chi/energy) can't find it either.

Remember, everything about your home is symbolic.  If you have a cheerful front entrance with a well-lit porch and highly visible numbers, you are sending out the vibe: Hello world, I'm here!  Bring me good things, please, and more good things!  (Like money, awesome people, opportunities, fun, etc.)

If your entrance is dingy, cluttered, and your numbers are hidden, you "confuse" the chi, and therefore the good stuff simply goes to the next house or comes in weakly.

Check it out:
Which house numbers do you think has the more welcoming chi?  (Displayed here on mailboxes, because I'm having a red mailbox obsession lately.)

No brainer, right?  The red mailbox is cheerful and recognizable.  The gold letters are highly visible and displayed on the horizontal.  Imagine saying to your friends:  "Hey, just look for the red mailbox.  I'm so easy to find!"

On the contrary, the gray mailbox -- besides being just plain depressing -- has numbers, but they are hardly legible!  Plus they are displayed on the vertical, which represents a downward, leaking chi.

The black mailbox behind it is a step up, as it's newer, but the numbers, while more visible than Mr. Gray's are still super-small and just kind of blah.

So, if you're looking for an easy cure to get some good things to come into your life, spiff up your house numbers, by golly, and see what happens next!

Feng Shui is Not Perfection

My new friend, who had never been to my home, said to me, "Your feng shui stuff is kind of intimidating."

I was like, what?!  How?

"Well, I mean, isn't your home, like, perfect?"

This was a powerful moment for me.  I am so glad he asked me this because I got a peek into the psyche of a feng-shui-newbie, and I was determined to educate.

"Perfect?  Uh, no," I replied.  

The truth is, the apartment I live in is not my dream home.  It doesn't get enough light for my taste, I have to climb up a slight hill to get to it, and it's not in a walking-friendly neighborhood.  (i.e. The grocery store is out of walking distance.)   

And I'm "naturally messy."  I just am.  I'm a creative, right-brainer who tries so damn hard to be superbly organized, and even with all my feng shui training, I always fall a little short.  (Although, I've gotten a lot better, knowing the effect disorganization has on me!  Just sayin'.)

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So please -- FENG SHUI IS NOT ABOUT PERFECTION.  

What it is about, is loving where you are.  It's about putting the energy into WHAT YOU HAVE NOW, rather than pining away for what you think you want.   It's about making the best of what you've got, rather than nitpicking away, waiting for the "next thing."  It's about raising the energy in the here-and-now, rather than longing for that maybe-some-day.

It's about gratitude...and showing gratitude -- in your current space.  

After all, how many people do you know that have their "dream home," but they still aren't happy.  We choose the homes we need -- you know, the ones that are going to provide the lessons and wake-up calls that are going to take us further on our path.

So, for me, my apartment serves as a little-yin-haven -- a respite for my extroverted nature in an overly-yang(active) world.  The hill has toned my thighs, and the walking distance thing...well, that's a harder one to cure.  

Here's a story:

When I first moved to Los Angeles at age 25, a feng shui-newbie myself, I moved into a nice, comfortable apartment living with a friend-of-a-friend in the Wilshire District.

The area was great in that it was central, but being a highly sensitive person (HSP) and having moved there from Kauai where nature abounds, I quickly realized that I wouldn't last long in the high-voltage city environment unless I had easy access to nature.  

In other words, the beach was calling.  

Venice Beach by Jeffrey Stanton

But try as I might, I could not find an affordable place that fit my criteria.  I was usually so lucky with that sort of stuff!  But, in this case, I was blocked, frustrated, and feeling like my move to LA may not have been such a good idea after all.

Not willing to give in so easily (I really, really wanted to be a screenwriter), I educated my open-minded roommate on what I knew of feng shui.  If I wasn't going to live at the beach, at least I could make the apartment we shared as high energy as possible.  I suggested we paint like crazy -- the kitchen, the bathroom, the front door, and the bedrooms.  

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It took a couple of sleepless nights, but the two of us put on some music, chatted, laughed, and busted it out.  The kitchen went from bland cream to sunny yellow; the bathroom took on a fun turquoise hue; and the front door became -- you guessed it -- the famous red.  

It totally transformed the place.   

We absolutely loved it.

And wallah!  Not even a week later I received an out-of-the-blue email from a friend who said she knew some people who were looking for a roommate in Venice...a five-minute bike ride to the beach.  

I went to check it out, and it was happy-Venice-bungalow-awesome.  The girls and I hit it off, and within two weeks, I was in my new home by the beach!  

So what happened?  It's simple.  I surrendered.  And I took action.  By painting the apartment (a very real feng shui cure), I told the Universe:  Thank you!  I'm going to make the best of what I've got! ...and I'm committed to giving this LA thing a shot.   

And the Universe said Thank You right back.  

So, no, feng shui is not about perfection.  It's not even about obtaining your dream home.

Instead, feng shui is about creating a safe or inspiring or loving space with what you have right now.  It's about loving yourself and your life, as it is, right now!

And watching how the Universe responds, in kind...

So, no, my home is not my dream home, but it is feng shui'd... and it's imperfectly dreamy that way!