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.

Source

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

Source

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.

Source

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.

Source

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:

Source

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.

Confessions of a Feng Shui Consultant, Part I (with GREEN tips)

What have I been doing?

Not blogging obviously!  I've been busy, busy, busy laying some big, fat foundations.  There have been three big projects going on in my personal world.

Today I will talk about one of those projects:

Organizing Like Crazy!  I'm talking, Not Messing Around.

Those of you that know me well, know two things about me:
1.  As a feng shui consultant, I'm always singing the praises of de-cluttering and being organized because it has such a positive impact on your life.
2.  I admit, wholly, that organization does not come naturally to me.  I have to work hard --really hard -- at it.  And even then, it misses the mark a bit.

I have to come to realize that a sense for organization is a talent that a person is either born with or they aren't.  Just like some people can draw without trying, some people can organize without trying.  It is innate.  It's part of their in-bred personality.  Maybe one day they will discover the gene for it.

All I know is that I am way more in the drawing category than the organizing category of things-I-do-naturally.

So, HERE's THE CONFESSION --   I sucked it up and hired a professional organizer.

And, oh, boy, did she kick my little tush into gear.

This is single-handedly the best thing I have done for myself in I don't know how long.  She gave me a list of very specific tasks (everything from closet organizing to managing my receipts), and boy, did I have some homework.

I even cleaned out my junk drawer.  And took more baby clothes to Goodwill.  And (gulp) straightened up my art studio.  And (double gulp) cleaned out my files!!!

Here are a few tips that are simple, but I believe made a huge impact:
1.  Buy those skinny felt-y, velvet-y hangers.  Then put your closet in order by type (dress, shirt, pants) and color.  Finally, I can find my clothes.

2.  Get rid of paper.  This is eco-happy and clutter-free.  No more paper bills!  Do it now!  Just be sure to write down your password and username somewhere handy because I got in trouble with this.  You do not have to hold onto your bills anymore because they are all kept on-line.  I cleared almost a whole file drawer because of this.  Recycle all that paper, please!  (Shred first, according to Jennifer.)

everybody trash adds up!

GREEN TIP:  Remember, when thinking green, it's REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.  Ideally, we want to REDUCE the waste we use.  Signing up for paper-free bills will do that.  If we must use something, try to reuse it, rather than throwing it away.  Finally, recycle it rather than putting into the garbage where it just goes to a landfill.  It uses a lot of energy to recycle things, so it's best to reduce first, reuse second, and then, if we have to, recycle it.

3.  Containers, containers, containers.  Junk drawers need them.  Desk drawers need them.  (You know, those little trays that separate everything.)  Underwear drawers need them.  Compact disks need them.  Magazines need them.   I cannot tell you how much I love knowing where supposed "knick-knacks" go, now that I have a nice, neat home for them.  I just have to get used to the fact that I don't have to hunt for things and that they actually are in their perfect place!

GREEN TIP:  Try to avoid containers made from plastic.  Plastic is not green at all!  Check out 5 Gyres for more on that.

The name of my organizer is Jennifer Jones.  Not only does she have "the gift," she's a lot of fun to work with, AND she's got an Earth-friendly slant that we all love!

Besides the practical advice, I think the biggest thing I got out of the session was the fact that sometimes we need that outside perspective to motivate us.  In a way, I got to see what my clients go through when they call me in for a feng shui consultation!  I knew that I needed to get more organized, but Jennifer's presence held me accountable in a way.  Sometimes it just helps to have someone tell you what to do, frankly.

Today, I am reveling in the aftermath of all that hard work.  No matter how strategically placed my home is according to the laws of feng shui, it's the organization that took my it from "happy enough" to "totally dialed in."

I'm ready to rock n' roll, is all I have to say.

my humble little newly-organized home office...artwork by Pat Snow