feng shui.

“Beauty is being in harmony with what you are.” ~Peter Nivio Zarlenga

“And harmony means that the relationship between all the elements used in a composition is balanced, is good.“ – Karlheinz Stockhausen

It’s amazing how many wonderful and intriguing people I’ve met through this blog and facebook page.  Rhonna del Rio-Ascolese, a Los Angeles- based Designer and Feng Shui Consultant, is someone I’ve had the great pleasure in connecting with. In this special guest post, she will share her story, as well as some helpful tips to start incorporating some Feng Shui techniques in your life. Being in harmony, especially in the home, is essential for unwinding, maintaining a balanced and peaceful mood, and creating energetic space for optimum productivity. After reading, you will most likely be motivated to start experimenting in your own space ! : ) Enjoy!

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“Welcome your CHI as You would your Breath”

(Feng Shui)

One morning in 2004, I took down a book I had for two years with no intention of reading it.  It was titled “Western Guide to Feng Shui – Room By Room” by Terah Kathryn Collins.  I received this book two years prior as gift from my father after graduating from Architecture school.  I proceeded to read the first page, then the next, then the next and soon the sun had gone down.  I could not put this book down!  I was drinking in all the pages, thirsty for more. Everything about this book, well, JUST MADE SENSE TO ME! And I found myself nodding in agreement the entire time.  Something aligned within me as a designer who dealt with spaces all the time! As I read each page and looked around my own home, I was comparing what the pages were describing to what was happening in my own life at the time.  Since then I have been a true enthusiast and practitioner of the Feng Shui principles.

So, perhaps right about now you are asking “Feng what? I like my style in decorating, I don’t want that to change.  Is it new age magic?  Will my friends make fun of me applying this to my house? Will they feel uncomfortable knowing I practice Feng Shui?  I have several books on this and they contradict each other. It’s just all confusing to me, help!”  You’re not alone in thinking this way.  In fact, I had these same thoughts as well.  Over time though, the balance and harmony I achieved as the result from practicing Feng Shui outshined all those insecurities and doubts. Keep in mind that there is nothing anyone can do to make you do something you don’t want to do.  And for me that was the difference, I wanted to do this!What is Feng Shui?

The easiest way I can explain Feng Shui to a new client is to think of their home/office as their body. As the mouth is where the breath enters the body to give it life, the front door to a home/office is where the CHI (positive energy) enters to give it life.   Welcome your CHI as you would your breath.

The word Feng Shui literally translates to “wind and water.”  Feng Shui (pronounced as fung-shway) is an ancient Chinese art and philosophy that generates harmony and balance in the space we are in. When harmony and balance exists, we have the support we need to create the abundance we are seeking in life: Family, Wealth, Health, Mentors, Creativity and Children, Knowledge, Fame and Reputation, Career and Love/Marriage

**************************************************************************Below, see my 9 favorite “Feng Shui Happy Things To-Do” List!

1. Keep the drains covered, the toilet seat cover down and bathroom door closed to avoid the good energy CHI from going down the biggest drain of your space. If not the energy going down, think of what energy is coming UP from that toilet into your home/office. So yes, keep it covered after each use.
2. Provide a clear path for you CHI to flow through your entire floor space. Lift what can be lifted and remove clutter off of the floor. Avoid “tripping” and blocking the CHI in your space.
3. Welcome your CHI with open arms.  Be in command position of each room. Avoid facing your back to the door. It is best for sofas, bed and desks to be facing the door.
4. Alternate the use of all the burners on your cooking range, including the simmer! We all almost always neglect to turn the simmer on. It’s the burner that has the least power, but it is still a source of power and wealth – USE IT, it’s good for CHI!)
5. Place a clean polished kettle/tea-pot on your range.
6. READ the words floating about your space. What words are filling your space?  Display encouraging words to influence your thoughts and these thoughts can fill up and nurture the space.  If somebody tells you, “I don’t like you!” does this make you feel sad and down? If someone tells you, “I love you every day!” does this leave you feeling happy and lifted? It’s the same with CHI…love and lift up your space!
   
7. Remove all broken appliances from the house or office. (Anything broken are ‘vacuums’ of CHI, positive energy) Provide the space for better things to come and live where once damaged things were.
8. Remove any display/gifts that you dislike each time you look at it and replace with items that fill the room with your happy thoughts and make you smile every time you glance at it.(Typically, these treasured, sentimental valued gifts are tucked away in closets, living in the dark; let it breathe love in to your space.
9. Visualization is KEY!  Use the senses you came with into this world…‘See, hear, smell, speak, and feel’ what you want to happen in each area of your life (Family, Wealth, Health, Mentors, Creativity/Children, Knowledge, Fame/Reputation, Career and Love/Marriage) and believe that already happening in the present tense.

I always suggest for my clients to do adjustments in their best happy attitude and to listen to their favorite calming, inspiring and lifting music during the process.  Enjoy feeling balance and harmony come into your life. Thank you for letting me share my passion and knowledge with you.Note: Although my formal Feng Shui study was rooted in BTB Feng Shui, I have attuned more over the years towards the Form School, intuitive / modern / applied Feng Shui overall which is more in alignment with living in the Western world and my architecture education.

Email rda@otonome.net

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For more free Feng Shui suggestions visit  www.otonome.net

water dragon.

“Prosperity depends more on wanting what you have than having what you want.” –Albert F. Geoffrey

"Chinese Water Dragon" (c) 2012 Shoshanna Bauer

This past weekend I had the opportunity to be on a particularly special Qigong retreat. While it was moving and lovely as usual, it stands out because it happened to fall on the weekend before the Chinese New Year.  As we gathered in a circle for our morning movement and chanting at 7am on Sunday morning, my teacher took a moment to explain that it is a Chinese custom for students to pay their respect and call their masters to send them good wishes for the New Year. At that moment, he wished to call his teacher Master Wang in China (all of the student’s “grandfather master” in our Qigong lineage) with all of us there.  My teacher dialed a number and put the call on speaker phone. Instead of the usual ringing, we heard traditional chinese music playing, which added even more charm to the moment.

It was quite a moving experience witnessing my teacher (whom I have developed a deep respect for) speak to his teacher. As they spoke in Chinese to one another, I could feel the joy and respect they both felt. After we all wished Master Wang a Happy New Year, I looked around the circle of 20 or so people to see and feel nothing  but big smiles and warm hearts. It was a beautiful reminder that the program I’m in has very deep roots that can be traced back for many, many years. In essence, we are all part of a lineage, and it connects us with something that is so much greater and deeper than we can ever fathom. This can be found in our ancestral, educational, and cultural lines to name a few. We really are all connected and for that reminder this weekend, I am grateful.

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"Happy New Year"

I wish you all a prosperous, reflective, and nurturing Dragon year ahead… if our January 1st New Year was not effective enough, anti-climactic, or your resolutions have fallen by the wayside, let this be another opportunity to be out with the old and in with the new! Enjoy the sites below to learn about the cultural customs and beliefs around this Lunar New Year. Blessings and Peace! Xīn Nián Kuài Lè! : )

Traditions around the Chinese New Year!

Year of the Water Dragon Description!

reiki.

“We experience reiki by: remaining in the moment, letting go of thoughts, connecting to our breath, acknowledging any and all feelings, allowing ourselves to just be.” ~Reiki Master Marsha Burack

My holistic healing path kicked into high gear after I received my first Usui Reiki attunement in 2004.   Being able to experience such subtle, revitalizing, yet profound treatments was mind-blowing and little did I know at the time that it would lead me to where I am today. I am grateful for being serendipitously led to my Reiki Masters, as my experience with Reiki gave me clarity to what direction felt right in my life.

The following is a post by special guest blogger and Reiki Master, Csilla Toth. She goes into more detail about what Reiki essentially is, and why it’s so important to incorporate it into our health and healing paths. Please feel free to direct any questions you may have towards her or myself! We will both be checking comments on this post. Many blessings

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Why Reiki?

After practicing energy work and meditation for almost 10 years with my teacher Dr. Ljubisa Stojanovic, I realized that something was missing from my practice… I missed working from the heart, with the energies that meet there and then, enriched with love, flow to the universe. As I accepted this truth I was guided to Reiki and my new teacher Colleen Benelli.

Reiki (pronounce ray-key) is a Japanese hands-on stress reduction and healing technique. It is made of two words — Rei which means “higher power,” and Ki which means “life force energy.” In other words, Reiki can be defined as spiritually guided life force energy. Reiki can never do harm as it is coming from the creator. Reiki is a simple, natural, and safe method of physical and spiritual healing and self-improvement for everyone. It works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.

Reiki can heal physical, mental, and emotional problems. It shows instant results in pain reduction, stress management, and relaxation. It can help release unwanted lifestyle patterns, strengthen goals, and support positive thinking.

Hospitals are starting to incorporate Reiki treatments in their work with cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. The patients are reporting immediate relief from pain, nausea, and other side effects of chemotherapy. For more information about work in hospitals in Portland, visit www.nwreikiassociation.org.

There are two different ways to receive a Reiki treatment. One of them is a hands-on, in-person treatment, and the other is distant healing. [from TLL: *during a 60-minute hands-on treatment, the Reiki practitioner gently places their hands on different areas along the endocrine system, major organs, and the chakras, on the front and back of the body. Special emphasis is determined by the focus of the treatment. The client often feels warmth from the practitioner’s hands.] I prefer the hands-on, in-person method because I can connect on a deeper level with my client and with Reiki. It also seems that the clients have a more profound experience with it. But, if you are not able to visit, distant Reiki healing is very effective and powerful, too. The difference between the two is that the client and the practitioner don’t have to be in the same room, town, or continent for the client to receive a distance healing treatment. However, it is still strongly recommended that the client lie down during the distant treatment in order to be more relaxed and receptive to Reiki energy.

Why Reiki? Because it is beautiful and warm; it comes from the heart; because after a treatment I feel taken care of; I feel nurtured and safe; I feel so relaxed that I wish it would never end; I feel like a different person…

Csilla Toth is an Usui/Tibetan Reiki Master practitioner and member of Northwest Reiki Association.

reikiflow.csilla@gmail.com

www.thereikiflow.blogspot.com

**PLEASE NOTE: “Reiki practitioners do not diagnosis medical conditions, and Reiki is not a substitute for medical treatment. Existing medical conditions should be treated by licensed medical professionals. However, extensive research has shown Reiki to be excellent support for virtually any medical problem. And for healthy individuals, regular Reiki treatments are wonderful preventive therapy, as Reiki helps keep the body in a relaxed, and therefore healthier, state.” (Equilibrium Energy Education)

flower power & 2nd giveaway!

“A flower’s appeal is in its contradictions – so delicate in form yet strong in fragrance, so small in size yet big in beauty, so short in life yet long on effect.” ~Adabella Radici

Foxglove on the Indian Beach Trail (Oregon)

Happy 2012! After a 2 week hiatus to study for a clinic entrance exam, this little lark is back and has many posts and topics to share! Congratulations to Csilla Toth for winning the first of hopefully many giveaways! She is currently enjoying her prize, The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook.  Now onto today’s topic… 

Years ago, I remember having a conversation with my dear friend, Kathie, about waking up in the middle of the night thinking and worrying about everything and everyone and not being able to get back to sleep for quite some time.  After asking several more questions she said “I’m going to make you a tincture of white chestnut flower essence. Take it whenever you wake up with cyclical or overwhelming thoughts and you should be able to settle your mind within 20 minutes and get back to sleep.” With wide eyes I was intrigued and all for it, and lo and behold, the next time I woke up with “stuff” on my mind, I remembered to take it, and shortly after I drifted back to sleep.

Wondering “how on earth did that work?” I began my ever growing and loving relationship with flower essence therapy. I read books, talked to people, experimented, and began giving flower essence consults. When I worked at a natural health clinic back in Maine, I made tinctures for many of the patients. I’ve used flower essences in my Massage Therapy practice, and  I intend on continuing to incorporate them in my future Chinese Medicine practice.

So, what are Flower Essences? “Flower Essences are herbal infusions or decoctions, made from the flowering part of the plant, which uniquely address emotional and mental aspects of wellness. The first 38 flower remedies were formulated by a British physician, Dr. Edward Bach, in the 1930′s, although new remedies from other plant species are now available.” (FESflowers.com)

Each essence has a specific and supportive attribute (ie: white chestnut is indicated for worrisome, cyclical thoughts). When taken, they impact our bodies to stimulate specific and balancing qualities on our mental and emotional well-being. Currently, there are over 100 flower essences that can be taken as a single essence or combined into a remedy, so it’s very likely that the imbalances you are experiencing can be supported for optimal healing. For example, if you are experiencing anxiety, there are quite a few essences that can support that. If your anxiety is due to something specific, like procrastinating working on an upcoming deadline, you can get an essence that supports your focus and motivation added in. The more honest you are with what’s going on in your life, the more effective and personalized this therapy can be.

How do you take Flower Essences? They are most commonly taken orally, topically, or in a bath. General prescription is 4-10 drops under the tongue 4x/day or as needed! Bach Flower Essences and Flower Essence Society have an array of products at your local health food store ranging from sprays, oils, lozenges, creams, gum, and tinctures for your convenience.

What kind of mental- emotional imbalances does Essence Therapy target? So many, if not all! Anxiety, Stress, Insomnia, Relationships, Irritability, Groundedness, Life Direction, Acceptance, Loss, Anger, Blame, Balance, Creativity, Inspiration, Courage, Compassion, Confidence, Motivation, Shock, Trauma, Trust, Vitality, Faith, Failure, Grief, Tension, Focus, Surrender… really, any emotional attribute you can think of, there is a probably a flower essence that can support you. That is the beauty of this therapy!

10 Reasons Flower Essences are Fantastic!

1. There are no contraindications with Essence Therapy. Since they work on an energetic level, they do not interfere with other forms of treatment or medication. The tinctures are preserved with small amounts of alcohol, so if you have a significant alcohol sensitivity, or wish not to have alcohol, there are alternatives: vegetable glycerin and apple cider vinegar. *PLEASE NOTE IF YOU ARE PREGNANT* “All medication taken during pregnancy should be at a doctor’s direction.” Flower Essences during pregnancy can be EXTREMELY helpful, so it’s worth talking to your Dr. and getting the OK!
2. The more truthful you are with yourself, the more on target you or your flower essence practitioner will be with selecting your own unique blend. Remember: *Input from experts is valuable but our own sense of the truth is ultimately the most important.*
3. RESCUE REMEDY is a favorite of mine to have around whenever I know a stressful situation is about to happen or is happening. It’s a blend of 5 of the Bach Flower Essences that target those everyday stressors in life that tend to take a toll on our emotional well-being.
4. Affordable!  You can get most essences and blends for under $15.
5. Convenience is key these days, and because a tincture of flower essences can easily fit in the palm of your hand, you can take it anywhere you go.
6. Shelf life is great if you store your essences out of direct sunlight, in a moderate, or cool environment. There is a conservative estimate that the essences can last up to 10 years if stored and used properly.
7. You are connecting with NATURE when taking flower essences. You are opening your body up to the healing power of  plant life. You are acknowledging and bringing a deeper connection  and appreciation to the energetic forces that plants and flowers possess. What we may just take for granted can have profound effects on us! That rosemary you use in the kitchen is so much more than just a culinary spice.
8. Effective & safe for CHILDREN, Pets, & Plants! Children, pets, and plants respond quickly to flower essence therapy. Here is a great article “Bach Flowers for Children.”
9. Books are easy to find AND user-friendly for beginners. Go to your local library, health food store, or book store for beginner books on flower essences. Some recommendations: “Handbook of the Bach Flower Remedies” by Philip M. Chancellor, “Bach Flower Essences Family Book” by Bach, “Bach Flower Remedies for Beginners; 38 Essences that heal from deep Within” by David F. Vennells, “Flower Essence Repertory Book” by Patricia Kaminski
10. You can make your own! Some of you may experience your inner herbalist come out once you dive into the practice of essence therapy. You may be inspired to grow your own plants or seek local plant life and make your own tinctures! It’s a beautiful process, especially being involved in it from start to finish.

Have fun with it, and please direct any flower essence- related question to me! I’m happy to help!

…and now for *this little lark’s 2nd GIVEAWAY!* Enter to win a free Flower Essence Consult (phone/e-mail/or if you are local, in person)  Here’s how:

1. Become a fan of this little lark on facebook
2. Share this site with your friends and family and ask them to subscribe and become a fan on facebook!
3. After you’ve done both, comment on this post and you will be entered to win (randomly selected)!

Many blessings to you! In health, TLL

2012… first giveaway!

Have you put thought to how you envision the upcoming year? Fill in the blank and share your goals, hopes, and aspirations for 2012 (and beyond)!

“In 2012, I will… “

Will you focus more on…

• HEALTH?
• SPIRITUALITY?
• EXERCISE?
• COMMUNITY?
• FAMILY?
• LOVE?
• COMMUNICATION?
• CHARITY?
• HAPPINESS?
• FRIENDS?
• HOBBIES?
• CAREER?

Oh! Did I mention, after the new year, one comment will be randomly selected to receive a fantastic gift? Yes! : )

Have fun with it! Be well, be safe, and as always, many blessings to you and yours! : )

new beginnings.

“Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.”
– Alan Cohen 

"Tree" by Moses Farrow, Middletown CT

Today marks the shortest day of the year. A day where our bodies and nature are in their most restorative states. With the lack of daylight today, we are also marking the start of the Solar year where we can celebrate longer days ahead and the rebirth of the Sun.

This is a time of new beginnings! Much like we regard New Year’s resolutions, this is an opportunity for self-reflection and identifying with what works and what needs a little polishing in our lives.  As Seneca said “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” This is the ebb and flow of life; how we evolve, move forward, and transform. With balance, the ability to let go of patterns and habits that don’t suit our lifestyle anymore, and patience, we can manifest and cultivate the new beginnings our hearts are desiring! Maybe there are things you’ve started that you want to continue? Perhaps you have always wanted to start something in your life, but just haven’t yet. Whatever it is, how will you make it happen this year?

So what does this little lark have in store for new beginnings in the upcoming year? A few ideas:

• Most important:  Continue building this community! Through sharing stories, photos, and ideas we are reaching so many more people than I had imagined back in July when I started this blog. I plan to redesign the layout to make it more user-friendly, categorizing posts, as well as posting more readers’ personal stories and perspectives from other health professionals to enlighten and inspire us all!
• Pay it forward. Recently I won a fun Holiday contest where I will receive some services and products from local businesses in my community.  Having been so touched by this generosity, I was inspired to create a similar contest for my readers (near and far), focused around health and wellness (YES with prizes!!)! The catch: I have set a goal to reach at least 200 facebook fans or 100 subscribers to the blog before launching it- the more the merrier! Side note: the people and businesses that are donating their time and services as prizes are doing this out of the kindness of their hearts- how fantastic is that!? Please have your friends and family support this community through subscribing to the blog or “liking” the facebook page! Stay tuned in early 2012 for the details about TLL’s first Wellness contest!
• Expressions of Gratitude: There are new ways to express gratitude for nature, people, and self that I have yet to discover. I am open to these new ideas as I feel both gratitude and giving back build the foundation of relationship, community, and life. : ) How do you express gratitude?

Most important, I want to know what YOUR ideas are for your own new beginnings? Please comment! 

Have a beautiful and joyous winter solstice day with gratitude, many blessings, love and LIGHT… TLL : )

common cold.

“A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses.”

-– Hippocrates

 

It’s winter, it’s chilly, and despite all we do to stay warm and healthy, the inevitable happens; we come into contact with someone who is sick and contagious and lo and behold, we get sick.  We start stressing and thinking “could this have come at a worse time?!”  …And then starts the recovery in which we have to miss holiday parties, gatherings, shopping, community time… and many other things that make us feel joyful. *Sigh*… we’ve all been there.

Chicken (or faux chicken) noodle soup, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of rest will definitely be part of your agenda, but have you ever tried acupressure for relief?

If you don’t have time to see your preferred Medical Practitioner (which I highly recommend!), these are some points on the body that can help alleviate and often dissipate some of those annoying common cold symptoms. **

The following website provides detailed information on what points correspond with certain symptoms while giving specific instructions for technique. If you can find a friend or partner to help you out, even better: Acupuncture Points for Colds & Flus

Other ways to stay healthy during Cold & Flu season:

• Eat more yang and seasonally appropriate foods. Two great recipe book recommendations for seasonal eating: ”Healing With Whole Foods” by Paul Pitchford, and “A Spoonful of Ginger” by Nina Simonds
• Wash your hands frequently, especially after sneezing, coughing, blowing your nose, or being in contact with someone else who’s sick.
• Get plenty of sleep and try to avoid unnecessary stress… it’s not worth it! Take some breaths
• Get plenty of moderate exercise.
• Avoid large crowds and public places if you are feeling run down. This is your body’s most vulnerable state to catch something.

What do you do when you get a cold? Do you think you might consider acupressure now? : )

Cheers to a healthy immune system this winter season,

TLL : )

**Please note: If you are pregnant, please proceed with caution. Getting the approval from your medical team before practicing acupressure at home is best, as some of these points on the body are contraindicated during pregnancy. However, when you are ready to deliver, these same points will come in handy in the form of potential relief and birth ease! Comment on this post or e-mail thislittlelark@gmail.com for more information if you are interested.