Feng Shui Workshop Series
F E N G S H U I Workshop Series
is Back!!
Beginning Tuesdays, August 10nd , 6:00-7:15p @ Center of Symmetry in Nashville
presented by Tisha Morris, author of “27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home”
DROP IN FOR $10 OR ATTEND ALL 4 FOR $30!
August 10th Feng Shui for the Workplace
Want to boost your business, get a promotion, or maybe even a new job? Or perhaps you keep getting passed over for a promotion. If so, then this is the workshop for you! Learn the best way to position your desk so that you will be in your power spot. Discover what may be blocking you and affirm a new sense of abundance. You will leave seeing your office in a whole new light.
August 17th Integrating the Five Elements of Feng Shui
The Five Elements of Feng Shui – Earth, Water, Fire, Metal, and Wood – are the cornerstones of Feng Shui. Learn how to integrate these elements in your home and find out which Elements you do and don’t want in each room. With the Five Elements you will bring a natural balance and harmony into your living spaces as well as an aesthetically pleasing environment!
August 24th Feng Shui Astrology & Numerology for Your Home
Join me for this fun and informative session! Feng Shui Astrology, known as Nine Star Ki Astrology, originated in Japan with influences from Chinese and Tibetan astrology. In this workshop, you will discover your Personal Element, Color, and auspicious Directions. Also learn the Numerology for your home to discover what energy and medicine it holds for you. You will definitely not want to miss this one!
August 31st Decluttering Your Life to Uncover Your Soul
If you missed this session earlier in the Summer or just need to hear it again, then you won’t want to miss it! Do you feel like clutter is overtaking your home or feel like stuff is weighing you down? In this workshop, you will learn the energetic components of clutter as well as just how powerful clearing clutter can be in creating change in your life. Learn the root cause of holding on to certain items, such as unwanted gifts, just-in-case items, and old pictures. You will leave with the tools and inspiration you need to declutter your life so that you can uncover your soul.
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Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing). For more information, visit www.mindbodyom.com.
Should You Feng Shui Your Garage?
One of the things I love about living in a historical neighborhood is that no one has garages, or at least attached garages. For the most part, everyone parks on the street or in a short driveway and walks in their front door. You wave to your neighbors sitting on the front porch or walking by with their dog and/or child in tote. There is a sense of connection (albeit sometimes too much connection!). In the suburbs, people disappear through their battery-powered garage doors never to be seen again until they zip off the next morning.
From a feng shui perspective, garages can be a real problem area. First of all, they take up a valuable part of the Bagua Map – usually one of the four corners. (To see where your garage falls on the Bagua Map, download my iphone App or sign up on my Newsletter list on the sidebar to receive a Free Bagua Map.)
It is best if the garage is placed at the back of the house instead of overshadowing the front entrance. But even then, you end up with your Love or Wealth corner in your garage. This wouldn’t be the end of the world but for the fact that our garages usually end up being huge clutter magnets.
Ideally, your garage should be treated with as much love and care as any room in the house. And, yes, the garage is included in the Bagua Map – anything that is connected to the house and has a roof. I inevitably get this question every workshop when someone realizes their Love corner is buried somewhere in the corner of their garage or their Wealth is stashed away behind the inherited furniture collecting dust in the garage.
The garage is just important as any room in the house. After all it is an aspect of yourself as are all parts of your home. Unfortunately, however, the garage ends up being a giant catch-all closet for clutter.
When I tell people that their garage should be feng shui-ed as well, I often get looks as if I am crazy. So when I came across this client’s feng shui-ed garage, I was overjoyed. While these art pieces may not be her favorite in the house, she at least drives in to a welcoming space. And that’s exactly why feng shui-ing your garage is so important – it is your welcome home. It is your subconscious mind’s first impression of your home and the state of your life. Make it a good one!
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Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing). For more information, visit www.mindbodyom.com.
5 Things to Feng Shui in the Digital Age
I love being paperless. Not only does it save trees, time, and space, it keeps my visual environment clear of clutter. Overall, being paperless lends itself to a better feng shui-ed space.
Or does it?
We still have the same amount of ‘information’ (arguably much more than ever before) filed and stored as before our Digital Age. It’s just floating around instead of stacked in file folders, cabinets, closets, desks, and so on. Information – which is really just energy – has essentially become less dense, but nevertheless it’s still energy. Instead of manila file folders in a filing cabinet, we can store the same information in a digital file folder on a computer and perhaps even on our smart phone. And so is the case with photos, addresses, phone numbers, tax returns, money, and virtually any piece of information you can think of.
In fact, the Digital Age is even turning physical objects into etherical energy. After all, my iPhone can morph into an alarm clock, a zen garden, a newspaper, a camera, a voice recorder, a board game, a Bagua Map, a flashlight and much more. Amazing! Before long, it might just become my nightstand.
As we have become less dense with this digital revolution, we still have to be mindful of the energy that floats around us. While we may have less physical objects around us, we are still overwhelmed with information. And so we must be conscious of what ‘information energy’ we have hanging around us that might in fact be clutter. (Clutter being anything that is no longer in our highest and best interest to keep.) Here are five places where digital clutter may be lurking in the ethers near you:
- Phone contacts – When was the last time you updated your phone contacts? Chances are, there are people in your contacts that you no longer socialize with, do business with, or want to talk to. Clear them out. Although your phone may be able to hold a 1000 more contacts, you still need to make space for new people to come into your life. This is a great way to bring new people into your life – business, friends, or romance.
- Computer file folders – If your computer file folders were in a filing cabinet, would it be bulging over by now? Probably so. Clean them out. Better yet, organize them while you’re cleaning them out if you haven’t already. And still while you’re at it, take the time to back up your important documents. Store any documents that you would be lost without if your computer crashed on a zip drive, or email them to yourself, or upload to Google docs so that they are stored somewhere else besides your hard drive.
- Photos – Staying on top of photos seems just as difficult digitally as it was back when we had negatives. They at least don’t take up as much space, but that’s because we never get them printed! Are your digital photos strewn all around your computer, along with various online companies depending on who has the best deal? If so, take the time to store them all in one place on your computer in labeled folders. Commit to one online photo company so that all of your photos to be printed are in one place. And then have the ones you want to keep printed. The photo book option that most companies have is great for those of who don’t do scapbooking as a hobby.
- Desktop icons/Phone apps – Is your computer desktop full of icons that you rarely, if ever, use? These can cause some serious visual clutter that can lead to a cluttered mind. Sift through your icons to see if there are some you can remove. Removing the icon doesn’t remove the software, so you can still access the Program if later desired. Of course, this isn’t the case with phone apps. Periodically, go through your phone apps and delete the ones that didn’t live up to their hype or that you’ve lost interest in. It will just highlight the ones that you do use and love.
- Bookmarks – Has your list of bookmarks become so lengthy that you feel like you are surfing the entire web trying to find something. Go through your bookmarks and delete the ones that are no longer of interest to you. For bookmarks you want to keep but don’t use that often, categorize them into folders, such as Recipes, Travel, and Good Ideas. In doing so, you may come across some great bookmark sites you’ve forgotten about. This is what clutter does – it hides the good stuff.
Where else do you have digital clutter?
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Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing). For more information, visit www.mindbodyom.com.
Clearing Out Your Basement: Nashville style
You don’t have to drive very far in Nashville to see just how much STUFF we have. Like a mile-long yard sale, thousands of Nashville yards have been displaying the trash and treasures that have been stored away mostly in our basements. As a result of last week’s flood, the innards of Nashville basements have been thrown up as if the entire city just went through a bad detox.
And, in fact, the city and its inhabitants are going through a massive clearing.
In my book, 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home, Number 4 is “Clean Out Your Basement. I mention that the basement is symbolic of our subconscious mind, specifically those things that we have suppressed. If you want to know what you’re storing in your subconscious mind, then take a look at your basement. Or, in the case with Nashvillians, take a look at your yard. As I drive around and see the remnants of what people are throwing out, I notice a lot of people are getting rid of junk. Not good stuff that was flood-damaged (although there is plenty of that as well), but junk and clutter that had been stored in the basement for years, perhaps even from previous owners.
Nashvillians are cleaning out their basements, involuntarily and voluntarily. This is allowing for each of us to clear out the sludge, the trauma, the repressed emotions, and stagnant energy that has been stored in our basements and in our subconscious mind and body. This is also true for the city of Nashville as everything is connected. What the Planet experiences, so do countries, states, cities, neighborhoods and individuals on some level. And so as each Nashvillian clears their stuff, it is also benefitting the city, state, country and Planet.
Even many in Nashville who did not sustain flood damage are becoming inspired to clear out their STUFF. I have heard so many people, as they see the amount of stuff laid out, realize how little we really need and how so much stuff can just be a burden. The awareness of the weight (literally and figuratively) is at an all time high in Nashville and as the pictures float around the internet, it is affecting and inspiring people all over to clear out stuff.
Ultimately, it’s all about balance. Each of our homes, like our body, needs to maintain a healthy energetic balance. When our body is unbalanced we undergo illness or disease. This is similar to the Planet undergoing natural disasters to find balance. And when our home becomes stagnant with stuff, we must purge it. In my article The Art of Detaching From Our Stuff, I mention how our addiction to stuff began and how to get past it.
You can also read more and implement your own plan to clear out stuff in my book, 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home, where I talk about the first step to feng shu-ing your home is to clear out clutter.
The benefits of each individual who has had to clear out their stuff from the flood will reap the benefits in the years ahead as if undergoing a major detox program. And the city of Nashville as I have mentioned in previous articles will certainly rise from this flood to new heights and be an example for all cities in the future to come.
27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home
27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home
ISBN: 9781596525672
Price: $9.99
Description:
“If you want to change your life, move 27 things in your home.” This ancient Chinese proverb speaks of the powerful connection our homes have with our lives. In 27 Things To Feng Shui Your Home, Tisha Morris shows in creative, basic steps how to use the art of feng shui to create an inviting, personal atmosphere in your home that will renovate your life.
Discover how to:
- Manageably clear clutter to optimize space
- Use lighting, color, and simple objects to create good energy flow
- Space clear to promote good health
- Integrate the Five Elements into your home to create harmony
“27 Things provides readers with an easy-to-follow, knowledgeable guide to applying Feng Shui principles to your home. This guide is great for every homeowner, even if you’re a Feng Shui skeptic.” ~ At Home Tennessee
“[A] new resource for people who want the energy in their home to work for them, not against them, but perhaps feel intimidated by feng shui, or the art of space planning to promote health and prosperity.” ~ Denver Post
About the Author:
Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, energy healer, feng shui consultant, and yoga instructor. After practicing law for five years, Tisha obtained a Fine Arts degree in Interior Design. She founded Mind Body Om in 2008 to help others align with their life purpose by transforming the mind, body, and home. Tisha resides in Nashville, Tennessee.
PRE-ORDER NOW! Available April 28th at:
Q&A: How Does an Artist Keep Her Studio Decluttered?
One of my readers posed this question: What does an artist do to keep her studio clear? After all, the lives of artists, writers, and other creative people collect all types of “special flotsam & jetsam in the name of the creative process.” According to this reader, there are so many items that need to be kept that are a record of process. How do we decide if our ephemera is worthy of that?
Great question. And being a former Interior Design student and one who paints as a hobby, I can totally relate!
In my blog article, What Your Home Says About You, I note that artists tend to be more right-brained – the non-organizing part of the brain. And as I pointed out, is having your home, or especially your art studio, a little messy such a bad thing? Of course not. It’s all part of the creative process, right? Or is it?
We all have a different standard as to what is too messy or too much clutter. You know when your home or studio has gotten out of control. You feel scattered, cloudy, weighed down, or creatively stuck. That’s when you know it’s time to take action.
First off, the size of your studio space will ultimately dictate how much art and supplies you can have on hand. When it comes to art, you can fill a warehouse space just as easy as you could fill a small corner of the kitchen. For example, when I decided that I wanted to convert my art studio space from a whole room to a corner in order to do yoga, I had to downsize the amount of art materials I kept. So designating how much space you are willing and wanting to take up is the first step.
Art Cart from dickblick.com
Next, organizing units are essential. If you don’t already have proper storage, then these can be purchased from any art supply store. Have proper storage and organization in your studio so that you will at least have a standard for organization and have a place for everything. That way, when you know your space has gotten too messy for even your right-brain, you have bins and drawers to put stuff in.
If you then have too much stuff to fit into your organizing units, then it’s time to downsize. This is where the emotional aspects come into play – what to keep and what not to keep. If you keep items for inspiration, such as photos, cards, images, etc., then go through them to see what still resonates with you. You may be surprised how different you may feel about some of the items. Discard any items that you don’t absolutely love or that no longer inspire you.
What about your own past work? This can be very difficult. It took me several different clearings to finally dispose of my interior design projects. I had kept what I needed for purposes of including in a portfolio. For boards that I knew I would never need or use again, I took pictures of them before eventually disposing of them. It was difficult knowing how much time had gone into them. But honestly, I haven’t missed them since. In fact, I feel much lighter once I got rid of them. Every time I would see them in the closet, I was subconsciously reminded of the long hours I spent on them. I still keep a small portfolio of photos I took of my projects for nostalgia.
When your designated space for past projects gets too full, then it’s time to go through them to determine what needs to go. For me, I periodically dispose of my pieces of art that aren’t that great, meaning that I’ve improved since then. For pieces of art or art supplies that you no longer want, consider listing them on freecycle.org or craigslist.com. Taking pictures of your work is a great way to track your progress without being overloaded with projects. Clearing out old projects will also make room for new ideas and creativity. So don’t get too weighed down in your past projects. Instead, let creativity flow through you and your studio.
40-Day Challenge: Energizing Stagnant Areas
It is Week 2 of my 40-Day Challenge to Sell My Home using feng shui techniques to improve then energy in my home. Over the weekend, I decided to tackle one particular corner of my home that has always, well, bothered me. This brings me to a good point… Most all of the techniques that you would use to sell your home are things that we should do anyway to improve the energy in our home and thus in our lives.
For me, I have been wanting to get a floor lamp for this particular corner since moving in. Because this space has no real function, it tends to get ignored (aside from the dogs using it). But as I mention in 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home, turn your least favorite room or area into your favorite. In other words, make lemonade out of lemons.
You can see from the picture below that it is an extra deep corner that gets very little, if any, light thereby creating a bit of an energy vacuum.
Corners are usually fine so long as they are clear of clutter and periodically space cleared of any stagnant energy. It is rare that I would advise adding something to a corner, but this space needs some energy! Did I mention that it’s part of my Wealth corner?
So I’ve added a floor lamp to bring in light into the corner as well as a plant and some simple decorative items. Not only do I have an aesthetically pleasing new area, but all Five Elements are represented to harmonize the energy. The entire living room feels so much better even though this was only a corner of it. The uplighting from the floor lamp lends to a yin yang balance of the entire room. You can see how much cozier the space is as the light provides a depth to the space, unlike the one dimensional feel in the before photo.
This is definitely a change I should have made a long time ago, especially with only spending $59.99. And for purposes of selling the house, the better I feel about the house, the better potential buyers will feel about the house as I project my energy in the space.
40-Day Challenge: Create Welcoming Entrance
The Art of Detaching From Our Stuff
In the documentary film, The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard examines our national obsession with stuff and how it all began. She attributes our consumption addiction to the post-World War III economic policies that propagandized the notion of buying stuff. Our insatiable appetites haven’t been able to stop since. That is, until now.
With the decline of the economy – whether directly affected or not – we have all started to take pause before making a purchase. More importantly, we are beginning to take inventory of the stuff that we do have. Even more so, we are beginning to feel taken over by all the stuff that we have accumulated over the decades, which is why so many of us are having the urge to purge or declutter our homes.
But is it as easy as making some runs to Goodwill?
Of course not.
Why?
We have become addicted, or emotionally attached, to our stuff.
Buying and accumulating stuff is just another way to distract ourselves from our present lives. Like cigarettes or alcohol, it is a quick fix to feeling good. But when the high wears off, we are left with an icky feeling. But we need the icky feeling so that we can punish ourselves and perpetuate our guilt. And then we need the high again so that we don’t feel the pain, and the circle continues.
Is this an overreaction to buying a new toaster? Maybe. But consumption can be an addiction (or at the least an emotional attachment) that, unlike cigarettes and alcohol, is hard to recognize because it is so affirmed by our friends, family, media, and government.
So how do we detach from our stuff?
Knowledge is power. Knowing what and why we are attached to our stuff or certain items will oftentimes break the emotional attachment with our stuff. For some of us, having a lot of stuff is simply a distraction from our everyday life. A cluttered space results in a cluttered mind, which is exactly what some of us want, at least subconsciously. In the same way alcohol makes things fuzzy, having a lot of things in your space will do the same. And on some level, that is the desired outcome. If this resonates with you, then bring awareness to it. (If you are highly resistant to this idea, then you might want to take a second look.)
For many of us, it is certain items that are difficult to part with. It may be books and magazines for some or old pictures, clothes, gifts, collections, etc. for others. Either way, if you don’t love the item(s) or don’t use it, then it is time to part with it. If you are still having resistance, then it’s time to acknowledge an emotional attachment to the item….
Start asking yourself questions.
What am I feeling right now?
What memories does this item bring up?
Who gave it to me?
Why did I originally buy it?
Who does it remind me of?
Do I feel guilty getting rid of this item? If so, why?
Why?
Why?
And Why?
Be your own detective… or therapist. Get to the root of why you are hanging on to an item that you know would be in your best interest to get rid of. You may be surprised. What you thought was just an old hairbrush may actually be a reservoir of past emotions that you and your sister shared when she helped you get ready for prom. Or maybe the green gingham shirt with the price tag on it conjures up guilt for buying things that are on sale and never wearing them. Until acknowledged, the shirt will hang in your closet serving only to attract the pattern for more guilt.
Once you have awareness around an item, you will be amazed at how easy it will be to let go of it. If you have the awareness but still don’t want to get rid of the item, then it may simply be too early. See how you feel the next round of decluttering.
To start the process of decluttering, I recommend working in baby steps with attainable goals as I set out in 5 Steps to Clearing Clutter. You will build up the confidence that will keep you going through the long haul. Once you realize that life will go on with fewer items, you will not only want to clear out more stuff, but will start to feel free.
And when you feel this sense of freedom you know you have mastered the art of detaching from your stuff.
A Writer’s Guide to Feng Shui Your Workspace
One of the best things about being a writer is that there is virtually no overhead. All you pretty much need is a computer and some discipline. However, it is for this reason that a designated office space is often overlooked for writers, not to mention a feng shui-ed office space.
Whether writing fiction or non-fiction, blogs or books, a writer spends her day pouring herself out, emotionally and intellectually, onto paper and into the world. It can be a very vulnerable place. This is one reason why having an office space is so important and, more specifically, having your own office space – a space that is yours and yours alone without distraction.
Location
Writers usually work from home, again, thanks to the low overhead. But, finding adequate office space comes with challenges. If square footage is an issue, then home offices become an afterthought only to find themselves sharing space with a guest room, kitchen table, or the corner of the living room. And so it takes some creative planning of a space to make a home office work for writers.
The first step is to select one location for your workspace. Ideally, this is a designated home office. But, it could be a sitting chair, your bed, or the kitchen table. Whatever the space, it is important that you make this your space. In other words, this is the place you go to write. Similar to meditation, when you use the same space, it will help you drop in quicker to the flow. Also, in doing so, you are making writing a priority.
A note about writing in coffee shops: Some people need the stimulation of other people around them to get motivated to write. For others, however, it can be very distracting. So, experiment and notice what works best for you.
Desk Placement
To recap my article, Feng Shui for the Workplace: Where to Place Your Desk, there are a few things to keep in mind when setting up a workspace. The most important consideration for any office is desk placement. When sitting at your desk, you should be in “Command Position”. Simply put, this is the position that makes you most ‘in command.’ The Command Position emerges from our instinctive need to have visible control of our environment.
The ideal Command Position would be with a view of the door from your chair, a view out a window, and a solid wall behind you. This may mean moving your desk into the room away from the wall. If this is absolutely not possible, then place a mirror to where you can see the entrance in the mirror. If you do not use a desk, but instead a counter or even your lap, it is still important to face the door entering the room. You want to feel in power and confident in your space – whether you are home alone or working amongst a 100 colleagues in a business office.
In this photo, the writer’s office also doubles as a guest room. The desk faces the door, but is not directly in line with the door (that would result in too much chi energy coming in). It would be better if the window was not right behind her. Why? A wall behind you provides support and for writers in an isolated profession, feeling supported is crucial. Keeping the blind closed is helpful so that there is not a feeling of being exposed.
Clear Clutter
Also notice in this picture the lack of clutter. It is imperative to have an uncluttered space when writing. Our mind is directly affected by our environment. So once you designate your workspace, then declutter it.
Size of Desk
The size of your desk will depend on your preference. Everyone likes or requires a different amount of surface area. For some, an executive-size desk makes them feel more powerful. For others, it’s just another place to collect clutter. I prefer a desk that will fit my laptop, tea, and my cell phone. I work virtually paperless and prefer to keep everything either on my phone or computer.
In this picture of my office, you can see that while my desk is relatively small, it takes center stage in my office. It faces the door without being in direct line and not being right in front of the window either. Find a desk or surface that fits your style and is comfortable. If you are physically cramped, then your creative juices will not be free-flowing.
As said in Field of Dreams, ‘if you build it, they will come,’ and so is the case if you designate a workspace that feels good to you. You will be more likely to write, enjoy writing, and be successful in your writing.
What To Do With Childhood Memorabilia?
This is a question I invariably get every time I speak about clutter clearing. So often parents of adult (or almost adult children) want to know, “what do I do with all of the crayon masterpieces my child made in kindergarten.” They are so conflicted. On the one hand, there are closets full of these that are just collecting dust and taking up valuable space, but on the other hand it just seems criminal to get rid of them. What to do?
First off, you may be asking, “why do I even need to get rid of these items?” You wouldn’t be reading this article if in some way they weren’t weighing you down. Keeping a lot of memorabilia – be it our own or our children’s – can physically and energetically weigh you down. Having lots of stuff can literally prevent people from moving to another location – one in which they would probably be happier. Secondly, it locks you into the past.
Hanging on to lots of memorabilia prevents you from moving forward or even being present in your current life. It oftentimes prevents mothers from finding their life after being a mother. So what do you do with all the memorabilia?
Step 1: Have your adult children go through the memorabilia to see what they want to keep. After all, it’s their stuff. It’s their crayoned artwork, their graduation cap, and their mood ring. In fact, when you originally kept it, you were probably keeping it “in case” they wanted it one day. Give them the right of first refusal and have them take ownership of what they want to keep. Chances are they won’t want much of it. That is, unless you are offering to store it for them (not recommended). In which case, they will want to keep more of it. Trust me. If your children are not adults yet without enough hindsight to what they will want to keep, then gather all of the memorabilia and store it in organized containers until they are old enough to go through it. At that point, refer to Step 1.
Step 2: After your children have taken what they want, then the rest is yours. This may vary from rooms full of stuff to a file folder. Everyone is different in the amount they accumulate and therefore with the amount you want to keep or get rid of. My advice is to pick a target container size for what you want to keep. Your target size may be a file folder, a small storage bin, a large Rubbermaid bin, a closet, or even a room. Decide what is best for you. So, for example, if you select a large Rubbermaid bin, select your favorite items until the bin is full. And that’s it. Clear out the remaining items.
Step 3: Some people suggest taking photos of memorabilia items and then dispose of them. If this appeals to you, then this could certainly lighten your load. If so, perhaps you won’t have to store anything or at least not as much. For me, I would rather hang on to a few items than have a bunch of pictures. With a picture you don’t get the sensory experiences of touch and smell that you get with the actual item. When I come across my baby blanket in my Rubbermaid, it’s as if I am transported back in time. That being said, my life is just as rich with or without keeping my baby blanket. So perhaps it’s time to let it go! Your thoughts?
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