3 Feng Shui Dos For Everyday Living
All Day Good
Vibes Only
By Lia Menna Gross
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I get it. Mornings are stressful. Between dressing yourself and redressing children (“Your Spider-Man undies go on your bottom, not your head, silly goose!”), dodging oil splatters while struggling to make breakfast for your tribe, how do you make time for anything else?
But what if I told you that by taking 10 minutes (or 9 if you want to infuse your day with the power of Feng Shui!) every morning to perform these “3 Feng Shui Dos”, you’d not only be improving the overall ch’i or energy of your home, you’d be imprinting positivity into your psyche promoting those good vibes to follow you around all day?
Yep, it’s true!
Morning rituals put your mind and your home in the best state to jumpstart your day. I akin these "3 Daily Feng Shui Dos" to rituals. No, these aren’t the kind of rituals you’d see the Sanderson Sisters perform. Rituals are…
· Simple acts - it’s doing something the same way every time with the idea of grounding yourself in the moment.
· Used to promote the creation of healthy habits. Overtime, these habits run on autopilot.
· Intended to bridge the gap in transitioning from a state of waking to the state of being awake, getting us out of dreamland and back into our bodies.
· A means of cultivating connection. Feng Shui teaches the connection between you and your home. Just as you need to “wake up” in the morning, so does the space you occupy!
· Acts to solidify an intention. In Feng Shui, it’s pivotal to conduct these ritualistic acts with intention. Intention is the thought or meaning that you put behind the action you’re taking. For example, you might find on some days, you wake up with a not-so cheery disposition. Tiny rituals are the perfect remedy for those suffering with lackluster moods in the AM who need a good pick-me-up (as well as implement a smidge of Feng Shui).
Here’s what the experts at the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Coalition have to say about rituals:
“[They] improve attention, increase emotional stability, build confidence, mitigate grief caused by life-changing losses (such as death of a loved one)…”
Powerful stuff, huh? Get ready for some more!
Here are the “3 Feng Shui Dos” to incorporate into your morning ritual:
1. Make your bed
Picture it: 2000. My 13 year old self standing in my poster-clad bedroom. Walls suffocated by boy band posters. Dressing in my Catholic school uniform and rolling my skirt up as much as I could. Totally channeling my inner Britney. From down the hall comes a bellow, “Don’t forget to make your bed!”. I dreaded hearing my mom say those words!
As much as I still cringe at this memory, I can’t deny the truth behind it: the human mind is calmed when the eye takes in a seamless space - which is a cornerstone of Feng Shui.
And what better way to get that feel than a made bed? It’s even more rewarding when bedtime rolls around and your body instantly goes into relaxation mode at the sight of your dapper duvet.
As Navy Seal Admiral McRaven shared in his commencement speech to the University of Texas in 2014, “If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day…and if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made…and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better. So, if you want to change the world, start off by making your bed."
2. Open the curtains
What’s the first thing you do upon waking? Open your eyes!
Windows are connected to the eyes in Feng Shui. Just as you wake up by “raising the blinds” over your eyes, so does your home.
Sunlight sets off the body’s natural circadian clock. It amps up the production of melatonin in the body which our bodies make to induce sleep. If you dreaming of getting a good night’s sleep, spend time outdoors!
3. Take a minute to breathe
Sit quietly, close your eyes, take a nice, deep breathe in, and…exhale. There’s no better way to start off your day than by taking a few minutes for yourself. Even if that short break is on the toilet! It’ll get you in the right headspace to tackle whatever’s thrown your way.
I have a cozy spot setup in the corner of my office dubbed my “chill out” zone with nothing but my meditation cushion - comfy, modern and stylish. See it here.
If meditation’s not your thing, ask Alexa to play your fav hit and just move.
While this list could continue on for days, what’s important is that you incorporate the right mix for you.
For example, my ritual includes all of the above plus a steamy mug of decaf coffee and a mini dance sesh with my son.
Rituals are meant to be unique to you and your lifestyle. Maybe you can’t pull this off right before driving your child to school. But you can fit it in right before you have to check in for that Zoom meeting.
Find what lights you up and it will be reflected in you and your home.