The Philosophy of Health

The Philosophy of Health

Wounding occurs when our thought is troubled with things for which we lack talent.

Sadness, decrepitude, uneasiness and torment are wounds.

Wasting time abed, lying down after a heavy meal, getting breathless from running: all these are wounds.

Therefore, the prescription for nurturing life is this:

-Do not walk too fast.

-Do not listen too intently.

-Do not look too long.

-Do not sit too long.

-Do not stay in bed until you get too weak.

-Dress before you get chilled.

-Lighten your dress before you get overheated.

-Eat only to satisfy.

-Do not over-drink.

-Do not overwork or take too much ease.

-Do not emphasize any of the Five Savors when eating:

. for too much acidity harms the spleen,

.too much bitterness harms the lungs,

.too much acridity harms the liver,

.too much salt harms the hart,

.too much sugar harms the kidneys.

The remarkable thing about this bit of wisdom is that it holds true to this day, even though it was written so long ago in 320 A.D.

(Ko Hung, a Taoist Scholar Nei P’ien; an excerpt from his secret teachings published 320 A.D.)

“Wishing you all good health.”

March Break 2013

March Break 2013

This is the time when those who have endured the long harsh winter sequestered indoors, with only some short visit to the snowy slopes, now line up in the airports to migrate south seeking that eternal sunshine and hot, hot temperatures. They all have but one objective: to regenerate and pack into their week long hasty schedules as much sun, swim and of course, fun as they can.

Who wouldn't wish for a glorious reprieve sprawled on the beach with an occasional dip in the ocean all the while achieving the bragging rights to that golden glow once back at home?

While some would enjoy a good night’s sleep, the frolicking masses try to let off more steam by dancing the night away in some extra loud musical establishments.

Sun, Ocean and fun and more fun!!!!! Happy March Break everyone.

Enjoy!!!!

A Remedy for the January Blues

A Remedy for the January Blues

Canadians are referred to as Snowbirds as, each year, like migrating birds they flock south to warm destinations seeking brief solace from the frigid temperatures, snow, and wind of the winter months.   

There are other means to remedy the affliction of January blues.  Below is a collection of art that will allow you to vicariously indulge in a virtual getaway.

Here's an old Irish saying that seems apropos: "May the Sun shine upon your way."

Feng Shui Kitchen

Feng Shui Kitchen

A kitchen is a place where our daily food is prepared and shared. It is a cosy gathering place for the family members and fulfills that intrinsic need for nourishment.

Here are some helpful Feng Shui hints to consider:

• When remodeling a kitchen, add more cooking appliances to increase prosperity. 
• Clean the stove top and burners in your kitchen frequently. During normal usage avoid getting your stove dirty or encrusted with spill-over food from the cooking. A clean and properly working stove invites an abundance of food and prosperity into your household.
• If your stove is on an island or peninsula and lacks a wall behind it, place a glazed ceramic vase or a pitcher on the counter behind it.
• It is important to keep the kitchen garbage can out of sight.
• Make sure you store all the cleaning supplies out of sight as well, so that they don’t “clean out” your beneficial energy of prosperity and abundance.
• Don’t place a dragon figurine in your kitchen.  Traditionally, Dragon figures at the base of the plate represented due restraint. It’s supposed to warn you against over indulgence of food.
• Don’t place a fish tank in the kitchen, as the pumping water symbolizes the departure of wealth from the family.
• Don’t store kitchen knives in plain sight, in a holder or a wall-mount magnetic strip, however convenient;   to do so it cuts prosperity and severs the harmony of the family unit. It would be better, when they are not in use, to place them in a kitchen drawer or a cabinet.
• Finally, tuck a red envelope with three Chinese coins under the bottom of the rice, flour or pasta container and potato bin. This brings abundance and wealth.

Bon Appetit!

Nature's Abstract Art- 8

“Chaos is the score upon which reality is written.”  HENRY MILLER

The End.

Feng Shui Bathroom

Feng Shui Bathroom

One of the Feng  Shui  guidelines  is that if you can’t see it, it is not metaphysically there. This means you can block, cover, bury, hide, deflect, reflect or use any other means to correct bad Feng Shui in your home or bathroom.

Here are some helpful hints:

• Don’t redesign your home, townhouse or condo to add a bath or powder room that sticks out past your front door since the yin of the bathroom clashes with the yang entering the house.   The front door is the main access for beneficial ch’i into your home and this flow could be interrupted by the bad energy from the bathroom.  Remember also to always keep the bathroom door closed, especially when the front door is open.
• If you are remodelling your house don’t have the stairs leading directly towards the bathroom door or the main entrance door of your home.  
• To minimize the loss of ch’i energy in the bathroom and to prevent losing money you must keep the lavatory lid down every time you flush. 
• Avoid placing a mirror opposite the bathroom door since the incoming ch’i will be reflected right back.
• The bathroom door should not open directly onto the lavatory or bath, as this robs you of your need for privacy and protection.  If you have ample room position a screen or panel in the space between the door and the toilet.
• Adequate ventilation is important to prevent the build-up of negative (sha) energy.  Dampness or mildew contributes to stagnant, negative ch’i.  One way to avoid this, especially if you don’t have a window, is to keep a few plants in your bathroom to absorb the excess moisture.
• You can also lose wealth if you have leaky taps or leave the water running so, if the plumbing in your house is faulty, fix it as soon as possible.
• Make sure there is no waste blocking the sink and that the waste basket is emptied frequently.
• It is not good to have the kitchen directly facing a bathroom.  Nor is it good to have a bathroom or shower located in the corner of your main bedroom, as this will siphon your health, luck and prosperity. The remedy is to have a divider or door that is kept closed at all times.
• Do not choose a house with a bathroom located in the center.  The most important room such as a living room, family room or a dining room should be in this spot.  If the bathroom is at the centre of the home, there is possibility that sha ch’i will easily travel to all the surrounding rooms.  You may somewhat remedy this bad circumstance by using  accessories made of earth materials, such as clay, terra cotta, and porcelain to anchor your wealth.
• Rice is a symbol of abundance, wealth, and fertility. Never flush this revered food down the sink or toilet. 

Feng Shui Bedroom

Feng Shui Bedroom

When you are moving into a new home, apartment or condo, position the master bed during the most yang hours of the day- which is 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. 

Sleeping is a yin activity so choose yin designs elements: soft textures, curving shapes, and mellow lighting for your bedroom.  In the evening draw your curtains, blinds, or drapes to create a more yin environment for resting and sleeping. Here are few helpful Feng Shui tips to keep in mind when decorating the bedroom:

• Look up at a room’s ceiling before positioning a bed. Putting a bed under exposed beams can press down on a sleeper’s vital chi energy, causing health problems.  It’s best to cover exposed ceiling beams in a bedroom with draped fabric or dry wall to create a flat ceiling.
• A rafter that runs in the same direction as a couple’s bed below is believed to cause a division between them.
• Best to have a headboard on your bed as it provides support to your crown chakra. 
• Don’t place the bed with its foot facing the door of the room, as this makes for a very bad luck.
• Avoid having any electrical outlet on the wall close behind you or next to your pillow.
• It is not good to face a mirror or T.V. when you are sleeping otherwise your vital life energy (Chi) will be siphoned as you sleep.  If this cannot be avoided, simply cover any mirror or TV screen with a cloth or better still have them located in a large cabinet that can be closed.
• Avoid sleeping in a bed that is located under a skylight, as it will draw healthy chi away from you.  
• The bed should not be positioned against the short wall of the room with a sloping ceiling.
• It’s best to sleep in bedrooms that are above the ground rather than in a basement as healthful yang energy is abundant in the light and air.  If you are sleeping in a bedroom above a garage however, place a red cloth between the mattress and box spring for your protection.
• A Phoenix figure in a bedroom will add sparks to an existing relationship that has stagnated; however, don’t use a phoenix to activate romance in your life if you already have an emotionally happy and physically satisfying relationship with someone special. To do so may cause infidelity.
• Remove all dead or dried flowers and plants from your bedroom (and garden), as they are believed to kill your love and sex life.  
• Don’t keep an aquarium in a bedroom, especially the master bedroom, as it symbolizes money luck being pumped out of the owner’s possession.
• Do place a symbol of wealth in your bedroom so that you see it on waking. This could be a figurine of a carp, an ox sitting on Chinese coins, or a turtle.
• And finally, do open your drapes and curtains first thing in the morning. This allows the light to infuse its yang energy into you for the day’s activities. 

  If we do not have a general air-condition and are using ceiling fans to cool us while we sleep in these hot summer nights, keep in mind to install your ceiling fans beyond the foot of the bed in a bedroom. They will cool the room without harming the health of the occupants.

Good luck and good night to you all.

Feng Shui Rooms- The Dining Room

Feng Shui Dining Room

Without the valleys we cannot appreciate the peaks.  Feng shui parallels life: Light and dark, active and passive, hard and soft, straight and crooked… all are complimentary and interdependent sides of a holistic philosophy that centers and empowers us.

The dining room is a place where ideally the entire family eats relaxes and is entertained but more importantly it is where pertinent family discussions are held.

It is not unusual to see some families utilizing this space as the study or a work place as well. The table allows the books or papers to be spread out onto a large surface.  To facilitate concentration the room should be a relatively quiet place away from traffic noises and bustling activity.  When using the dining areas as a study select a seat with a wall behind it. This will allow you added protection especially when from your seated position you can observe the comings and goings of others.

Here are some other helpful hints:

• If there are doors leading and out of the dining area keep them closed, particularly when eating, in that way there is no disturbance of the peace or feelings of vulnerability.
• If the position of the dining table is close to patio doors or large bay windows with their large glass panels, the person seated at the table may be subjected to too much yin, caused by elements such as cold or damp, light or heat seeping into the room.  Partially closed curtains or blinds can correct these negative effects.
• Decorate your dining room wall with a painting or picture of abundant food, fruit, and wine.
• Maintain a balance of space when you accessorize your walls.
• There should be adequate overall lighting in the room.
• A clear path between the kitchen and the dining room is essential, so as to allow hot plates and bowls to be safely carried in.
• Cleaning supplies should never be left in the dining room.  This symbolizes your income, good health and prosperity being removed or cleaned out like dust and dirt.
• After you entertain in your home cleanse the energy as soon as possible.

Feng Shui Rooms in House- Living Room

Feng Shui Living-Room

In feng shui, remember the acronym CANES:  Colour, Animal symbols, Number, Elements, and the Seasons as guidelines for your accessories, interior and architectural designs.

The living room, sitting room or you may call it a family room- this particularly important living space in your home is where family members and friends often gather to be entertained, pass the time, and share a variety of feelings and experiences.  It has to be conducive to feelings of welcome and comfort.

Here are some helpful hints:

• An unobstructed movement of cosmic energy, called chi, is one of the attributes of good feng shui and traditional Chinese medicine. To facilitate maximum chi flow and your good health, keep the design and décor of your living room functional and simple by using additional colour, lights, plants, reflective objects, blinds, screens and furniture arrangements.  Plus remove the clutter in your home in general to facilitate this flow throughout.
• Ideally the front door should not lead straight into the living room. If the living room leads directly onto the street or if several doors lead into the room, it can leave you feeling vulnerable. If the house or apartment is small, but if the living room is large, block the force of the incoming ch’i with a screen, bookcase, wall or some other such partition. In contrast a dark, confined living space creates oppressive conditions.
• Arrange your furniture to provide protection from the rush of energy that can enter through a doorway or large window and do not face them towards sharp corners or angular objects which cut through beneficial energy.
• Do not place the sofa directly opposite any door; you will be inundated with the rush of oftentimes negative ch’i each time that door opens. This will leave you feeling drained and vulnerable.  
• Nor should you place the back of the sofa directly in line with any door. This will leave you vulnerable and unprotected as well.  If this is unavoidable, at least placing wind chimes over the door will alert you when someone is entering the room.
• Do not position the sofa or chairs under a beam: this could cause financial ruin or ill health.
• Ideally the sofa, a key item of furniture that is used most frequently, should have the support of a wall or another piece of furniture such as low bookcase, shelving unit or screen behind it.  The same principle applies for armchairs.  This position allows you a certain security and control, as you are able to see the individuals entering the room.
• The height of a ceiling plays an important role in the living room. For instance, if the ceiling is too high in proportion to the size of the room, chi rises and disperses, and if the ceiling is too low, chi is condensed and cramped.
• If the room is full of alcoves and corners energy may be caught and trapped, so do not clutter these areas.
• I repeat, do not crowd the room with ornaments, sharp objects and angular furniture. Beneficial ch’i moves more freely around curved edges and symmetrical arrangements.
• Cramped passageways between furniture are to be avoided as they limit the circulation of beneficial ch’i and at the same time funnel negative ch’i. 
• Organize lights in a way to establish an easy, relaxing ambiance. Avoid using bright fluorescent tubes or bulbs directly above your head as this may cause headaches and vertigo.
• If an open concept dominates the floor plan, and the kitchen and living room are in plain view of each other, screen off the kitchen area to prevent smells and steam filling the area where you sit and relax watching T.V.  Clear away left-over food and empty the kitchen waste bins frequently.
• If the living room is L- shaped, do not crowd the narrower part of the room with furniture and ornaments. Instead, place lamps in these dark corners.
• Large windows or patio doors allows too much ch’i to escape the room, particularly if they are juxtaposed. (Opposite to each other). In this case, make good use of curtains or blinds to restrict the loss of energy.
• If the back door and front door face each other, it means that your wealth will fly away.
• You should not have a lavatory door opening directly into the living room.
• Keep your walls balanced with an equal amount of covered and uncovered space. Have the proper balance of male and female images in the artworks displayed.
•  Avoid displaying images of predatory animals and their fallen prey. Images of death and violence emanate negative energy.  Instead, decorate the room with uplifting art and images that inspire and calm you during your day. 
• Position the spines of the books so that they are all flush with the edges of the open (or closed) bookcase shelves.
• Keep lots of healthy green plants in your family room. They will keep the peace when everyone assembles there. 

 The End

Nature's Abstract Art - 7

An integral being knows without going, sees without looking, and accomplishes without doing.

LAO-TSU

The End