Tuesday, April 24, 2012

10 Tips to a Happy and Meaningful Life



10 Tips to a Happy and Meaningful Life
By: Mary Jane Kasliner - Feng Shui Master & Yogi




The key ingredient to living a happy and meaningful life is to live each day at a time and experience the present moment. All too often we tend to live in the past or project to a future activity. When we do this we are giving up precious time that exist only for that exact moment. This doesn't mean we can't plan things in life, it just means we shouldn't focus on the outcome. Instead,  go about the business of living life each day the best way you can.
10 Things You Should Do Everyday:
 
1. Wake up Early: The early morning hours are filled with a peaceful energy making it a perfect time to meditate and cultivate your spirit. Set up a space in your home where you can create a soulful sanctuary. The northeast portent naturally releases a meditative type of energy. Include some comfortable seating, pillows or meditation cushion and add some earth and fire elements.
 
2. Sweat Everyday: Take the time daily to work up a sweat with an exercise routine. I'm sure you heard the expression, "The body is your temple that houses your spirit." So take care of your temple, as it is the only one you get in this life time. Through exercise you bring in some yang energy to balance excessive yin energy in the body. The result is a balanced and healthy body.
 
3. Daily Meditation: This works in tandem with the first tip. Early meditation is best but you should also look to meditate just prior to bed. Meditation twice a day will keep the otherwise restless mind at ease. This will help you to focus on a daily basis and enjoy life to the fullest.
 
4. Spend Time Outdoors: There is nothing like the pure energy of nature. This is feng shui at its highest level. The human body naturally gravitates towards the cycles and vibration of nature. We feel best when we are outdoors as our sensory systems are awakened triggering pleasant feelings. Being outdoors is a perfect way to fulfill tips 1 through 3. You can choose to meditate under a tree or take a power walk or run through the park.
 
5. Be Organized & Complete Daily Affairs: Don't procrastinate and put off what needs to be done. Instead address any challenges and take responsibility to work them out. Your inner voice will be a constant reminder of what needs to be done. To help you with being efficient, wake up the energy of the east portent with wood and water elements. This portent is all about new beginnings. To channel that energy for completion work with the polar point or the west and infuse more earth and metal qualities.
 
6. Spend Some Time Alone: Everyday one should spend some quality time alone. Spend this time without interruption from phones, computers or other social media. Get quiet and enjoy your own energy.
 
7. Do Your Daily Accounting at the End of the Day: At the end of the day reflect back on the day chronologically, from the time you woke up to present time.  Look back to see how you acted, what you said and how you said it. Especially reflect on situations that were challenging for you. So  much can be gained by this simple technique and help to balance your life.
 
8. Do at Least One Good Deed: Try to do something good for someone else each day. This can be as simple as sending good energy to another person, paying a compliment or holding open a door. Do this without focusing on the reward. Just do it because it is a nice thing to do.
 
9. Get Some Entertainment: It's important to relax and have some entertainment in your life. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate. A simple dinner with a glass of wine and pleasant music goes a long way. Be creative in your entertainment. To help open up this area of your life work with the western portent of your home and yard. Make sure you have images that make your heart sing. Earthy and metal qualities are a natural fit for this direction.
 
10. Do Something Difficult: It's time to come out of your comfort zone and do something difficult on a daily basis. This is the best way to move out of pattern reactive living. It doesn't need to be anything crazy,  just something that you normally wouldn't do. It can be as simple as speaking a few words in another language to someone other than yourself.
 
So there you have it. Ten things you can do on a daily basis to have a happy, meaningful and good life.
 
 
Namaste,
Mary Jane Kasliner
President - Body Space Alignment
 
Blogs:
 
 Aligning your inner and outer landscape: http://bit.ly/zIh6ex 
 

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Feng Shui Garden Ponds

Ponds generate peaceful energy




Water is of great importance in feng shui and symbolizes the accumulation of qi, which is synonymous with wealth. Since the weather is really starting to move towards the yang side or become warmer, this is the perfect time to think about adding a pond to your yard.


Water in the Garden

One of the first things to keep in mind when constructing a garden pond is the size in relation to the size of the home and its proximity to the home. Bigger is not necessarily better. Everything in the garden should blend in with the existing landscape features. Try to incorporate natural materials and use curving designs, as these dynamics are in alignment with nature. Make sure there are rocks or ledges that small animals can navigate so they do not get stuck in the pond and drown.

Shape:
The ideal shape for a pond is irregular as this will imitate a natural pond. The more irregular the shape the more plants and wildlife will thrive in and around it. A pond that is round tends to move the energy too quickly and those that are square tend to shoot energy off the edges. Albeit regular shaped ponds are easier to install, just make sure you soften the structure with more plants around the edges. 

Rockeries:
To balance the yin component of the still pond you can add the yang energy of rocks. This combination reflects the mountain and lake formations so important in the study of feng shui. Here are a few basic tips on choosing rockery.
1. Use an odd number of stones.
2. Bury the stones at least 1/3rd into the soil.
3. Place stones according to their graining.
4. Use a flat stone next to an upright one.
5. Choose the most weathered part of the stone to face forward.
6. Keep in mind that rockeries should mirror the natural world.

Water Flow:
There are many theories in feng shui on how water should flow and these can be found in the Water Dragon Classics. The major, common-sense rule for water placement is that is should not flow quickly towards you from a point higher than your house because of flooding concerns. It is deemed auspicious when water trickles towards the home, as this symbolizes wealth rolling in. Trickling water in through the east or in towards personal beneficial directions is also deemed auspicious. In this current period 8 cycle (2004 -2024) it is also auspicious to have water trickling in from the southwest, as this symbolizes  future prosperity.

Have fun and be creative when it comes to putting a pond on your property. You will come to really enjoy the energy it brings into your life.

In Prosperity,

Mary Jane Kasliner - President Body Space Alignment