Greetings!

What started as July’s newsletter has now become August’s. It’s summer time what can I say. In July, I spent two weeks in West Michigan enjoying time with family and friends, so even though I mentally thought about writing the newsletter, it was forcing creativity at a time when I just needed to enjoy the wonderfulness of Michigan and the joy and simplicity of family and summer. So, with that said, this month’s message: Keep it simple.

An easy way to keep things simple, from a Feng Shui standpoint, is to review the Yin and Yang energy in a space. So, in essence what this means is to balance the strong and soft accents in your home and work environments.

Think of Yin and Yang in relation to the seasons and then make parallels to your space. Summer is a time of action. The Yang (bold, bright, masculine, active, vibrant) energy brings a multitude of energy to life – vacations, moving to new homes, recreation, visiting with family and friends. The warmth of the sun brings everything to life. In just a few months, the weather will be cold again, and life’s activities will change to quiet reflection, hibernation, and focusing on projects inside the house. Winter is associated with Yin energy (soft, feminine, small, receptive, quiet.)

Now, think about how these examples apply to your home or work space. The idea is to create a space that has both Yin and Yang aspects so you always feel in balance.

·      Do you have enough active, open space inside and outside your home? (Yang)

·      Is there a sense of feeling grounded and centered in your space? Are there cozy areas within the space that allow for downtime? (Yin)

·      Are there enough light sources and natural light (year round) in the house, especially in living and working areas? (Yang)

·      What is the clutter situation in your space? Is there a need for a few hours of sorting and purging? (Yin)

·      Review the color of the walls - do you need more color or perhaps a fresh coat of paint? (Color can enhance Yin or Yang in the space, depending on the color)