My Favorite Things: 5 Home Accessories for Summer

Welcome to My Favorite Things! Each month, we highlight products to help you create a holistic lifestyle that inspires and nurtures you, so that you can be happier and feel supported.

Last week was the summer solstice, the first day of the warm season in the northern hemisphere. The summer is associated with the element of fire and the Recognition area of the bagua. As with each season, there are ways to balance out your holistic space using design features and feng shui philosophy. These are some of my favorite ways to welcome summer into your space!

Coyuchi Relaxed Linen

I love warm, cozy sheets and bedding during the cold winter, but when summer arrives, it's time to pack those thick blankets up and switch to something a little cooler!

I love these Coyuchi linen sheets. Linen is a wonderful option for summer - it helps keep cool and wicks away any sweat. These are available in a variety of neutral colors that will match any holistic bedroom! Try Alpine White, Fog or Storm for more Metal, Misty Ocean for more Wood or Undyed for more Earth. 

Available at: Coyuchi

Organic Buckwheat Pillow

In our list of organic pillow options, buckwheat is my favorite and is amazing for summer. Buckwheat pillows are great for eliminating back and neck pain as well as snoring. They are known for incredible air circulation and don't hold any heat, which is perfect for the hot season. 

My mom bought me a buckwheat pillow in college, and it's still my favorite pillow. I've dragged it around everywhere with me, and now my husband even has one too! It's worth noting that these pillows can be a bit loud due to the filling, so be sure to choose a pillow with an outer covering to muffle the sound, like these organic cotton options! 

Available at: CozyPure

no. 3 Space Mist

One of my favorite ways to welcome any new season is with a space clearing ritual. There are many ways to do this, including the BTB orange peel method, palo santo and more, but one of my favorites for summer is the Holistic Spaces sage spray!

Sage is known for its healing and space clearing properties, and this mist makes it portable so that you can clear your home, car, office or any areas you travel to without causing an issue with smoke alarms. It's perfect for hotel rooms or guest rooms and is one of our most popular apothecary items, so it sells out very fast!

Available at: Holistic Spaces

Folding Hand Fan

Folding fans serve a dual purpose as symbolic decor and an energy-efficient, no-cost cooling method. I was recently given my Shambhala name, which relates to fans, and in my studies, I found fans can be metaphorical in many ways. 

They represent femininity, but they can also be seen as swordlike to cut through difficulties and were actually used as weapons in some Asian countries. Fans even have their own secret language in China and the Victorian era, when women were almost forbidden from speaking their minds. I recently purchased a white fan with gold trim from DengraDesigns, and I absolutely love it!

Available at: DengraDesigns

Aloe Vera

I'm always a fan of adding more greenery to a space, and aloe vera is a great addition for summer! Traditionally, spiky plants or plants with pointy leaves are not good feng shui, but there are exceptions. 

Adding aloe vera to your space as a healing tool, not as a feng shui adjustment, can be a wonderful move for summer. Aloe vera is widely known for its healing properties, especially with regards to sunburns! This is also a great opportunity to add some water colors to combat the fiery summer element. Opt for a black or dark blue pot to cool off your space!

Available at: CB2

Q&A Sunday: Feng Shui for Business

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my inquiry. I am a Rooster, born on August 18, 1981. My house faces the east (my front door faces the east). My kitchen is in the NE, guest room is in the east and my son's bedroom is in the SE. Master's bedroom is in the SW, while living room/grand dining room is in the NW. In the west is our bathroom. I just started my business. However, I am having difficulty selling out my products. I am selling fashion bag charms / bag accessories. This is the first time the styles I have are sold in the U.S. I want to be a successful business owner, but I didn't expect it to be this difficult. Can you help me? What should I do?

Avvy C., Cleveland, MS

 

Hi Avvy,

Thanks for listening to the podcast and your question. First I wanted to explain that there are many schools of feng shui - dozens. The feng shui that I practice is BTB feng shui, and we do not use the compass directions in our analytics. If you’re interested in that, you can try a compass, flying star or classical feng shui consultant. My good friend, Beth Grace, may be a good option. She’s featured regularly on my new podcast mini-series “Astrology and Feng Shui”. Check out the podcast and Beth!

Otherwise, if you aren’t specifically looking for a particular school, BTB feng shui does, of course, give methods for improving your business. You did not mention an office in your home, so the first thing would probably be to look at the feng shui of your office. If you don’t have an office, that could be an issue. 

You also mention that you are selling something that is new to the U.S. When I work with a client, I ask a lot of questions at this point to pinpoint what the issue is. For instance, is the problem that you can’t get the business off the ground? Are there money issues? Are the products desirable; are they made well? Is it that people know about the product but don't want to buy? Or if only they knew about the product they would buy? And of course there are a slew of other questions; these are just a few.

In general, I would make sure you have an office space with a dedicated desk. Please make sure your desk is located in command of your space. There’s information in these articles about the command position. I also have a feeling that you need to work on the Recognition and Fame area, so that people know about your product. You can place something like a new green living plant in the Recognition area of your desk and home to add some fuel to fire up your recognition.

Hope that helps! Let us know and good luck with your new business!

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!

Om Mani Padme Hum: The Most Popular Tibetan Buddhist Mantra

image credit: Carmen MensinkDakini offers the lotus flower and mantra

image credit: Carmen Mensink
Dakini offers the lotus flower and mantra

Last week we talked about the importance of mantra in everyday life, in feng shui and in other outlets of holistic living (like meditation). As we discussed, a mantra is a mind tool, and each person may have a separate mantra that is meaningful for them. But there are some mantras that are widely used and considered especially important in certain practices. 

In fact, one of my favorite mantras and one of the most popular in Tibetan Buddhism is:

“Om Mani Padme Hum”

Om Mani Padme Hum translates to the phrase, "The jewel is in the lotus," alluding to the strong symbolism of the lotus flower in many Indian belief systems, including Buddhism. The lotus flower originates in a thick, muddy environment and blooms pure and beautiful to the surface. The Dali Lama has also said that this mantra can be interpreted as the jewel (which represents altruism) and the lotus (representing wisdom) in combination, which is where enlightenment is found. Om Mani Padme Hum is believed to hold all Buddhist teachings.

The Om Mani Padme Hum mantra is associated with the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who is symbolic of the compassion of all the buddhas. In depictions, Avalokiteshvara is shown with a lotus in his left hand. Kuan Yin, the feminized version of Avalokiteshvara, is also related to this mantra in addition to the heart sutra mantra. 

As I mentioned in last week's post, though the meaning of the mantra is important and good to know, there is actually more to be experienced in the sound of the mantra as it is repeated. Also, since mantras are traditionally in Sanskrit, assigning a translated meaning to them can detract from their original interpretations and make them less meaningful. 

As it does encompass all the Buddhist teachings, Om Mani Padme Hum can be used in almost any situation. From cultivating compassion for yourself or another to finding solid ground to preparing for your day and more! In fact, a guide at the Rubin Museum shared that while visiting a family in Tibet, the family recited it regularly, which is said to purify on three levels - speech, mind, body - and remove negative karma. The more you recite Om Mani Padme Hum, the more merit you receive, and the more you begin to embody Avalokiteshvara. 

When do you find mantras to be most helpful? Are there any that you use daily that improve your life?

by Anjie Cho