5 Simple Steps To Creating A Zen Bed For Your Best Ever Sleep

featured this week on MindBodyGreen

When I think of a Zen bedroom, I imagine a beautiful and nurturing space that supports sleep and revitalization. One of the best ways to lose weight and improve your skin and energy levels is to get enough restful sleep!

In feng shui philosophy, the bedroom represents you and deeply affects your body and soul. At the very least we spend a handful of hours sleeping in this room. Most of that time, we're asleep, in a passive "yin" state, so what we have around us greatly shapes how restful and restorative sleep can be. Here are five simple ways to create a Zen sleeping space to maximize your beauty sleep!

What's under the bed?

As I previously noted, we spend all these hours sleeping in bed. So let's check to see what you have underneath you while you're sleeping. Some things I've seen: old tax records, love letters from ex-boyfriends, shoes, electronics, and the list goes on. Best is to have nothing under the bed, so the chi can flow smoothly. But if you must, the rule of thumb here is to have only soft sleep-related items such as pillows or blankets. Old tax records may have you stressed about money. Love letters from the one that got away may block you from new lovers. And shoes may keep your mind walking in circles.

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by Anjie Cho


How to Use Oranges to Welcome Positive Energy Into Your Life

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Whenever I need a little sunshine, a little uplift, I place nine drops of orange essential oil into my diffuser. In case you didn't know, in feng shui philosophy, the scent of oranges and orange peels can bring in happy and life-affirming yang energy.

Yang energy is like the sun at high noon, shining vibrantly with strength. It's bright and constant. Even on rainy or cloudy days, the sun is still present above the clouds. Similarly, the scent of oranges just makes you happy and cheery, feeling strong and energetic. Alice Waters (founder of Chez Panisse), the American pioneer of a culinary philosophy that maintains that cooking should be based on the finest and freshest seasonal ingredients that are produced sustainably and locally, says that since oranges are available year-round, they can brighten up even the darkest of winter days and provide much-needed immune system support no matter what the season.

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by Anjie Cho


The Psychology of Color: A Feng Shui Expert Explains

featured this week on MindBodyGreen

image credit: Amy T. Won for MindBodyGreen

image credit: Amy T. Won for MindBodyGreen

Color is one of the most effective ways to shift the energy in your life. From the color of your underwear to the color you paint your walls, colors not only affect your well-being, but they also have significant meaning. Yes, even the color of your underwear!

As a feng shui practitioner and an architect, I always get asked “What color should I paint my walls?” I respond with, “What color are you most attracted to?” So in approaching this survey of colors and the feng shui psychology behind them, keep that in mind. What colors do you love, and what might you need more of in your life?

RED-PINK

Red is an easy one. Red is related to fire energy. This color can invoke passion and fiery flames of inspiration. It's pretty intense! It's quite a statement when a woman walks into a room wearing a red dress. Because reds are very stimulating, in a home I'd recommend red for accents like pillows and art.

You can also use red sheets underneath a more subdued duvet to bring more passion into the bedroom. Alternatively, wearing red underwear can spice things up! Red is also very auspicious (lucky!) and protective in feng shui.

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by Anjie Cho