How Feng Shui Can Make The Bathroom The Best Room In Your House

featured this month on MindBodyGreen

Manifest the year of your dreams by going inward. Renew You 2017 is a month of mindfulness during which we’ll share content that guides you to create a deeply rooted intention for the new year. We’ll help you navigate inevitable obstacles with the latest science on habits, motivation, ritual, and more and equip you with tried-and-true techniques to outsmart even the toughest inner critic. 

Feng shui principles applied to your bathroom can create a wonderful place of renewal to release what is unwanted in your life. You can easily transform your bathroom into a symbol of vitality that will assist you in letting go of everything that no longer serves you. Keep your bathroom well-ventilated, well-lit, and full of beautiful and healthy colors like blues and greens. And remember that live plants purify the air and bring vitality and freshness!

Clean with orange essential oil cleaner.

Citrus cleaners, especially orange, are wonderful for cleaning your bathroom. Not only are they great cleaners, but oranges and orange peels are used in feng shui to uplift and clear the energy of a space. The chi of oranges lightens and brightens the bathroom. The scent is cheerful and happy!

You can make your own DIY nontoxic cleaner with 1 part vinegar, 2 parts water, and 27 drops of organic orange essential oil.

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by Anjie Cho

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Q&A Sunday: LED Bulbs vs. Full-Spectrum Bulbs

In terms of BTB feng shui, what is the opinion of LED bulbs? Do they emit EMFs? I thought full-spectrum bulbs were better.

Rita, on How to Buy New Light Bulbs Without Guessing

Hi Rita, 

Thanks for your question! Feng shui doesn't really take this sort of detail into consideration, and in my work with BTB feng shui, we haven't touched on light bulbs much. In general, I believe this would be more of a Bau Biologie question. 

However, we did do some research in attempt to help, and this is what we found!

First, the term "full-spectrum" seems to actually refer to the type of light a bulb puts off, ranging from infrared to near-ultraviolet, and there are available full-spectrum options in CFL, LED and incandescent. It is worth noting that, like with greenwashing, there are bulbs that specify "full-spectrum" that actually do not include the entire spectrum and aren't much different from an average bulb. 

That said, there does seem to be evidence that LED bulbs give off more EMFs than incandescent, in the form of "dirty electricity." Most research and writing confirms that LED bulbs do emit a certain type of EMF, known as dirty electricity, which is caused by products that transform the type of electricity flowing through wires into other types (from AC to DC) in order to provide lower voltage and use less energy. 

If this is a concern for you, you can try halogen incandescent bulbs, which are clean, or look for high-quality, high-efficiency LED bulbs that do not use a transformer, as they are safer than traditional LED bulbs with regards to EMFs. 

In any case, I would definitely recommend researching further into available lightbulbs and Bau Biologie for more information! 

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!

DIY Laundry Detergent + Other Secrets To A Knockout Sleep

featured this month in MindBodyGreen by Kayla Jacobs

Sometimes, even when your head hits the pillow, your brain doesn't stop. It knows sleep should come, but it wants to think about both pressing and mundane things! When we lose awareness of the present moment, our minds get stuck in maladaptive ways of thinking. Restorative solutions to calm the mind and body are key, as is perspective: A couple of nights in a row of insomnia won't have a huge impact on subsequent days.

But we also know it's often easier said than done. Luckily, there are a handful of helpful tips and tricks we swear by to get the anxiety out and combat sleep problems both big and small. Whether they'll help you get into bed more relaxed, get out of bed more rested and glowing, these tips endeavor to get you rising and shining with the absolute best of them.

Feng shui your bedroom.

"One of the simplest ways to start to heal your life is to use feng shui in your bedroom," says feng shui healer Anjie Cho. "The bedroom is the area of your home that is closest to you. Think about how many hours you spend there! This room holds your personal qi, so think carefully about all the objects you have surrounded yourself with. I love Black tourmaline and clear quartz together to protect and purify the bedroom energetically from electromagnetic forces that affect your sleep and healing."

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