Why Switch to CFL Bulbs?

Why NOT switch to CFL Bulbs?

In preparation for this article, I took a survey amongst my friends. I wasn’t sure how relevant the topic was since I personally made the switch to energy efficient lighting years ago.  So, I took a survey and I asked, “Do you think most households have switched to using CFL bulbs?” 

I found out that the topic of CFL bulbs was very controversial!  Here are some of the responses I’ve received:

- Yes, they believe most people have switched to CFL bulbs.  And this is possibly because “most people don’t realize they have switched to CFLS”.  Interesting because the newer CFL bulbs look a lot like incandescents and also people just really don’t pay attention to what they’re buying.

- Yes, “can you even buy incandescent anymore?”  (Note: yes you can, but they will soon be banned and obsolete)

- Another said, “Maybe half of the households in the US, considering that incandescent bulbs are still a fraction of the cost of CFLS”.  True true.

- One response was “I certainly hope not. They're horrible.” In fact this friend then insisted he wanted to write his own competing speech in the “battle of the bulbs”. 

I wholeheartedly believe in switching to energy efficient lighting because not only do incandescent bulbs waste money, they also deplete our precious natural resources.  So here I am, standing on my little soapbox to convince my readers to participate in one small step to green our planet and individual lives.

So why switch to CFL bulbs?  CFLs are the easiest and least expensive way to upgrade to efficient lighting in your home.

First I’ll explain the basic differences between CFL and standard incandescent bulbs.  Standard incandescent bulbs produce light when an electric current passes through a filament and causes it to glow.  This creates heat and light.  But it’s pretty inefficient because you lose a lot of energy to the heat.

CFL stands for compact fluorescent light.  They are those squiggly bulbs.  In comparison to incandescent bulbs, an electric current is driven through the squiggly tube which contains argon and a small amount of mercury to emit a visible light.   By the way, argon is an inert, non-toxic gas and of course we know mercury is a heavy metal.  The mercury is safe as long as the tube does not break and is recycled of properly.  Home Depot and Ikea both have free CFL recycling programs.

More importantly, a CFL bulb uses about 75% less energy than an incandescent bulb.  For instance a 13 watt CFL bulb gives of the same amount of light as a 60 watt incandescent.  So you save a lot of energy. 

Next, what about upfront cost?  A CFL light is just a couple of dollars more and they’re very easy to find at your local hardware store. 

And what about cost over time?  A good CFL will last approximately 10,000 hours, whereas an incandescent lasts only 1,000 hours.  So you save lot of money (and energy) there too.

Finally, Some people are concerned about the look of the bulb as well as the quality of light.  CFLs have a bad rap because they used to give off a very blue, what I like to describe as alien-UFO light.  The technology has improved so much that you can get warmer color temperatures that are flattering and comforting to have in your home.  Make sure to get the warm or soft white bulbs (2700K or 3000k).  They also have bulbs with globes around them so that they look like incandescent bulbs and you don’t see the squiggly tube.

Just screw in the bulbs into your regular fixture and you’re all done!

In conclusion, the next time one of your incandescent bulbs blows out, you should replace it with an energy efficient CFL bulb.  Contrary to what most people believe, CFL bulbs are inexpensive, will save you more money over the long run, and can offer a pleasing and warm atmosphere in your home. 

And!  I’d love to hear from any readers with strong feelings about using CFL bulbs?  

by Anjie Cho

eHow Video: How to Decorate with Hanging Crystals

How to Decorate with Hanging Crystals

How to Decorate with Hanging Crystals

Feng shui hanging crystals are one of the most common feng shui adjustments. We call it one of the "Methods of Minor Additions" -- a way to add something small to make a huge impact on the chi and energy of your space.

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Video Transcript:

Hi, I'm Anjie Cho and I'd like to share with you how to decorate with hanging crystals from a Feng Shui perspective.

There are different types of crystals. This amethyst is an example of a natural mineral crystal. These are less common to use for hanging. Instead one would decorate by placing these on stands or just sitting on a horizontal surface. There are also different types of hanging crystals. There are many shapes and sizes, tear drops, stars, hearts, ovals as well as different colors, clear, red, blue, etc.

Today I'm specifically speaking to you about how to decorate with clear crystal spheres that are used in many Feng Shui applications. The Feng Shui crystal spheres are shaped somewhat in between a ball and a tear drop shape. They are multifaceted and typically clear. This is a Swarovski leaded crystal Feng Shui ball, 40 millimeters round. You can purchase one here in the Holistic Spaces store. I prefer leaded crystal over regular glass. The lead is added to glass to add to decorative qualities because it has a much higher index of refraction. So the more light that's reflected, the more sparkle you will have. No worries, the lead is not a health risk as you are only hanging them and not having significant skin or food contact. 

Faceted crystals are very beautiful as decorations in a bright window. They can catch the sun, the light can product beautiful rainbow colors as the sunlight is refracted through the facets. And in Feng Shui, it is also very important to hang them using a red cord. Red is a very auspicious color and represents protection. It's even better if the cord can be a length that's equal to a multiple of nine like nine inches, 18 inches, 27 inches. These Feng Shui crystals are easy to find online. They come in various sizes. For Feng Shui purposes, most interior spaces should use crystals of 40 millimeters or larger. Since the crystals are multifaceted, just like with sunlight, the Feng Shui crystals take a strong burst of energy and disperse it so it's more gentle on your life and the energy of your home.

Beneficial locations for Feng Shui crystals are a strong angle such as a strong corner. We call that Shachi or poison arrows. The crystal can disperse that negative energy. A second application is a dark entry. It can attract positive energy and then disperse it into your entry and then into your home. A third application is if you have a desk or bed right in line with the door. That's a lot of energy coming right at you when you are sitting or sleeping in a place for a long time. The crystal will take that rushing energy and disperse it.

I'm Anjie Cho, Feng Shui interior architect with Anjie Cho Architect and founder of Holistic Spaces and this has been how to decorate with hanging crystals.

by Anjie Cho

Tips for Beginning Meditators

Last week, I shared an interview with Joseph Mauricio who is a teacher at the Shambhala Center here in NYC. As a follow up to that blog post, I wanted to share some tips that Joe offered for beginning meditators.

AC: What’s the most common question you get from beginning meditators?

JM: How can I keep my back from hurting? How do I keep from falling asleep? Most of the questions are pretty mundane. There are people on the other hand that have very deep, profound questions.  But I find that until you do the practice meditation, it’s not as helpful to get into the deeper questions.

Because I’m a life coach, I look to meditation as a tool that can really help people wake up and begin to take some authority over their own lives. As we wake up and learn to pay attention, we actually begin to see our choices and start to learn how to make a difference in our lives.

Besides the everyday meditation practice, I encourage people to also meditate throughout the day. Keep coming back to the mind of meditation, especially during the day when their mind gets a little crazy, and before they start to think that something wrong with them or that they need to grab a cup of coffee or drink or yell at somebody or quit their jobs.  The first thing they can do is come back to their own heart, come back to their body and return to themselves. It doesn’t cure all the problems in life but it allows us to restart, recharge and see things with a fresh mind.

And what about the mundane questions?

The simple questions that people ask about how to deal with the back pain and to keep from falling asleep are practical and good.  It means they are actually paying attention to how they can sit up straight and wake up.

For back pain, I recommend gentle stretching before sitting down. Gentle spiritual yoga and stretching alongside meditation is also very helpful.  Opening up the body and being mindful of good body posture during the day is profoundly important in terms of changing the stress level of your day. Keep coming back to an open posture and good alignment.

And for falling asleep, I always encourage people to lift their gaze. Many people meditate with their eyes closed so I recommend that they open their eyes and lift their gaze a bit.  Also make sure to breathe and get plenty of oxygen. If they needed to stop and get a glass of water, it is better than caffeine especially for a short session.  There is no need to crank up on more caffeine. But drink a little bit of water, do a little stretching, then come back to the meditation practice.

When I first started meditating, my legs would always fall asleep!  I started to make the connection between where I was feeling physically and spiritually uncomfortable.

Yes. For some people, the pain is either caused or at least exacerbated by wanting to be good, wanting to do it right. For instance, some people are afraid if they move, they’re doing something wrong. It’s like yoga, if it hurts, stop. Stop and relax. It’s the same with meditation.  It’s okay to readjust oneself especially at the beginning. And at some point, if you’re squirming a lot, it’s not helpful either. You’re may be making the pain worse, so it becomes a balance.

So what I normally tell people is a 3-count process. If something itches or hurts, look at it, relax it, leave it alone but don’t move the first time, don’t move the second time.  But the third time it happens pay attention because there’s really something going on.  So go on and move, stretch, reset. Check in to see if the uncomfortability or squirming is really about the pain or about not wanting to settle down.

That’s why it’s amazing to stretch beforehand.  Sometimes meditators cut off the energy flow at the base of their thighs, sometimes they’re too high or leaned forward too much putting too much weight on their legs.  It’s helpful to have an instructor observe help adjust the posture.

Finally, what books would you recommend to anyone that wants to start meditating?

Turning the Mind Into an Ally or The Shambhala Principle both by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche are really good in terms of teaching meditation itself and how meditation works in life and then your life.  So these books are very practical and simple. 

by Anjie Cho