“She journeys with a magical step to the loving realm that knows her best: nature.” 

Angie Weland-Crosby

 

I just spent some time in Hawaii after a frigid New York winter. Being surrounded by water, sun, trees and tropical flowers, I felt the layers of tension melt away.

It’s given me a new understanding of how to apply feng shui to our body:

We tend to see feng shui as a way to arrange our personal space, but it’s really a path to live in balance with nature in order to experience more vitality, energy, and joy.

 

It’s comfort we crave. When we are comfortable, we’re happy.

 

What does your body crave? Try this quick visualization:

Take a deep breath, and scan your body. How does it feel?

If there is discomfort, breathe deeply into that area three times, releasing it with your exhale.

Then, ask your body what it would like in order to feel more comfortable.

How does your body let go?

I’ve been working with a natural doctor in Hawaii to strengthen my bones. I shared with her that my hips have been very tight and sore lately. I feared it was osteoarthritis at best, or at worst, a sign that I might need a hip replacement.

She examined me and concluded that my hips are just fine, the problem is that I’m holding all of my tension there. She said when the body is in a cold environment for a prolonged period of time, the muscles can become clenched and lock up, leading to various ailments.

My doctor recommended acupuncture to release the tension. Just two sessions later, my hips feel better than ever.

When the body is free of tension, the qi energy can flow easily, supporting health and wellbeing.

 

 

Another quick visualization:

Once again, take a moment to close your eyes and drop your focus into your body.

Scan for areas of tension. Check your jaw, your neck and shoulders, stomach, hips and glutes.

When you find tightness, breath into that area three times, and let it out with each exhale.

Ask your body what other ways it would like to release the tension.

Look to nature for a balanced body

The goal of feng shui is to reestablish our connection with nature. A body in balance heals more quickly.

Studies have shown that hospital patients who have a view of nature in their room heal faster and need less medication than those who see built environments from their window* while another study has proven that spending time in nature leads to faster healing of wounds.**

 

 

My body feels good when I experience nature through:

  • Breathing fresh air
  • Swimming and surfing in the ocean
  • Relaxing and rebalancing my body through massage and acupuncture
  • Eating healthy, simple food, and not overeating like I often do in the winter months, as a means of trying to “comfort” myself
  • Giving myself more time in each day, and not overscheduling my days in an effort to get it all done, or from a sense of fomo
  • Drinking a lot of water
  • Going to bed at a set time each night, to make sure I get enough sleep
What feels good to you?

 

 

How would you like to give your body more ease, leading from nature? Start with small steps: drinking more water, stretching, taking a short walk in nature

A NHS study found that 10 mins of brisk walking a day makes a difference to stress levels, and 120 minutes a week (that’s just 17 minutes a day) creates optimal benefits, such as lowering stress hormones, reducing anxiety and lifting depression.***

 

 

I relax, I let go, my life is in perfect flow.

 

Heading back to life in New York, my intention is to stay in balance with nature. This includes:

~  less time looking at the small screen in my hand, more time looking at the vast world around me

~  less time thinking, planning, and plotting, more time experiencing life through my senses: the breath in my lungs, the breeze on my skin, the sounds of nature, the beauty of a tree, a flower, a mountain, or the ocean

~  less time judging myself and others, more time appreciating my surroundings and all the amazing animals who live around me (I’m looking at you, squirrels!)

~  less time elsewhere, more time right here

~  practicing gratitude

“Allow nature’s peace to flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.”  John Muir

May the grace of nature allow you to blossom into your fullest self,

more than just a pretty space - feng shui tips - feng shui specialist

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Links to the medical studies on the power of nature mentioned in this post: