Many of us have had to rethink the way we spend during this economic time, which has led to spending more time at home. For some, spending time at home is natural and comforting while others feel trapped. Feeling trapped could be the result of the home value plummeting and your income is lower or possibly someone in the family has lost their job. There’s no extra cash to spend on comfort features such as dining out, movies, vacations, gym, shopping, and all the things that you refer to as fun. When the market was booming I recall hearing many people say they were never home, they felt they had no time for self, or spending quality time with family. They wished they could have more time to relax and spend time with family. As a collective, did we energetically bring into motion the slowdown of the economy? This is a big question and while some would not agree, it has been scientifically proven that our thoughts, verbal output, and actions do affect our environment. If this is true then can we turn the economic times into something positive?
“Our homes are our sanctuaries, where we build health and happiness.” This has been our motto for years and what we have striven to achieve by helping our clients create balance within their own living environment. My true passion is to show others how to use items that are already available within their own home or office and clearing out the clutter. While also, teaching about intention and how to use this method to tap into the energies of the home or office to invite new opportunities of growth into their lives. So, how does one create a home sanctuary, provide key elements for play and social needs while not breaking the bank? Well let’s get started…….
If our homes are meant to be sanctuaries, relaxing, and comfortable while also providing social needs, why not turn your home into a “staycation”? What better place to stay, get away from it all, spend time with family, plus invite others over for a get together. Here are a few tips:
Social Needs Person:
If you have a group of friends that you socialize with why not take turns having a potluck dinner or cookout at each person’s house. Everyone could pitch in by bringing a dish and also help out with cleanup. For fun time you could play a board or card game, have a movie night, or if it’s football season have a potluck football party. Or better yet, invite a pampered chef consultant over to help cook for everyone. Do you have music buffs in your group? Plan a “name that song” game, try out karaoke, or pull out the musical instruments for a make shift band. Do you own Rock Band? This is great fun with a group of friends and even the kids can get in on the action.
Maybe you have a group of friends that are business owners or can provide a service to others, take turns with a drawing at the party for a give away. For example if someone within your social circle provides massage, this person could offer a free massage coupon. Everyone could exchange a service much like a barter system. You could also turn your party into a networking event with your friends by letting each person give a short 1-5 minute presentation and end it with, “Whom do you know that would benefit from my service or specialty”. The home can provide you with opportunities to connect to others through networking parties, cookouts, consultant parties, tea parties, or workshops while also not breaking the bank by asking everyone to participate. Use social networking sites such as Facebook.com or group scheduling sites such as Meetup.com to invite others outside of your social circle to expand your offerings.
Connecting During Dinner:
Is Thanksgiving the only time your family sits together at the dinner table? It’s amazing how many families wait for this annual event to sit together and give thanks for everything in their lives. You don’t know how many homes I have visited that have dining rooms with a table ready and willing to sit 6-8 people but only use it once a year. This is such a waste of space and not to mention a perfect time to energetically connect with your family. Imagine the impact this would have if you did this once a week, 3 times a week, or daily. Ask everyone to participate in the planning of the menu and help out with the preparation of the meal. Have even more fun by surrounding the meal around a theme such as Backwards Dinner, Singing Meal, Toga Dinner, 50’s or 60’s Diner, Shipwreck Supper, Dress As Your Favorite Cartoon, Fiesta, etc.
Make mealtime fun so you can open up the possibilities of discussion between everyone. To sit with your family and have casual talk over dinner can be very enlightening and satisfying. As a parent though I must say it does help to set aside wanting to give your input on how you would like your child to live his or her life. Let them be open, really listen to them even if it’s not what you want to hear. You will be greatly surprised when they are perplexed that you’re not trying to butt in on their conversation and then ask for your input. They want to hear your input but would also like to be heard. I'm the first one to tell you that this can be challenging but with practice your children will wonder what happened to questionable mom or dad.
Hobbies:
Fun time can include board games, throwing or kicking the ball around outdoors, swimming in the pool, playing musical instruments, riding bikes, scrap booking, or tinkering around with a motorcycle or car. Everyone has a hobby that they love, why not invite the family to be a part of your hobby. Does each family member have a different hobby? Have a “this is my hobby” night where each family member shows the rest of the family their passion while everyone pitches in to try out the new venture. You may not like it at first but you never know until you try it. It’s always best to have an open mind and be open to the hobbies of another family member even if this means playing video games or doing yoga.
Television:
I’m not a big fan of cable television due to the negative impact that is placed on the viewer. Maybe your one to keep the news channel consistently running throughout the day. Even though you are not physically watch
ing the news you are still energetically listening in the background and all it takes is one thing to draw your attention to the screen again. Usually, this is something negative that creates worry or fear in your thoughts and in turn brings the energy down in the body and within the space. We eliminated our cable because we found the family watched only a few series and the fees had been raised 4 times over a period of one year.
We have found other avenues for watching our favorite shows. For instance, check online for your favorite series and most likely you will find it available a couple of days after the first viewing. Your local library carries VHS tapes and DVD’s of movies and television series at no cost if it’s returned on time. Take the children to the library and let them pick out a movie for a family movie night. Want to watch the new movie releases? Depending upon how many movies you like to watch within a month you can get a Netflix account or most local grocery stores now have MovieCube terminals where you can rent new releases for a dollar. Now that’s a savings! If you do feel trapped at home you may think that cable is the last thing you want to eliminate out of your life. Keep in mind that the biggest negativity comes from the news and can actually create more tension and stress in your life. Listen to news that empowers you to grow not keep you stuck in the economic downturn!
Sacred Space:
A sacred space is a place where you can be alone for downtime, away from everyone else. I know this can be hard for mothers or fathers; I mean why is it that the kids always need you when you’re in the bathroom or on the phone. I want to truly inspire you to look at your home as a sanctuary to visualize your intentions for life. Maybe your home is filled with so much commotion that you feel the need to get in the outdoors for private time.
Go for a walk, bike ride, or create a space within your yard that you can retreat from everyone else. Connecting to the element of water such as a river, pond, ocean, water fountain, or bathtub is a great way to clear your mind. If you have a master bathroom make a ritual of blocking out time to soak in the bathtub or use the Jacuzzi. Tell your family that you need a half hour each day or plan certain days to be with self. This will also teach your children that it’s ok to spend time alone while connecting with the higher divine or whatever your spiritual source may be. Hang a sign on your door indicating that you appreciate your private time, close your bedroom door and read for a bit. (Find out how to prepare healthy bedrooms by reading these past blogs: Healthy Bedroom for Adults or Healthy Bedroom for Children or Teens.) 
Have your significant other or family member pick up the kids from school or social events a few times a week while you spend a couple hours with yourself. Take advantage of this time to read for 30 minutes, exercise for an hour, and do an activity that brings you joy for the other hour. Truly spend this time doing something that gives you great joy instead of doing chores. We all need time to rejuvenate even if this includes exercising. Exercising increases your endorphins that will give you more energy. This also increases your sense of well being in order to deal with everyday life events.
Every person in the home should have a sacred space where you can sit and connect with elements that inspire you to relax. Here are a few examples of items that you can look for within your own home or office to place in your sacred space:
You may be pulled in all sort of directions and feel you do not have time for self however if you try this for 15 minutes each day you will find greater energy, the ability to think with more clarity, and also find that new doors of opportunity open up for you each day. I hope you enjoyed these simple tips that are available to all of us at no cost. Do you have tips that you would like to share? Post them below to share with others.
Kandi Phillips
www.AwakenYourSpace.com
www.LiveYourIntention.com
So what are your creative energies? Recall a moment when you were given a piece of paper in art class and then asked to draw a picture. Did you sit there staring at that blank piece of paper or did you draw and color the most amazing picture that you could not wait to show mom and dad? If you’re a left brained individual maybe it’s harder for you to expand upon your creative energies. Take out a piece of paper now and draw a picture. Was this hard for you? What type of picture did you draw? Ask a child to help you be creative and you will color, play a game, or visualize yourself through a book. 
Each of us has a creative flair to share with others, an expression of self with an array of rainbow colors. Ok, maybe I sound like I’m tripping but honestly you do have creativity within yourself. For example, my daughter has recently told me that her mind is filled with so much to say about natural products and how she is bursting at the seams to share with others. I told her to start writing about her thoughts, “but mom I’m not creative with writing” is what I heard. Writing for 15 minutes a day is a form of creativity and will actually help your creative energies flow.
How does one tap into that creative expressionistic side of self? This may be tough for someone who has dominance toward the left side of the brain, which is logical, prefers structured assignments, and enjoys copying or tracing pictures and filling in the details. Try something new or out of the ordinary instead of the same mundane tasks that fill your day.
This all sounds good but is your living environment encouraging your creative flair? Invite creativity into your life by surrounding yourself with design elements that are reminders of creative expression. This could be in your home, office, or your car. Visualizing a walk in the park or flying a kite seems like fun but if your looking at a computer all day this can fade away your thoughts of fun and creativity. Here are a few examples of items you could include:
We all have hopes, dreams, aspirations, or intentions but these are just thoughts floating around like those little bubbles in a comic strip. By not bringing your visualizations into full vision and action you cannot truly see them through. Surround yourself with elements, pictures, writings, and people that help build upon your creative energies to bring your visualizations into reality.
Kandi Phillips
www.AwakenYourSpace.com
www.LiveYourIntention.com
Author of the Live Your Intention mini book series - Also available at Amazon.com
Danny’s mother has tried to wake him up for the forth time, and she does not understand why he’s so hard to get up in the morning. Sound familiar?
Sleep is needed to regenerate certain parts of the body, especially the brain, so that it may continue to function optimally. Studies have revealed that by not getting enough rest we have a shorter attention span that leads to problems in concentration in school or at work. According to the National Sleep Foundation, our needs for sleep changes with age with the average at 7-9 hours. The bedroom is considered the most important room in the house for relaxation and regeneration.
Parent’s biggest challenge is trying to accommodate their child’s bedroom for sleep and play, which most bedrooms have no division between the two opposing functions. Children that share a room should have a space that is divided that they can call their own. If there is a family room or play room elsewhere, then stimulation from the toys should not be a problem in the bedroom. If this is not possible, then create a sleeping area and a play area within the room with ample storage for the child to clean up each night.
Bunk beds are not considered suitable, since the children are restricted with space and their energy field is too close to the ceiling or top bunk. Canopies over a bed can offer protection while keeping energy flowing, but clean often so not to harbor dust. The bed should have a solid wall behind the head. It should be made of natural materials such as wood and away from electrical outlets or electronics. A metal bed is not suggested for children as this conducts heat and electricity. If you have outlets positioned behind the headboard, cut out cork to place between the outlet cover and the electric box.
Electronics, electric outlets, and lights emit strong electromagnetic fields (EMF’s) that artificially stimulate the body. These man made EMF’s oscillate through the body at 50 hertz per second. Eliminating EMF’s in the bedroom would be the highest ranking on my list for a peaceful night’s rest. If your child has a computer or TV in the bedroom place on the other side of the room and plug into a surge protector that is either on a timer or turned off each night. Consider a battery powered alarm clock that simulates the sun.
Furniture with round corners or round shapes will prevent minor accidents but also eliminate the cutting affect into the child’s energy field. Ceiling fans present the same cutting effect; therefore, I would recommend hanging a 30mm round faceted crystal from the pull cord. If the floor is hardwood or tile, place a soft rug beside the bed for a gentle start to each day. Take notice of what you see in your child’s room at night when the lights are out. Rooms with dark corners that cast shadows or strange shapes at night will be disturbing to a child.
Let your child be creative with expression through décor in the room. Children and teens should be allowed to design their own bedrooms and have a major say in the décor and colors, even if it’s not the parents taste. A child's tastes and needs evolve as they grow from a small child to a young adult. If they like black, then paint the walls white while adding black and white artwork, black and white bedding, or black accents. Black and white rooms are the biggest challenge I hear from parents but these rooms can be very creative and inspiring. They also need their privacy as we do and if we set an example by knocking and asking permission to enter, then we can expect the same in return. Of course, this always works best if you begin this process when they are young instead of when they become a teen.
Case Study
Karen had phoned me in desperation not knowing what to do about her son Danny. He was having a hard time getting up in the morning and it was affecting his studies at school and the irritability within the family. Every morning was a battle to get out of bed and while Karen was coping with this each day her husband was very irritated with Danny. After asking a few questions I found out quickly that the mother was high earth energy while Danny and his father were both high fire energy. This is why she was able to deal with the situation each day in a calm and gentle manner while Danny and his father basically butt heads each day.
After consulting with Karen she realized that Danny was never really able to give any input to his room décor because she did this for him. His room was currently decorated with a baseball theme and although he played baseball in elementary school this was not his passion. Karen took Danny out shopping to let him choose décor with the intention of staying within his mother’s budget and asking her opinion. She knew that she needed to be open to Danny’s selections and was quite surprised when his choice of color was beige knowing his love for water sports she thought it would be blue. While Danny is high fire energy his love for the water and being attracted to earth elements told me that his choices were calming his high fire energy. I recommended being creative with his room décor and bring in elements that brought his passion to light each day. Here are some tips that were given to Karen for Danny’s room.
Use a beaded beach scene door hanger as a window treatment. Or if privacy is needed, you can hang a beaded curtain from the ceiling with fishing line. The beaded curtains will inspire creativity. By opening the window periodically you will bring in air energy while also causing the beads to jingle together for sound energy. This can be done each morning to help Danny wake up.
Place the alarm clock on a table away from the bed, this way Danny will have to get out of bed to turn the alarm off. A sunrise alarm clock will simulate the rising sun for a more natural awakening. Traditional alarm clocks emit loud abrupt sound that is not natural and is very alarming to our natural sleep patterns.
The bed was moved in a position that would allow for energy to flow smoothly throughout the room. Before, Danny’s bed was in the walkway between his door and the closet. It was also suggested to move all electronics from around the bed including his cell phone.
Change out the table beside his bed for a round table. Hang a round faceted crystal from the pull cord of the ceiling fan. Currently the corner from the existing table and the ceiling fan is cutting into Danny’s energy field. Move computer to other side of the room. Place an EMF protective device on the computer and cell phone. These items are affecting his sleep patterns at night.
Place two surfboards in the back right corner of his room. This area is connected to the relationship sector and will show his passion for surfing. Hang a picture of a group of surfers in the front right corner of the room which is where the helpful people- community sector is located. This will associate the energy of helpful people surrounding him while surfing.
The mirror over the dresser is activating energy within the room. Consider placing artsy window clings of a beach scene on the mirror to slow down the activating energy. Since Karen loves plants I suggested placing a Jade Plant in front of the mirror since this dresser is also located within the wealth abundance sector of the room. Jade Plants are considered a plant for abundance and they can go for a few days without water. Placing an object in front of the mirror will help reduce the activating energy of the mirror.
After making these simple adjustments Danny was sleeping much better and dad was happy. Now I must say Danny was not too fond of his cell phone being away from his bed at night however he was presented with an offer of his parents paying for a new surfboard if he tried it for 27 days. It was tough at first but he noticed a difference after one week.
Kandi Phillips offers Decorating, Organizing, and Feng Shui consultationsin person or over the phone. Would you like to create a healthy bedroom foryour child or teen? School will be in session soon, prepare now. www.AwakenYourSpace.com
Live Your Intention workshops are conducted through tele-seminars with Kandi Phillips. Live Your Intention mini book series is now available.
Collaboration is key in this economy!
| Message or Service to Share? |
| Many have asked us to open a physical store front while some have asked if they could present at our facility. We have been looking for a space for months and getting close to making a decision on a spot either in Sebastian or Vero Beach, FL. My question to you is Are YOU Ready to come to our facility to give a workshop, presentation, or promote your book or product? Or, Are YOU Ready to do a tele-seminar with us? Do you have a message to share with others? We have put together a short survey to find out more about your preferences. Everyone that fills out the survey will receive a free gift. Make sure to include your mailing address.  Kandi Phillips, founder of Awaken Your Space, is doing the finishing touches on her first book which should be available July 2009. She is looking forward to working with others in the upcoming months to help promote your talents while also promoting her book. "When we live in fear of the future we are only setting ourselves up for failure. Live in the present and your future is clear to be what you make of it!" Subscribe to the Awaken Your Space mailing list. |
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How does Feng Shui relate to Green Sustainable Living? Each day we are exposed to beneficial and non-beneficial elements that affect us within the home, office, car, or other places that we visit. Become more aware of your own energetic blue print and how everything around you is affecting your health and well being.
We will also discuss how our inside environments are literally killing us. What kind of changes can we make to serve our bodies in the highest good?
Awareness is the first key to action in creating an environment that brings harmony to our surroundings for nurturing support. This is a $5.00 Tele-seminar (F*REE for active rain members) Want to Ask Kandi Phillips a question?
Share with your clients to help them understand how clutter or other elements are blocking the sell of their home or office.
When: March 23, 2009 Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Call: 218-339-4600 Access Code: 136566#
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