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Feng Shui for the Heart of Winter by Amanda Collins The leaves are falling, the weather is frosty, and the universe’s energy is shifting. This is the ‘yin’ time of year—a time for stillness and patience and to just ‘be’. Remembering that we are human beings, and not human doers. There are five elements to Feng Shui: water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. Winter is associated with the element of water. Feng Shui, literally translated, means ‘wind and water.’ So, as you can see, water is a very important element in the field of Feng Shui. Water represents intuition, that inner knowing that allows the water element to guide you into a space of trust. Enjoying this time of winter will refill you. Spend this season dreaming and planning for the changes that you want to make in the approaching spring, where new beginnings start. Winter is a time when the earth rests and gets prepared to sustain life for another year. The winter offers us a special time to go inwards for introspection. By creating a nurturing, harmonious home during this season, you will support you in staying grounded and joyful throughout the year. In Feng Shui, each season is linked to a specific area of your home. Winter supports the areas of your home that face north. The north is associated with your career and life’s journey, so it’s important that the home is representing support in this area of your life. The best way to evaluate your home is to stand in the north area and close your eyes. Try to feel how the energy feels, does your energy rise or fall? What is this area of your home saying to you? Do you feel light or heavy? Some things to consider include: Is there clutter, do you have items you love in this space, are there sharp objects, or things that are broken? The north-facing space of your home is associated with the water element and the kidney, bladder, ears, and reproductive systems. So, from a health standpoint it’s vital that this energy is flowing freely. The first step is to make sure there is no clutter in this part of your home—only things you love and use. There should be no sharp corners, and no broken items. The best crystals to bring to the north areas of your home to support your health and career are the ones related with water. You might try black obsidian, black tourmaline, and turquoise. Adding moving water to this space with a nice fountain or fish bowl can help to stimulate the energy in your career. Or, try incorporating some artwork with the water element, such as the ocean, waterfalls, or a lake. Spend a bit of time each day sitting by the fountain whilst you focus on your career or business goals. It’s also important to make sure your bathrooms are in good working order as they are filled with the water elements. Make sure all your plumbing is in good working condition. Some suggestions for your home Have your home warm and bright. Put your lights on timers so when you come home in the evening, you arrive at a gently lit home. Make sure all the bulbs are in good working order. Use full spectrum lighting. This is the closest lighting to natural light and will be kinder on your eyes. Your plants love full spectrum light, so feel free to put some greenery nearby. Even better, create a small winter garden that will cheer you up and help provide oxygen for your rooms. During the winter months, we tend to spend more time inside. Make sure you have lots of indoor plants to improve the air and give out oxygen and remove the carbon dioxide. Make sure all the windows are in good working order. If you live in an older home and the windows do not close properly or have poor insulation, try getting nice heavy curtains to keep the heat inside and keep the cold outside. Honor your five senses. Make your home inviting and nurturing with lit candles around your home and with sweet smells for the holidays like mulling spices and cinnamon. Create a special area in your home that captures the most sun that you can, and curl up with a good book that’s cozy. Surround yourself with warm yang colors such a burnt orange, yellows, and reds with a warm throw and pillows. Honor the sense of touch and think about your feet. Do you have warm rugs on the floor?  When bringing new items into your home, use natural organic fibers whenever you can. Winter is a time for friends and family. Plan to celebrate the long winter nights with friends, and make it a point to invite friends over for dinner and share stories around the fire. Honor your sense of taste by cooking natural organic wholesome foods that are in season, such as pumpkins and squash. In the garden, keep the birds fed with bird feeders. Bringing wildlife into your garden brings joy and color into your garden and your life. By striving to surround yourself with life, you will see positivity spread throughout your daily routine. Even though it may be cold outside, it’s important to have some time outdoors and connect with nature each day. If you can, take a stroll, do a little gardening, or watch the sunset.   Find out more about Amanda Collins and Feng Shui here: www.AmandaCollins.com      

Feng Shui for the Heart of Winter

by Amanda Collins

The leaves are falling, the weather is frosty, and the universe’s energy is shifting. This is the ‘yin’ time of year—a time for stillness and patience and to just ‘be’. Remembering that we are human beings, and not human doers.

There are five elements to Feng Shui: water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. Winter is associated with the element of water. Feng Shui, literally translated, means ‘wind and water.’ So, as you can see, water is a very important element in the field of Feng Shui. Water represents intuition, that inner knowing that allows the water element to guide you into a space of trust. Enjoying this time of winter will refill you. Spend this season dreaming and planning for the changes that you want to make in the approaching spring, where new beginnings start.

Winter is a time when the earth rests and gets prepared to sustain life for another year. The winter offers us a special time to go inwards for introspection. By creating a nurturing, harmonious home during this season, you will support you in staying grounded and joyful throughout the year.

In Feng Shui, each season is linked to a specific area of your home. Winter supports the areas of your home that face north. The north is associated with your career and life’s journey, so it’s important that the home is representing support in this area of your life. The best way to evaluate your home is to stand in the north area and close your eyes. Try to feel how the energy feels, does your energy rise or fall? What is this area of your home saying to you? Do you feel light or heavy? Some things to consider include: Is there clutter, do you have items you love in this space, are there sharp objects, or things that are broken?

The north-facing space of your home is associated with the water element and the kidney, bladder, ears, and reproductive systems. So, from a health standpoint it’s vital that this energy is flowing freely.

The first step is to make sure there is no clutter in this part of your home—only things you love and use. There should be no sharp corners, and no broken items. The best crystals to bring to the north areas of your home to support your health and career are the ones related with water. You might try black obsidian, black tourmaline, and turquoise. Adding moving water to this space with a nice fountain or fish bowl can help to stimulate the energy in your career. Or, try incorporating some artwork with the water element, such as the ocean, waterfalls, or a lake. Spend a bit of time each day sitting by the fountain whilst you focus on your career or business goals.

It’s also important to make sure your bathrooms are in good working order as they are filled with the water elements. Make sure all your plumbing is in good working condition.

Some suggestions for your home

Have your home warm and bright. Put your lights on timers so when you come home in the evening, you arrive at a gently lit home. Make sure all the bulbs are in good working order. Use full spectrum lighting. This is the closest lighting to natural light and will be kinder on your eyes. Your plants love full spectrum light, so feel free to put some greenery nearby. Even better, create a small winter garden that will cheer you up and help provide oxygen for your rooms.

During the winter months, we tend to spend more time inside. Make sure you have lots of indoor plants to improve the air and give out oxygen and remove the carbon dioxide.

Make sure all the windows are in good working order. If you live in an older home and the windows do not close properly or have poor insulation, try getting nice heavy curtains to keep the heat inside and keep the cold outside.

Honor your five senses. Make your home inviting and nurturing with lit candles around your home and with sweet smells for the holidays like mulling spices and cinnamon.

Create a special area in your home that captures the most sun that you can, and curl up with a good book that’s cozy. Surround yourself with warm yang colors such a burnt orange, yellows, and reds with a warm throw and pillows.

Honor the sense of touch and think about your feet. Do you have warm rugs on the floor? When bringing new items into your home, use natural organic fibers whenever you can.

Winter is a time for friends and family. Plan to celebrate the long winter nights with friends, and make it a point to invite friends over for dinner and share stories around the fire.

Honor your sense of taste by cooking natural organic wholesome foods that are in season, such as pumpkins and squash.

In the garden, keep the birds fed with bird feeders. Bringing wildlife into your garden brings joy and color into your garden and your life. By striving to surround yourself with life, you will see positivity spread throughout your daily routine.

Even though it may be cold outside, it’s important to have some time outdoors and connect with nature each day. If you can, take a stroll, do a little gardening, or watch the sunset.

Find out more about Amanda Collins and Feng Shui here:

www.AmandaCollins.com

Feng Shui for a Gentle Fall Transition By Amanda Collins, Feng Shui Consultant Feng Shui for fall means a gentle transition from the fire element, the most Yang time of year, to the water elements of autumn, the slow, deep and inward energy of the most Yin time of year. These elements are symbolic of the forces at work within the universe—and therefore within our minds and bodies, as well as the seasons. Are you and your home ready for this transition? When we consciously align ourselves and our homes with the cycles of nature, we find more harmony and balance in our lives, for there is a rhythm to everything in life. There is a time for turning outwards and growing, and a time for retreating inward and processing, which fall invites us to do. Just as nature goes through its cycles of change, so do we, and our homes. In the fall, nature prepares to shed her leaves and let go of the past. We can reflect that in our homes by clearing clutter. Clutter usually represents things that we resist and places we don’t want to put our attention. If you want to welcome good changes into your life in the new season, clear the clutter. Remove piles of laundry, old magazines, or junk you hide in your drawers. Clear your closets. If you have not worn something in a year, get rid of it. Keep only those clothes that you love and that make you feel good. Clothes can lose their qi (innate energy) too! Be sure to rotate your summer clothes and store them away until next year. Make sure your clothes for fall are not made up of only dark colors. Add passion and excitement to your wardrobe and your life with the rich colors of autumn such as red, yellow, and burgundy. These hues possess a stimulating qi and can uplift your mood. As you arrive into fall, bring warm tones into the house itself by switching some pillows or throws. This will make the home feel welcoming during the next few months. By hanging curtains, you can add a new decorative touch and also insulate the window area. Pay special attention to adding warm colors to your bedroom and bathroom so these areas don’t feel cold. In the bathrooms, clear out any old medicines, or half-empty shampoo bottles. Then move on to the kitchen, clearing out the pantry, storage, and refrigerator. Bring in healthy, local organic foods that are in season to nourish your body. Make sure there is no stagnant energy in the corners of your home. This kind of energy tends to gather and get trapped in empty dark corners. Plants, artwork, and floor lamps can improve the energy in these places and ensure that it stays gently flowing through your home. Invite the radiant light of the sun inside. Simply open the curtains and blinds. Sunlight (the best source of Vitamin D in the universe) provides many natural health benefits. Cleansing the energy in your home and honoring the change of seasons connects you more deeply to yourself and to the natural world around you. Use a burning stick of sage or light candles to encourage any negative energy to burn away. Ring bells or raise your voice in song to invite a fresh flow of healing and inspiration into your home. It’s a good idea to honor all five senses, including smell. Since fall means being inside more than in summer, try incorporating essential oils such as lavender or geranium (or other favorite scents of yours) into your home to maintain a joyful mood. However you choose to clear your home, each action must be done with a clear intention. Whether you are removing clutter, cleansing energy, or adding natural elements, your power of intention is what removes any stagnant energy and replaces it with fresh, supportive, loving energy that can inspire you. As you work, keep in mind the tone you are trying to set in your home—that is your intention behind each act. Take practical steps to get your home ready for this Yin time of the year. Check the heating system; clean the chimney and the fireplace; and check all light bulbs. Warm the bedding and flip the mattresses to create more support for sleep. In Chinese medicine, fall is considered to be a time to look inward and focus on the day-to-day, rather than taking on any large new project or traveling. Taking care of yourself includes sleeping better; rest is important this season. Finally, go outdoors and feel new life. Take time to explore Mother Nature, and bring her abundance inside in the form of acorns, pine branches, fresh flowers, stones, or crystals. Embrace the new season, breathing it in with gratitude! Enjoy.     Learn more about Amanda Collins and Feng Shui here www.AmandaCollins.me blog.AmandaCollins.me  

Feng Shui for a Gentle Fall Transition

By Amanda Collins, Feng Shui Consultant

Feng Shui for fall means a gentle transition from the fire element, the most Yang time of year, to the water elements of autumn, the slow, deep and inward energy of the most Yin time of year. These elements are symbolic of the forces at work within the universe—and therefore within our minds and bodies, as well as the seasons. Are you and your home ready for this transition?

When we consciously align ourselves and our homes with the cycles of nature, we find more harmony and balance in our lives, for there is a rhythm to everything in life. There is a time for turning outwards and growing, and a time for retreating inward and processing, which fall invites us to do. Just as nature goes through its cycles of change, so do we, and our homes.

In the fall, nature prepares to shed her leaves and let go of the past. We can reflect that in our homes by clearing clutter. Clutter usually represents things that we resist and places we don’t want to put our attention. If you want to welcome good changes into your life in the new season, clear the clutter. Remove piles of laundry, old magazines, or junk you hide in your drawers.

Clear your closets. If you have not worn something in a year, get rid of it. Keep only those clothes that you love and that make you feel good. Clothes can lose their qi (innate energy) too! Be sure to rotate your summer clothes and store them away until next year.

Make sure your clothes for fall are not made up of only dark colors. Add passion and excitement to your wardrobe and your life with the rich colors of autumn such as red, yellow, and burgundy. These hues possess a stimulating qi and can uplift your mood.

As you arrive into fall, bring warm tones into the house itself by switching some pillows or throws. This will make the home feel welcoming during the next few months. By hanging curtains, you can add a new decorative touch and also insulate the window area. Pay special attention to adding warm colors to your bedroom and bathroom so these areas don’t feel cold.

In the bathrooms, clear out any old medicines, or half-empty shampoo bottles. Then move on to the kitchen, clearing out the pantry, storage, and refrigerator. Bring in healthy, local organic foods that are in season to nourish your body.

Make sure there is no stagnant energy in the corners of your home. This kind of energy tends to gather and get trapped in empty dark corners. Plants, artwork, and floor lamps can improve the energy in these places and ensure that it stays gently flowing through your home.

Invite the radiant light of the sun inside. Simply open the curtains and blinds. Sunlight (the best source of Vitamin D in the universe) provides many natural health benefits.

Cleansing the energy in your home and honoring the change of seasons connects you more deeply to yourself and to the natural world around you. Use a burning stick of sage or light candles to encourage any negative energy to burn away. Ring bells or raise your voice in song to invite a fresh flow of healing and inspiration into your home.

It’s a good idea to honor all five senses, including smell. Since fall means being inside more than in summer, try incorporating essential oils such as lavender or geranium (or other favorite scents of yours) into your home to maintain a joyful mood.

However you choose to clear your home, each action must be done with a clear intention. Whether you are removing clutter, cleansing energy, or adding natural elements, your power of intention is what removes any stagnant energy and replaces it with fresh, supportive, loving energy that can inspire you. As you work, keep in mind the tone you are trying to set in your home—that is your intention behind each act.

Take practical steps to get your home ready for this Yin time of the year. Check the heating system; clean the chimney and the fireplace; and check all light bulbs. Warm the bedding and flip the mattresses to create more support for sleep. In Chinese medicine, fall is considered to be a time to look inward and focus on the day-to-day, rather than taking on any large new project or traveling. Taking care of yourself includes sleeping better; rest is important this season.

Finally, go outdoors and feel new life. Take time to explore Mother Nature, and bring her abundance inside in the form of acorns, pine branches, fresh flowers, stones, or crystals. Embrace the new season, breathing it in with gratitude! Enjoy.

Learn more about Amanda Collins and Feng Shui here

www.AmandaCollins.me

blog.AmandaCollins.me

Books for Healers: Informative & Inspiring Reads Beyond the Classroom

Whether you’re currently in school or already graduated and in practice with patients of your own, we at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine know your exploration of healing knowledge is on going. We also know that there are many forms that healing can take.

We are proud to offer cutting-edge information in our classes, and a medical education that is firmly based on science, results, and thousands of years of study. But, true to our Oriental medicine roots, we acknowledge that optimal health addresses the mind, body, and spirit.

In honor of this full-circle approach to health, we’ve put together a list of books you won’t find in the classroom. These books are about all kinds of healing: from energetic to spiritual. We think these are wonderful resources for any healer. We offer you this list with the intention that might want to expand your healing skill-set beyond the academics and science-based classroom teachings you’re used to with these inspiring reads.

The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Energetic Anatomy

By Cyndi Dale

Created for healing professionals and patients alike, this volume provides a lexicon of terms, illustrations, and detailed entries about our energetic biology and how it relates to physical well-being. Dale explores numerous forms of energetic healing including acupuncture, Ayurveda, chakra healing, qi gong, Reiki, and more.

Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof that You Can Heal Yourself

By Lissa Rankin

image

This New York Times Bestseller is a fascinating read. Dr. Lissa Rankin provides numerous studies proving the connection between the mind and the body, a belief Oriental medicine has long held!

Acupuncture Matters: The Definitive Guide to Understanding the True Power of Acupuncture

By Sara Calabro

If you’ve enjoyed the accessible, informative articles found on AcuTake, you will love this book by AcuTake founder and acupuncturist, Sara Calabro. Calabro lays out the case for how and why acupuncture is a powerful healing method. This is also a great text to share with patients and friends.

The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study on Nutrition Ever Conducted

By T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell

Nutrition is a foundation of Oriental medicine and this groundbreaking book brings this ancient philosophy into modern focus with its research. The largest nutrition study ever conducted, the Chine Study explores human health in China and how it directly relates to diet.

Natural Healing Wisdom and Know-How: Useful Practices, Recipes, and Formulas for a Lifetime of Health

This lovely collection gathers useful and fascinating information on every practice of natural health and healing in one handy volume. The chapters here are organized by topic, including herbal healing, naturopathy, homeopathy, Eastern medicine, energy healing, mind-body healing, and healing with foods. Note: this is a beautiful book that is sure to grab patients’ eyes on a waiting room table!

Living in the Moment

By Anna Black

Whether you’re curious about mindfulness or want to share tidbits about meditation with your patients, this illustrated guide makes learning to live in the moment easy.

Hands of Light: A Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field

By Barbara Brennan

This book is useful for massage therapists and acupuncturists alike—gain new insight into the intention you put into each session. Barbara Ann Brennan uses her fifteen years of professional experience observing 5,000 clients and students to present the first in-depth study of the human energy field for people who seek happiness, health and their full potential.

All is Well: Heal Yourself with Medicine, Affirmations, and Intuition

By Louise Hay & Mona Lisa Schulz, MD, PhD

This guidebook co-written by Louise Hay and medical doctor Mona Lisa Schulze explores the mind/body connection in relation to healing. It is an inspiring read that shows the power of positivity, love, and self-acceptance in conjunction with medical attention.

The Complete Book of Chakra Healing: Activate the Transformative Power of Your Energy Centers

By Cyndi Dale

Curious about chakras? Cyndi Dale explores chakra healing and how it can relate to other forms of energy healing and holistic medicine. This is an interesting read for any practitioner seeking other perspectives on energy centers in the body (from meridians and beyond!).

The Feng Shui Home: Creating spiritual spaces in your environment with altars and shrines, space clearing and the ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui

By Gill Hale, Stella Martin, and Josephine de Winter

This gorgeous, full-color book explores how energetic healing can apply to a space, not just a body. Get your home, office, and practice in tip-top healing shape with the information found here. Also, discover how to prevent geographic and technological stress from affecting you and your patients in your practice rooms.

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Life

By Warren Sheir, Yuan Wang, and Mika Ono

Two of the authors of this book are our very own faculty members! We are proud to be associated with this excellent cookbook that features recipes from ancient China (complete with a Chinese medicine perspective on each meal). Dig in!