Feng Shui and Earth Day

Feng Shui and Earth Day are so Compatible

I remember when Earth Day first came to my attention. It was Oprah’s Earth Day episode in 2008 and it totally opened up my eyes. The episode had Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock and a woman by the name of Sophie Uliano.  Afterwards, I purchased and read Sophie’s book called Gorgeously Green and have been implementing “green” practices into my life since then. It got me started in changing many of the products I use and just living a more green life where possible.  I am by no means perfect, but anything that any of us can do does make a difference.

Later, as I started getting my Feng Shui certifications, I learned the more green we are, the better our Feng Shui is going to be as well.  Feng Shui loves being connected to, and in harmony with, nature and respecting the earth. It involves everything in our surroundings, including the air we breathe, the foods we eat, the cleaners we use, the products/cosmetics we put on our bodies, the products and items we bring into and around our homes, and much, much more.  Every little change makes a difference.

There is so much to talk about regarding this topic, but for now, here are a just a few simple things that can make a huge difference, are environmentally friendly, create a more healthy home, and at the same time, will enhance your Feng Shui.

Take your shoes off when you come home

I know a lot of people think this is silly, and make fun of people who do this, but we can track so much into our homes when we walk around with dirty shoes inside. It is not just dirt that gets tracked, but pesticides, chemicals and residue as well.  Yuk! Please do keep in mind though, that Feng Shui doesn’t love a pile of shoes by the door, so make sure to put them away or get a clean, organized cubby for them after you do take them off.

Have Plants Inside Your Home

Not only does Feng Shui love plants in general (other than cactus because they are literally dangerous) but there are several plants that have air purifying qualities; Rubber Plants, Spider Plants and Snake Plants to name a few. To make these even more appealing, they are inexpensive, easy to find and super easy to maintain. I did not inherit my mother’s green thumb but even I can keep them going. (Note: please visit https://www.aspca.org if you have pets to make sure the plants you choose are pet friendly. For example, Snake Plants are toxic to cats, but are great if you have no pets.)

Open Up Your Windows

Not only does it allow wonderful fresh air in, but it gets the energy circulating, and we love the energy to circulate in Feng Shui. Fresh air is good for you and it feels so much better. I have become completely addicted to doing this. And please stay away from synthetic “air fresheners”. They are toxic.

Get a Himalayan Salt Lamp

These are another non-toxic way to freshen the air.  They bring in negative ions which are actually something positive for our environment.  I have learned that it is the negative ions in ocean air that we all love and makes us feel so much better. The lamps now come in more stylish designs these days versus just the chunk of salt they used to come in.  I have about six of them throughout my house and I love the way they look and feel.

Pay Attention to your Household Cleaners

When I started learning about this, I was shocked how toxic many of our cleaners are.  You can clean so much by using microfiber cloths (which help us not waste paper towels), white vinegar and baking soda. I use white vinegar to clean my stainless steel, chrome or metal surfaces, my mirrors and my stove top. Vinegar and baking soda make a great drain cleaner. A little wet baking soda works wonderfully to clean the inside of the fridge, and a small bowl of it works to reduce odors in the fridge or garbage disposal. Sprinkle it to refresh your carpets, then vacuum it up. There are so many uses.

Use Castile Soap

Castile soap has a ton of uses and is environmentally friendly. I personally use Dr. Bronner’s brand, but there are others available. I use it to clean a lot around the house as well as my hands and body. I just keep refilling the hand soap dispensers, I use it in the shower, not only as my soap, but also later I can use the same product and clean the tub. You can use it to mop, clean fruits and veggies, and use it for all-purpose cleaning among many other uses.

Use Reusable Shopping Bags

One of the first things I did when I started learning about all of this was buy a pouch of reusable shopping bags by a company called Envirosax.  Not only do I get complimented every single time I use them at the grocery store, but I am still using the same bags that I bought in 2008. I bought the pouch that holds 5 bags. I now have two sets. Just that effort alone makes a difference. I can’t even imagine the amount of grocery bags this must have saved over the course of the last thirteen years. Not to mention not having to deal with the clutter and waste of annoying piles of bags that I used to accumulate.  Check them out. They are stylish and come in different patterns.  They are lightweight, fold up into a little pouch, and are easy to clean. I cannot recommend them enough. You can get them from their website https://envirosax.com/collections/al or from Amazon.

There are so many things we can all do to help with the environment and live healthier lives. Each of us can make a difference, and there are many things that are so easy, actually cost less, are environmentally friendly and help us with our Feng Shui. Feng Shui is all about setting our environments up to enhance the quality of our lives and support us. By doing whatever green things we can, we are helping both ourselves and the planet.  Win, win for everyone. The cleaner our environment, inside our homes and out, the better the energy, and the better the energy, the better our Feng Shui.