http://www.care2.com/greenliving/feng-shui-for-winter-nights.html
Feng Shui for Winter Nights
From Divine Design by Betsy Stang, certified Feng Shui consultant.
Red is not just for Santa! Red is the color of warmth, of fire, of yang. It is the antidote for the cold yin nights of winter. Warm your nights with just the right chi by practicing these feng shui tips for winter colors, light, warmth, safety and sharing.
Winter Colors and Light
Red
Replace some of your summer blues with reds and oranges. Think pillows, quilts and place settings. You will feel warmer and less depressed. A cozy red or burgundy throw on the chair or on the bed will make you feel wonderful, and cut down on the need to turn up the heat.
Orange
Cook orange. Pumpkins and squash are plentiful and give you the good carbohydrates and nutrients that you need for winter.
Light up the Night
Get at least one full spectrum light for a reading area. The complete spectrum will relieve seasonal affective disorder and help your eyes. Plants love full spectrum light so you can put some greenery nearby, and create a small winter garden that will cheer you up and help provide oxygen for your rooms.
Long evenings mean it is time to replace light bulbs. Think energy conserving compact fluorescents, especially for outside lights and accent areas. Your pocket book and your planet will thank you. There are even energy conserving Christmas lights that are now standard in Canada. Solar path lights won’t go all night at this time of year, but they probably are on sale and will light your way home in the evening with no strain on the environment. Additionally, in February, as the days lengthen, they will glitter most of the night, even in the snow, and will make you smile for years to come.
Warm up your Windows .
Check to make sure all windows shut well. If you have single paned glass which lets the cold wind into the house, find some cheerful thick fabric, valances or drapes, which can cut your heating costs all winter and is a terrific way to change the feel of a room. The Victorians covered their windows for a reason; their homes were drafty! When you feel an uncovered window on a cold night, it’s cold! So think warm and add fabric.
Remove or cover your air conditioners. If removal is difficult get some wonderful natural fabric from your local fabric store and create a cover. Tip: Double-sided Velcro is amazing for the sewing challenged!
Watch For Fire
Get the chimney ready for Santa. It is the time to have your boiler and fireplace checked and cleaned. Too many house fires or clogged boilers are caused by the lack of taking this step. All combustible materials create residue which in time builds up, so be safe, be warm and be pro-active. This expense could save you thousands.
Pay Attention to Your Floor, Your Grounding
Remove any dangerously slippery bath mat. The backing does disintegrate, and think about a cozy rug for your bedroom or sitting area. Please think about natural materials so you are not creating a toxic environment. Artificial rugs off-gas and pollute a closed environment; you could expose yourself and your family to illnesses. Look for Tibetan or other tribal rugs made from natural fiber and plant dyes.
Tell Stories; Share with Others
Get some good books. The wintertime has always been storytelling time among all traditions, so let the indoor time give you a chance to expand your mind, either for sheer pleasure or to learn something new you have been meaning to get to but haven’t had the chance.
Lastly, share your home with your friends. Long winter evenings are great for sharing food and conversation. Being with those you love will remind you of how much you have to be grateful for.
And as your gratitude increases take some of your old clothing and household goods to a local shelter or Goodwill and spread some cheer around. You will also get rid of your clutter and make room for the new.
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16 comments
add your comment »If you're looking for a good full spectrum light you could try Mercola.com, or avian supply websites. Just don't forget they contain small amounts of mercury.
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For a good and not expensive light source I bought a reptile light bulb from a pet store. the light bulb is used to provide the necessary sunlight that reptiles need to stay healthy..I think it seems to help me and my plants can benefit too..If it works for reptiles I figure it will work for me ...I have it in one lamp and I only have it one when I am in the room..
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for full spectrum lighting I have bought the basking lights for reptiles that they sell at pet stores and put it in one of my lamps..if it works to keep reptiles healthy by providing what the sun does i figure it will work for my SADD and it is a lot cheaper than special lights and i also think my plants will like it
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Thank you Carol M., you speak for me as well...
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Does anyone have any ideas on full spectrum lighting that isn't as expensive as the light boxes, etc. that are sold especially for SAD. How would a grow light compare?
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Does anyone have any ideas on full spectrum lighting that isn't as expensive as the light boxes, etc. that are sold especially for SAD. How would a grow light compare?
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My mothers copper kettle, candlesticks, and horse brasses get a special shine and decorate my fireplace for those dreadfull November & December short days, then at christmas are a warm welcome when coming back from a Christmas shopping trip.
A Peaceful Christmas and a Healthy New Year to you all from Somerset UK
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Another very nice addition is to completly cover a north by northeast window with a sectional carpet. Make it something majestic with a powerful symbol in the Centre for that Special energy draw that you need from the head of this planetary Entity we are blasting through space on. This is our space ship! He will provide for You so acknowledge HIM with a great symbol of Your choice. Block out the everyday for the SuperOne and rejoice that you are in control of Your, Our Destiny.
All My Love,
Davi
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I certainly have alot to take to the good will. Its a shame in the 80 all our natural growing hemp was ordered burned. That makes alot of wonderful natural products, and bamboo flooring is great too. I love the warm colors and i do that every winter. My friends are all out of state so that dont work for me, but i did enjoy reading this.
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I agree with Carol though the article was also good too and will inspire me with some tips.
Flourescent lighting is the least healthiest lighting out there. To save energy , you can buy LED light bulbs instead.
For those who are sensitive to electrical magnetic chaos (which is bad for everyone of us, actually) it is good to get outside as often as possible--even if just to stand on grass for 10 minutes. Where possible, if you stand barefoot on the grass, this is even better for grounding.
Hugging a tree, or sitting at the base of one also grounds from electrical sensitivities
Walking is one of the best excercizes a person can do for dealing with electrical sensitivies. Walking helps the body deal with being exposed to computers, satelite dishes, microwaves, etc. all day long and is very grounding.
Carol, you may want to get some Himalayan Salt lamps . They only reguire a small wattage bulb that will not hurt the environment. Light glowing out of a Himalayan Salt lamp is very soothing all year round , but especially during Winter. An added benefit is natural ions in the air around the salt lamp which improves air quality.
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