Feng Shui Tips for Beathing the Winter Doldrums

Oct 2
17:07

2006

Carole Provenzale

Carole Provenzale

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Fight off those Winter "Blues" with some simple tips!

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Some people love this time of year.  The leaves are changing color,Feng Shui Tips for Beathing the Winter Doldrums Articles the heat of the summer is gone and there’s a bit of a brisk chill in the air.  Others see it as the beginning of the end with the Winter coming.  Cold weather, ice and snow and decreasing sunlight with the days getting shorter and the nights becoming very long.

People begin to lack energy, stay in more and, just like some animals, literally go into hibernation.  Others actually suffer depression from it and get what is called SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Doctors recommend medications for those that get depressed but what can you do to stop the depression before it actually sets in? 

From a Feng Shui Perspective, we see this as a Yin time.  In Feng Shui there is always a balance (or should be) which creates the Yin/Yang that is so popular as a symbol of balance.  Yang is a “female” energy, bright and light and opening up; it signifies spring and summer and sunlight.  Yin is the darker energy that follows, a “male” energy that is colder, darker, and gives people a tendency to “close in.” 

If we want to stop depression before it sets in, there are some simple and relatively effective methods to try:

Keep a close eye on your surroundings, at work and at home.  Since we are indoors more often, it is particularly important to make our “spaces” as warm and inviting as possible.  Keeping it light inside (electric costs aside) can be a great benefit as well as artificial lights such as candles and lighting your fireplace to signify warmth and put a fire energy which is uplifting.

As always in Feng Shui, make sure your clutter is greatly reduced (or even gone!).  We tend to accumulate more things with holiday seasons upon us and we need to still leave a good energy flow to give us support.  We often don’t realize we can block energy with large Christmas trees or too many ornaments, wreaths and decorations.  Keep your decorating pretty and warm but simplify it a bit.

If you’ve been thinking of painting a room in your house, now is a good time.  Choose a warm, inviting color to surround yourself with.  Painters often slow down during the fall, so you may even get a better price.  Or try it yourself; it will give you a new project to work on and something to do.

Learning something new is a wonderful idea as well.  It makes us leave the house for a few hours and keeps us active.  It’s always a wonderful time to try a new activity, join the gym (finally!) or get involved with something you’d truly like to try or do.  Think about a computer course online if you simply don’t want to go out, it is still an activity that will help the time fly and get you really involved.

Don’t forget the power of sound.  Putting up a small water fountain (recommended in Feng Shui anyway in an area you want to get “moving”) can give us the sense of serenity by it’s sound.  It is a soothing and calm sound and relaxes us.  So do many of the Sound Machines where you can choose any number of sounds, some of which are “Spring sounds” in nature and can remind us often that Spring will return! 

It’s also a nice time to try some aromatherapy if you haven’t yet done so.  Try different scents out in the store and keep it light!  It can also help give you that warm, welcoming feeling of “being home” after a long and stressful day.  It is a wonderful time to pamper yourself with long, hot, scented baths, a new haircut, and an occasional massage.  With the stresses of work, impending holidays and the lack of light we all miss so much, it is a good time to indulge yourself!

Finally, if you have the time, thing about helping out a charity or doing a community service project.  Nothing can make you feel better then truly helping others that are in need.  It will not only get you through the winter, it will make you feel wonderful as well!

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