They always say the teacher gets more out of a class than anyone. And so was the case for me this time. The following day I had an undeniable urge to rearrange the front room of my home. It is a sort of lounge/sitting area. For some reason, I don’t spend much time there. And so I bought a lamp.

Thirty minutes later, I removed all the furniture and started over. I realized that that the current furniture arrangement was preventing us from wanting to be in the room. In my book 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Life, one of the 27 things is – Make Your Least Favorite Room Your Favorite. And, so, taking my own advice this is what I did. By simply buying a $39.99 lamp, I transformed this room into my favorite room in the house. And because every room in the house represents some aspect of our mind or body, I had been denying some aspect of myself.

Also, on the Bagua Map (Get the Bagua Map iPHone App) this room lies partly in the Career section and the Wisdom section. Now I am ready to ‘shine a light’ on some new aspect of my Career, Life Purpose, and Wisdom! I can’t wait to see what’s in store.

Those rooms in your home that you rarely go into or that you like these least, hold the potential for the most transformation. Some latent talent, skill, idea, or perspective is ready to be discovered. Go find it!

Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote the article Why You May be Having a Sudden Urge to Declutter Your Home. Since then it has been so amazing to see how decluttering has become as commonplace and popular as shopping once was. I overhear conversations on Facebook and real life of people talking about how much stuff they have gotten rid of and, more importantly, how much better they feel. There is such a magic in releasing items that are no longer in our highest and best interest, which I call density.

I oftentimes go to clients’ homes for a feng shui consultation and the first thing they want to know is what they can buy to put somewhere. But the magic happens in what you take out of your home, not what you put into it. In my book 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home, I organized the book in a sort of chronological order of how you should approach your home. Clearing out the clutter is first! Adding items that we may think of as the traditional feng shui enhancements is last.

If you are one of the many who has gone through a massive purge this last year, you are certainly not alone. And the good news is that it may be time to actually add an item or two to your home. One of the great things about decluttering is that you are much more particular about buying things in the future. Only purchase items that you absolutely love. Put back things in your home that totally inspire you. I call these “power objects.” It may be a treasure you picked up on a vacation or a sweet note from your love.

As I’m getting ready to move to a new home, I have pared down my items. I know that as I unpack, I will further declutter as I reveal objects that no longer resonate with me as they once did. I want every item in my home to be something that I absolutely love. I want it filled with only power objects.

I received this email the other day….

“I picked up your book yesterday.  I love it!!  After only skimming a few chapters I was inspired to start making some changes…well, I’ve been inspired to make changes for a long time, I just didn’t know exactly where to begin.  So tonight, after two days of clearing clutter, packing up some bags for Goodwill, rearranging my bedroom & my daughters’ bedroom, and smudging with sage & sweetgrass, I am going to bed in a different house!  It feels fantastic.  One of my favorite things is how my girls have really gotten into it.  They are only 8 and 9 but I’ve found them picking up the book and reading sections…very curious and intrigued.  They were thrilled to rearrange their room and I have honestly noticed a difference in energy in all of us. ”

What a great example of putting the OM back into your Home!

____________________________________________

Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing).  For more information, visit www.mindbodyom.com.

The following is an excerpt from 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing):

In my clutter clearing workshops, it is the “just in case” items that seem to garnish the most inner confusion and resistance. Why? Because it goes to the root of trust. Trust in the Universe? Trust in God? No. Trust in yourself!

What exactly constitutes a “just in case” item? It is any item that you are keeping just in case of a negative condition occurring that is
within your control. In other words, you are keeping the item because you don’t trust yourself. For example, keeping a snow shovel in Tennessee in case it snows is okay. In Tennessee we get a significant snowfall about once every five years. This is a condition that is beyond your control.

On the other hand, someone who keeps their “fat clothes” in case they gain weight back after a diet is a condition that is within their control. Understandably, someone losing weight doesn’t want to have to repurchase clothes in their old size in case they gain the weight back. But do you really think someone is going to keep the weight off if they already think they won’t? Of course not. If someone really wants to maintain their new weight, then getting rid of the old clothes is the first thing they should do.

In a workshop I held with cancer patients, one woman spoke up and admitted that she was keeping her “skinny” clothes “just in case” her cancer came out of remission. Be conscious of what messages you are sending out to the Universe and therefore telling yourself. Your belief in accomplishing something is the single most important part of implementing and maintaining change. According to Lynne McTaggart in The Intention Experiment, studies using the placebo effect showed that patients with the belief and expectation of a successful operation fared better than those who had actually received the operation.

In another study, scientists discovered the destructive power of having a negative intention. A negative intention is more likely to manifest a negative result than a positive intention has for bringing about a positive result. This is a testament to the importance of what messages we are sending out. Instead of saving money in the event of a negative consequence, invest in yourself and your belief in a positive outcome. It will be the best long-term investment you can make.

____________________________________________

Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing).  For more information, visit www.mindbodyom.com.

The following is a partial excerpt from my book, 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing 2010).

Walk into a beautifully decorated model home or even your favorite room in the house. What you will find is a natural interplay of the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. The Five Elements are considered the basic building blocks of everything on Earth and within ourselves. It is only natural that we feel best in environments with a harmonic balance of these essential elements. This is one reason why nature feels so good to us. Nature naturally strikes a balance with the Five Elements.

Some people have a natural affinity with design and will intuitively harmonize a space using the Five Elements without even realizing it. For example, most interior designers and decorators who are not adept at Feng Shui will naturally incorporate the Five Elements into a room. With some basic knowledge of the Five Elements anyone can enhance a space. Each element has certain shapes, colors, and qualities associated with it. These aspects can be seen in everything in your home — from fabrics, artwork, and accessories to furniture, materials and appliances.

The use of each of element will naturally differ depending on what materials are readily available in certain regions. For example, in the South most new homes are brick; whereas, in the North, most homes are wood construction. In the Southwest, adobe is the material of choice due to its availability and climate adaptability. It is therefore important to find creative ways to incorporate all five elements in a space. Here are some suggestions:

Wood:

Anything made of wood, including furniture and materials

all plants and flowers, including fake plants.

Artwork depicting landscapes, flowers, trees

Most fabrics such as cotton, silk, rayon

Columnar shaped objects

Shades of green and blue

Fire:

All lighting, including artificial and natural light

People and pets

Textiles or accessories made of fur, leather, wool, feather, or bone

Triangular or cone-shaped objects

Shades of red

Artwork depicting any of the above

Water:

Glass, mirrors, crystal, reflective surfaces

Bowl-shaped, flowing, free-forms

Black or dark-toned colors

Earth:

Pottery, ceramics

Art images of the Southwest, earth landscapes, deserts

Long, flat surfaces such as squares and rectangles

Earth tones, yellow, orange, brown

Metal:

Any type of metal

All rocks, stones, and gemstones, including granite, marble, slate

Crystals and gemstones

Sculptures

Circle and oval shapes

White, light colors, and pastels

While each room should have a balance of the Five Elements, certain rooms have a predominance of one or two elements according to where it falls on the Bagua Map. My iphone app – Feng Shui Bagua Map – includes a detail of these areas along with décor enhancements.

____________________________________________

Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing).  For more information, visit www.mindbodyom.com.

Both yoga and feng shui ultimately have the same purpose: balancing and harmonizing energy.

But the similarities just begin there…

Yoga has been an integral bridge in my life and I know for so many others. If yoga was a drug, it would be marijuana – the gateway drug. It provides that gateway to another world of thinking, being, and living. It led me from the corporate world to the healing arts. Soon after I started taking yoga classes, I started to tap into the subtle world of energy and innately understood the mind-body connection unlike any book could have explained. From there, I became an energy healer. With a background in interior design, I then wanted to heal spaces just like it was a body. I soon learned just how similar the two are.

Both yoga and feng shui are about balancing yin and yang energies.

Within all of us we have a feminine (left) side and a masculine (right) side. Yoga is so much about bringing these two sides into balance physically and thus mentally. A fundamental aspect of feng shui is bringing the yin (feminine) and yang (masculine) energy into balance in spaces. This is when a space feels (and looks) the best.

Both yoga and feng shui are about the breath and flow of energy.

In yoga the breath is the vehicle that unites the mind body and spirit. Without the breath, there would be no yoga or life for that matter. And so it is with our spaces. The flow of energy is like the breath in the body. In fact, after feng shui-ing a space, you can feel your breath change.

Both yoga and feng shui create an energy portal.

As spiritual beings having a physical experience, we are at all times juggling being in two places at once: on the physical earth and the spiritual sky. Yoga helps us be that energy portal that taps us in and balances us between the physical and spiritual. Most of us tend to be too grounded or too airy. Ideally, these two should meet in the middle, right at the heart. Our homes too can be an energy portal. Similar to the same reason churches were built with steeples, our homes or any space can be this portal that connects us with heaven and earth. As it has been said, your body is a temple. And your home can be a temple as well.

Just as yoga has been a bridge into the world of energy, so can feng shui. Our home and spaces are simply mirrors of ourselves. By applying feng shui we can have a conscious daily dose of balanced energy. And as you go to bed at night, you can have an amazing svasana.

Namaste.

____________________________________________

If you would like to experience the essence of yoga and feng shui, join me for one of my The Yoga of Feng Shui Workshops! Check Upcoming Events or contact me about coming to your neighborhood.

____________________________________________

Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home.  For more information, visit www.mindbodyom.com.

is Back!!

Beginning Tuesdays, August 10^nd , 6:00-7:15p @ Center of Symmetry in Nashville

presented by Tisha Morris, author of “27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home”

DROP IN FOR $10 OR ATTEND ALL 4 FOR $30!

August 10^th Feng Shui for the Workplace

Want to boost your business, get a promotion, or maybe even a new job? Or perhaps you keep getting passed over for a promotion. If so, then this is the workshop for you! Learn the best way to position your desk so that you will be in your power spot. Discover what may be blocking you and affirm a new sense of abundance. You will leave seeing your office in a whole new light.

August 17^th Integrating the Five Elements of Feng Shui

The Five Elements of Feng Shui – Earth, Water, Fire, Metal, and Wood – are the cornerstones of Feng Shui. Learn how to integrate these elements in your home and find out which Elements you do and don’t want in each room. With the Five Elements you will bring a natural balance and harmony into your living spaces as well as an aesthetically pleasing environment!

August 24^th Feng Shui Astrology & Numerology for Your Home

Join me for this fun and informative session! Feng Shui Astrology, known as Nine Star Ki Astrology, originated in Japan with influences from Chinese and Tibetan astrology. In this workshop, you will discover your Personal Element, Color, and auspicious Directions. Also learn the Numerology for your home to discover what energy and medicine it holds for you. You will definitely not want to miss this one!

August 31^st Decluttering Your Life to Uncover Your Soul

If you missed this session earlier in the Summer or just need to hear it again, then you won’t want to miss it! Do you feel like clutter is overtaking your home or feel like stuff is weighing you down? In this workshop, you will learn the energetic components of clutter as well as just how powerful clearing clutter can be in creating change in your life. Learn the root cause of holding on to certain items, such as unwanted gifts, just-in-case items, and old pictures. You will leave with the tools and inspiration you need to declutter your life so that you can uncover your soul.

____________________________________________

Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and author of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing).  For more information, visit www.mindbodyom.com.

You don’t have to drive very far in Nashville to see just how much STUFF we have. Like a mile-long yard sale, thousands of Nashville yards have been displaying the trash and treasures that have been stored away mostly in our basements. As a result of last week’s flood, the innards of Nashville basements have been thrown up as if the entire city just went through a bad detox.

And, in fact, the city and its inhabitants are going through a massive clearing.

In my book, 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home, Number 4 is “Clean Out Your Basement.  I mention that the basement is symbolic of our subconscious mind, specifically those things that we have suppressed. If you want to know what you’re storing in your subconscious mind, then take a look at your basement. Or, in the case with Nashvillians, take a look at your yard. As I drive around and see the remnants of what people are throwing out, I notice a lot of people are getting rid of junk. Not good stuff that was flood-damaged (although there is plenty of that as well), but junk and clutter that had been stored in the basement for years, perhaps even from previous owners.

Nashvillians are cleaning out their basements, involuntarily and voluntarily. This is allowing for each of us to clear out the sludge, the trauma, the repressed emotions, and stagnant energy that has been stored in our basements and in our subconscious mind and body. This is also true for the city of Nashville as everything is connected. What the Planet experiences, so do countries, states, cities, neighborhoods and individuals on some level. And so as each Nashvillian clears their stuff, it is also benefitting the city, state, country and Planet.

Even many in Nashville who did not sustain flood damage are becoming inspired to clear out their STUFF. I have heard so many people, as they see the amount of stuff laid out, realize how little we really need and how so much stuff can just be a burden. The awareness of the weight (literally and figuratively) is at an all time high in Nashville and as the pictures float around the internet, it is affecting and inspiring people all over to clear out stuff.

Ultimately, it’s all about balance. Each of our homes, like our body, needs to maintain a healthy energetic balance. When our body is unbalanced we undergo illness or disease. This is similar to the Planet undergoing natural disasters to find balance. And when our home becomes stagnant with stuff, we must purge it. In my article The Art of Detaching From Our Stuff, I mention how our addiction to stuff began and how to get past it.

You can also read more and implement your own plan to clear out stuff in my book, 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home, where I talk about the first step to feng shu-ing your home is to clear out clutter.

The benefits of each individual who has had to clear out their stuff from the flood will reap the benefits in the years ahead as if undergoing a major detox program. And the city of Nashville as I have mentioned in previous articles will certainly rise from this flood to new heights and be an example for all cities in the future to come.

27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home

ISBN: 9781596525672

Price: $9.99

Description:

“If you want to change your life, move 27 things in your home.” This ancient Chinese proverb speaks of the powerful connection our homes have with our lives. In 27 Things To Feng Shui Your Home, Tisha Morris shows in creative, basic steps how to use the art of feng shui to create an inviting, personal atmosphere in your home that will renovate your life.
Discover how to:

- Manageably clear clutter to optimize space
- Use lighting, color, and simple objects to create good energy flow
- Space clear to promote good health
- Integrate the Five Elements into your home to create harmony

“27 Things provides readers with an easy-to-follow, knowledgeable guide to applying Feng Shui principles to your home.  This guide is great for every homeowner, even if you’re a Feng Shui skeptic.”     ~ At Home Tennessee

“[A] new resource for people who want the energy in their home to work for them, not against them, but perhaps feel intimidated by feng shui, or the art of space planning to promote health and prosperity.” ~ Denver Post

About the Author:

Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, energy healer, feng shui consultant, and yoga instructor. After practicing law for five years, Tisha obtained a Fine Arts degree in Interior Design. She founded Mind Body Om in 2008 to help others align with their life purpose by transforming the mind, body, and home. Tisha resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

PRE-ORDER NOW!  Available April 28^th at:

WHAT AM I GIVING AWAY?

One (1) FREE 2-hour Feng Shui Consultation

AND

Three (3) FREE copies of my book

HOW TO WIN?

It’s simple. SIMPLY COMMENT BELOW in 2-3 sentences what your biggest challenge is with your home OR what you would most like to change about your home. That’s it. The first three (3) people that leave their comment will receive a free copy of my book. I will simply email you requesting your mailing address.

At the end of the 27 Days, I will select the best Comment and that person will win a 2-hour Feng Shui Consultation with me. (If the winner does not reside in the Nashville area, then the consultation will be held over the phone in 2 one-hour sessions.)

CONTEST DATES?

April 21^st through May 17^th (Leave your comment anytime between these dates.)

Thanks for participating!

Due to an unusually large amount of SPAM comments I’m receiving, I have to close off the Comments.  I am still taking Comments however through my email through May 17th.  So please continue to enter!

Email me your comment at tisha (at) mindbodyom (dot) com.

ORDER Your Copy of 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home Here!

We are realizing how little we actually need in the physical world and turning more to the simple pleasures in life. Furthermore, it simply doesn’t feel good to be in our living space if it is filled with items that we no longer need. And, for good reason. Anything in your space that you no longer use or love is simply taking up space for something else to come into your life.

Feng Shui is based on harmonizing the free flow of energy, or chi, in living spaces. If the flow is restricted, then it becomes stagnant. By keeping your spaces clutter-free, you are not only allowing the free flow of energy, but you are also removing stagnant energy that was created by that clutter giving yourself new opportunities in your life. Clutter is anything that you are keeping that stagnates your energy because it serves no purpose in your life.

Clearing clutter can evoke feelings that range from overwhelment to bliss.  For those who feel overwhelmed by the idea of clearing clutter it is best to start with small, achievable spaces even if that simply means cleaning out a drawer.  Once you’ve attained that goal, you will be more inspired to keep going.

The following are the 5 steps to clear clutter from any space:

1.  Set Aside Time
For many, clearing clutter can be overwhelming which is why it has accumulated to begin with. We put it off and just let stuff collect. So the first step of clearing clutter is to make time for it. Make it a priority. To do this, create a block of time out of your schedule. For example, take a day off from work or carve out an afternoon or simply designate the next 30 minutes for clearing clutter. The point is consciously making time knowing that this is important for your well-being.

Again, if clearing clutter seems especially daunting to you, then break down the job into small tasks. Do one box, drawer, or closet at a time.

2.  Have Materials On Hand
Make sure you have boxes and/or plastic bags, recycling bin, and garbage bags on hand. Also Sharpies are great to label boxes. This step is important because you don’t want to clear one closet just to shift it all to another closet. While you are clearing, you want to be able to immediately place the item into its destination to reduce any further clutter.

You will want to sort the items accordingly: trash, recycling, returns (all those things that you’ve borrowed over time and not returned), donation, for sale, and an undecided pile. For trash items, place in trash bags. For recycling items, place in recycling container immediately. For returns, place in a designated box. For items that will be donated, place in an appropriate bag or box for immediate delivery.

For the items you have designated for sale — whether it be for a garage sale, craigslist, or ebay — make sure the item is worth your time to sell. Make sure you are not using the “for sale” items as a way to distract yourself into keeping it. For items in the undecided pile, keep reading…

3.  To Keep or Not to Keep
Knowing what to keep and what to get rid of is the quintessential question of clearing clutter. In determining what to keep, ask yourself the following questions:

Do I use it?

Do I love it?

If the answer is “No” to both, then it goes. You should love or lovingly use everything in your home. If you don’t, it is taking up valuable space.

4.  Final Decision
For those items that you either can’t make your mind about or just can’t part with, then ask yourself why? You will find a deeper meaning. And perhaps then you will be able to part with it. If not, then save it for the next round of clearing clutter. The emotional weight will eventually get to you. Just like everything in life, we hold on to it until it becomes easier not to.

Each time you clear clutter you will be amazed at how much easier it gets and how much more you can part with. In fact, it becomes extremely freeing. When you successfully do it once, you realize life really does continue without that item(s).

5.  Delivery Time
This step is as crucial as the first step. There is no point in going through your items, just to put them in a box in your closet. Instead, immediately take the trash out. Recycle items. Deliver the donation items within 24 hours, along with any items to be returned. Begin the process for selling the items to be sold. This step can be more time consuming than you think, so build in plenty of time for properly disposing of your items. This last step can be the most annoying, but also the most therapeutic. Once you have properly rid of the items you will feel so much lighter.
AND one of the biggest payoffs from clearing clutter is that you will be so much less likely to accumulate clutter in the future.

photo credit

First off, you may be asking, “why do I even need to get rid of these items?” You wouldn’t be reading this article if in some way they weren’t weighing you down. Keeping a lot of memorabilia – be it our own or our children’s – can physically and energetically weigh you down. Having lots of stuff can literally prevent people from moving to another location – one in which they would probably be happier. Secondly, it locks you into the past.

Hanging on to lots of memorabilia prevents you from moving forward or even being present in your current life. It oftentimes prevents mothers from finding their life after being a mother. So what do you do with all the memorabilia?

Step 1: Have your adult children go through the memorabilia to see what they want to keep. After all, it’s their stuff. It’s their crayoned artwork, their graduation cap, and their mood ring. In fact, when you originally kept it, you were probably keeping it “in case” they wanted it one day. Give them the right of first refusal and have them take ownership of what they want to keep. Chances are they won’t want much of it. That is, unless you are offering to store it for them (not recommended). In which case, they will want to keep more of it. Trust me. If your children are not adults yet without enough hindsight to what they will want to keep, then gather all of the memorabilia and store it in organized containers until they are old enough to go through it. At that point, refer to Step 1.

Step 2: After your children have taken what they want, then the rest is yours. This may vary from rooms full of stuff to a file folder. Everyone is different in the amount they accumulate and therefore with the amount you want to keep or get rid of. My advice is to pick a target container size for what you want to keep. Your target size may be a file folder, a small storage bin, a large Rubbermaid bin, a closet, or even a room. Decide what is best for you. So, for example, if you select a large Rubbermaid bin, select your favorite items until the bin is full. And that’s it. Clear out the remaining items.

Step 3: Some people suggest taking photos of memorabilia items and then dispose of them. If this appeals to you, then this could certainly lighten your load. If so, perhaps you won’t have to store anything or at least not as much. For me, I would rather hang on to a few items than have a bunch of pictures. With a picture you don’t get the sensory experiences of touch and smell that you get with the actual item. When I come across my baby blanket in my Rubbermaid, it’s as if I am transported back in time. That being said, my life is just as rich with or without keeping my baby blanket. So perhaps it’s time to let it go! Your thoughts?