Clutter and STUFF – the BIG picture how “stuff” affects our emotions and world

Years ago, when I was studying classical Feng Shui we also covered many other components that tied into how our  surroundings affected  our well-being and lives in general.  One of those was  “clutter” – how the stuff in our homes  affects the energy , or “chi”,  of our  comfy  abodes.

I knew that having a lot of stuff in the home made life challenging at times, like when you’re in a hurry and can’t find something – the more stuff there is the longer it takes to find that thing, the more nooks and crannies it can hide. Sometimes, we can have so much stuff that it’s difficult to find a place to sit, sleep, and even walk.

The “BIG” picture in fact goes way beyond our homes. The parts we never see because they aren’t necessarily happening in our backyards… the parts we never see, or even hear about because quite often they are intentionally hidden from our view and knowledge.

A Recipe for Cleansing our Souls, Minds, Lives and Environment 

Here’s a link to a 20 minute film on The Story of STUFF that is so well done that I hope one day it will win awards and be shown in every school… rather than teachers teaching our kids how to get the “most” for their money in a math assignment. The video can be purchased at The Story of STUFF website – Annie Leonard even provides on her site ideas for how to host viewing parties, what a terrific idea!

Watching the film made me feel good about what I’ve known for some time. It has also provided me a means to share the information – BRAVO!

Seattle Area Event – Learn ways to have a nontoxic home

How to Make the Switch

Monday, January 28th, 2008 7pm – 9pm
Alderwood Heights – Cabana
18124 – 36TH Ave. W (see map here)
Lynnwood, WA 98037
Cost is Free
Bring guests if you like, our educational events are open to all

Wondering how to get off of the toxic personal care and household cleaners treadmill?

Do you have some Young Living essential oils and aren’t sure of all the uses for each?

If you answered “yes” you will want to mark your calendar and pre-register for this Young Living NW essential oil educational event.

Jonell and Evelyn will discuss how you can easily use essential oils and many Young Living products to create the Home Safe Home you’ve been wanting.

You will learn new ways to use essential oils for everyday things, from headaches, to tummy upsets, to cleaning windows and laundry.

Added benefits are:

• safe and effective nontoxic solutions

• save money

• you will have a lot more space in your cabinets!

Pre-register online at Young Living NW.com

Questions or need assistance?

Please contact Evelyn Vincent at The Very Essence.com

Toxins & Obesity: Connected at the Hip

Does nutritional cleansing help shed unwanted pounds?

Environmental Effect

What’s the cause of all this excess poundage? Is it eating too much, or having too many jumbo servings of high-fat entrees? Maybe it is the drive-through windows located in every block.  Lack of activity?

But what about the people who exercise regularly and try to watch what they eat, yet the extra pounds still won’t budge? There’s another complex issue at work – environmental toxins.  We’re talking about toxins associated with processed foods, unfiltered water and air pollution.  Household chemicals and cosmetics are also a factor.  We are assaulted each day by poisons in our air, water, food and homes.

Here is a partial list of toxins found in everyday life:

* Trans-fatty acids (from fast foods)

* Chemical additives in prepackaged food

* Insecticide residue

* Prescription drugs

* Alcohol

* Cigarette smoke

* Formaldehyde (from new carpets and processed-wood furniture)

* Hair dyes, cosmetics and deodorants

* Gasoline

* Chlorinated water

* Home cleaning fluids

Toxic Traffic

What does all this have to do with excess weight? It could be the key to the obesity epidemic, because these toxins reside in our fat and can interrupt our bodies’ natural processes.

In The Body Restoration Plan: Eliminate Chemical Calories and Restore Your Body’s Natural Slimming System, Dr. Paula Baillie-Hamilton argues that our natural weight-regulation systems are being poisoned by the toxic chemicals we encounter daily, which make it harder for our bodies to maintain proper weight. These toxins hamper our metabolic and appetite-regulating systems.

For example, livestock headed for market are injected with estrogen to fatten them and fed pesticide-laden grains. We ingest the meat from these animals, and it affects our metabolism by making it harder for us to realize when we’re hungry or when we need to burn off the calories we’ve taken in.

Even if you’re not obese, without a nutritional diet that promotes the cleansing of these substances, the body may lose its strength and vitality. The immune system may become suppressed, contributing to illness and disease. An article in Alternative Medicine Review suggests a toxic system has been associated with several chronic conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Our bodies protect us by using any nutritional substance they can find while eliminating dangerous material. Often, this system becomes overwhelmed, and the body’s general response is to encase toxic material with mucous or excess fat, some of which people carry for years.

Many people suffer from sickness and pain because they aren’t properly eliminating poisons, chemicals, preservatives and environmental toxins from their bodies. Years of bad eating habits, low water intake, low-fiber diets, sedentary living and other lifestyle choices slow the digestive processes.

Coming Clean

You can cleanse your system for optimal health.  Cleansing your body by nutritionally supporting your body’s organs to rid them of impurities and toxic materials is essential for good health.

While there are many cleansing products on the market, one company – Isagenix – www.9days2success.com has set itself apart by pioneering the concept of nutritional cleansing. Nutritional cleansing nourishes the body’s organs so they can work naturally to remove harmful substances and return the body to balance with good immune and eliminative functions. Some experts believe nutritional cleansing is the key to help overcome food cravings, re-establish natural hunger and restore our appreciation for food.

“Rather than stressing the body, nutritional cleansing supports it, and the results speak for themselves,” says Isagenix President and CEO Jim Coover. “We’re transforming lives. One of the major benefits of nutritional cleansing is weight loss and inch loss”

Isagenix’s nutritional cleansing systems are the brainchild of Isagenix Founder and Formulator John Anderson, who says their benefits are overwhelming. “How can the complex human body systems operate while they are plugged up with pollutants, and suffering from excess weight?” Anderson asks. “Our bodies can’t stay healthy in this day and age without help.”

The physical manifestations include increased energy, better sleep, clearer skin, sharpened senses, a cleaner body and increased relaxation. As an ancillary benefit, people are losing excess pounds and inches. The mental and spiritual benefits include greater creativity, self-confidence, motivation, optimism, and improved mental and emotional clarity.*

But the positive effects aren’t just physical. When the body has eliminated the buildup of harmful substances, we feel healthier, more energized and better equipped to enjoy life’s possibilities.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease.

Health Counseling in a Pencil?

 

Traditional “wisdom” often fails. The myths of time healing all wounds, keeping busy, etc. – so accepted in our culture – do very little when we’re hurting. Recently, in conversation with my oldest daughter, we examined the common wisdom that “The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword.” “Not true,” she said. “Oh, really?” I replied, “Then what is?” “The Pencil,” she explained, “because it has an eraser. And with an eraser, you can rewrite the parts you don’t like, make changes, and create something even better than when you started.”

How true! For as much as we resist change, and abhor the experience of loss, upheaval, newness, and re-creation, we are so much better equipped if we have a pencil, than a pen.

With pens, we tear deep shreds in the parchment of our experiences as we adapt and try to rewrite. We leave ugly marks on the relationships we leave behind, or (and this may be the worst) we sometimes simply leave an intact “Is” glaring in bold print on the page of our life. Though we know deeply that a change would be better, we’re at a loss to affect change without the “write” tools.

What we need is an eraser. Not that the parts of our life we don’t like can be simply erased. Even the best of the Pink Pearls leaves the imprint, the residue, or the memory of what was. But recognizing the need for the change, equipping ourselves with the right tools, and actually taking the matter into our hands is empowering.

What part of your life could improve if you could bring an eraser to the experience, flick away the erasure dust, and re-create your next draft? Who can you contact today that can help you make that happen? Why would you not make that call? YOU have the Wisdom to GROW.