Earth in Balance
You may have noticed there was no monthly newsletter in April. Truth be told, despite my best efforts, I simply ran out of time. This is a fairly universal problem these days and one that bears addressing, especially since evidence clearly supports a correlation between physical and emotional wellness and the quality of personal time. It's not as though the earth is actually spinning more quickly, but from the letters and calls I received last month, my clients tell me otherwise. While some are busy designing, renovating and building homes or growing their families and businesses, others experienced reminders that it might be time to slow down.
In Chinese five element theory and feng shui, earth is the element associated with both physical and emotional health. Located in the center of the cycle, it represents the mother, connectedness, harmony and transformation. Earth fuses and disperses yin and yang energy and is the glue that holds all the other elements together. It conveys caretaking and giving, healing and changing. When balanced, earth provides a nurturing safe haven and a solid foundation for building relationships. But excess earth energy weighs us down, and contributes to feelings of melancholy, worry and resistance to change. Physically, we feel stuck, lacking energy and motivation. Smooth transitions are difficult and caring for others becomes burdensome. Since earth is linked to the stomach and spleen, we may turn to food for comfort (especially sweets) or suffer from digestive or elimination problems. By contrast, too little earth complicates personal boundaries, feelings of separation, hypersensitivity to criticism and dependence on others for validity. The quality and quantity of earth ch'i in our environment and constitutional makeup (see Four Pillars) affects our ability to cope with physical and emotional issues.
If you recognize any of these tendencies, it's possible that your earth ch'i is out of balance. Here are a few ideas to help you on your way:
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