Spring Has Sprung!

by Diantha Harris, ASID, FSII, IACT

By now we’ve all seen the spring bulbs arrive. And what an arrival it is! Is there anything more welcome to our color-starved eyes than the first colors of spring?

In Pyramid Feng Shui, as with the other schools of Feng Shui, spring relates to the element of wood, which represents growth. The color of the wood element is Green, surely the color we associate with spring and new growth! Wood is the element of change and spring is a great time to bring about changes that we are looking for in our lives.

Tired of your job? Try looking for a new one, maybe one in a completely different field than you might otherwise consider.

Tired of the colors in your home? Change the pillows on your sofa, put new sheets on your bed, sew some new curtains for the windows, paint your front door a new color, put up a new poster, bring in those beautiful new spring flowers!

Tired of feeling low? Get outside and walk in nature. Breathe deeply and just enjoy its balm. Don’t worry about getting your heart rate going...just walk for sheer pleasure. Michigan has so many great natural areas to walk in—call your local park district or conservancy group and find out which ones are closest to you. Nature is incredibly healing of both body and soul. Get out in it and let it work its wonders on you!

Tired of feeling stuck? Check around your house to see where things are stuck in your environment. Have a big pile of stuff on your desk? It is very draining on a subconscious level to always have to pick through papers or to have a pile of them blocking your space. Have a pile of stuff next to your bed? Go through it, toss out what you don’t need, and deal with what is left. Find all areas in your home and office that need to be cleaned out from the winter’s activities and get rid of anything you don’t need. It will free up your spirit and your space.

Tired of nothing to do but watching TV, playing video games, using the computer? Get outside and get moving. There is nothing more invigorating than a walk in the park, so to speak. Visit your friends and neighbors. Make connections with people you interact with every day. Volunteer! There are thousands of great organizations that need your help. Find one or two in your area that speak to you and make a commitment to help. Albert Schweitzer once said, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know. The only ones among you who will be truly happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

My husband and I, confused and overwhelmed by all the deserving and wonderful charities around, sat down about ten years ago and we each picked three groups we were especially passionate about. We volunteer, we tithe, we do what we can to support those six special groups. Meanwhile, we feel great about participating actively in something bigger than we are, and we have found new community through these efforts as well.

One of the first precepts of Pyramid Feng Shui is the Tao, which is our connection to nature, to each other, to our purpose. Find your Tao by following some of the precepts above. In closing, it is good to remember the words of Ghandi who reminded us to “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

I promise you, if you do the above things you will find renewed life, new growth and the fullness of the Tao working through you as your life turns into its own glorious spring.

Diantha Harris is a certified Pyramid Feng Shui Practitioner and author of Simply... Color. Drawing from her 25 years in the field of interior design, she teaches & consults in both disciplines. (231) 599-9925; www.lifepnet.com; lifepnet@aol.com.