MJ's Energy Forecast!

Today, the yang metal heavenly stem resides over the earthly dog branch. This is a sheng cycle between the elements of metal and earth and therefore keeps energy flowing without impediments.  The earth dog branch fuels the heavenly metal stem, or the body pushes the mind. When the elements are positioned in this manner, it behooves you to exercise the body to establish clarity for the mind. This can be as simple as taking a brisk walk, or any other exercise regiment. You'll find in doing so your day will be more productive.

The main way to approach your day with metal rising, is to follow a precise routine. Take time to organize your schedule by writing down everything you would like to accomplish today. Approach all things with a clear mind, honesty and fairness. Trust what comes your way is for the best. Be bold, confident and forthright for best results.

Other Areas of Focus:

• Designate some time today on your finances. See where you can make some adjustments to increase investments and shave off excess.
• Make sure those you choose as mentors, or to network with today, share your same vision.
• Determine how you can infuse creativity into your job. Can you incorporate a "think outside the box" mentality?
• Keep your ideas in check and realistic. Focus on one goal at a time.
• Consult family elder for future business opportunities.

Om!

Mary Jane - Feng Shui Yoga Girl 

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Spring Rising!

Wood Energy on the Rise for Spring Awakening

The yin wood rabbit is born in the month of March to welcome in the rise of spring. 

The Rabbit's Nature:

There is something quite magical about the rabbit energy. In Chinese astrology, the rabbit is considered to be very social, good conversationalists, and great healer. The most unassuming of types, the rabbit is always very much aware of what goes on around them, especially when it comes to people's motives. The rabbit's great sensitivity and easy-going nature often conceals a very clever and deft mind. You never really know what they are thinking. The rabbit in the Four Pillars grants one the ability to divine the social scene and the prevailing consciousness of the public. As such, the rabbit can take on any role very well. Thus, they can appear as a sort of everyman, with the public.

Everyday Translation: 

This month, prepare for several social events. As the weather warms up, there will be plenty of opportunities to be outdoors and relish in the beauty of nature. People will be  more aware of what's going on around them personally and publically. Leaders locally and globally are not immune to this energy combination; therefore, they will explore friendlier options when it comes to negotiating tactics. 

Healing is the trend for this month whether physically, emotionally, politically or spiritually. By and large, people will sense the need to restore balance to their lives and will seek alternative ways to accomplish that.

Rabbits are Great Dreamers:

Dreams are especially important to the rabbit and their dreams can be quite prophetic, for the rabbit is a prophet and a seer if their insights are given heed. Rabbits find the mysteries of love to be a quest for them, the magical alchemical formula that will transform their life. The rabbit is exemplary of Yin Wood (their native Element). They like 'inner space' and can create huge mental vistas. They are very good at visualization and they are usually quite visionary. 

Everyday Translation:

Dream big this month! Is there something you have been putting off in your life because you felt the timing wasn't right? This is the month to satisfy your dreams. Even if you take baby steps, that is fine. The idea is to move towards your dream to bring it to fruition. Perhaps include a vision board to assist you in the process. Sometimes it is easier to know what your dream is when you can actually see an image of it. Place this image somewhere you can see it everyday so it is imprinted in your mind.

Wood Element and Spring:

Spring is designated to the wood element, and the qualities of spring such as sudden change and volatile weather are reflected in the way the body is associated with the wood element attributes. Changeable wind patterns that are indicative of spring can aggravate the liver meridian and cause arthritic conditions to flare. Keeping this meridian flowing with yin yoga poses such as reclining butterfly, wide knee child's pose and dragonfly pose are wonderful to balance this meridian channel. Holding these poses for at least three minutes will give you the best results.

The wood energy for spring can be rather powerful and is associated with our warrior years during our 20's when we are planning our life strategy. The liver needs to be strong to provide for great foresight. If not, we are likely to stumble and have a rocky start. This holds true whatever stage in life you are in especially if you are looking to take a new course direction. Confident commitment is needed to launch anything new in life and this is evident is the strength of the wood element represented by the tree, but also requires the flexibility of yin wood represented by the trees ability to go with the flow of the wind and its bending branches.

The wood element also has a negative aspect to it such as anger, frustration and depression. Great vision and the ability to plan, and being decisive are the motivating factors that are essential to ward off the negative aspects of wood. Should wood become unbalanced, and the liver meridian stagnate, you may find other symptoms that can arise including:

• Frustration
• Feeling stuck
• Emotional volatility
• Headaches
• Hormonal imbalances
• Rib pain
• Joint pain
• Blood pressure fluctuations
• Watery eyes

 

The gallbladder is also associated with the element of wood and is connected with our ability to follow our path in life, to avoid deviating or being put off by external influences. Too much liver or gallbladder chi forces us to make rash decisions, and when wood is depleted, we experience hesitation and timidity. Some yin poses to keep the gallbladder meridian fluid are: Shoelace, eye-of the needle, and sleeping swan. Again, holding these poses for a minimum of three minutes is best.

Om!

Mary Jane - Feng Shui Yoga Girl: www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Daily Energy Forecast Update

Photo Taken by Martha Geiger

Today, the challenging 5-yellow star sits in the center of the loshu grid. Unfortunately this star is double weighted as the month of February is also represented by this same star. With that being said, it is best to stay low in terms of setting new business or any major decision. All the trigrams align to their natural home when the 5 - star takes the center position.  Therefore, the energy in each portent is exacerbated. Areas to focus your energy today are as follows:

• Goals: It is a good day to review your long-term and short-term goals. Don't make any major changes to them. Simply streamline what you have.
• Networking for new opportunities: Take the position of exploring who you can reach out to for future work, but don't actually set up a meeting. Use this day for exploratory work instead.
• Career: Do you have a long-term plan in place for your career? If not, today is a good day to lay the framework.
• Self Exploration: Delve within yourself to find the answers you are looking for. Spend at lease 30 minutes in meditation today.

*Note: Money is strong to the northeast today so go ahead and place moving water and some money there!

Om!

Mary Jane

Feng Shui Yoga Girl

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

9 Clearing Cycles - A Seven Minute Daily Breathing Practice

This is a breathing practice you'll be glad to engage in on a daily basis. Begin by sitting in a comfortable position and elongating the spine. Close off the right nostril and slowly inhale and exhale through the left nostril 5 times, allowing 5 seconds for each in breath and 5 seconds for each out breath. Then close the left nostril, and take 5 slow through the right nostril. Now you begin the 9 clearing rounds. Close the right nostril and through the left nostril allow a slow inhalation followed by a slow exhalation. Then breath in slowly again followed by a brisk exhalation. These 4 breaths make up one round. Do three rounds. After three rounds on the left, close the left nostril and complete three rounds through the right. Remember, the rhythm of each round is in slow, out slow, in slow, out fast. After three rounds through both the right and left, repeat the same thing through both nostrils together for 3 rounds. This makes up the 9 clearing cycles. While you exhale on the left side, imagine you are letting go of your greed. While you are exhaling on the right side, you can aspire to release all of your hatred.

Om!

Mary Jane - Feng Shui Yoga Girl

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Lunar Eclipse and Moving Inward

A lunar eclipse is a powerful astronomical event. On January 31st, we will experience such an event considered to be a Blue Moon. This is the second full moon for this month. During eclipse, it is as though nature is turning inward. If we take this out to our yoga practice, it is a perfect time to turn inward with meditation. It is a time to discover the inner workings of self awareness and the spirit side of things.

Pratyahara, the fifth limb of yoga, signifies the withdrawal of the senses—turning the consciousness inward to release external stimuli. This can be done through the practice of pranayama. Simply focusing on your inhales and exhales will begin to quiet your mind and the outside world. Another technique is visualization, which can quiet external stimuli. You might visualize a vast landscape, like an ocean or a field. The absence of details in these kinds of scenes will help you from becoming distracted. Beginning your meditation in a quiet place will also allow you to move into pratyahara more quickly.

Pratyahara isn’t just good for your yoga practice. It’s a useful skill that will influence your whole life. The world around us tends to be over-stimulating, we easily slip into noise, distraction and the lure of media and technology. Let the full moon experience pull you inward so you can experience the true network of your being.

This comes at a perfect time as the solar new year, a point between the winter solstice and vernal equinox is also upon us. Refer to my blog that covers a three part series on how to prepare for this new year ahead!

Om!
Mary Jane - Feng Shui Yoga Girl
www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Struggling Against Santosha - Contentment

The second Niyama, Santosha, is about a state of contentment. It is the ability to remain in a present moment of awareness. When we struggle against the present moment, we are in essence struggling against the cosmos. 

Contentment implies acceptance without resignation. It arises when we relinquish attachment for the need to control people, places and events. Santosha is the absence of this need to control or to power over situations that arise in life. Through the practice of yoga and meditation, your experience of the present moment quiets the otherwise turbulent mind, which in turn, disturbs your contentment - contentment that determines your state of being whereby your peace of mind is independent of the situation that you are in and circumstances that are happening around you. Now that's pretty powerful stuff!

Om!
Mary Jane Kasliner - Fengshui Yoga Girl
www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Feeling Stiff? Could Be Your Fascia and Not Your Muscles

Feeling Stiff? Could be Your Fascia and Not Your Muscles

Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey

Have you ever felt so tight you thought you were on the verge of tearing a muscle? I'm pretty sure we can all relate to that experience. What's so interesting is it may not be your muscles at all. We all have something called fascia that is part of our physical makeup. Fascia is a network of connective tissue that pretty much holds us together. It is made up of extra cellular material that resides in intracellular spaces. It has a gel-like substance that holds us firmly together accommodating every movement we make. 

This gel-like material spreads out like a web connecting everything in your body. That's right; everything. The circulation in your body needs to pass through this web-like consistency, but if the fascia is dried out, less circulation can flow through to nourish the body and remove toxins. This is why you may feel tight and stiff in certain areas and think your muscles are to blame. 

Yoga helps to stretch and hydrate this fiber webbing matrix making it more permeable for circulation to move through and do its job. Deep strengthening and stretching squeezes this fascial network similar to ringing out a sponge. That visual should sound pretty familiar to yogis who engage in twisting asanas. The longer you practice yoga, these fascial fibers will thin out and ease any tension in the overall fascial matrix, and that means less pain and resistance for you.

For 18 Amazing Benefits of Yoga According to Science, click here! And for the icing on the cake, 2018 is a perfect year to practice this earth quality practice. Read about the Earth Dog 2018 forecast from my feng shui blog here!

Here's to a free flowing fascia network!

Mary Jane Kasliner

Feng Shui Yoga Girl - www.fengshuiyoganj.com

7 Things You Can Do to Welcome in the Earth Dog for 2018! View this email in your browser

7 Things To Welcome in the Earth Dog Year of 2018! Welcome to Body Space Alignment Newsletter. On February 4th, 2018, the solar new year begins. The Earth Dog will rise, as the Fire Rooster of 2017 moves into storage.  This is the first of a three part newsletter to prepare you for the year ahead. Today, I begin with 7 things you can do to prepare for the changes that are coming. Part two of this series will include the energy of the Earth Dog while the  third segment will review points of interest in your environment and other activities that are beneficial for 2018. Let's get right to it! Elevate Your Consciousness! Mary Jane   1 & 2. Organize and Cleanse Your Environment: In Deepak Chopra's book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga, he discusses how to integrate all parts of your life. This includes your environment, As a feng shui consultant and yogi,  I couldn't agree more with him. Within your physical domain, you have and extended body, and an energetic body. Your extended body is the environment, containing the never-ending supply of energy and information that is available to you. Every sound, sensation, sight, flavor, and aroma you ingest from the environment influences your body and mind. Each breath that you inhale and exhale is a reminder of the continuous conversation taking place between the physical body and your environment. With that being said, it behooves you to take note of what your surroundings are like and how you can improve it. Without getting into a long laundry list of things to do, go for the obvious infractions such as clutter, old and worn out items, tattered fabric or peeling paint. Start big and then refine. Once you complete the cleaning and organization steps, then cleanse your space. You can do this with herbs, bells  and essential oils. Have fun walking around your home and  removing old suck energy patterns and refreshing it with new active intentions. I have several e-programs and books that can guide you every step of the way to dramatically improve the look and feel of your home. At the end of the day, you need to take responsibility for what is happening in your environment. 3 and 4. Complete Unfinished Projects & Clear Your Mind: I don't think I know anyone who doesn't have something hanging over their head when it comes to business and projects. Is there a project you've been working on but somehow let it get away from you? Aim at closing any loose ends, the logic is to start fresh and continue what is good, and let the rest go. Now that you can let go of the unfinished work, you can spend some time to clear your mind. First, make a list of all the good things that happened in 2017. Take some time to also list the not so good. When you review the list, are there any lessons for you to walk away with? Now, make a list of the things you would like to realistically accomplish in 2018. I say realistically, as many times we put so much down on our list we set ourselves up for failure. Break it down in monthly intervals. It will not look so daunting that way. Make sure you include a meditation practice in this process. You'll be amazed what comes up.   5 and 6. Manifest and Welcome the New: What is it you would like to manifest in 2018? Can you see it, feel it, smell it and taste it? Take a least one action everyday that gets you closer to you year goals. Meditate daily and see yourself living your desires. Especially take advantage when the energy is really high such as a full moon to do your visualization and meditation. Go ahead and buy something new to welcome in the solar new year. Maybe a nice accent piece for your home or wardrobe. Either way it's always nice to welcome in the new with something that is literally NEW!   7. Feng Shui: The first of the Chinese month is an excellent time to treat yourself to a feng shui consultation. That can be for your home, office, or maybe an astrology reading to bring clarity for business, home, family, personal and your soul's mission. This is an excellent way to bring in the new year and know exactly where the most powerful points are in your environment and how to open them up to assist you on your goals, desires and manifesting process. Contact me for your personal consultation. Part 2 of this Newsletter series I will expound on the Earth Dog energy for 2018. This is a generalized approach since personal impact is determined by personal birth data and how it interacts with the Earth Dog for 2018. Part 3 of this newsletter series I will delve into the feng shui flying stars on a generalized perspective. Once again, for personal impact, the year structure was built and facing direction is essential.

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Yoga is Union

Olympic National Park

According to Deepak Chopra in his book ;The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga, the essential purpose of yoga is to integrate all parts of your life. This includes your environment, and as a feng shui consultant, I couldn't agree more with him. The physical, emotional and spiritual body is the core component of yoga practice. 

Yoga is a practical system to awaken the human potential, a way to directly access the wisdom of life. Yogis know the mind and body are ever changing with the ebb and flow of the universe, but the soul remains untouched, beyond the world of change. 

According to Adi Shankara, ninth century sage, he elaborated the layers of life that cover the spiritual self. In yoga we refer to these layers as the Koshas, meaning "coverings." By and large, we spend most of our time and energy on the most outer layer, or the physical(anamaya kosha). There is a never-ending supply of energy and information that we ingest through our senses from our environment. We are all responsible for our environment, and collectively, the global environment. Part of this layer is influenced by the air that we breath or the breath body (pranamaya kosha). It is the sheath of vital energy - life force.

There are five  seats of prana that move energy to parts of the body (head, throat, heart, stomach and pelvis). When prana moves freely throughout the cells and tissues, vitality and creativity is abundant. This sets the foundation for a sound mind. However, yogis realize the mind is not who we are. The mind (manomaya kosha)  is simply another layer covering the true self. The mind simply acts as a repository of sensory impressions. There are layers to the mind where we discern things, make choices  and distinguish the real from the unreal.  The real can't be lost but the unreal is anything that has a beginning and end to it. Knowing the difference is the essence of yoga.

The causal body is the field of pure potentiality. This is the domain of the spirit. It gives rise to our thoughts, feelings, dreams, desires and memories. There are several layers within the causal body. Shankara believes, each person arrives on this planet with a specific purpose and unique set of talents and skills. Given the right environment, the seeds sprout, and we become capable of serving others with our gifts. 

Yoga encourages us to write our story and expand our sense of self to embrace the domain of our soul. 

Learn more ways you can embrace your soul by taking control of your personal happiness, health, environment and more by visiting my publications page.

Om!

Mary Jane Kasliner - Feng Shui Yoga Girl - www.fengshuiyoganj.com

 

Honor the Beginning!

Manasquan Beach, New Jersey

Beginnings can be delicate or explosive. Either way, they hold the promise of new lessons to be learned, old lessons to be recalled and appreciated. Beginnings can be ambiguous and even fearful, but don't let that deter your enthusiasm for something new. Instead, open your heart and mind to all that the universe has to say. 

Think of this new year as an exploration, a journey to a new place. What will you pack for your journey? Perhaps bring along some lessons from the past that can propel your excitement and curiosity into the future. Whatever you choose, try not to plan out the course, simply let it organically unfold. Don't worry about the specifics or who you need to meet, the right circumstances and teachers will arrive just when you least expect it. All parts of the journey are sacred, so do not place the emphasis in any one particular area. 

Map Your Own Journey:

One of the best approaches to starting something new is go on your own authentic path. Don't let others influence your direction or judge your choices. We all have the freedom to explore where our soul needs to take us. Get out your map and delve in. Let your heart be the navigator, it knows the way. Listen to the voice within, the quiet voice and see where it takes you.  Trust your heart instead of your head. Unfortunately, the head creates too much noise limiting our ability, vision and opportunities. There is a tendency for the head to see with the eyes of fear. It is the heart that sees clearly and takes into account all things that need to be done. Follow the map drawn from your heart and connect to the Universal oneness of all things.

Om!

Mary Jane Kasliner - Feng Shui Yoga Girl - www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Cold Weather Yoga Tips

Albeit very tempting to snuggle up under a blanket while the temperature declines, the better thing to do is to move your body. Here are a few cold weather yoga tips to help warm you up and ease stiff joints.

• Start your day with a few rounds of sun salutations. Follow them up with ground poses to get deeper into connective tissue for full release of any muscle tension.
• Regular yoga practice will help to build your immune system. That is a perfect way to keep bacteria at bay.
• Practice pranayama (breathing exercises) to clear out congestion. Kapal Bhati or skull shining breath is a wonderful way to heat up the body during these cold days.
• Include a meditation before and after your practice to help lift the "winter blues." It acts like an instant mood changer.
• Because it is cold outside, the body stays in a contractive state. Try adding more shoulder openers into your practice. Be mindful of externally rotating upper arm bones to let the heart come through in poses such as warrior 1.
• Practice mindful eating as the tendency is to indulge during the colder months. Shift your diet to include more soups, green tea, ginger and stewed vegetables.

This winter stay warm by rolling out your yoga mat and moving with the ebb and flow of your breath!

Om,

Mary Jane - Feng SHui Yoga Girl: www.fengshuiyoganj.com