Daily Energy Forecast Plus Feng Shui & Yoga Tips!

Happy Wednesday! Today the yang earth stem meets up with the fire horse branch. The earth and fire blend well for grounding movement. In other words, there is sound decision making before jumping directly into something new. The earth quality today is about functional and practical aspirations. Deductive powers and solid reliable pursuits bode best. Organization and effective planning will propel you to the next level. Reinforce the foundation of whatever you are working on before anything else as this will create lasting results.

As the earth stem moves towards the horse branch this afternoon things may move at a slower pace. You'll want to consider all sides of a question before acting. Once you weigh the pros and cons, you'll be able to assess the competition more effectively. There is a tendency to be overly capricious about little things that will make it more difficult to make up your mind. Don't over think it and go with your gut reaction.

Energy Combinations To Look Out For:

• The energy is strong today for marketing and teaming up with others for services offered to the public. Add strong fire element to the south to take advantage of this combination.
• Real estate transactions bode well today. Enhance the Northeast with strong fire and look closely at contracts before signing.
• Time to revisit your resume. Determine a strategy for long term career growth and then stick with it. Add strong wood - thriving plant to the north sector today to capture this combination.

Feng Shui Tip:

Make a Pot Pourri using the leaves of dried herbs or dried flower pedals. Examples are: sage, pine, bergamot, bay, rosemary, rose geranium, lavender, lemon verbena, peppermint. Mix in an attractive bowl with ground gloves and cinnamon, with a little ground orris root added as a preservative. Stir the pot pourri occasionally to release scents. Revive it from time to time by sprinkling with a few drops of essential oil.

Scent is a powerful way to raise the energy in your environment. It activate the ancient part of our brain that is responsible for emotion and perception. It is a terrific way to enhance mood and the flow of energy in your home or office.

Yoga Tip Crow Pose:

Key points to consider when attempting this pose is as follows:

• Place a bolster about two feet in front of the body to protect the head when learning this pose
• Begin in a squat pose with heels lifted into the air
• Place hands on the earth and spread the fingers wide for good support base
• Rest the inner knees on the upper arms (triceps), bringing the knees as close to the armpits as possible; create stability by pressing the knees and arms against each other
• Relax the shoulders away from the ears
• Engage the bandhas, lifting the torso up and forward
• Keep the spine lengthened and take a soft gaze with the forehead
• Visualize the first 3 chakras and their respective colors opening and expanding as you hold the pose and unlock your unlimited potential!

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

*Website under constructions so please excuse the appearance

Your Breath is Like a River!

Your breath is like a body of water, sometimes shallow, other times deep, always rising and falling. You breathe air into your lungs, but the energy of the breath travels everywhere in your body, as oxygen is invited into all of your cells. Take a moment and close your eyes and inhale. Imagine the breath, like a river, moving through your body and extending through your body and extending through smaller tributaries into your limbs, feet, and hands. Your body becomes a landscape, nourished by the ebb and flow of your breath.

Om!

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fenghsuiyoganj.com

Develop a Spiritual Practice

Any activity that serves to center you, bringing you a sense of deep inner connection with both yourself and the world around you, can form the basis for a spiritual practice. Examples include Eastern disciplines, such as yoga and meditation, as well as spiritual pilgrimage or other ceremonial rituals. The activity will absorb you completely, so that you reach a state of "flow" whereby you are one with what you are doing. Practice this as regularly as possible as it will give you a point of steadiness in your life.

Other ideas:

• Learn from spiritual teachers. Study their lives and teachings and follow their precepts.
• Be humble - as Henry Thoreau once said, "Humility like darkness reveals the heavenly lights."
• Call upon your spirit guides as they can help you whenever you are in a difficult situation or have a question that you are unable to answer.
• Be in the flow of life - the ceaseless movement from one form to another. When we try to resist or control the natural pattern of change, problems arise. Harmony is restored by accepting change.

 Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

What We Can Learn form the Mountain

                                                    Christina Garofalo Bonifacio



Man yearns for the silence and stability the mountain offers. We can learn a great deal from the majestic mountain. Here are a few aspects to contemplate.

• Stillness: No matter where we are travelling, the mountain remains stationary on the horizon. To the Taoist, the virtue of the mountain is keeping still. When we are still we maintain composure. By maintaining composure we find a greater meaning in each experience and unleash potential power.
• Strength: Life is full of ups and downs. Strength is what helps us get through the rough patches. It defines the limits of everything we do and gives a foundation for life. Only after everything that happens comes one's true nature. When things still affect our being then we have not yet reached a stable inner core like that of the mountain.
• Silence: The mountain represents a transition between one phase and another, the silent moment between the in breath and the out breath. It is in that space that absolute quietude exists and higher self is revealed. Like the state of meditation, sleep or the first beginning, silence is how we connect to self and others without judgment.
• Patience: The ascent to the top of a mountain requires patience. It teaches us to value the effort and not just the success. It is through patience that we discover who we are and who we are not. Patience leads us to the axis of our being where everything revolves and a cheerful acceptance of life exists. Patience is certainly a virtue that means we can work without expecting a certain outcome.
• Peace: Mountains define the limit of everything we do and when we have done all that we can it is time to rest and find peace. When we are peaceful everything turns around us and yet we do not need to move. From this state we develop patience, inner strength, tolerance, compassion and true happiness.

Learn more about how nature impacts your life on a conscious and spiritual level through my book: Mother Nature a Bridge to Conscious Living.

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Seal of Yoga - Yoga Mudra

Image from Yoga Basics

This is a wonderful pose that focuses on grounding and surrendering. It activates all 7 chakras with focus on the 5th, 6th and 7th. Key aspects in this pose is to make sure the shoulders remain drawn away from the ears and space is created between the shoulder blades. You want to make sure there is an opening across the front of the chest. As he head rests below the heart, visualize a flower unfolding within your heart and allow this flower to hold all the potential for spiritual growth.

While surrendering in this pose ask yourself what is lacking in this moment and keeping you from feeling completely at ease.

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuitraining.com

What is Your Heart Desire?

We all desire things in life but the difference between wanting something and creating compassionate goals is if it is "born from the heart," a yogic practice of sankalpa. Authentic intention comes directly from the heart. It comes from asking what is it that life wants, which is different from what "I" want. But how do you begin to tap into sankalpa? Here is a simple meditation to start the process.

1. Sit in a comfortable position so you can relax your mind and body.

2. Welcome the feeling within your body what best expresses what you most desire in life.

3. Journal your thoughts that best reflect your heart's deepest desire. Write these words down in the present tense.

4. Compose a statement that reflects your heart's desire to bring your desire into action.

Once you are clear on your sankalpa, ask your soul what it is you need to do to fulfill your highest purpose. Starting with a quiet mind is essential in order to tune in to the whispers of the heart - the words from your soul. A relative question might be; "What is the first step I need to take to move forward on my path."

The next aspect is to commit or what is referred to as tapas. Habit building takes the most discipline, because it relies on willpower to keep the same decision day after day in motion to achieve the end result. This process calls for perseverance. There is no way around reaching your heart felt desire without conscious effort. This can uncover the behavior that contributes to roadblocks and old fears. Meet obstacles and learn from them, rather than falling apart. Take responsibility and get back on track. Finally, envision (darshan) the end result. Visualize the future you in order to get a boost over the bumps in the road. It actually tricks your brain into believing the goal is already accomplished.

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Feng Shui Daily Energy Plus Tips!

Today is a yin fire rooster day and considered to be a good day for long term activity, plan or strategy. Noting however that 2017 is also a yin fire rooster so that is a lot of fire over metal requiring the element of earth to stabilize this conflict. Therefore, it is important any decisions made today come from a position of strength and firm ground.

Fire is about clarity, vision and goals that work for your ultimate path. Revisit why you are doing what you do. This is an element that is kindled in the solar plexus chakra (manipura), corresponding to our raw potential. Are you using your natural talents in a way that produces an outcome? If not, why not?

The double rooster today may spark impulsivity especially with double fire. Be willing to take constructive criticism as it will work to your benefit. No need to be blunt towards others as you can still achieve your position without pressing it.  Be tactful and organize your thoughts and actions for greater success.

Tips for Today:

• Minimize travel
• Avoid disagreement with matriarch
• Activate relationships with those who can promote you
• Come back to your career goals

*Remove one item in your environment that isn't working for you and replace it with something that does.

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

                                                            www.njfengshuitraining.com

Don't Let Joy Become Your Needs

From the Daily Motivator, Ralph Marston talks about letting joy be and not making it become a need. When we take things we enjoy and feel they need to become a necessity, the joy actually disappears. Don't reshape joy into a burden by needing to have it. Instead, just allow joy to happen. Let it pull you towards it. Get away from the need to have joy and simply live it!

For more ways to see the joy and happiness in everyday life read: The Happiness Chronicles by the Wisdom Buffet Writers!

Om!

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

www.njfengshuitraining.com

Energy Forecast May 2017!

Yin Wood Snake - May 2017

The month changes at exactly 3:42 PM today when the yin wood heavenly stem meets the snake branch. Let's take a look at how these energies play out for today and for the month.

Stem - Yin Wood:

Wood is an active element representing growth, vitality, ethics and self-confidence. Interest this month will be wide and varied. Expansive by nature, you'll want to do things on a grand scale. Organization and apportion separate matters into correct categories and work orders is essential this month. Taking on long-term large projects is fine but know it will bode best to bring others on board. Branching out and diversifying is a plus this month. Financial support is readily available as it will be easy to convince others to join in on your idea. One drawback with wood is a tendency to bite off more than you can chew. Be mindful of what you can  realistically handle.

Snake Branch:

The snake is a deep thinker, wily financier and philosopher. Wisdom is the name of the game when it comes to the snake. Relying on your own judgement is key this month as well as paying your dues. Matters may arise that cause you to feel skeptical but go with the flow to avoid undo stress. You may feel it necessary to put up your guard this month, but know that is only the energy of the snake who has issues when it comes to trusting others.

Wood Snake Combination:

This is a strategic combination that has a true understanding of what is going to prevail in the course of events. Intellectual freedom this month is a must. Emotional stability and financial security are top priorities. It is easier to attract what you need this month as the wood snake combination acts like a magnet. Good judgment and detective work make for excellent investment strategies. Spend time  appreciating the arts this month.

Full Chart Combination:

The Snake month branch forms a six combinations with the hour branch of the Monkey. The result is the element of water. For today (5/5/17), that adds strength for good communication in deals.

The Rooster year branch combines with the Dragon day branch and releases the element of metal to build strength when it comes to leading others and managing situations.

The Snake month branch to the year Rooster branch forms a semi-earth trine this month. This results in the element of metal. This is an element that can cut or destroy or lead with precision. The choice is yours. The most effective way to utilize the metal influence is to organize your thoughts and come up with a strategic plan to lead others towards reaching your goals.

The Monkey hour branch to the Rooster year branch also creates a directional semi-trine, and this too releases the element of metal. Mental processes this month is extremely important for the most effective outcome.

The wood Snake releases fire in the 5-melodotics pointing to wealth prospects for this month.

A heavenly noble is formed this month between the day stem of yang water and the Snake month branch. Therefore, a benefactor may appear when one is in trouble. This could simply mean you assist someone today who is in need of help.

Post Horse is formed between the Rooster year branch to the month Snake branch. This month be aware of travel. Take precautions.

The Stars:

The stars find their natural home this month with the 5 landing in the central palace of the loshu. Therefore, each star trigram receives assistance from its' home.


The 5 earth star is a very difficult star and especially during this 20-year cycle. This star essentially creates chaos, potential legal issues and illness. Not a very good combination of energy. When the 5 star arrives in the center of the structure it is best not to engage in any major decisions such as:

·       Purchasing real estate

·       Moving

·       New business venture

·       Travel

·       New career

Since the center is represented by the element of earth, this star is naturally assisted. Obviously, this is not good.  Because this star is located in the center, then all occupants tend to experience the effects of this energy. 

It is best to keep the area quiet and ring a bell frequently to disperse the negative energy.

Positive Areas:

North - Career is flowing this month. Keep the energy moving here with water or metal elements.

Northeast - Finances are a given. Support with fire and movement.

Northwest - Network and lead with grace. This will catapult into new business ventures.

South - Tap into your soul's mission, vision and goals. Support with strong wood.

Questionable Areas:

East - Family gathering can be intense this month. Elders will show their strength. New business is likely. Add fire to calm the qi.

Southeast - Female disturbance in relationship is possible. Literature research is strong  for financial gain. Add fire to tame this energy.

Problematic Areas:

                        

Southwest - Abdominal disturbance and relationship strain. Add metal to drain this energy.

West - Skin, mouth irritation and cutting remarks from female. Virtual water to lessen the effects.

Center: Overall chaos and/or legal issues. Metal vibration - ringing bell frequently.

Yoga & Meditation:

Since the central palace has a disturbance, it is best not to take on any new or strong yoga practices this month. Stick with free flowing classes and asanas (poses) that you are comfortable with. This isn't a month to explore a challenging pose.

Your meditation practice should be strong and regular to balance the otherwise chaotic 5 star. Choose to meditate in any of the positive areas mentioned above. It is best to stick with a regular routine so you remain grounded.

Working the root chakra for stability bodes well. Standing poses such as mountain pose, warrior 2 and pyramid pose bode well this month. Practice engaging the root lock by squeezing the pelvic floor throughout your practice.

Happy May!

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com

www.njfengshuitraining.com

Get Grounded!

Photo by: Mary Jane Kasliner

It's easy to become unglued. Let's face it, we tend to move in a rapid pace so getting grounded can be difficult to do. But it doesn't have to be. Try these simple moves to start your day and see if you feel a difference. I bet you will!

•  First thing in the morning massage your feet. It is a good way to ground, center and remember ourselves. You can do this by sitting on your yoga mat, the floor, chair or couch. Massage each foot for 5 complete breaths.
• Move into downward facing dog pose. This opens the entire back of the body and helps recirculate energy through the system. Take 3 to 5 long, deep breaths. Feel free to bend your knees in this pose to ease into the hamstrings.
• Next, move into standing forward fold. Keep your knees also bent in this pose while you reach your sits bones high.
• Legs up a wall pose. Find a clear space at a wall or against a chair or sofa and shimmy your seat close, and rest your legs up the wall or on the chair or sofa. Set a timer for 3 to 5 minutes and breathe normally.
• Sit in meditation for 5-10 or 20 minutes.

Starting your day with the aforementioned will ground and center you so you can handle anything that comes your way.

Mary Jane Kasliner
www.fengshuiyoganj.com
www.njfengshuitraining.com

Become the Sky!

From the book 1,001 Ways to Relax, visualizing the vast blue sky above is a wonderful way to let go and recharge. Try this simple meditation:

• Visualize an endless blue sky and realize it is without limits, without boundaries and embraces the world.
• Become aware of your breath and concentrate on the point between your brow, the 3rd eye.
• Begin to sense the mind, and therefore the whole self is without limits or boundaries.
• See the whole sky fill up your mind and begin to experience the boundless self and spirit - infinitely rich, infinitely calm.
• Do not strain to capture infinity - just relax in acceptance of the boundless sky inside and outside your boundless consciousness.

Om!

                                                                   Mary Jane Kasliner

                                                                www.fengshuiyoganj.com

Side Open Angle

This is an excellent pose to improve digestion, stretching the calf, hamstring and lower back, opening of the hips, spinal flexibility and increase circulation to the liver and kidneys.

Points to Keep in Mind:

• Widen legs approximately 90 degrees
• Turn your torso to align the extended leg
• On the exhalation, extend forward and hold foot with both hands
• Press ball of foot into the hands
• Extend from low belly
• Root tailbone down and draw sides of waistline back
• Lead with your heart
• Bring forehead toward upper shin
• Stay in pose for several breaths

Om!

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com