Linda Varone | Nurturing Spaces Feng Shui

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Feng Shui, Light and Human Consciousness

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“The energy of human consciousness may share an affinity with light that we do not yet understand. Turning  toward that light, we might find it the source of all our inspiration and creativity.” – Tarthang Tulku, Knowledge of Freedom

I came upon this quote years ago. I confess I don’t completely understand it, but is has inspired some thoughts on how light applies to Feng Shui.  

sun rising behind clouds with rays of light shining outward
Light and human consciousness
  • The sun is the primal fire of our solar system.
  • Fire is the element of Fame and Reputation of the Feng Shui ba-gua – being in the spotlight.
  • Yin and Yang: dark and light. We would not know what light is if we did not have the dark.
  • In northern China the Feng Shui for entrances to ancient homes were oriented to face south. This provided heat and light to the interior of the house from the sun.
  • Navaho hogans (homes) are oriented with the door facing the east, so they can greet the morning sun with prayers.
  • Ancient Chinese sages and Feng Shui practitioners knew that sunlight was a form of energy.
  • Modern physicists have demonstrated that light is sub-atomic photonic energy.
  • Light is a metaphor for seeing reality clearly and moving beyond illusions and confusion.
  • Eco-psychologists note the importance of connection with nature, sunlight and fresh air by calling it “Vitamin G”.

How do you make the most of light and chi in your home and in your life?

  • Do you have a special outdoors place for relaxation and reflection?
  • Do you have beautiful window views of nature and make the most of them with an inviting chair nearby?
  • Do you bring nature indoors with plants in your home and/or workplace?
  • Do you have appropriate lighting for nighttime and overcast days?

There is something nourishing – just as chi energy is nourishing – about sunlight. Maybe someday science will identify it. In the meantime connect to the energy of sunlight and nature every day.

How do you experience the nourishing energy of light? Share in the comment box below.

Photo by Sean MacEntee

Feng Shui Lighting: Going Green Shouldn’t Leave You Looking Green

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The right compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) can make the difference between a warm, welcoming room and a home that looks like a cheap discount store.  A number of my green conscious clients complain their CFL’s make a stark unattractive light. They miss the warmth of incandescent (Edison) light bulbs. (I admit that I exaggerated a little – no one looks green, but the wrong CFL’s will make you look a bit pale and sickly.)

compact fluroescnet light bulb
The right compact fluorescent light bulb makes your home or workplace warm and welcoming

The remedy to this is “warm white” or “soft white” CFL’s with a color temperature between 2700 K to 3000 K, which approximates the warm light of 2400K incandescent light bulbs.

“Bright white” CFL’s have a color temperature of 3500 K. These are best for situations where you need bright light – such as craft work. Please note that CFL’s labeled “sunlight” or “daylight” are cool white fluorescent and only suitable for precision work areas.

Unfortunately light bulb manufacturers do not offer color temperature or Kelvin information on their packaging. You will either have to trust the “warm white” or “soft white” labels or go online and double check the color temperature ratings of specific bulbs.  Sparsam™ CFL’s (available only at IKEA stores) provide the warm light of incandescent bulbs.

Hint: I find that I need more wattage than the conversion factor listed on the label. If you want to get 75 watts of illumination you will do better with an 18 watt CFL than a 15 Watt CFL. 

Update: Warm Lighting is Now Widely Available – If You Know What to Look For

Light bulb manufacturers have listened to consumers and warm CFL bulbs are easy to find.

The newer LED light bulbs are more energy efficient than CFLs, and after years of development can be found in a warm formulation. (Unaltered, LED bulbs have a distinctly cool blue light.)

Standard light bulb information label.
Standard lightbulb information label.

Light bulbs now have standardized information labels similar to nutrition labels. These list: lux, lumens and lifespan. There is also a horizontal scale line that tells you how warm or cool the bulbs light is, in degrees Kelvin. You want to choose light bulbs where the arrow on the scale is near the left end of the scale – 2700 degrees Kelvin.This is the warm CFL or LED you want to buy.

Another hint: CFL’s contain mercury, so dispose of them at special recycling places, or see if your retailer will accept them for safe disposal.

Take a look around your home and see if you have lighting in the right places and if your light bulbs give you the warmth that makes your space inviting, relaxing and user-friendly.

Feng Shui and Nature: Bring the Outdoors Indoors

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Nature indoors is a powerful way to energize your home and yourself. Modern social scientists are now discovering what Feng Shui Masters understood thousands of years ago: Nature balances and de-stresses us.

Pink peonies on window sill, Bring the power of Nature indoors
Peonies in the window bring the energy of Nature indoors.

How to bring nature’s energy indoors:

  • Bring potted plants indoors, or bring some home, and arrange them where you can enjoy them.
  • Place a comfortable chair near a window, so you can sit in the warmth of inside and enjoy the ever-changing life outside.
  • Keep window treatments simple so they don’t crowd or obscure your view.
  • Consider doing some planting in your garden with an eye on what you see from inside, rather than from the curb.  Do some landscaping for your own pleasure, rather than the neighbors’.

Want to bring the power of Nature into your home? Contact Linda to discuss a personal consultation.

photo by muffet

Feng Shui Ecology: Going Green Shouldn’t Leave You Looking Green – with updates

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The right compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) can make the difference between a warm, welcoming room and a home that looks like a cheap discount store. A number of my green conscious clients complain their new CFL’s make a stark unattractive light. They miss the warmth of incandescent (Edison) light bulbs. (I admit that I exaggerate a little – no one looks green, but the wrong CFL’s will make you look pale and sickly.)

compact fluorescent bulb
Choose the right kind of compact fluorescent

The remedy to this is “warm white” or “soft white” CFL’s with a color temperature between 2700 K to 3000 K, which approximates the warm light of 2400K incandescent light bulbs.

“Bright white” CFL’s have a color temperature of 3500 K. These are best for situations where you need bright light – such as craft work. Please note that CFL’s labeled “sunlight” or “daylight” are cool white fluorescent and only suitable for precision work areas.

Unfortunately light bulb manufacturers do not offer color temperature or Kelvin information on their packaging. You will either have to trust the “warm white” or “soft white” labels or go online and double check the color temperature ratings of specific bulbs.  Sparsam™ CFL’s (available only at IKEA stores) provide the warm light of incandescent bulbs.

Update #1: Since I first wrote this blog there have been changes in the manufacturing and labeling of light bulbs. A new label “Lighting Facts”, which looks similar to the nutrition facts labels on food, will list brightness – in lumens, estimated yearly cost to use the bulb, estimated life of a bulb, “light appearance” using a “warm/cool” scale and degrees Kelvin.

Hint #1 : I find that I need more wattage than the conversion factor listed on the label. If you want to get 75 watts of illumination you will do better with an 18 watt CFL than a 15 Watt CFL.  I honestly don’t know why this is.  If anyone knows, please contact me.

Hint #2 : CFL’s contain mercury, so dispose of them as a toxic material at special recycling places, or see if your retailer will accept them for safe disposal.

Update #2: CFL’s now contain 60-75% LESS mercury than previously. Continue to dispose of the carefully.

Update #3: To get the full estimated life expectancy from a compact fluorescent bulb, they should have as little on/off activity as possible. Also they need to be in a vented fixture. This means a lamp should have some air vents or heat outlets, rather than in a fixture with a solid metal or plastic covering. Similarly, CFLs in recessed ceiling fixtures need to have heat vents in the fixtures.

Take a look around your home and see if you have lighting in the right places and if your light bulbs give you the warmth that makes your space inviting, relaxing and user-friendly.