October 27, 2010

Feng shui, pronounced “fung
shway,” is the Chinese practice of placement and design of man-made structures
as they relate to the natural world.
It is used to promote prosperity and the flow of positive energy. The principals of feng shui may be applied to any number of things or spaces. For instance: an outdoor walkway or the
layout of furniture in a room.

I
recently participated in a training on how feng
shui can be used to help with organizing and room design. I am going to share here some of the
basics with you so that, if you are interested, you can assess your own space.

To
start off, the literal English translation of “feng-shui” is “wind-water”.
As it is important that wind and water each be free to flow, so too in
your home, the placement of a large piece of furniture in a small hallway
becomes an obstruction to the path and flow of the space. Conversely, there are times and places
wind and water need to be guided or controlled so that they flow smoothly and
not too fast – i.e. a meandering path through a garden may be preferable to a
straight one when trying to create a peaceful atmosphere and artistic display
of flowers and plants.

Next
there is the idea of “Bagua”
mapping. In feng shui natural elements, colors and directions (north, south,
etc.) represent all parts of life.
The aspects of life represented are career, relationship, family, wealth,
health, friends, creativity, knowledge, and reputation. The way in which energy flows through
certain areas of the home is seen as source of the energy flow in our
lives. A bedroom is a source of
emotional and relationship health and a kitchen, a source of physical health
and wealth. The map can also be applied to
a single room.

OK,
I must stop here to confess that there is a wing-back chair in the corner of my
bedroom next to and behind which I have stored (more like stashed) some
items. Upon learning about the Bagua map and purveying my own home to
see how we were fairing, I realized that this chair was in the “relationship”
corner of my bedroom! I did not
divulge this information to my husband right away. Instead, I spent two restless nights bothered not only by
the stuff that I knew I didn’t want to have there in the first place, but now
by the implications of all that stuff – Aah! Two days later, my husband heard my confession while I
purged and found homes for the remainder.
–

The
final feng shui tidbit I will share
is that in each room there is a “command” position. This is a spot that gives good visibility of the entire room,
especially of the entrances, giving the best visual advantage. It is where (depending on the room) one
would place their desk, bed, couch or stove. It was pointed out that, ironically, it is the T.V. that is
often found in the command position.

I
am, admittedly, not an expert in the art of feng
shui and seriously do not put too much weight into creating happiness in my
life through the placement of a couch, nevertheless many of my organizing
practices tend toward the values and principles of space-clearing and design
embodied in this Eastern art. The
bottom line: live in harmony with the peace and beauty of the world. Free your space, free your life.

*
Annette Reyman is a member of the National Association of Professional
Organizers and its Philadelphia Chapter. View her Web site at www.allrightorganizing.com.
To contact Annette for organizing work or speaking engagements in the Greater
Philadelphia area call (908) 361-7105 or email her at annettereyman@gmail.com.

About Annette Reyman

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I’m a professional and my favorite wine glass
is a vintage jelly jar used on Sundays to finish off all the partial left-over
bottles so I can start the week fresh with a new selection of wines and an
uncluttered refrigerator. There’s something warm and fuzzy about the peeling
Flintstones decal and fond remembrances of Sundays when I was too young to
drink (that much) wine.

But that’s not the kind of fine crystal a
professional is supposed to sip from.

In my autobiography of inconsistent behavior
I also love to use a good wine glass but I don’t mean it has to cost 50 bucks a
stem. A good wine glass is like any well-designed tool. It’s there to do a
job. It’s there so you can see the
wine, smell the wine and taste the wine. I have nothing against using
uber-expensive wine glasses, but it’s not necessary – what’s important is
functionality.

A well designed wine glass contributes to the
appreciation of the wine in it and many wine glass manufacturers (especially
Riedel) have researched what shapes and sizes work for particular wine types
and varieties. In short, the bell of the glass is designed to bring out
positive features in the smell of the wine. The diameter of the rim is designed
to deliver wine to the front, middle or back of the mouth, much like the height
of the glass affects how far the head is tipped back (and therefore how far back in the mouth it is
delivered) when drinking.

That’s not as complicated as it sounds! It’s about appreciating wine with all
the senses. Let me elucidate.

When looking
at a wine, some of us like to confirm what we are drinking. Most young white wines should be pale
straw in color. Older whites will turn shades of gold. Most young reds should have a little
blue in them. Older reds begin to brown around the edges. Wines that look like
old brown shoes are likely to be trouble. If it’s a sparkling wine we want to
see the tiny bubbles, and if it’s cloudy, we want advance warning before
putting it in our mouths. So stash those dreadful cutglass Waterfords until
Sunday, and make sure your glasses are simple and clear.

Smelling. For some of us it’s all about smell. Current
thinking in the industry is that a big old fishbowl shaped glass increases
surface area when partially filled and releases more fruity smells. Use these
babies for lighter fruity wines like Beaujolais and Pinot Noir. But for bigger, earthier wines like
Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec, the tulip shape glass is favored.

For tasting
dry tannic wines like young Cabernets the goal is to shoot most of the wine to
the back of the mouth ASAP. Thus
the best glass is tall with a wide diameter rim. In order to linger a little longer with soft pretty things
(think Port and dessert wines) a shorter glass (and that includes both the stem
and the bell) with a narrow rim puts the wine closer to the front of the mouth
and lets it linger longer.

OK, so maybe you don’t really want to think
about all that every time you open a bottle. Then don’t! Here’s my recommendation for simplicity.
For everyday use in my house you’ll find a 12 oz. all-purpose tulip shape.
Stands about 8 inches high and goes in the dishwasher every night. (Just don’t let it touch other hard
tableware or it will scratch and break). Got mine from the Wine Enthusiast (see
www.wineenthusiast.com) for about $6 bucks. But you can find something similar, maybe cheaper, in many
kitchen departments or kitchen stores if you’re on the lookout.

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