Letter from the Publishers

Dr. Jody Janati (L) and Candi Broeffle (R)

Spring has definitely sprung and there is a new energy in the air this month. This April we focus on Climate Health Updates and Healthy Homes. According to the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative, the eight elements that promote a healthy home consist of having a residence that is dry, clean, safe, well ventilated, pest-free, contaminant-free, well maintained and energy efficient. We can all agree that home is also where the heart is. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home.”

Creating a home that is truly healthy for the mind, body and soul often goes a bit beyond safety and cleanliness and has a lot to do with how the space feels. In her bestselling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, Marie Kondo helps the reader find what she refers to as “joy” in the cleaning process—a concept that may fall short for a number of us when we think about getting our house in order. Her book helps us to overcome resistance to actively achieving a clean and tidy house and we strongly recommend it to inspire you for any type of spring cleaning that you choose to undertake.

The Chinese system of feng shui is a 3,000-year-old method of harmonizing individuals with their surrounding environment. The goal is to optimize the energy within one’s living space through intentional practices and the careful placement of objects. This month we’d like to offer you 10 feng shui practices for a more calm and harmonized home: (1) clear your space (2) clean your space (3) remove dangerous furniture (4) fix broken items (5) make your entryway  welcoming (6) allow fresh air and light into your home (7) immediately replace burned out lightbulbs (8) bring in plants (9) never have your back to a door (10) love what you keep.

Our Facebook question this month is: How do you create a more healthy and joyful home? Please visit us at Facebook.com/NaturalAwakeningsTwinCities/ and join the discussion. We would love to hear successful tips from our readers.

Our point to ponder this month is, “Home is the starting place of love, hope and dreams; it is where our story takes place.” Our wish for each of our readers is that your home is always too small to hold all your friends!