September marks the beginning of the embers - the months that fall towards the end of the year like leaves swirling down the country road one after the other. They feel like the smoldering fire after summer’s heat has finally relented to the apple crisp of autumn’s breeze, still warm and glowing red hot and then simmering down to a radiant orange and finally the golden glimmer that holds on to hope that it’s home fires will be rekindled, at least in our hearts as we enter winter’s hibernation.
Spring and Fall Equinox are the only days of year when yin and yang are in perfect balance. Day and night are approximately the same length just twice a year. On these days in March and September, the sun appears to rise due East and set due West. And we get to celebrate a day of balanced energy between the dark and the light, before slowly rising into the most yang season or gradually descending into the most yin season.
For those in the Northern hemisphere, today we celebrate the first day of Fall. Tomorrow, the more dominant yin energy will begin beckoning the first signs of the changing season, ushered in by a cold nip in the air that signals the long awaited sweater weather. The dimmer days, resulting in the loss of chlorophyll in the leaves, will turn autumnal colors before gently falling to the ground.
This time of year highlights the stark contrast of cool mornings, blustery afternoons and chilly evenings outside with the coziness of fuzzy socks and warm blankets and sipping on hot cups of tea or reading by candlelight next to the warmth of a crackling fire inside. It's the time people associate with the hygge, the Danish art of coziness.
A lesser known Swedish way of life is lagom, the art of balanced living. Pronounced "lah-gome", lagom means "just enough". It's not the popularized minimalism that deprives you of any furniture and limits you to one spoon and one bowl. Nor is it the maximalism of most middle class homes, cluttered with cheap seasonal and holiday decor covering every surface.
In the spirit of Goldilocks, lagom means, "not too little, not too much, just right". It's a lifestyle founded on the principle of having no lack and no excess. It's an intentional lifestyle designed to bring balance to every area of life, through slow living and slow work, seasonal capsule wardrobes and just enough of everything you need to live a full and fulfilling life.
Lagom is what we strive for in feng shui. We create beautifully balanced living and working spaces that provide the peaceful energy we need to relax and the supportive energy we need to be productive. We do that by having the things we need to use and displaying the things that make us feel happy. And we leave enough negative space so that the things we choose to have in our living and working spaces can be seen, appreciated and truly enjoyed.
Then, when we apply the principles of feng shui to The 8 Elements™, while our first priority is to honor ourselves, a close second is balancing our energy. Just as we balance the colder weather with cosy evenings by the fire, you can feng shui yourself by engaging in activities that balance your personal energy.
On this Fall Equinox, make yourself a cup of tea and journal about the things you can do to balance your dominant yin or yang personal energy. How can you balance your activities throughout the day? How can you bring more balance to your home or office? How can you have more work-life balance? What can you do to practice the art of balanced living every day of the year?
Happy Fall Equinox!
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