A headline on CNN.com caught my eye this morning:
Ultra-small is Beautiful for Japanese Homeowner (Home is built on land for parking space)
It goes on to show a modern house built on a tiny, triangular sliver of land in downtown Tokyo. The space is 30 square meters (around 300 sq. feet – see above).
I’m always impressed by people who are willing to live with less. From a Feng Shui perspective, small spaces can actually have very good energy, and even increase one’s abundance.
Living with fewer possessions allows the chi to flow easily in a space. A small home necessitates living with less and being conscious and organized with each item we have. (The owner of the tiny home only has two coffee cups!)
The result is that the space is clean, neat, and light. These are very important factors in good Feng Shui. Furthermore, our minds and emotions are impacted by our surroundings, and a small, well organized space can create mental clarity and peace of mind.
It reminded me of a related piece I had read on the front page of The New York Times last week:
In These Lean Days, Even Stores Shrink
The smaller, cozier interior of the Anchor Blue store in LA.This article profiled successful businesses who are keeping costs down and profits up by chopping off chucks of their floor space or moving into smaller digs.
Obviously some businesses are saving money by moving. However, many are keeping their existing stores and walling off much of the floor space, because they are finding it profitable. Why would that be? The Feng Shui principle here is creating a more intimate shopping environment. Market research is finding out what Feng Shui already knows: people feel overwhelmed by sprawling shopping centers and big box stores, and they crave a simpler, easier shopping experience where they feel more catered to.
This trend (what I call “Light Living”) is one that I hope will continue. Feng Shui is ultimately about mindfulness as it applies to our physical surroundings. Right now, America is embracing this lifestyle out of necessity, but my hope is that our society will see its benefits and choose this way of life, even as our economy eventually improves.
The large storage area, which used to be sales space.Share on Facebookblog comments powered by DisqusNavigation -->About me
I love exploring how our physical space can help us to manifest our dreams. In this blog we'll go deeper with design, creating homes and lives that fulfill our visions. Visit My Website
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