Greetings {!firstname_fix}!
I’m back from my Synchro Destiny retreat with Deepak Chopra, and if any of you Wardrobe
WisdomMail readers have ever experienced his brilliance, you know that I am not the same person who wrote to you a couple of weeks ago. It would be impossible.
I’m not going to go into all the details of my personal transformation now, as I am still processing all that transpired during those five days in Puerto Rico. What I can share with you is that my professional vision has expanded -- exponentially. What I realized or, more accurately, what this experience confirmed for me, is that the true purpose of my work (and what really turns me on about it) is to transform what Dr. Chopra refers to as the “collective,” or universal mind-set/condition.
I do this by sharing my personal mission to make the mundane magical and to provide you with mindful and meaningful everyday tools that support you in living a fulfilled, flattering, functional and fortified life. You are the beacons of change -- as you transform and heal yourselves, physically, mentally and/or spiritually, you transform and heal the rest of the world.
Since I have committed to his professional training program for the next couple of years, I will be adjusting my 2011-12 teaching and personal appearance schedule to make room for my continued study with Dr. Chopra, as well as for tending to my own health and well being.
Remember, as I grow, personally and professionally, so do you -- and so do those who surround you, and those who surround them, and those who surround them, etc, etc, etc. Envision a hall of mirrors where your own image is repeated indefinitely. That’s the collective.
With love and blessings for a life filled with meaning and purpose,
Evana Maggiore, AICI CIP
Founder/President of Fashion Feng Shui® International
Author of Fashion Feng Shui® The Power of Dressing with Intention
“Ritual + Meaning = Transformation” ~ Deepak Chopra”
 I’ve been a longtime proponent of creating ritual out of routine. What I didn’t realize is how powerful the combination can be. I’ve seen the results, but now I better understand the process.
When you integrate mindful awareness into your everyday tasks (getting dressed, for one) you set the wheels of the Universe in motion. To live mindfully is to invite intention into everything you do.
Intention, according to Dr. Chopra, has infinite organizing power. It supercharges the fulfillment of your desires.
You DESIRE it + You AFFIRM it + You FEEL it = You MANIFEST it
Sounds pretty easy. Why is it so hard for some of us to do?
A Sanctuary for Self-Care
By Terah Kathryn Collins
Feng Shui Expert & Author
Founder, Western School of Feng Shui
www.wsfs.com
A sanctuary is a “sacred space” that holds tranquility in place. Set apart from everyday activities, its peaceful atmosphere beckons you to relax and absorb the vital nutrients of quiet solitude. While some people are blessed with such a space in their homes, all of us are blessed with the capacity to create an inner sanctuary. All it takes is imagination, unlimited by budget, square footage, or other people’s preferences.
Feng Shui observes that whenever one aspect of life dominates over another, imbalance occurs. There are times when we can get caught in the seemingly never-ending needs of others and spend precious little time restoring ourselves. What’s more, the environment we find ourselves in can be the antithesis of a sanctuary. This is where the instant accessibility to an inner sanctuary can be a godsend.
To create a virtual sanctuary, simply close your eyes and begin to imagine a place entirely comprised of your favorite colors, images, aromas, flavors, sounds, and textures. What kind of place would you create if you had absolutely no limits? What would it look like, feel like, smell like, and sound like? When I first did this exercise, I caught myself editing my preferences because of size or expense. I had to repeatedly remind myself that I could invent a space that truly celebrated my senses and made my heart sing. I chose iridescent turquoise silk couches in a splendid Balinese pavilion … the scent of jasmine wafting in a warm breeze ... a low, round, and intricately carved table … mangoes in a hand-hewn bowl … tropical gardens filled with flowers and birdsong… Water falling into a natural pool of crystal water ….
It’s all just make-believe, right? Yes, and when it slows my anxious heartbeat, restores my capacity to breathe fully, and lifts my spirits, it’s also real.
During a recent visit with my mother, I discovered just how helpful an inner sanctuary can be. She lives in an assisted living home, 3,000 miles away, and every day of my one-week visit was filled with intense care-giving. Each night, I’d envision my inner sanctuary and feel the heavy pressure of responsibility ease. My mind would disengage from the litany of problems yet to be solved and relax into the harmony of my inner world. I had a tranquil place to go, and I went there a lot. On the plane home, I realized I felt completely different than usual. Instead of drained to the marrow, I felt strong. Balanced. I had cared for Mom, and I’d also cared of myself in a way I’d never done before. I had carried my sanctuary with me.
A Note from Evana
My mentor and dear friend Terah Kathryn Collins is responsible for who I am today. In 1996, after reading her first book, The Western Guide to Feng Shui, I entered the inaugural class of her Essential Feng Shui Practitioner Training Program. Fashion Feng Shui® evolved from my experience at Western School of Feng Shui. I will be forever grateful to Terah for opening my “Feng Shui eyes.”
Please join Terah and me on March 2 at 12p Eastern for a FREE Wardrobe Wizard Teleclass, The Tao of Prosperity. Register at www.fashionfengshui.com.
 
Launching a New Decade -- FFS Style
By Mary Roberts
Certified FFS Facilitator, Accredited Feng Shui Practitioner
www.fengshuioptions.com
My love affair with fashion started at a young age. I can remember being twelve years old, and saving up all my babysitting money so I could buy my own clothes. I would shop the two clothing boutiques in my little town, always dressing the fashionable part in my Villager sweaters, A-line skirts and Peter Pan collar shirts accessorized with circle pins. Then when I was old enough to take the bus to Manhattan, I shopped the department stores on Fifth Avenue. As a college student in the hippie era, I shopped Greenwich Village for a more Bohemian look.
But somehow, as the years passed, I lost touch with this old love. I don’t know exactly what happened during the last 30 years, but I got sidetracked with my career and kids. Life intervened, and brought with it a twenty-five pound weight.
 But as I turn 60 this month, I have finally rekindled my love of fashion. Now that the kids have left the nest, I find myself moving into a wonderful new phase of my life. I’ve climbed the mountain, and now I have a spectacular view. It’s time to bring some of my goals and dreams to fruition. I have decided that my 60s will be the best decade of my life and am excited to be alive at a time when I’m free to really live.
I first encountered Fashion Feng Shui® when my husband gave me the gift of a FFS consultation with Evana for my 50th birthday. As a result, both my personal style and my life transformed. The darker and more flowing “Water” styles and fabrics that I began to wear literally propelled me into my study of feng shui, Fashion Feng Shui® and the Argentine tango! I was living my passions.
I flowed right into a niche, feng shui-ing college dorm rooms and writing a book, The Mystical Pizza: Use the Super Knowledge of Feng Shui to Make Your College Space Work for You. But during these five years of writing, I sequestered myself. I even stopped dancing the tango, and that’s when I really started to pack on the pounds.
I even decided not to attend my 40th high school reunion, because I didn’t have time to lose enough pounds to return to a size where people might recognize me. I felt embarrassed to go as I was.
Fashion Feng Shui® encourages you to love your body no matter the size and shape. Fair enough. But my expanded size no longer matched the photos of me in earlier years. I suddenly found myself hiding behind layers of fat, and I had lost touch with the happier memories of times when I was my healthy normal size.
With my vision for the new decade in my 60s, I made returning to my healthy size and weight my top priority. I wanted to wear beautiful clothes again. I ate three nourishing meals a day, planned and wrote down my menu each morning and committed it to a friend. In addition to my three weekly Curves workouts, I swam twice a week for half an hour. Since I love being in nature, I reveled in walking my dog at the cranberry bog in my rural New England town. As a result of my commitment, I began to lose weight.
My fashion revelation came during a layover in the Salt Lake City airport. In LA for ten days, I had faithfully burned fat and toned my body with Bravo’s Work Out trainer, Jackie Warner and company. Yes! I had been training like a celebrity, but still saw myself as a chubby person. As my husband and I passed a clothing store sparkling with crystal jewelry, I went inside and rested my eyes on a little grey dress on display. “I love it!”chirped my inner child. “It will never fit you or become you!” warned my critical parent.
The size was a small. I tried it on anyway. It fit. The dress even looked good on me AND was reduced from $40 to $20. Could this be true? FFS says that it isn’t the price of the garment that matters, rather it’s how the garment enhances and expresses your essence. This feminine and fun garment was definitely me – Metal and Water! I bought the cool little dress and ran to show it to my husband.
Taking a chance on my trendy grey dress turned the corner from hiding my plump body under long sleeves and pants. Now, I love fashion. I love shopping. I try on clothes I could not have worn at my heavier weight, and I look great in them. I am captivated by jewelry, high-heeled boots, low-cut blouses and styles that show off my figure.
As I celebrate my 60th birthday, I am within three pounds of my goal weight. I feel like a new person with increased energy, physical fitness and positivity. I am making a statement that says I am ready for the best decade of my life. If you don’t believe me, ask Evana. Here we are at the New England Chapter of the International Feng Shui Guild’s holiday luncheon last December. I’m wearing another Metal/Water outfit, and I feel great in it!
A Note from Evana
When I first met Mary, she was wearing shapeless, styleless shifts that covered her from neck to knee. Now, thanks to Fashion Feng Shui®, she struts her stuff with a confidence she never could have foreseen 10 years ago.
I had the pleasure of celebrating Mary’s 60th year at the Mandarin Hotel in Boston in January. Joined by another of her mentors and friends SuZ Guild, we dined on exquisite Asian-inspired food and toasted to Mary’s new decade with a glass of ice-cold champagne. She looked absolutely fabulous!
March 3 - Free Wardrobe Wizard Teleclass: "The Tao of Prosperity" with Feng Shui expert and best selling Author Terah Kathryn Collins, www.wsfs.com
Register at www.fashionfengshui.com
April 6 - Free Wardrobe Wizard Teleclass: "Re-Invent Yourself!" with Nancy Michaels, www.nancymichaels.com
Register at www.fashionfengshui.com
NEW! Spring 2011 Virtual Training Programs
Virtual Transform Your Look & Life! ~ 21 Day Personal Enrichment Seminar
Virtual FFS Facilitator Professional Certification Training Program
Registration is very limited ~ Email training@fashionfengshui.com for more information.
May 19-22 - Association of Image Consultants International Annual Conference, Orlando FL
Concurrent Workshop with Brenda Kinsel – "BEFRIEND TRENDS: Create Confidence, Credibility & Cash!"
www.aici.org
 Fashion Feng Shui® The Power of Dressing with Intention
by Evana Maggiore
"... a fabulous book that takes personal style to a whole new, deeper healing level. Bravo!" -- Christiane Northrup, MD (www.drnorthrup.com)
"... a groundbreaking book ... guides us into a remarkable understanding of how the feng shui of our clothing can not only affect the way we feel, but it can also influence our destiny." -- Denise Linn (www.deniselinn.com)
“Evana Maggiore brings us the unique gift of understanding how our essence is both reflected and affected by what we wear. Her experience, knowledge and insights combine to teach us how to honor and enhance our true spirits by the clothes we choose. This book will be so empowering for anyone who wants to move through life in sacred delight about being themselves." -- Jean Haner, Author of The Wisdom of Your Face
Order your copy at www.fashionfengshui.com!
Questions or comments? Send them to evanamaggiore@fashionfengshui.com
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