The Celebration Of Life - Part Four Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Everybody loves a clean house but nobody likes the maid




Cleanliness is a learned behavior as laziness tends to be.  Perhaps, it is just our nature to be untidy, messy and unclean.  The bad thing, we are only taught about cleanliness, and to be neat and tidy, when we have passed through the initial psychological learning stage. 

Our developmental stage as kids and through our adolescent, our parents tended not to instill in us the habit of clearing the mess we did.  They allowed us to be disorganized and seldom demanded for us to put the things back in order.  They would not scold if we refused to sweep the floor nor not wiping the milo stains that we spilled nor when we chose to leave the bed undone.  They  would not reprimand when we left the dirty plates unwashed in the sink.

Hence, we grew up taking for granted that house-cleaning had to be somebody else's job.

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I really like to say it again, "Everybody loves a clean house, but nobody likes the maid".  And, the same notion applies where "everybody loves a clean house, but nobody loves to 'maid' it".  Okay, okay, it is not everybody but almost all.

Hopefully, this writing will bring light to the way we see ourselves and how we treat another human being.  At the same time, it is about a mirror reflection, hopefully to shed some light as to where and how we place our mind and soul.


Everybody loves a clean house but nobody likes the maid

I have always felt, and with respect to those who have maids, that they (the 'Employers' in general) don't really have much compassion for their 'Employees', the maids.  Almost everywhere I see, almost everywhere I hear, the same thing is happening.

Eckhard Tolle refers to it as collective insanity.  Somehow, there is a belief there aren't good enough maids deserved to be appreciated and there are just too many generous and kind employers around.  Yes, I am being sarcastic here.  Fact is, I have heard too much of it.

To most, a maid is just a maid - an employee that is being paid to do the domestic works with minimum social interactions being adhered and developed.  Ironically, as much as she lives in and within the Employer's household, she is unlikely to become and to be fully accepted as one of the family member.  A line is usually drawn; there is the employer that needs to be served and there is an employee that is being paid to do the house works.

No, I am not arguing in favor that she has to be A family member but common courtesy should not be totally disregarded.  It is all about how we treat another human being.  Does not an individual be accepted to be closer when she is staying under the same roof?  Or, does not we feel estranged when we alienated her presence?  Somehow, the paycheck has become an exchanged for 'slavery'.

The other day, I overheard an Employer Ma'am said, "I hired you here to work, not to have Ah Ma fall in love with you and make you family.  I have to go out to work so you can get your pay every month!"  Wow!

Thing is, if ever a woman can choose on the kinds of any decent jobs that can bring in hard-earned money to buy food, shelter and clothing for her family, becoming a maid is hell of a Hobson's choice.  Maids are usually at employers' whims and fancies.  Their status, for their dignity as human beings, is often treated with little respect and little empathy for the hard work they put in day in and day out.  And mind you, houseworks are usually 24/7 365 days needing attention at all times.

Granted that many employers feel there is already an exchange of energy when hiring a maid:- that the maid is paid and being paid fairly and adequately.  Hmm, is she?, I wonder.  Hence, the only thing she should own in return is gratitude and not complaining?  Afterall, many Employer Ma'ams and Sirs would think, the maid is already getting free bed and board, free food, free rides and the occasional free clothes on top of the salary that is tax free.

The maid's role is just to finish all the typical domestic chores from cooking, ironing, washing, cleaning the house to taking care of the elders and the children.  Ah, and to many of us, these chores are simply just simple!  No need to think (easy job), no need to plan (easy job) and does not need much physical endurance (how can it be tiring?!).  While the employers are the 'bread-winners' that can sleep late and waking up later than the maid, the maid hardly gets her eight hours of rest daily.

I am amazed at how we have become fixated with the roles.  When we think we can afford to hire a maid, many of us forget the main humanitarian possibility that another poor woman may have to earn an income for her family in return.  Somehow, the maid is made to serve many 'Employers' within the household.  The children automatically become the sub-employer and so are the Employers' fathers and the mothers.
 
These children and the elders will no longer be cooking, ironing, doing the laundry, washing even the cups or lift the brooms to clean their own bedrooms.  Children are made to think they now owned a slave to do everything for them.  I have seen some children that don't even know how to bring their plates from the dining table, after they have finished the meal, and  wash that one plate.  And, some elders that cannot even move an inch of their hands to reach out for the TV remote control!  Unconsciously, we have turned ourselves to be some sorts of high dignitaries or Kings and Queens.

How many of us actually allow the maid to eat together with the whole family?  No, she has to eat our left-overs and her rightful place to eat is only in the kitchen.  Our dining table is too expensive and only meant for others but not the maid?  The other day, I overheard another disgruntle of a  Ma'am that feels her maid eats more than her! 

Do we watch our favourite TV shows together?  While we become (more) complacent, the maid must continue to make sure that the house is prim and proper.  That, the house is kept round the clock tidy, neat and clean.  We can become lazy but not them?

While we may complain of not getting enough annual leaves, we simply unable to pass down the same benefits to our maids.  We may demand for medical leaves for a headache but the maid can only have an hour's nap before resuming her duties.  We feel we have the rights to rest - perhaps, cos we think our job is nobler, but we grunted our reluctant approval when a maid asks for a day's off.

No, I am not advocating that the maid should work lesser hours than her employer and neglecting her main roles.  Nor should she treat herself as the "sir" or "ma'am" in the houe and ignoring all the dirty bowls-and-plates in the sink. 

But!, does not anyone think that, the minute we think we can afford a maid, we relinquish all kinds of domestic works?  We don't even know anymore as how to dish out a simple maggi? Fry an egg?  Iron just a clothes?   These simple tasks are automatically transferred to the maid, even while she is probably ironing clothes or washing the toilet at the time of request. 

Hmm, somehow, we become an OCDs overnight that all things in the house must be tidy, neat and clean but for the wrong reasons. A maid should be taught to do the things correctly. We have our own ways of arranging things in the house and the degree of neatness and cleanliness. We cannot assume a maid, and just because she is called a maid, should know everything related to house cleaning and maintenance. Just like our parents who didn't teach us when we were kids, the maid will just take for granted should there be no directions.


Everybody likes a clean house but nobody loves to 'maid' it

If doing house work is ever so easy, requiring not much a physical thing,  why aren't we doing it?  Why do we always find excuses not to clean and mop the house?  Why can't we stack our things neatly but to leave them disorganized?

Thing is, everyone loves a tidy, neat and clean house but we would prefer it if somebody else does the job.  Housework, somehow, is such a chore that can easily tire us.  It consumes much of our time when we can channel our energies to do other productive things instead.  But, are we that busy everyday? Try sit back and answer that question honestly.

When we can think and feel all of that, where then is our empathy?  We make a fuzz after a day of house cleaning that our body aches.  But, it is another story when a maid is taking a break.  We conveniently forget that a maid is another human, just like us, and that her body aches too.  Aren't we listening to our self hypocrisy?

A lot can be said about disorganized, disarrayed, messy and unclean people.  Their environment speaks loudly about their personality.  I am not claiming that their personality can be necessarily a negative one.  Nor, here am I saying that a messy house reflects on one's messy state of mind.

While we seek for everything clean, we are actually striving towards mindfulness for love, peace,  hope, courage, determination and inner strength.  We want to achieve for the ultimate sources of success in life.  But, why is it hard for us to spend an hour or so daily to organize things in the house?

We easily gloss over the untidy state in which we live with excuses that 'One day, I might need that', 'I am so attached to these stuffs', ' I won't be able to find anything if it is moved' or 'I have no time to clean up'.  Ultimately, we convince ourselves that clutter is synonymous with cosy and it is the inevitable result of creative nature.

The duality where we love clean things and our laziness towards them is our gap for compassion.  We lack the emotional capacities of empathy and sympathy.  We lack the greater social interconnectedness and humanism.  My belief, if we want to generate love and positive thoughts, it has to start from within us.  Our soul, and heart, has to be clean.

There should be a balance to achieve a good quality of life.  We should live a life bringing about mental peace and physical comfort.  When our environment is clean, we just feel clean.  So is the need of a soul.  We always find comfort in good souls and we always feel pleasantly inviting entering a clean house.

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Little Story

Hertford - The last few weeks before moved out

Up till now, I can never forget my reactions towards Chiauw during Reiki Sanctuary's renovation in 2008.  It was my worst bad behavior.  Chiauw had helped us tremendously.  Her service was professional and very thorough.  She had our best interests.  She made a good ID and was very kind towards us.  I will definitely be using her again when another abundance comes.

Looking back, it was the day when Hertford turned into such a messy and untidy place.  We were all stressed up then.  We lived in her energy for almost three months before moving out.  Slowly, her untidiness and messiness clouded my emotions and mind.  I breathed her energy and soaked in the disarrayed vibrations.  Unfortunately, the incident just had to happen where I burst out at Chiauw over a small thing.

More Mess!! Untidy Environment, Untidy Mind?

This is my story.  What's yours?

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Cleanliness and neatness in one's home bring about mindfulness in our thoughts and actions.  We should be mindful at every step not to cause any kind of inconvenience to any person in any ways.  Though there are no known scientific studies to link a tidy house to a tidy mind, Donna Smallin (an organizing expert and author) claims the rewards of an organized home are huge:

-  Imagine having more time to spend with the people you love
-  More energy for the things you want to do
-  Less stress
-  More money in your pocket
-  Better self-esteem
-  A simpler life

Here is an interesting site - A Tidy House Is A Tidy Mind for further read.

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The Celebration Of Life - Part Two Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Wednesday, October 13, 2010

My Momma Told Me



I grew up in an OCD family.  My grandmother had it.  My mum had it.  My sisters have it.  Admittedly, so have I.

Okay, it is not a severe disorder, probably just mild, but my family tends to emphasize (okay, we tend to be rather obsessed with) cleanliness, tidiness and neatness in every part of the house.  Not only on the exterior surface of the home but what is inside the cabinets.  What is inside the wardrobe.  What is inside the drawers.  What is in between and under the sheets.  What is underneath the sofa.  Basically, every corners of the house count.

Oh wait, before anyone jumps into a conclusion that OCD is a mental dysfunction, of an abnormal mental condition or mental illness, OCD is not a thought disorder.  It can be a blessing in disguise.  It is just how we would want to look at it; to look at it from outside the box and then to look at how others come to benefit.

OCD seems to run in families and has a strong genetic basis.  Thankfully for all in my family, the condition does not affect us into performing repetitive, excessive and ritualistic compulsions.  We don't go around eeks-eeks at everything messy [okay, maybe our body language might pass a silent remark and we may tend to tidy things a little here and there] nor washing our hands at every other seconds, or checking and cleaning, but it does make us feel uneasy when mess is the order of the house.

As much as this clean, tidy and neat mindset is a big part for us, we don't make it a rule for our guests nor do we want them to abide by our OCD syndrome.  Our guests are to enjoy the peace and the comfort.  They are in our home to soak with the vitalized energy to feel positive and recharged.

In the language of the Universe, as I was planning to write this article and without her knowledge, a friend made a comment about another OCD.  She shared with me of her experience when visiting another friend, whom she would stay with for few days, to clean her luggage bag before entering the house.  To her friend, the bag was dirty after a long road trip and die-die must be cleaned before allowing it into the house.  To me, that act was an extreme OCD.

In another instant, a friend told me the stress she was put when helping me with the washed dishes and utensils after our dinner.  Where to place them and how they should be placed.  It was comical but it did give me a realization.

Probably, my family and I are just the Pure-O OCD as there are no observable compulsions.  Our minds just tend to think (in a small degree, it is a psychological hazard) that we need to live in a clean, neat and tidy house environment.  Nonetheless, we are still the sane and rational being.  It is a win-and-take situation for those staying and living with an OCD under one roof.  For one thing, the energy and vibration in a clean environment run at an optimal best where everyone will benefit.

We have always been taught on the importance to live in a clean energy.  If we have pockets of energy that are messy and cluttered, we are loaded down.  It is like carrying excess energy that we do not need.  Metaphysically, pure energy travels from the outside inward and we must ensure that the smoothness of the flow continues.

A house and the soul is interconnected and it appears to follow an overall identity related to each other.  The basic pattern of life is a network of processes.  There is a duality that goes on all time.  There cannot be a rise in spirituality, and in abundance, when there is no corresponding element in the house we stay in.  I like to believe that the combination of a clean, tidy and neat house contributes, in large scale, towards the power to bring in myriads of abundance right at our doorstep.

There is a universal blessing when we take pride in creating a clean, tidy and neat home environment.  It just comes naturally to support the life that we wish to live.  What we have done when we keep it orderly, is that we are manipulating these universal energies to maximize benefits and empower us the potential to good health, wealth and happier life.

I am glad that my mum disciplined me on the importance of keeping a home clean and tidy.  Her principle of a place for everything and everything in its place brings an uncluttered atmosphere that makes living in Reiki Sanctuary comfortable.  Our home is the place, the soul, where we relax after a whole day of work.  It is always a good feeling to come home that is clean and organized.

A clean home is as important as our health.  It brings about a place of peace.  It has positive impact on our abundance, on our goals and an overall sense of empowerment.  Generally, those who live in neat environment are generally calmer than those who don't.  And, they are generally more successful at things they try.  Simply, just look at the homes of the rich and famous and I believe we are able to see my point.

When our home is tidy and organized, there is the inner peace that we can achieve.  We rid off the sense of panic when looking for stuff, simply because we just know where to find for it.  We take charge over our belonging and not the other way around.

The three most important areas, in the house, that my mum would be very particular were our beds, bathroom and the fridge.  My mum truly believed that a clean house will invite good house guardian, the guardian of habitation.  This guardian, when respected with everything clean and orderly, will reciprocate towards the health and harmony of the house.

We must tidy our beds and made them neat everyday. It was about to give respect to the tired soul, an integration and balance into the spiritual comfort.

Our Bed in Hertford:

Okay, rather obiang but still keeping the tradition for a tidy, neat and clean bed everyday

Our Bed In Reiki Sanctuary:

The Bed @ Reiki Sanctuary

The bathroom was the heart of the house.  With a clean bathroom, she would say that our hearts would be cleansed too.  It would be a reflection to our spiritual good and practices, in our relationship to God and our spiritual growth.  A clean bathroom would be the mirror for the whole house.

Our Master Bathroom:

Master Bathroom @ Reiki Sanctuary

Our Guest Toilet:

Our Guest Toilet @ Reiki Sanctuary

Our Obiang Bathrooms in Hertford

Master Toilet

Guest Toilet

The fridge symbolized our gratitude that brought inner connection into our physical world while connected spiritually in abundance all the time.  To her, it was about being a part of the world but not of it.  She would never allow us to just dump things inside the fridge.  Her OCD made her to check for unwanted things in the fridge everyday.  Food was never stored in plastic bags but in containers.

What's Inside Our Fridge

Sometime in 2008, I web-logged about The Significance of Cleanliness, and pointed out the effects an individual can face when he lives in a disorganized and cluttered environment:

01.  It makes you feel tired and lethargic
02.  It keeps you in the past
03.  It congests your mind and body
04.  It brings confusion
05.  It affects the way other people treat you
06.  It stagnates your energy and into procrastination
07.  It causes disharmony
08.  It brings shame
09.  It puts your life on hold
10.  It can depress you
11.  It can create excess emotional baggage
12.  It dulls your sensitivity and enjoyment of life
13.  It makes you feel disorganised
14.  It triggers undesirable symbology
15.  It hinders abundance
16.  It distracts you from important things
17.  It increases financial costs


 More OCD Pictures in Reiki Sanctuary in our 2nd Year:

In and Around the Kitchen:

The Oil and Spices Area - Cooking Area

The Washing Basin Area

@ The Dry Area

The Shoe Cabinet

The Utility Area

In And Around The Dining Area:

The Dining Area Cabinet

In And Around The Guest Room:

The Guest Room Wardrobe a.k.a our Store Room

The Bedding Stuffs (for Guests)

In And Around The Study Area:

Wardrobe @ Study Area

"Study" Cabinet

 In And Around The Master Bedroom:

Part of Wardrobe

In And Around Master Bathroom:

Vanity Drawers @ Master Bathroom

To me, a clean and tidy house is like attracting my soul for all the good things that await to happen.  It is synchronizing with the Law Of Vacuum to the Law of Attractions and Vibrations.  Importantly, it is also about physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing.

I would not choose another way to live my life.  This so-called OCD, that seems to run in my family, has made me to live a comfortable lifestyle thus far.  Yes, it may be a little bit more work each day but it is, definitely, a good way to bring in healing into my soul.  As I clean and tidy up the house, it is a positive meditative reinforcement to cleanse my thoughts, my emotions and my auric fields.

And, I thankful to my grandmother, my mother and the Universe that has gifted me with it.

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... And, They Even Talk About Me! Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Thursday, February 12, 2009

WARNING:

It will be good if you are to continue reading this looooooonnnnnngggggg write-up.  At the end of this entry, you will learn [I hope] a great value, not only about yourself but the life that you [and I] have taken for granted.

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A Friend [AF]  :  Do you know that you are just like Adrian Monk?

Me  :  Huh? Siang Adrian Monk?  No, I have never thought of becoming a monk.  Not that it is a bad thing but I must acknowledge of my earthly needs which can be overwhelming at times.  Ok ok, most of the times.  I admire the discipline.  I envy the spiritual sedentary routine.  I believe there is so much peace within them as compared to many of us.

AF  :  Monk is a TV series about a detective.  He is brilliant but it is his OCD that reminds me alot about you.

Me  :  Ah, and so it is about my blog.  I want to admit there's OCD in me.  Acknowledging it is to give rise to awareness.  Knocking my senses and then to ask myself whether it is a behaviour that I can live with.  About how much I should and want to control myself.  About how much it will affect the people around me.

When it first came to me, I mean the awareness, that I have some form of OCD, it reminded me of an old friend.  How she was always late for everything.  How, at last minute, there must always be something for her to clean before she could leave the house.  Either for work or appointment.  Even at the office, before she leaves, she could spend up to an hour just wiping and cleaning up her desk and then reaching home late, as usual.

AF  :  Doesn't that bother you?  Especially when you are always so strict with punctuality?

Me  :  Hehe, that is to say that my OCD is not that serious lah.  I believe when we keep our awareness intact, we will be able to strike a balance.  Knowing your priority - the 'What' that needs to be accomplished and then the 'why' it should be done.  Life should not be mechanical but there must be a system in check.  There must be discipline and why there should be one.

AF  :  Why is cleanliness so important to you?

Me  :  Say, when we are finding for a table at the Food Court, don't we look for a clean one?  And when there are two seats available next to each other, we tend to go for the cleaner one.  For that matter, we always choose to go for something clean first.  And neat.  It is an intuitive reaction.  Guess, clean-neat-tidy is an unsaid beauty.  These are qualities that make us feel comfortable.  They have charm.  And we are attracted to them automatically and immediately.

I believe there is more to it.  A clean thing, and it can be anything and everything around us, reflects a sense of purity.  Of greater comfort.  Of white innocence.  Of deep qualitative virtue.  And our soul, whether we know it or not, needs all of these.

AF  :  How often do you clean your house?

Me  :  Err, if possible, every hour!  Haha, ok, that is too much OCD.  Back at Hertford, it used to be 1-3-5 and saturdays and sundays to relax.  The weekends are just to slack around.  To forget about the vacuum, the mop.  To spend quality time.

But here in Reiki Sanctuary is kinda different.  All the windows are always open and I choose to open them.

AF  :  Wait, how come the windows in Hertford are closed?  Or always closed?

Me  :  Err, cos I love to walk around naked?  Cos we stayed ground floor lah.  Plus mosquitoes alot leh when the windows are left opened.  I had dengue hemorrhagic fever there.  Almost died, you know.

AF  :  Ok ok, so how often you clean Reiki Sanctuary?  And cleaning, by your standard, should include what?

Me  :  Still 1-3-5.  Still slack on weekends.  But 2 and 4, I got my maid iRoomba.  Haha.  The most I would just mop after that.  While she sings around the house, I go about wiping the cabinets, wash the toilets or download prawns.  Haha.

Oh, the beds must be done every day.  It is a must.  You know, our dead skin can stick to the bedsheet or our hair drops.  It is good to brush it away. Geez, now this is OCD!

Change bedsheet weekly.  Dusting and wiping, haha, even the walls, once a week.  Hmm, but here in Reiki Sanctuary, it is like every hour.  Ok, that is exaggerating.

See, if you are to notice, the glass windows are not even glittering.

AF  :  The way you clean your house is more than just sweeping and mopping.  Do you notice that everything here needs to be proper?

Me  :  Haha, just the other day, a friend was here and he opened the shoe cabinet.  He passed a similar remark. 

To me, everything inside this house has to have a place.  It is about recognition and honouring these shared things in our life here.  We have brought them in and it is only right that we give them a proper place.  Making it tidy, placing them in order are just acts of gratitude.  Hehe, unless what we bring into the house is a junk and deserves a junk place.  Then again, even a junk needs a place.  Need our respect and gratitude.

It is just my style, OCD or not, since there is already a place for everything, these items should be placed back to where they belong after we use them.  Since people feel comfortable in their zone, these items should be treated that way too.  It only takes a second to do such thing.  Why do we need to empower laziness?

It is also about convenience.  Afterall, here in Reiki Sanctuary, we have a lot of storage space.  We wanted it that way since we hacked away the storeroom.  What is pleasing to the eyes, when you see them stacked nicely, would bring comfort for the soul too.  And then, the continuity or flow of good things just follow.  Alamak, you got read my blog and understand it anot?

AF  :  What does clean or tidy is to you?  Maybe you can start showing off by showing me around .. Hahaha.

Me  :  It is about comfort.  It could be about organised comfort.  When things are organised, it will be a reflection of the soul.  Of the mind.  Reiki Sanctuary is a home with soul.  I am a soul.  Therefore, it is about complimenting each other.

As we always want to take care of our appearance, and how it is important for whatever reasons we may give to it, a clean and tidy home should be treated that way too.  Err, for goodness sake, it is A HOME and not a hotel where you use the bed and out the next day.

How important we take to shower everyday or to brush our teeth or to drink from a clean cup, everything in a house - the bed, the drawers, the cabinets, the computer should be treated with respect too.  They are part of us.  Part of the house.  We just cannot neglect that responsibility.

Time to show off:

Shoe Cabinet

Two Vanity Drawers

Towels & Beddings Wardrobe

Desktop Stationery 

Spices Drawer

First Aid

Cutlery Drawer

AF  :  I am sure you would be cleaning and tidying things up after I leave here?

Me  :  It shall be for my comfort.  Yours had been served.  Respect is to be given to anybody and everybody here in Reiki Sanctuary.

All things good must always be maintained.  It is like breathing clean air.  Constantly, it provides the basic essence to life.  Why do we need to suffocate when there's abundance everywhere.  One should never, and purposely, end the beauty of life.

AF  :  Are you not tired doing these chores over and over again?

Me  :  It is the comfort that I seek.  When there is love, nothing else matters.  Don't take it personal here - For me, it is about respect.  The respect that I want to provide for all the people that come here - their souls.  And the respect that I want to give myself too.

I guess, when we focus at the end result, what's in between does not matter.  Infact, it just gives you the impetus for all things well.  And, that is what I seek in life.  Never to complain when the end result makes me feel good.

Yes, it can be tiring but I always take this chore as a form of exercise.  Well, the word 'chore' is not even right to use here.  It is a necessity.  That when it is being done, all the muscles are engaged. 

It is also a good meditative exercise.  As I clean and tidy things up, it is also cleaning and tidying my thinking process.  My emotional stability.  My spiritual cleansing.

At the end of the day, it is a win-win situation.  The house provides a comfortable ambience and my soul is happy.  And all my guests can relax, and enjoy, within it, I hope.

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An excellent article to read and enjoy (may be action as well!!). It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It's a rule. Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results.. Therefore, we have come t! o posses a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results. In other words: 1.  Sweden has 2 million inhabitants. 2. Stockholm has 500,000 people. 3. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, are some of its renowned companies. Volvo even supplies NASA.  The first time I was in Sweden , one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work). The first day, I didn't say anything, neither the second or third days. One morning I asked him, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot." To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, don't you think that whoever gets in late w! ill need a place closer to the door?" Imagine my face. Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe named Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart, Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week. Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization, fuelled by the desire of "having in quantity" (life status) versus "having with quality", "life quality" or the "quality of being". French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive t han Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity been driven up by 20%.. This slow attitude has come to the notice of USA , the pupils of the fast and "do it now" brigade. This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means re-establishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans essential values, the simplicity of living. It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive work place where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence. In the movie, 'Scent of a Woman', there's a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any minute now". To which Al Pacino responds, "A life is lived in an instant". Then they dance the tango! Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious to live for the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment. As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans". Congratulations for reading till the end of this message. There are many who will have stopped in the middle so as not to waste time in this "Globalized" world.

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Soul And Reiki Sanctuary Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Wednesday, February 11, 2009

I was asked, "Between cooking and cleaning house, which one is favoured most?"  My choice has always been obvious.  I would rather go hungry, I would rather go without food but will not be comfortable to live in a messy and cluttered home.

I just love a  tidy place and everything that is neat and organized.  It is the same when I go for holidays, for example.  The neatness of the hotel room is important to me.  It gives my soul a deep sense for a relaxed holiday.  More so since the hotel is 'foreign' to my soul.  How hectic the itinerary can be, with just a little sleep in between, but I can wake up fully refreshed and rested.  This much it can kinda play trick to my mind.

The neatness of the room is symbolic of a soul presence.  That the place is symbolically cared with love.  That the place is being given close attention.  It makes one to feel safe and a soul restored with vigor and revived hope.

The same feeling that I want to have when I am back home.  It is always good to come home and greeted with a revitalized energy to a soul of an enlightened home, after a long day.  A neat and clean home provides a dynamic in motion to keep us to feel positive.  A recharged feeling.  It is a progression to a greater flow of love.

People just love clean things.  A tidy and clean house offers a life of transformation and renewal in many more ways than just having a healthier body.  The energy works deeply in our body, mind and spirit. Our own energy is greatly enhanced, and it will expand outward and upward from there.

Our sixth sense is keenly aware of when we are in balance with our surroundings. We will know, deep down inside us, what feels right and true.  When the vibrations are true, it is most likely that our soul is in harmony and balance.

I believe there is soul in every house.  And how we take care of this soul will reflect in the way we live.  It has a relationship with our thoughts, attitude, personality and health.  Our intuition knows the presence of a highly vibrant essence.  Everyday will be a new discovery.  One thing is for sure - when the soul of the house is vitaliszd - in a tidy, clean and organised ways, it keeps us in harmony with Mother Earth.  It honours us as the rightful human beings living on a beautiful planet.

In all things clean - clean air, clean water, clean heat, clean earth, it embodies recovery, renewal and transformation.  Not to mention, Huat Ah! in Law of Vacuum filling us up with abundance.

A cluttered, and unkept, home often gives rise to the absence of mental clarity.  Emotionally too.  Bit by bit, the energy adds up, leaving a polluted and corrupted state of being.  The ways in which it affects our daily lives are endless as well.  Relationships affected.  Emotions muddled.  Mental exhaustion.  Physical fatigue.

Reiki Sanctuary today:

We want Reiki Sanctuary to be the center of love and harmony.  A place where we and those we love can flourish and be truly nourished and healthy.  Where our relationship can grow.  Where our hearts can be open wide to acceptance, forgiveness and unconditional love.
oh, and H U A T  A H !!!!!

The Living Room 

Living Room

The MBR Master Toilet

The acrylics (covering the lights) are finally up but it is not the final product.

The Open Bathroom

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The Significance of Cleanliness Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Friday, May 23, 2008

I always believe that one of the many reasons why we always feel that we have a relaxed holiday, it has to do with the clean ambience of the hotel. 

The tidiness of the room, the daily clean bed sheets, the vacuumed carpet and the nicely arranged of toiletries and towels provide the sense of comfort and tranquility.  Likewise, when a home is clean and everything is spick and spank, it brings clarity to our mind and soul.

The significance of a clean and tidy environment generates a subtle sacred space.  Most people are not fully aware how much a clean, tidy and unclustered space can affect them, in a good way.  A disorganized and clustered environment affect you in different ways:

01.  It makes you feel tired and lethargic
02.  It keeps you in the past
03.  It congests your mind and body
04.  It brings confusion
05.  It affects the way other people treat you
06.  It stagnates your energy and into procrastination
07.  It causes disharmony
08.  It brings shame
09.  It puts your life on hold
10.  It can depress you
11.  It can create excess emotional baggage
12.  It dulls your sensitivity and enjoyment of life
13.  It makes you feel disorganised
14.  It triggers undesirable symbology
15.  It hinders abundance
16.  It distracts you from important things
17.  It increases financial costs

All it takes is a little awareness and to give a thought to each one of them.

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Obsessive Cleanliness Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Thursday, May 22, 2008

I grew up with four other siblings in a small house and we shared one room.  We didn't have our own sacred place to keep our personal things. 

We shared one toilet, one wardrobe, slept close to each other on mattresses. Yet, at that time, it was a perfect situation.  Guess, in such a limited space, we learned to take care of each other. 

Importantly, it instilled the value to respect one's privacy - that, in a confined small area, we needed to provide the sacred place and not to cross each other's boundaries.

My (late) mother organized the room well for us.  She taught us to be tidy.  Cleanliness, to her, was the essence for healthy soul and mind.  She often said 'a clean house invites good house guardian, the guardian of habitation'. 

To her, a house must be treated like a heaven.  Though I knew little of what she meant then, I would tidy and clean the house obediently everyday.  It became a daily house chore - everyday, when I got back from school, I would sweep and mop the house. 

I did the same thing even when I started to work.  Everything got its own places in the house.  It just made me feel good after that.

Perhaps, cos it had been a daily routine for many years, that I become obsessive with everything clean naturally.  A clean and tidy house makes me feel safe and lifts my soul.  It brings comfort mentally and emotionally.

For the past few days, we have started buying new things for the new house.  These things are being 'thrown' all over the house now.  Though, I keep telling myself that the mess is going to be temporary, it has actually affected me in a subtle way.  I feel disorganized.  I feel unsettled.

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