The eyebrow guru and natural beauty—with past clients including Emily Blunt and Rachael Weisz—takes a different approach than the average waxer or threader. Using tweezers alone (which she finds more precise and gentler on the skin), she pioneered her style, “The Feathered Brow,” highlighting thickness and the organic shape of the brow with a less extreme arch. “A little less perfect looks more natural, fresh and young,” she says. “Think Brooke Shields.”

Streicher brought this relaxed look to the Warren Tricomi salon in New York City via her childhood home in Grass Valley, California, near Lake Tahoe. Growing up, her parents were both artistic. Her mother, into D.I.Y. projects, even made her own mineral makeup. (Those creative impulses rubbed off: Kristie Streicher’s two equally “craftsy” sisters—makeup artist Jenn and hair stylist Ashley—are also big names in the beauty world.)

Like her siblings, the eyebrow expert eventually migrated to LA. She straddled both coasts for a bit, and still heads east every eight weeks to service clients, but her home base is in California. “I was feeling so transient, like a gypsy. I had to pick a place and I fell in love with the snowboarding and surfing in LA because I love to be outside,” says Streicher, also a certified yoga instructor and avid hiker. “Growing up in Northern California, you appreciate the outdoors. My parents were such hippies: Nature was kind of our religion. Now I need to connect with the earth.”

No matter how flashy Streicher’s world may get, she is still guided by that relationship with nature: In 2011, she opened her debut Kristie Streicher Beauty Bar inside Warren Tricomi’s new Melrose salon and, as of 2012, began selling a homemade Aforé oil blend that she’d been using on clients for years. Packaged in old-world apothecary-evocative brown dropper bottles, the concoction of virgin organic Moroccan argan oil, aloe vera oil and essential oils of lavender, tangerine, orange, ylang ylang, patchouli and blue tansy softens the hair and skin pre-tweeze. “Aforé helps hairs slide out of the follicles, but also the essential oils smell good and relax people, as I massage the product in,” she explains. The blend can also be used to spot treat peeling sunburns, soften cuticles and the soles of feet and condition eyebrow hair.

Recently, Streicher launched a second product: Après Calming Cream, an anti-microbial blend with aloe vera gel, calendula and essential oils to soothe skin post-tweeze. It also reduces puffiness around the eyes, itchiness from bug bites and sunburn and shaving irritation.

When tweezing at home, Streicher suggests: “Instead of plucking any hair you see come up, give your brows a hiatus to show their personality. People pluck out the sprouts because they grow straight up or hairs towards the ends because they think their brows are too long. But you can keep them arched with a lift to the brow, but let the front grow in a bit, let the ends be looser and less contrived. Then use brow gel to brush them up.”

To read about Kristie Streicher’s Top 10 Beauty Obsessions, go to blog.organicspamagazine.com

A friend used to be a wildlife rehabilitator, and, years ago she helped a crow recover from a wing injury. The crow, named “Derek,” was young and quickly bonded with her entire family, including her black lab, Jake. When my friend was away from home for any length of time, Derek would show as much excitement and pleasure when she returned as any dog would.

He vocalized softly and rubbed his head against her hand, seemingly delighted to be back in her company. Derek also had a thing for Jake, and would gently peck at his paws and try to preen his fur. Luckily, Jake liked Derek, and welcomed his antics.

The even had a favorite game in which Derek grabbed Jake’s collar and hung on like a rodeo cowboy as Jake raced around the yard.

My friend’s stories about Derek piqued my interest in crows, ravens, magpies and other members of the corvidae family. Corvids are not only extremely intelligent birds they are among the most intelligent of all animals, including mammals. Since the 18th century, farmers have known that crows are capable of counting, which is the origin of the expression, “counting crows.” Today, scientists know they are far more complex than we ever imagined. Crows make and use tools, demonstrate self-awareness, communicate complicated information in group-specific dialects, play games with one another, socialize with family and friends, and have a brain-to-body mass ratio equal to apes and dolphins.

British zoologist Christopher Bird recently conducted a study at Cambridge University inspired by one of Aesop’s fables, “The Crow and the Pitcher,” The tale tells of a thirsty crow that finds a pitcher of water, but the level is too low for him to reach. The clever crow drops pebbles into the pitcher until the water level rises and he can take a drink.

In Bird’s experiment, he tempted four rooks (members of the corvid family) with a worm that floated—out of reach—on the surface of water in a test tube. Bird videotaped the rooks as they appeared to assess the situation, circling the tube and considering their options. He then provided a pile of pebbles. The rooks did exactly what Aesop’s crow did. They raised the water level by dropping pebbles into the tube, until the worm was within their reach.

Even more impressive, the rooks selected larger pebbles, accomplishing their goal faster. The only other animal that has shown the same sophisticated understand- ing of fluid mechanics is an orangutan.

One of the most fascinating aspects of crow intelligence is their ability to deceive. Like many animals, crows cache food, but unlike other animals, crows will sometimes simply pretend to cache food if other crows are nearby. Instead of actually leaving the food in their cache, they tuck it into their chest feathers and fly off to another one of their cache locations out of sight of the watching crows. Unfortunately, sometimes the watching crows will follow the caching crow to its alternate cache in an attempt to outsmart one of their own.

Crows and ravens have a bold and unapologetic presence, and are not easily scared away by people or other animals. They appear to act out of rage, jealousy, devotion, affection, and even a sense of humor. They can be suspicious, fun loving, deceitful, and mischievous. In many ways, they are far more like people than we ever imagined, and we’ve only just begun to understand them. This makes them great fun to watch.

FOR THE BIRDS

Federal law prohibits keeping native crows and ravens for pets. These birds—and most other wild birds—are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which makes it illegal to hunt, capture, kill or sell any of the over 800 birds listed in the statute. If you are interested in crows, ravens, and other corvids, consider volunteering at a bird sanctuary. A good place to research what sort of volunteering opportunities exist near you is your local Audubon chapter. Visit http://www.audubon.org/search-by-zip to find a near-by chapter.

Photography by Robin Jolin

If you want to sound like a smug, elitist jerk, tell people you’re on a juice cleanse. I know this from personal experience, because after a long overseas trip where I did little more than eat and drink as if empty calories meant invisible calories, I decided to go on a major detox. I contacted the folks at Suja Juice in San Diego about going on a five-day juice cleanse, and they happily obliged my request.

After five days of nothing but juice, I emerged… hungry. I was also happy and healthy and not at all regretful. As it turns out, drinking nothing but USDA-certified organic juice for an entire week isn’t nearly as hard as it may sound.

The program is simple. You pay them money, they send you juice (or you buy it from stores like Whole Foods). There are six juices a day, and each juice is made up of different combinations of raw, organic fruits and vegetables that are cold-pressed and stored in BPA-free plastic bottles. It’s a set routine and, if you’re down with rote consumption, it’s really not that hard.

Truthfully, I expected to hate it. I thought I’d get bored with drinking the same juice at the same time for five days straight. But I loved it. The anxiety of deciding what to eat—and believe me, that process makes me more anxious than it should—went out the window. My friend Paul Lieberstein, who you may know as Toby from NBC’s The Office, used to talk about the same problem, and came up with an imaginary solution called Human Kibble. What’s Human Kibble, you ask? I’ll let Paul explain.

“Human kibble is a completely balanced food that I can wear in a pouch attached to my belt and nibble on all day long, never pausing, never thinking, seamlessly multitasking,” says Lieberstein. “The pellets contain all my vitamins and minerals, a crunch for healthy gums, perhaps tartar control, vegetables and protein (maybe from soy, no one should die for this, not for this), and very little taste.”

Not having to think about what to eat is a dream for those of us who grapple with it on a daily basis. With a juice cleanse, that all disappears. All you have to do is walk to the fridge, open a bottle, and get your cleanse on. It’s so easy.

But is it good? For the most part, the answer is yes. There’s a good amount of fruit juice used in the concoctions, so they’re sweet enough to make you forget you’re drinking liquid kale. Also, they’re cleverly named so you think you’re living better no matter what. “Glow,” “Fuel,” “Purify”—these are happy thoughts for juice cleansers. They get you through the day. Is it worth it to give up pizza? Sure, as long as there is some purifying going on. People may tell you that you’ll feel radiant and energetic and all kinds of other hippie-dippie promises, but at the end of the day, you feel good because all you’ve got inside of you is juice.

Ultimately, everyone wants to know the same thing about a juice cleanse: does it work? My answer after five full days is yes, but it all depends on your own personal criteria. Personally, I wanted to detoxify my body. I wanted to lose weight. I wanted to feel lighter and cleaner and, overall, better. All of those things happened. To me, that’s a successful cleanse. You may feel differently. For some people, it’s really hard to give up solid food even for one day, let alone five.

I learned a lot of things during my five-day cleanse, but the most important lesson is this: Sometimes it’s worth being a smug, elitist jerk if it means you get to unburden yourself of the ghosts of all those cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and milk shakes that have been haunting your insides for years.

JASON KESSLER is a lifestyle writer/columnist for Bon Appetit, Food Republic and a slew of other publications. Follow him on Twitter @TheHungryClown.

Illustration by Jim Janek

Giving new meaning to the term “buried treasure” and based on the hyper-successful online sales model Craigslist, anyone can sell a good or service to another person on Gift-it.com. In this case, proceeds of any sale go to a charity of the seller’s choice. Once the item sells, the revenues donated qualify for a tax receipt, much like any charitable donation.

Founder John Stewart says he and his team actually jumpstart virtual fundraising efforts, and provide an avenue for anyone to “gift” an item by selling a product or a particular service. Based in Ontario, Canada, Gift-it.com is only six months old, but chari- ties are rapidly adopting the idea, including The United Way, several food banks and Big Brothers & Big Sisters.

Much like E-Bay, Gift-it.com charges a minimal processing fee on the gross sale amount of every item “gifted,” says Stewart. There are over 85,000 charities in Canada and 1.4 million in the United States that can use this free service. Stewart tells us how he brewed the altruistic idea.

Can you explain how this works?

Gift-it.com is a global service and, like eBay, we want to list items nearest to your location. So what we do is look at the location you are surfing from and put your city or town prefix in before our URL yourcity. gift-it.com; this way we can serve you up the closest items.

Everyone has something of value in their possession that they can part with and feel good about donating. Our model flourishes under this new phenomenon. In addition, the largest donation so far has been amazing: The Sick Kids Foundation gifted nearly $4,000 worth of Go-karts to benefit Northumberland Hills Hospital in Canada.

One of the most interesting things we’ve discovered and tapped into is a younger, web- savvy demographic that uses online classified sites every day. Everyone has something they can gift; in many cases it’s easier than sending a check. Turning online classified ads into charitable dollars is good business.

How do you monetize?

Monetization for Gift-it.com is very straightforward. We take a small com- mission on items sold ranging from 5 to 9 percent, depending on the value. We also have advertising which is well targeted, and we charge any charity for positioning them at the top of the item lists. So, in effect, a charity can have the #1 spot always for a monthly fee. These are the primary sources of revenue.

What did you do before Gift-it.com?

I have always been keenly interested in taking common human behaviors and structuring them online. I’m a serial Internet entrepreneur and I helped launch six start-ups in the last 15 years; it’s been quite a pace.

My last three projects, for example, are PickupPal.com, which takes hitch-hiking and turns it into structured ride-sharing; vouchfor.com, which takes ‘word-of-mouth’ referrals and adds structure, as does gift-it.com, which takes the thrift shop idea to a whole new level. I always feel that there’s no reason to invent behavior, just facilitate it better online.

Where did Gift-it.com start?

In Canada. Once the World Wildlife Fund joined in Canada, and sent out our message to their Canadian audience and over 150,000 donors, it created quite a media buzz. We’re now in over 50 cities including Toronto, Montreal, Tampa Bay, San Francisco, and the list is growing every day. Gift-it.com is a totally new way of thinking about donating, so it does take time for donors to post items. We see the number rising nicely but pioneering this platform means we need to be patient and always be encouraging to different charities to reach out and talk about Gift-it.com.

A certain royal honeymoon may have helped shine a spotlight on the Seychelles, but travelers heading to this formerly-French Indian Ocean archipelago will still, happily, feel like they’ve stumbled upon a hidden paradise—albeit one with luxury resorts. Set on lush Praslin Island (a short prop-plane hop from the international airport), Raffles Praslin Seychelles is home to 86 cliffside villas (each with plunge pool and butler service), several gourmet restaurants, and a private beach from which you can enjoy water activities or set off on a fishing trip with the chef.

The award-winning spa has 13 treatment villas—some open-air, all backed by sounds of the ocean—in which to enjoy signature services like the Pure Pearl (a scrub/wrap with mineral-rich crushed pearls), Seashell Therapy massage or lotus-themed Transformation Treatment, with moor mud and organic juniper, fennel and lavender.

Launched this spring, the Body & Soul Journeys include a custom-designed program of spa services, classes and fitness activities, from sunrise beach jogs and sunset yoga to kayaking, biking or hiking in the UNESCO-protected Vallée de Mai reserve—plus perks like nightly butler-drawn aromatherapy baths.

Save time for an afternoon at wide, powder- white Anse Lazio beach; though it’s considered one of the most beautiful in the world, chances are you’ll be able to snag a tree-shaded copse or two all to yourself. raffles.com/praslin

—Sandra Ramani

Not long ago, there was a trade-off between shopping stylishly and shopping responsibly. But a new crop of conscious com- panies is proving that it’s possible to produce sustainable and ethical fashion without sacrificing style. Now they are teaming up with large brands like J. Crew, Anthropologie, Whole Foods and Target to get their products into the mainstream.

In addition to promoting traditional craft and artisanship, conscious companies also provide economic opportunity to developing communities that haven’t traditionally had access to the global marketplace. “Our tailors are now the breadwinners in their homes, and it’s given them a voice in their com- munities as well,” says Halle Butvin, founder of Uganda-based apparel company One Mango Tree.

For artisans in the developing world, this “trade-not-aid” approach to international development means fair compensa- tion, skills training, education and preservation of cultural traditions. And for western consumers, it provides access to uniquely stylish items that don’t require some of us to check our conscience at the sales rack.

One Mango Tree

What they make: Apparel, handbags, accessories made from Ugandan organic cotton and African kitenge fabric

Where: Uganda

Partnerships: Global Girlfriend, Whole Foods, TJX Europe, Target.com

“I was studying conflict resolution in Northern Uganda and felt that foreign aid wasn’t helping things,” says Halle Butvin, One Mango Tree Founder and Director. “Ugandans most often said that the one thing they needed to improve their lives was jobs. When I found that many humani- tarian organizations had trained women how to sew, but did not provide a market, the seed for One Mango Tree was planted.

“We make handbags and accessories out of African kitenge fabric, the bright, bold African prints popping up in fashion and home trends across the globe. We also invested heavily in creating apparel produc- tion for the 100 percent organic cotton knit produced in Uganda. This line creates jobs in Uganda from the farmers to the fabric manufacturers all the way to the women who sew our pieces.

“We are so proud of our staff, and how much they continue to learn and grow. Our production manager in Gulu did not know how to use a computer, but now she’s on Skype, makes worksheets in Excel and uses Facebook. She now runs our entire operation in Northern Uganda on her own. onemangotree.com

INDIGENOUS

What they make: Apparel and accessories made from organic and natural fibers

Where: Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, USA

Partnerships: Eileen Fisher, B-Corporation, Fair Trade USA

“Our mission is to create fashion worth wearing, buying and supporting,” says Indigenous President Matt Reynolds. “Indigenous provides beautiful, premium style and fosters a lasting connection between consumers and the artisans who create the clothing by hand.

“Fibers are sourced through organic farmers and herders, and only eco-friendly dyes are used, to ensure greater sustainable local economic impact and to help preserve ancient culture and protect the environment. Our new Fair Trace Tool uses mobile-enabled web technology to let shoppers see where garments originate and how fibers were raised; to meet the artisans who make them and to learn about the positive social impact.

“We got started after traveling to Ecuador, where Scott had seen, firsthand, that women were not being honored for their weaving and knitting skills. We wanted to make a difference in the world with women in economically marginalized communities.

“Our biggest challenge is getting the word out to the masses that this type of eco-fash- ion exists. We look forward to the day when everyone can see they don’t have to sacrifice style or quality to wear fashionable clothing that does not harm people and the planet.” indigenous.com

Indego Africa

What they make: Handmade jewelry, home décor, fashion accessories
Where: Rwanda
Partnerships: DANNIJO, J.Crew, Nicole Miller, Madewell, Flutter NYC, Anthropologie, Pamela Love, Polo Ralph Lauren, Steven Alan

“We help artisan woman earn income to meet their families’ basic needs, while acquiring job skills that enhance their long-term earning potential,” says Indego Africa CEO Conor French. “Every product we sell is tagged with the signature of the craftswoman who created it so that our customers feel a direct and personal link to the the Rwandan artisans who produce the goods they buy.

“Our artisans have seen dramatic improvements in earned income; food security; access to water, schooling and bank accounts. The proudest I have ever felt is seeing women bursting with confidence as they sit down at the negotiating table to finalize an order or in hearing of how they helped their children in English with their homework.

“Long-term, we want to scale our impact, so more women can generate sustainable income and learn skills to run profitable businesses. We dream of a community where hopeful, confident women empower themselves and promote social cohesion in a post-conflict context.” shop.indegoafrica.org

Basik 855

What they make: Handwoven ikat textiles, home décor, fashion accessories
Where: Cambodia
Partnerships: Friends-International, Stop Start, Watthan Artisans Collective

“Our artisans are our cause,” says Creative Director Leigh Morlock. “Everything we do is to help sustain them and the local ikat craft, and to connect their work to a broader market. We believe that in providing fair employment, they will be able to improve their standard of living which will spark eco- nomic growth in their communities.

“Most of our artisans were previously unable to make a living through weaving. This has led to nutrition and health issues and complicated access to water and sanitation.

“We are committed to providing them with a living wage, ophthalmology exams, medical reimbursements, training and personal sav- ings accounts. In addition, we are launching Project 855, where we will deliver 10 percent of our profits to providing each artisan with access to clean water in their homes.

“We started in 2009 with a team of eight Cambodians and two Americans. We now employ 44 artisans full-time, a Cambodian management team of five and a number of seasonal freelancers.” basik855.com

When Parissa founder and CEO Fardad Moayeri decided to build a new company headquarters in Vancouver, it was important that the build not only be beautiful, but that it also be green. “Our company produces natural hair removal products; therefore, we felt that our natural ethos should extend beyond ingredients to also include our production facility,” he says.

Built to LEED Gold standards, the company focused their eco-efforts on energy, water and waste. “Energy because both generation and consumption can adversely impact climate, water because it is a scarce life-giving resource and waste, since it directly impacts the ecosystem of all living beings,” says Moayeri.

The facility uses 25 percent less energy than a typical industrial building, they recirculate water used in our production for their bathrooms and their plumbing uses 40% less water than typical buildings. Finally, waste, whether generated as emissions (they use electric boilers instead of gas) or garbage (they recycle virtually everything) will have future cost implications. “Using Green Building Standards to minimize the impact of energy, water use and waste not only makes environmental sense, it makes business sense.” The building has won three awards, for Design Excellence, Best New Industrial Building, and Green Energy Efficient Merit in Vancouver. “We feel that protecting and preserving our environment not only benefits the future of our community, but also the future of our business as well,” says Moayeri.

One of my most powerful memories of India is a visit to a fortress just outside Jaipur. The fort sits atop the edge of the Aravali Hills, looking down on sprawling Jaipur below. Jaipur is a large city, but not in the modern sense—there are no skyscrapers, freeways or other symbols of modern life that we’ve grown accustomed to in the Western world. But Jaipur is large as measured by density— its three million inhabitants are packed into tiny shops and homes where families sometimes sleep five to a room.

Perched atop this cliff gave me the perfect perspective to watch the sun set over the teeming city, the sky colors refracting beautifully through the blanket of smog above. But what took my breath away was not the view, it was the noise.

Even from this temple far above the city, you could not escape the din from below. It seemed impossible that so much noise could rise up through the smog, but the roar of the city could not be denied. I heard a collage of a thousand crying babies, countless barking dogs, infinite taxis honking their horns and the drone of innumerable conversations, all from the village below.

Hearing the noise from this fortress on the outskirts made me realize that there must be no escape within the city. The interminable hum of the daily lives of three million people is always there, relentlessly invading and reverberating from every pink corridor in the monochromatic city.

Even beyond the bustle of life in Jaipur, the world is an increasingly noisy place. According to the United Nations, more than half the world’s population now lives in urban areas. It is predicted that by the year 2050, the urban population of the world will increase by another 2.6 billion. All this urbanization comes with a com- mensurate increase in noise decibels.

The consequence of urban growth is that silence becomes a rare luxury that few can afford. Living packed in, side by side, we can hear our neighbors: their kids, dogs, cars and televisions; their fights and their lovemaking. And in a world where everyone is talking to somebody, but rarely the one they are with at the moment, we are bombarded with countless one-sided conversations overheard on cellphones.

I believe this has a toll on our wellbeing, and maybe even our sanity. And while awareness of the noise could make things worse, it also allows us to seek out solutions:

Find places to escape. Do you regularly go to a spa or a church or a park where you can escape noise and technology? Find pockets of calm where you can re- treat as needed to give your mind a break from the sound.

Schedule time for intentional silence.

Do you find yourself with earbuds always in your ears? Do you turn on the TV or music as soon as you come home? Block out a time in your day for silence and reflection.

Get out of town. The Japanese use the term “shinrin-yoku” or “forest bathing” to describe the human need to immerse in nature. The mechanized rhythms of urban life are masking other more soothing sounds: the wind in the trees, the lapping of waves, the birds in the sky, etc. Even an hour or two in nature can help us recover from the relentless beat of urban life.

And if you should ever have a chance to visit Jaipur, it’s a beautiful city . . . just don’t forget your earplugs.

JEREMY McCARTHY is director of global spa development and operations for Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Read more of his writing at psychologyofwellbeing.com.

“More and more, we are seeing guests who suffer from aller- gies and other health issues, and we really want to accommodate those travelers who are seeking a cleaner and healthier environ- ment,” says Craig Thompson, general manager, Hotel Monaco, Portland, Oregon (monaco-portland.com). To provide a safe haven for sensitive guests, Thompson and his team turned 25 percent of their rooms into hypoallergenic ones, with down-free comforters and pillows, fragrance-free bath products, Green Seal-approved cleaning supplies, special HEPA filter vacuums, and even wheat- and gluten-free mini-bar items. Though Kimpton hotels are pet- friendly, the Monaco also guarantees these rooms will never be occupied by a furry traveler.

“At home, you have the luxury to experiment with what helps keep allergies at bay,” explains Brian Brault, CEO of PURE Solutions, a company dedicated to creating hypoallergenic home and hotel spaces. “But when you travel you are at the whim of another atmosphere, which can be challenging.” Founded almost 10 years ago, PURE has partnered with major hotel brands like Hyatt to create rooms that are free from about 99 percent of aller- gens and 98 to 100 percent of all viruses and bacteria, with below 500,000 small particles per cubic foot in the atmosphere. (To put that into perspective, most spaces have 3 to 4 million, and doctors recommend lowering that number to 1 to 1.5 million if you suffer from asthma.)

PURE does this with a seven-step process from a complete deep- cleaning of the air handling system to the application of an anti- virus static barrier to the walls and furniture and placing anti-microbial cases on mattresses and pillows—all while keeping the decor and style the same. When Organic Spa Magazine first met Brault in 2011, there were about 50 Hyatt hotels offering PURE-approved “Respire” rooms; now there are 1,972 “Respire” rooms in 119 hotels in North America providing what Tom Smith, vice president of rooms for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, calls “a simple, but empowering initiative “ for guests (respire.hyatt.com).

As hypoallergenic rooms like these (hopefully) become more common, one company has introduced what might well be the future of hotel design in—where else?—Las Vegas. DELOS is billed as the first “wellness real estate” company, and is dedicated to using medical science and technology to create spaces “that optimize and support the physical and emotional health and well-being of guests.” Launched in late-2012, the 42 STAY WELL rooms at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino are each outfitted with 12 wellness features, including special protectors against the electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emanating from gadgets. Surfaces are even treated with a photo-catalytic coating that breaks down bacteria, viruses and harmful VOCs (delos.com).

HOW TO BEAT BEDROOM ALLERGIES

“Dust can contain allergens like mold, pollen, pet dander and microscopic dust mites, which can live in bedding and cloth-covered furniture, and thrive in warm temperatures,” says New York City-based allergist, Dr. David S. Mazza. “These allergens can cause nasal congestions, itchy skin, wheezing, sinus headaches, snoring, and disturbed sleep.” Here is what you can do. • At home, aim to eliminate dust collectors andclutter, and encase your mattresses, pillows and box springs in dust mite-impermeable covers. Wash bedding once a week in hot water, and use a HEPA-filter-equipped vacuum.

• Bring one pillow case and dust-mite cover when traveling to use at the hotel. You may also want to bring your own towels, as the scented laundry detergents used in many hotels can cause nasal and skin symptoms. Ask for a room that’s smoke-free, and has been pet-free for at least 30 days, and that, ideally, has no carpeting.

• If you have a reaction within the first few min- utes of entering a hotel room, ask for a newer or renovated one. Use a saline nasal spray regularly to wash allergens out of the nasal passages and help prevent sinus infections.

Living Allergy-Free at Home

• Organic Rugs Though hardwood floors are best for preventing allergies, Coyuchi’s colorful accent rug helps add a splash of color in organic cotton; choose from a variety of textures. coyuchi.com

• Allergy-Free Cooking Chef Cybele Pascal’s new Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking ($22; Ten Speed Press) cookbook is packed with recipes for 30-minute-and-under meals like deep-dish pizza, chicken mole tacos and stir-fry—all full of flavor, but minus common allergens like gluten, wheat, dairy, soy, peanuts, and shellfish. cybelepascal.com

• Low or Zero VOC Paint Sherwin-Williams has created a line of home paints called “Harmony Paint” which provide better indoor air quality with odor and VOC- reducing properties. It is Zero VOC and features new technology that helps reduce VOC levels from carpets, cabinets and fabrics. sherwin-williams.com

• Nasal Drops Flush allergens out before they irritate with non-medicated Ocean® Saline Nasal Spray, safe for frequent use to keep nasals passages clear and moisturized. oceannasalcare.com

• Hypoallergenic Throws From spa-favorite Andrew Morgan’s new Residential col- lection, the dual-toned, indoor/outdoor Shutter Pleat blankets aremade with Ami-Vert, a sustainable fabric that is hypoallergenic and bacteria-, mold-, and mildew-resistant. morgancollection.com

As healing arts go, Feng Shui (pronounced Fung Shway) is about as organic as you can get.

The ancient Chinese system literally means “wind and water” (in Chinese culture, wind and water are associated with good health), but an easier interpretation is that Feng Shui is the art of placement.

Feng Shui helps us align and arrange our “universe” into more manageable units (i.e., our homes, property, offices, living rooms, bedrooms, and more) that help ease the way for energy flow. We may not be able to control the Feng Shui of the world at large, but Feng Shui can certainly help us to design our personal environment according to the same universal principles of energy flow by which planets spin in their orbits and galaxies propel through space.

We experience organic beauty and wellness when pure, vibrating energy—also called chi, ki, prana, ruah—can flow effortlessly through us and around us. When this energy is disrupted, or blocked in any way, inner and outer balance may be compromised, and that is when mis- fortune, discomfort, or dis-ease may set in. True well-being—wholeness in mind, body, spirit and environment—exists when this life force energy is optimized, creating the sacred space for balance, harmony, growth, and success to flourish.

SPRING CLEANING WITH FENG SHUI

Have you ever experienced a heightened lightness and bright- ness, a joie de vivre, if you will, after spring cleaning? Or perhaps life seemed to “flow” a bit better after rearranging certain design elements within your home or work space. There’s also the intui- tive aspect of sensing the impact of your environment on the way you feel. For example, when you walk into a house with a long, dark hallway as the entryway, you may feel a little bit claustro- phobic or anxious? For every situation that suppresses energy in some way, there are Feng Shui enhancements or ways to update your space through color, furniture, accessories, etc., that will remedy the “afflicted” area and create movement or “flow.”

DECORATING TIPS FOR FENG SHUI

In order to create good Feng Shui in your home or office, here are a few things you can do:

• Clear out clutter It makes no sense to decorate a cluttered home, does it?

• Optimize lighting Full or natural spectrum lighting, candles and light-reflecting surfaces like mirrors or light-refracting items like cut-lead crystals will all activate Chi. When mirrors are placed properly, they can shift the flow of energy in any space dramati- cally. Mirrors can also bring a sense of expansiveness and calm.

• Choose color Color is powerful, as it is an expression of light. The colors you choose should be meaningful to you. In China, yel- low is the color for longevity, red is a most auspicious color, and green is a cleansing color that symbolizes renewal and growth.

• Optimize air quality To move good energy through a space, make certain air is pure and pollutant free. Consider an air-filtration system.

• Be aware of sound Sounds can greatly influence the Chi within a space. This includes music, whether soothing or stimulating. Wind chimes will “cure” negative energy, and move positive energy through a space via their melodic sound.

• Integrate texture Decorate with soft surfaces (drapery, upholstery, carpeting) that absorb noise. Install baffles if needed to modulate loud or toxic sound. Pillars, beams, or sharp-edged corners can interrupt energy flow. Wrap these in broad swaths of soft fabric, surround with mirrors, place plants, wind chimes or crystals to move energy around these “obstructions.”

• Floral arrangements and plants Plants and flowers bring vibrant Chi or energy into any space. Bamboo, considered lucky, is one of the most popular Feng Shui “cures” and a beautiful addition to any home. Bamboo reminds us to be flexible and hollow (open) on the inside, so that the spirit can freely flow and heal our being and our space.

• Consider water Moving water ionizes the air, accentuating its health-boosting quality. Water gardens, fountains or falls, Feng Shui favorites, all bring in the soothing water energy and create a peaceful and sweet energy.

• Art works The use of art can considerably improve the energy of any space. Create the energy and mood you’re looking for through an artistic style or colors (i.e., soothing and sensual in the bedroom or active and vibrant in the kitchen or office).

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LEARN FROM THE EXPERT: JAYME BARRETT

Jayme Barrett, best-selling author of Feng Shui Your Life (Sterling Publishing), has a simple philosophy. When you display symbols of beauty, abundance, success and love within your home and work environment, it creates a manifestation of the life you want to live: a blue- print for your destiny.

In her book, Barrett takes us on a personal tour of homes with exceptional Feng Shui, and explains the techniques she uses to create “positive space.” Room by room, she illustrates the deeper purpose of every aspect of design,

demonstrating how the simplest adjustment— placing a plant in the right corner—can make a world of difference in your daily mood and, ultimately, your life. “Feng Shui,” says Barrett, “is not just about the spaces we occupy. It is a philosophy and way of life that begins with our mental, emotional and spiritual enhancement.” Lush photography and hundreds of tips and sug- gestions–from her own experience and gleaned from the wisdom of the ages–take us ever closer to the revitalization of home, health and spirit. jaymebarrett.com