Basic Concepts of Feng Shui

 

Feng Shui is the Chinese art of placement that is thousands of years old. In Feng Shui, your surroundings or environment can be a reflection of your life. You can thus influence your life in positive ways by making appropriate changes in your environment and surroundings. Below is an outline of several things you can do to start applying Feng Shui principles to your home.

Evaluate your home using the bagua: The bagua is the map of life's valuable qualities. Your experiences, at any given moment, can fit into one these nine areas of the bagua. These areas include: Wealth and Prosperity, Fame and Reputation, Love and Marriage, Family, Health, Creativity and Children, Knowledge and Self Cultivation, Career, Helpful People and Travel.

The bagua (map of qualities) is overlayed onto your home. Then it is possible to evaluate and analyze your home in relation to the areas of the bagua. Are there areas in your life that you would like to improve? Use the bagua to work on the areas of your home that correlate with areas of your life you would like to improve.

Clutter: One basic and important principle in Feng Shui is clearing your clutter. Clutter is our home symbolizes clutter in our lives. It can present itself as procrastination, feeling overburdened, or avoiding things or tasks that need to be addressed. It can also drain your energy, and leave your feeling fatigued.

By cleaning our clutter, we are making room for new experiences in our lives. For example, by cleaning your desk, getting rid of old papers, organizing the drawers; you are making way for new experiences in your business life.

Chi Enhancers: After evaluating your homes life areas using the bagua and then cleaning your clutter, you may consider using items known as chi enhancers. Chi enhancers are items to place in your home that will attract chi. Chi is the vital life energy. We want to attract more chi in our homes to provide harmony and balance in our lives.

Crystals are beautiful chi enhancers that can be used anywhere in your home. By placing the chi enhancer in a certain bagua area of your home that needs uplifting, it will contribute to bringing harmony and balance to that area of your life and home.

Water features are another type of chi enhancer. Water features include fountains, fish tanks, birdbaths, etc. In Feng Shui, water brings good luck and wealth. Wealth can be financial wealth, or spiritual and emotional wealth or fulfillment.

Water features can be placed inside or outside the home and can contribute to a soothing and relaxing environment. One key point, the water features, of course, must be kept clean to promote positive chi.

Plants are also good chi enhancers for the home. Plants must be kept healthy and in good shape for chi enhancement. Silk or real plants both work well. Avoid dried flowers. Since the plants have already died, they will not attract chi.

Animals and pets are also good chi enhancers. Their life and presence is a powerful attraction for chi. The animals must be well looked after and their homes or special areas kept clean and cared for.

Anything moving and flowing also contributes to bringing chi into our homes. Wind sculptures, wind chimes, flags, etc are examples of some items that can be used to encourage chi. Placed on the front porch or entrance attracts the chi though the door and into the home.

As you can see, there are many things you can do to begin applying Feng Shui principles to your home. Consider Feng Shui as a way to improve your home and life.Amy Toplikar is the developer of alternative-stress-management.com This website offers information about Feng Shui, Qigong, aromatherapy, and meditation. To learn more please visit http://www.alternative-stress-managment.com.

A Touch of Feng Shui in the Garden

 

From the beliefs, culture and mythology of China, Feng Shui was born.

It is an ancient belief in the art of placement.Literally translated, Feng Shui means wind and water symbolizing the two major forces of nature. Feng Shui promotes a scientific and philosophical approach to design and site a home, public building and spaces to maintain harmony with the nature. This harmony is believed to allow light from the spiritual realm to shine upon those who believe and adopt the principles to their home and environment.

Interpretation of this belief has expanded into many directions. Over the past few years, Feng Shui has swept through the Western world/ culture according to what's practical, adaptable and suitable.

This is the wonder of Feng Shui- it allows for differences, and innovation according to the beliefs of a particular culture. It inspires personal perspective and creativity.It fosters harmony between man and his environment.

Adapting some of the principles of Feng Shui encourages a gardener to create a place which radiates more than beauty to please the eye. It is the visual attraction of a garden that draws people to it. But be aware of unseen and subtle energies taking place in the garden.

Today, a garden is an extension of the living space of a person or a family. It offers a place to entertain, a respite from the busy and chaotic world, a private space to relax and reflect, at times, a place to seek healing.

Sans the tools, a touch of Feng Shui, can enhance and actually generate positive vibrations outdoors and into the inner sanctum of the gardener.

With intuition, common sense and dedication,simple rules of Feng Shui can be applied. It promotes a garden that is friendly to Nature and ultimately infuse creative and vibrant energy and ensures the positive flow of chi.

Balance

Balance is a very important aspect of Life. It is the Yin/Yang in practice. It is opposing yet complementary.Tidbit: public parks exhibit the yang space, a private garden shows the yin.

A garden design that incorporates a balance of plants, ornaments and furniture is appealing to look at. If it's visually attractive, and it feels good, it is a gardener's pride and joy. The energy must be vibrant.

The Elements in Feng Shui

A little attention to the elements in a garden provide an atmosphere of peace and harmony.

Fire Color: red, and purple Plants with pointed leaves Structures/ornaments: pyramids, obelisks,lights trellis/ support for plants This is a powerful element, don't let it dominate the area.

Wood Color : green. All plants are wood element, it is the shape and color that suggest other elements. Trees and shrubs strongly represent wood element. Structures/ ornaments: decking, planters, logs, and furniture

Earth Color: yellow, orange, and brown Structures/ornaments: soil, rocks, stones, walkways, fences A walkway or fence that dominates the garden slows down the flow of chi.

Water Color: dark blue, black Structure/ornaments gravel, meandering paths, water features, glass.

Metal Color: white, silver Structure/ornaments: bowls, domes, and hammock.

Working with the elements

The natural world beckons. Gardening has ignited passion for creating a magical world of plants, colors, ornaments and design, with Nature as the canvas for the artist. A garden fills a space that would otherwise be void and saturated with stale energy.

It is with the shapes, colors and garden ornaments and structures that spells balance and introduce the elements to bring out positive energy.

Ponds are popular features, Perhaps unknowingly,ponds represent the lake, rocks and pebbles stand for the mountains. Water symbolizes wealth and a good collector of chi, so long as it is not stagnant. Careful choice of ornaments can create a balance of the elements in a pond.

Take a cue from Nature- it tries to achieve balance between shape and color. Whatever feature you add, proportion is important.

There are ways to remedy existing structures. Add some pots along a straight walkway to give it a feeling of meandering. Add a splash of colors to make it look interesting.

Appeal to the senses

Sight A visually attractive garden touches upon the sub-conscious .It is leaves an impression that can impact deep into the psyche. Clutter anywhere is annoying. It hinders the flow of chi. In the garden, it is important to keep it free of debris and clutter.

Arrangement of plants, mixing plants with a variety of color and blooming periods, and giving thought of the flowering season adds balance to a garden.

Sound No one wants to live in a noisy neighborhood.There are sounds in the garden. Bees and birds bring about welcome sound. Gurgling water can be soothing. A bamboo wind chime sends out gentle sounds resembling the rustle of leaves.Leave the leaves for a little while and listen as you crunch through in the fall.

Smell The natural sweet scents from a garden is superior to the most expensive perfume.Enjoy the fragrance from your garden wafting through the air, especially with the evening breeze.

Touch My four-year old great niece fascinates me when I see how carefully she touches things around the garden- from the little animal ornaments the leaves.and flowers. She does not pick the flowers, she tries to feel the softness with her little fingers. I have little colored stones at the bottom of a bowl that glimmers under the sun, she approaches these quietly as she timidly dips one little finger to feel them.No, nothing bites her little finger. She does this with so much concentration that anyone who watches her has to experience the sensation of "touching."

Other suggestions:

For focus, use smaller potted plants in a group or one large pot For abundance, fountains and water features

For illumination, lights for particular features

For stability use urns, large pots, rocks and stones

Show off your achievement or passion with art collection

Wind chimes to stir up energy and create movement

To receive gifts of the earth and the Universe, empty pots, dishes and urns.

This article barely touches upon the basics of Feng Shui. But, it's a start.

Bonnie Moss writes to inspire and motivate her readers to reach deep within their hearts and soul to find more meaning to Life .Visit her website: http://goldencupcafe.tripod.com

Feng Shui Bathroom Wealth

 

Feng Shui has tried, true, and time tested wealth strategies that integrate theories based on Feng Shui Elements. Feng Shui colors and tools such as the Feng Shui Baguato provide followers the secret keys to lasting prosperity. If you did a Feng Shui Study, you would be fascinated by the relationship Feng Shui establishes between the bathroom and wealth. Read on and you will not only help you discover new ways to improve prosperity but will also provide to deepen your understanding of this popular practice which has strong spiritual and scientific basis

Even if you're a Feng Shui beginner, you're probably familiar with Feng Shui bagua (Feng Shui map of a space), and know that family area is a good place for the living room, or that a Feng Shui office is best placed in the knowledge, wealth or career sectors. You may also know that Feng Shui bed room is best placed in the marriage corner of the Feng Shui house. But do you know where the Feng Shui bathroom should be located if you're seeking wealth? Probably not but that's o.k. This article on Feng Shui bathroom wealth was written specifically to highlight the importance of a 'Feng Shui bathroom ' -- how it can increase or decrease wealth in your home.

As most of the Feng Shui practices have strong scientific basis, there are two important rules of thumb that you need to remember when deciding the location of a bathroom. First you need to know that, the bathroom and toilet are primarily governed by and driven by the element Water. In Feng Shui, Water is associated with wealth, prosperity, career and good cash flow. Secondly, you should keep in mind that bathrooms are associated with elimination and waste. With these two considerations in mind, it is easier to understand the main rules that apply to the layout and location of this space.

Without a clearly marked out space in Feng Shui bagua, the bathroom is a little out of place anywhere, but thanks to the time tested Feng Shui wisdom, you can easily identify problems with your bathroom (cash flow blockages, drained finances, etc.) that are detrimental to your wealth (it can block your cash flow, drain your finances, and add to your financial stress). Although some of locations are more troublesome than others, one of the best Feng Shui tips to keep in mind here is that a defective bathroom plumbing has a draining effect wherever it is located.

According to traditional Feng Shui some bathroom locations which can have negative effect on your wealth. These locations include:

Bathrooms next to or above the front door. Bathrooms on the second floor directly above the kitchen or front door Bathrooms in the center of the office Bathrooms under the stairs

It may seem restrictive but the reasons are sound when you reason using Feng Shui principles. For instance a bathroom in the front hall, close to the door, or a bathroom at the end of straight hall way can drain Chi away before it has a chance to circulate through the rest of the house.

Wang's aim has been to create a total system for anyone interested in Feng Shui--not just the physical aspect of it, but also the promise of universal harmony, of spiritual contentment. http://www.thespiritualfengshui.com website is more than a mere website on Feng Shui. Wang has major emphasis on wealth and prosperity through feng shui by placing it at right position in office, bathroom etc.

4 Fengshui Ways for an Unforgettable Door Appeal

 

Sell homes with Fengshui door appeal. Or, you could be missing potential sales and profit. The front door is the mouth of the chi. A handsome door brings good health, wealth, and longevity. Although houses come with many door, there is just one door which is use more often. Fengshui encourages the use of the front or main door. Passing the front door, you are leaving the outside world. Once you are inside, you can see the true color or personality of the home owner.

Positive Energy Flow

Without any clutter in front or back of the door, the positive flow can easily go inside. You may also check for obstruction on the door path. Door should smoothly open and close.

Make the Guardian happy

The guests must be able to clearly distinguish the front door. With a properly placed light, the front door tells the direction to go. Think of light as a guardian. And, remember to replace used up light bulbs. Or, it will ruin the positive energy. Consequently, it may lead to financial loss and illness.

Color Personality

The color of the door tells something about the home owner. A red door symbolizes fame and fortune. Although Fengshui recommends a red door, many doors come in a variety of colors. Yellow says friendly and cheerful home owner. And, blue says introvert and quiet home owner. Lastly, the green is simply the color of life.

Size Matters

The size of the door must conform to the size of the house. An extra large door leads to financial difficulty, while an extra small door leads to petty arguments. Additionally, the doorframes are the poles that support the family. A sturdy and straight poles increase the potential fortune.

Dennis Estrada is a webmaster of mortgage calculators which provide resources, and calculators for mortgage and real estate.