Grandma was RIGHT! Learning to Forgive witih Feng Shui

 

Letting go of the old to allow the new in is a major principle in Feng Shui. Why then, when we are hurt by another?s actions do we find it so hard to forgive? We are taught to ?Go With the Flow? knowing that whatever is happening in our present is in our best interests, even though it may seem far from it at the time and it is often too difficult to see how such a negative force could ever have any good outcome.

It is in the very act of letting go and releasing that hurt and energy that we carry around that which nourishes us, in the long run. If you take the perspective that it is far better for YOU to learn to let go of pain we feel others have caused us you may find it easier. Through Maya Angelou we know that when we KNOW better, we DO better. A simple sentence with a lot of impact.

Without making excuses for the other person?s actions as a way to forgive them, just assume they didn?t know any better. Remember, our perception of any event or action is always different from another person?s perspective. It has always been impossible and quite often a waste of precious Energy to get someone to see things in a different light. We are the ones, then, that need to change our thoughts over the incident to release it and feel better, mentally and physically. It is a difficult concept, yet if I look back in my life to my own past hurts and disappointments perceived by another person?s actions, I can see that eventually GOOD came from it. In ways that I never would have expected.

Perhaps it is because it caused us to change our course of direction, spurred us on to take actions or do things we wouldn?t previously have done. Perhaps it is the theory that really is a universal law, that ?What goes around, comes around? and we need do nothing harmful or revengeful to another with that law so firmly in place. It is only in changing OUR way of thinking, our perceptions of the situation and realizing that as difficult as it may seem at the moment to see any good possibly occurring from it, somehow learning to just know it on a different level will help us reach the state we need to heal ourselves.

Illness in our own bodies is a buildup of negative and blocked energy. When we can learn to take just the few positive things that come from any negative situation or to ?see the silver lining? as my Grandmother used to say, we are only helping ourselves to deal and cope and thereby not allowing a buildup of this precious Energy escape us through ill health. According to Chinese principles, we are only born with a certain amount of Energy and when that energy is used is when we pass to another place. They firmly believe that the only way to replace and restore this energy is through the ancient art of Tai Chi.

Unfortunately, not many of us practice Tai Chi (have you noticed how old some of those people that are faithfully in the Parks actually are?) Our alternative, then, would be to truly learn to let go and release old hurts, pain and disappointments for ourselves, to free ourselves and keep ourselves well. And believe that when these people do know better, they will do better.

And to see the silver lining in any situation. Grandma was right, after all.

Feng Shui Expert

By: Carole Provenzale

Feng Shui Long Island

http://www.FengShuiLI.com

FengShuiLI@aol.com

 

The Curse of the Feng Shui Money Frog!?!

 

ARe Feng Shui Money Frogs classed as cursed objects or are they possessed of more friendly and positive forms of powers and qi (chi)?

Let me first start off by saying that there is no such thing as the curse of the Feng Shui Money Frog but I had you going, didn't I? I just thought that would make a catchy title for my article about Feng Shui and the Feng Shui Money Frog. Of course I also think it would make a good title for a big budget Hollywood blockbuster, perhaps starring Jackie Chan, and I am of course open to any cash offers of this sort. First we will start off by briefly looking at what is Feng Shui and some of its origin and history. Then we will look at the Feng Shui Money Frog and how to take advantage of its power. Once again though, there is NO such thing as the Curse of the Feng Shui Money Frog, in fact, rather the reverse is true because the power of the Feng Shui Money Frog is used to attract wealth into your life, home and business!

What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui, also known as Kanyu is chinese and means "wind and water". These are the two containers for the Qi(Chi). Since life exists within either air or water, Qi(Chi) is said to be the life energy that flows within these two environments. Qi(Chi) is a very important force in nature and has major influences on many oriental disciplines including Buddhism and most martial arts philosophies. It is the goal of Feng Shui to orient one's dwellings, one's possessions, and one's land and landscaping, so that it is in harmony with the flow of Qi(Chi). Feng Shui considers all cultural and social issues to be influenced by natural, metaphysical and cosmological factors. To understand Feng Shui one needs understanding of magnetic fields and how they influence people, astronomy, Chinese astrology, the weathering process of building materials, and of how the forces of nature act on buildings and their surroundings.

Feng Shui has influence not only on placement of items with a structure but also on how the structure is built and even on the site on which it is built. Most of the Feng Shui influences on site location can be attributed to common sense. In ancient China a city was planned using a system concentric rectangles fortified by walls and surrounded by hills, valleys, gardens, courtyards, lakes and parks. The ancient Chinese tried to ensure that both the natural and building environments were planned to enhance positive (Qi or Chi) energy flow. Taoist ideas of opposites (Yin and Yang, solid and void, earth and water) were used to landscape the area. The left of the buildings represented Yang or male force and was connected to the forces of heaven. The right side of the building represented Yin or the female force and was connected with the energies of the earth. Buildings, even the Palaces of the Emperors were constructed in such a way as to promote harmony in family and harmony with nature.

Many think of Feng Shui as a style of decoration but it is more of a discipline for arranging everything in one's life so that it is harmony with the environment otherwise know as the flow of qi. For instance sharp corners of a structure and geometrically straight line lines should not point to where the people are in a room. Clutter is to be avoided. Stairs should never face the front entrance. Some objects are believe to have the power to gather wealth, love, and luck in one's life while others are believe to have the power of reflecting or shifting negative and evil energy from a space. The latter would include certain crystal forms, wind chimes, mirrors and of course fountains and pools of water. A perfect example of the former would be the Feng Shui Money Frog.

The practice of Feng Shui began in the either the late Qin or early Han dynasty. This period dates from about birth of Christ to sometime around the early third century BC. The early Chinese, like the early Egyptians were obsessed with ancestor worship. Feng Shui was originally intended for ideal placement of gravesites so that people could gain the most benefit from their ancestors. As time progressed Feng Shui evolved to include harmony for the living. Feng Shui is believed to have evolved from the even more ancient practice of Vastu which itself stems from the ancient Vedic tradition of the early Hindus. None of this is being offensive to practitioners Feng Shui however because evolution is itself in harmony with nature.

Early Feng Shui was mostly handed down through the centuries through oral tradition. This is due to an effort to burn all written Feng Shui materials during the Qin dynasty. The order of Chinese dynasties is: Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Lio, Jin, Yuan, Ming, Qing and had their beginning around 3000 years ago. The Jin Dynasty is famous for the War of Eight Princes and The Battle of Fei. It was during this time that the Burial Book by Guo Pu was written and is considered to be a good work based on the early oral traditions. Many consider the most authoritative book on Feng Shui is generally considered to be the "Qing Nang Jing" by Huang Shi Gong written in the Qin Dynasty. And inspiring the Feng Shui burnings which occurred soon after. There are other's who view the books of Yang Yun Song and his followers to be the most authoritative works. These books are hard to read and don't translate well because they are cryptic in nature and believed to be similar to the Bible in that they are a written form of an oral tradition handed down through centuries. They were written during the Tang Dynasty.

Today we are blessed(?) with several popular schools of Feng Shui most of which contradict each other and more books have been written on this subject than anyone could ever possibly read. Today's schools are based on the San-yuan(Three Periods) School founded around 1150 years ago and features the "Flying Stars System" to chart the flow of energy in buildings. The San-ho School (Three Combinations) is about 150 years younger and is focused on the energy flow between mountains and waterways. This is the school, which uses a Feng Shui compass that has been specifically developed for the classification of land and building sites. The Hsuan-kung School (Mysterious Subtleties) is about 200 years younger yet and was originally designed to compliment the San-ho by expanding its tradition into the building construction area. The Pa-chai School is the baby of the traditional Chinese Feng Shui schools yet it is itself about 300 years old. Many modern Feng Shui are trained in at least two of these schools and do their best to reconcile the many contradictions that can be found between there various teachings of the various schools.

Now that we have finished our time traveling we will discuss the wealth, relationship, and luck aspects of Feng Shui and from there we will finally meet the accursed(;) Feng Shui Money Frog. Once the building is built certain objects made from certain materials are placed conspicuously in pre-determined areas around the home or place of business to ward off evil influences and to attract positive energy (Qi or Chi). These objects can include Buddhas (including female Buddhas also known as Qin Juans), Dragons and other Guardians. These Feng Shui objects are placed at appropriate compass points and facing directions, which can themselves, vary depending on the use, time of day, month and year, and also on the school of belief used. The subject is far too varied to go into detail in a mere article however we will delve a bit into the uses and placement of the Feng Shui Money Frog and finally on where traditional Feng Shui Money Frogs may be obtained.

The Traditional Feng Shui Money Frog is usually sculpted to hold a Ching Dynasty coin (or at least a Chinese coin) in its mouth and is usually depicted sitting on lots of gold ingots, coins and wealth. Making the symbol even more powerful, the Feng Shui Money Frog will have a crown on its head to signify its authority for creating wealth. A bagua would also often be carved on its back to protect against loss of wealth. Strings of Chinese coins can be strung behind the back of the Feng Shui Money Frog to even further enhance its power. Another important factor to consider before purchasing a Money Frog is to ensure there are 7 dots of stars to represent 7 Great North Pole stars of the bagua, which fundamentally triggered the study of Feng Shui in ancient China. The Feng Shui Money Frog is sometimes called a Three Legged Toad or Frog or "Chan Chu") and it is the most significant symbol of wealth and prosperity in Feng Shui. Because of its association with wealth building and money gain the Feng Shui Money Frog is also linked to the moon.

Chinese legends have it that the Feng Shui Money Frog was the wife of one of the Eight Immortals and she was turned into a frog as a punishment for stealing a peach from the Tree of Heaven. And like most women she has cravings for wealth and money. For generations since ancient China, this mythical Feng Shui Money Frog is the most powerful of five Chinese holy creatures that attract wealth, power, good health and love and protect us from evil influences and misfortune.

The Feng Shui Money Frog can be placed in many places to both attract wealth, build prosperity and ward off the losing of both: 1) Place either one, three, six or nine randomly in your living room. If you have a garden they should also be placed randomly there too. They are placed randomly to signify them hopping as they bring lots of wealth and money scattering all over your home and your outside living area. Your Feng Shui Money Frogs will hop out during the afternoon to collect money, wealth and prosperity and return at night with it sticking to their feet. They do not need to be treated as deities so they may be placed low or on the ground. In fact they should not be placed too high or they may be afraid to jump off and go out to seek wealth for you. The Feng Shui Money Frog should be placed randomly in the living room, dining room, or any gather room or outside in your garden. But do not place Feng Shui Money Frogs in kitchens, bathrooms or bedrooms. A good concentration of them should be placed in your wealth corner. They can be placed diagonally facing your main door and some inward facing, but never facing straight out of the door the front door or they will leave and never return. 2) To double the income of your home you may consider placing two Feng Shui Money Frogs at the guardian positions directly inside the front entrance of your premises with their heads looking in. This invites constant cash flow and prevents your gained wealth from leaving. 3) Your wealth corner, which should be located in the southeast corner of either your living room or premises as a whole. Feng Shui Money Frogs should be placed in the wealth corner facing in the direction indicated by your personal Sheng Chi number which can be referencing the Feng Shui Sheng Chi page located at Ye Old Art Shoppe The placement location is also very important and is determined by where lucky stars numbers eight and nine are located. It is often said that at these points you will sometimes experience unexplained gusts of wind. 4) Feng Shui Money Frogs are a must for businessmen who want to succeed. In a place of business the Feng Shui Money Frog should be placed at or near your cash register and also should be placed just inside the door of your safe facing in to protect your acquired day's receipts. If you have an office a wealth corner should be set up in the southeast corner of your office as described in three. A Feng Shui Money frog may also be placed on your desk but not at a direct angle to the front entrance of your office. And not if you are sit with your back to a window or with your back to the door. 5) Finally for housewives and gamblers a Feng Shui money frog should be placed by you at the altar of the God of the Earth.

Where can you find the most powerful Feng Shui Money Frogs and a very powerful selection of Feng Shui Art and Feng Shui Sculpture objects? The author would suggest that you first try at Ye Old Art shoppe located at http://www.yeoldartshoppe.com for a powerful selection of hand sculpted Feng Shui Money Frogs created from bronze, quartz, agate and goldstone in various sizes and styles. Dragons, including turtle dragons sitting atop coins, Buddhas, including Quan Jin, and many other Feng Shui and oriental art objects are available. Ye Old Art Shoppe is your source for Oriental Art, Oriental Sculpture, Feng Shui Art and Feng Shui Sculpture. But no cheap junk! Searchers and Questers after cheap junk should look elsewhere for only individually handcrafted unique works of art may be found at Ye Old Art Shoppe!

The author is a career computer professional and an avid support of the arts.

Using Feng Shui to Clear the Clutter

 

Clearing the clutter and debris in your home and in your personal life is the first step of Feng Shui and it costs nothing. Clutter is trapped energy that has a far-reaching effect physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Clutter makes you feel unorganized, confused, keeps you in the past, congests your body, and leaves you feeling lethargic and tired. Clutter is energy constipation and who needs that?

Ridding yourself of clutter (even things which were once of value to your life) makes room in your life for what you really want and need now, at this point in your life.

Ten Tips for Eliminating Clutter

1. Use the Ultimate Clutter Test ~ Does it lift your energy? Do you use it? Do you love it? If you answer no to these questions, it's time to let it go.

2. Give yourself a miniature energy shift ~ Set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes and clear a small area such as a kitchen drawer. You will probably find you are feeling more energized and might have trouble stopping!

3. Put things away within 30 seconds of using them. ~ How many times have you tossed a magazine on the table, intending to get back to it? Is it still on the coffee table? Just for today, put everything back in its place.

4. Throw things away often ~ 80% of what is stored or saved is never used again - that applies to papers, clothes, magazines etc. Maybe it's time to clean out those old files stored on your computer or your desk?

5. Make a list of all the unfinished things in your life ~ This could include letters or phone calls you need to make, someone you need to apologize to, an appliance that doesn't work. Then set out to complete these things. They have all been draining your energy.

6. Do a little clutter busting every day ~ Sort mail daily and file your paperwork. Have a place to put things so you don't waste time looking for your keys etc.

7. Get rid of old clothes ~ Ask yourself these questions: Do my clothes represent who I am now? Do they make me feel good about myself? If your closet is filled with clothes you no longer need, donate them to charity. Open up space in your closet for new things to come in.

8. Clean out your cupboards and refrigerator ~ Do you have any non-perishable items that you know you won't eat? Donate them to a food bank or offer them to your neighbor. Get rid of outdated food items in the refrigerator and give it a good cleaning.

9. Donate books that no longer serve your needs ~ Aim to have a collection of books that represent you as you are today, not who you were in the past.

10. Think before you buy ~ The next time you go shopping, ask yourself before you buy something, "Do I really love this and need it?"

As you identify and release your clutter, you free up the energy held there for more constructive purposes. Your life may take off in ways you never thought possible.

Clearing your clutter is essential in Feng Shui. What you want is available to you, but there may be no room in your home and life for it! Letting go of what no longer serves must occur before more treasures can come into your life. Releasing clutter can help you clear life patterns which do not serve you any longer. The simple act of clearing clutter can transform your life by releasing negative emotions, generating energy, and allowing you to create space in your life for the things you want to achieve.

Begin today by choosing one area to begin with, such as a counter top that has accumulated an entire month of junk mail. You'll get more, I promise! Keep the clutter-busting simple. If you look at the whole picture, you might become overwhelmed and not do anything. As you eliminate the clutter from your environment, visualize what it is that you are making room for. This will begin the process of manifestation.

Kathy Browning is an Autoimmune Disease Nutrition Consultant and co-founder of HealthyDivas.com. She is the author of "The Diva Diet" and co-author of "Autoimmunity: It's Time for Truth; It's Time to Heal." Ms. Browning is the editor of "Conquering Autoimmunity", a monthly ezine for individuals with autoimmune disease. To learn more about autoimmune disease or subscribe to newsletter, visit http://www.HealthyDivas.com

 

The Spiritual Feng Shui

 

Feng Shui (pronounced "fung shway") is an ancient Chinese art whose name translates from the Chinese as "wind and water." Feng Shui is a lyrical phrase that poetically evokes the heart of this ancient practice.

Wind and water are, first and foremost, natural elements (two of the five elements that comprise all of nature). Wind is the earth's breath, and water is the invigorating lifeblood of everything that exists on our planet.

Both wind and water have tremendous energy that drives Feng Shui's practices and techniques to fill your life with positive energies. Feng Shui, at its very core is a means of arranging the basic elements of life--and all the things that you surround yourself with on a daily basis-- to create the optimal and harmonious flow of vital life energy, just like the flow of water and wind.

How Feng Shui works

Feng Shui is no magic. It is a collection of practical, time-tested solutions based on the fundamental properties of elements that are used to change the negative aspects and introduce the positive aspects of each element to your living environment--and change your life for the better.

Feng Shui has had a huge impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the globe--and you can have its benefits work for you! By simply changing the interior of your home, changing the colors of your walls, or relocating the furniture in your bedroom, you can enjoy the positive effects of Feng Shui.

Feng Shui information - some Key Points
Good Feng Shui requires an open mind, heart and spirit. Feng Shui releases negativity from your house and life. It opens up a whole new space within you for positive thoughts, love, contentment and prosperity. Don't let negativity enter when you practice Feng Shui. Holding onto negative emotions and past anger can only hinder you from making progress through Feng Shui and creating a wonderful future for yourself.

Practicing good karma is a cornerstone of Feng Shui. Be generous and give of yourself in order to receive in kind from the universe and others around you. You are living a life that is ill-suited to you, your personality, your dreams, your family, your essential self...and your home is symbolic of this.

Feng Shui helps you to enhance your living space by changing one or more elements in the room. As you learn more about Feng Shui, you will begin to understand the significance of each and every practice that is related to Feng Shui.

By embracing Feng Shui, you embrace the fact that you deserve balance, harmony, and spiritual fulfillment. You deserve empowerment and clarity. So, let Feng Shui help you reach out and take hold of all those things--you, your life, and your future all stand to benefit immensely if you do!

Subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter and/ or buy my e-book for authentic information on the various aspects of Feng Shui.

Remember that Feng Shui is not only about changing your physical surroundings, but it is also about changing yourself from within. The Spiritual Feng Shui is a spiritual technique that transforms you at both physical and metaphysical level.

Physical Feng Shui -- just moving around furniture -- is incomplete without the support of mental and emotional Feng Shui. Until you practice Feng Shui in its totality it is of little use!

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.

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.

Crystal Feng Shui

 

101 feng shui tip for the home 2007 chinese feng shui 2007 energy feng shui 2007 feng forecast shui 2007 feng prediction shui 2007 feng shui 2007 feng shui tip 2007 feng shui year architect builder connecticut feng shui article feng love shui bedroom feng outline shui charlotte feng shui chinese feng shui clear your clutter with feng shui consultant feng font shui creating sacred space with feng shui cubicle feng shui energy feng house shui feng pig shui year feng shui feng shui apartment feng shui architecture feng shui art feng shui astrology feng shui bagua feng shui basics feng shui bathroom feng shui bedroom feng shui bedroom colors feng shui bedroom tip feng shui best buy feng shui book feng shui business feng shui calendar feng shui candle feng shui coin feng shui color feng shui colors feng shui compass feng shui consultant feng shui consultation feng shui course feng shui crystal feng shui cure feng shui decorating feng shui design feng shui dragon

feng shui elements feng shui en espanol feng shui font feng shui for dummy feng shui fountain feng shui garden feng shui gift feng shui health feng shui home feng shui home decorating feng shui home decorating.com feng shui home design feng shui horoscope feng shui house feng shui house plan feng shui in the bedroom feng shui in the home feng shui institute feng shui interior design feng shui item feng shui jewelry feng shui kitchen feng shui life feng shui living room feng shui love feng shui master feng shui mirror feng shui office feng shui picture feng shui plant feng shui principle feng shui product feng shui rooms feng shui schools feng shui shop feng shui store feng shui symbol feng shui tip feng shui tip for home feng shui training feng shui water fountain feng shui wealth feng shui wind chime flying star feng shui free feng shui free feng shui tip free tip for feng shui decorating history of feng shui lilian too feng shui lillian too feng shui office feng shui guidelines the western guide to feng shui world of feng shui

The 7 Feng Shui Fundamentals for Children's Bedrooms

 

Feng shui is a very popular and intriguing concept in home design today. In addition to the life benefits it provides, it also offers a roadmap, so to speak, of not just how to decorate... but why. In short, it offers you, the homeowner, design with purpose. For a child's room this purposeful design is especially important.

Feng shui gives parents a guide for decorating your children's bedrooms, and perhaps more importantly, a reason for adding particular elements -- something standard decorating practices don't always offer. What does that mean exactly? Well, when it comes to a child's bedroom, feng shui dictates everything from correct bed alignment, proper bedroom choice, essential decorating and design elements, i.e., do's and don'ts (no vicious animals, etc.) for a child's room, even how to influence the child to be studious and well-behaved -- all things most parents would appreciate knowing.

The purpose of feng shui in a childs bedroom is the same as every parents objective in decorating their childrens rooms: to create a healthy, happy environment that fosters education, good health, happy relationships with parents and siblings, and respect for parents. Children and parents can enjoy success and healthy relationships if the environment supports them.

Naturally, children must feel safe, secure, and cared for to thrive. By putting interest and effort into your childs room, you are showing your child that you believe the childs space, and therefore, your child, is important. The tips presented here are some of the fundamentals of feng shui for children.

1.Place a happy picture of the parents in the childrens rooms.

This subtly exerts the authority and prominence of the parents as heads of the household. It is also one of the quickest and most effective ways to bring a problem child into line.

2.Align the childs bed to the widest part of the room.

Make sure your child can see the door from his or her bed easily, but is not in direct line of the door. Your child should also not share a wall with a toilet or see a toilet or bathroom from the bed as this can cause health problems.

Bunk beds are not advised. If possible, try to have a separate bedroom for each child. If this isnt possible, there are lots of decorative ways to create division and privacy within a room.

3.Create a space for study and accomplishments.

Having a dedicated space, including a desk and lamp where your child can study, demonstrates to your child the importance you place on education and your childs educational achievement. If this has been a source of problems, make the study position in the NE corner of the bedroom. Also make a place on a south wall, if possible, of your childs accomplishments. Doing so reinforces that you are proud of your childs efforts. Display drawings, crafts, awards, trophies, ribbons, or other special items, such as tests with good scores or letters from teachers. Place items here that have brought special recognition.

4.Make the childs room a healthy place. Water pictures, aquariums, or sounds of water that can be heard from the bedroom can create an unhealthy environment and may even lead to respiratory ailments. This is especially important if the child has any health problems, particularly asthma.

5.Clear the space so your child can rest and be creative.

Jammed closets and drawers, beds with boxes, shoes and other items underneath must be cleaned out. Creating space and visual openness helps your child to feel less pressured, and more likely to be imaginative and creative. More is definitely not more when it comes to kids. Give them a visual rest and clear out all the stuff they havent played with in a month or more.

6.Use light, color, and artwork in the room to make a happy environment.

A childs room should stimulate, not dampen, the childs spirit. Make sure there is adequate lighting for the desk, for a bedside table, and that windows can be closed off for privacy.

Rooms that are painted blue (unless its a bright or light-colored shade) or other dark colors can be depressing and create too much oppressive energy. Bright colors, such as yellows, light greens, purples and pinks are good choices, with yellow being the optimal choice.

Monitor the images your child sees being certain to eliminate images of ferocious or dangerous animals or violence. These are poor symbols for making a child feel safe in the bedroom. Select items for the room that inspire and intrigue a child to learn and that foster his or her sense of security.

7.Position children in the correct bedroom locations.

If possible, boys should be placed in the east or north bedrooms and girls should be placed in the south or southeast or west bedrooms.

Kathryn Weber is a certified master practitioner in feng shui and the publisher of The Red Lotus Letter, a FREE weekly feng shui ezine. Subscribe by logging on to www.redlotusletter.com. Her articles have been featured in Seventeen Magazine, Indy Star newspaper, and SelfGrowth.com, among others.kweber@redlotusconsulting.com