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 Get rid of outdated food items in the refrigerator and give it a good cleaning.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

Feng Shui Organizing: Use the "Natural Forces of the Universe" to Organize Your Life

 

What is Feng Shui?

When translated into English, feng shui means "the way of the wind and water" or "the natural forces of the universe." People all over the world practice a form of feng shui. Europeans call it "geomancy," while Hawaiians and Native Americans practice their own form of feng shui. To organize your life using feng shui, it is helpful to learn more about the elements of our earth as well as the basic principles of feng shui.

Using the Elements

The Chinese believe everything in the world belongs to one of five elements--they are: water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. The easiest way to use the natural forces of the universe when you organize is to incorporate as many of these elements into your design scheme as you can. Decorating with items such as small fountains (water), candles (fire), plants/flowers (earth), and chimes (metal) helps you integrate these elements into your home and/or office and calm your soul.

Using the Principles

Clutter is trapped energy that has far-reaching effects. It affects you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. As you organize each room of your home, it is helpful to keep the Ten Basic Principles of Feng Shui in mind (Rich, 279). They are:

• Clear the Clutter. Clutter takes up not only physical space but mental space too. Clearing out your home literally makes space for your future.
• Keep the Front Entrance of Your Home Well-Maintained. Did you know that according to feng shui, your entry point is where all the energy flows into your home? Keep this area clean and well defined.
• Allow Energy to Flow Freely. Clutter and awkwardly positioned furniture can inhibit the flow of energy throughout your home. Energy ushers in good health and harmony.
• Contain the Energy. Using wind chimes, plants, and mirrors in your home will help you redirect the flows of energy. For instance, if your front and back door are directly aligned, wind chimes will redirect the flow of positive energy. Area rugs also anchor furniture groupings--helping the energy flow from one space to another.
• Make Sure Everything Works. Maintaining your home and/or office directly affects your clarity. For instance, according to feng shui your home's plumbing represents your body's digestive system and the electrical system corresponds to your neurological system.
• Check Out Your Home for Negative Energies. Distortions in the electro-magnetic fields of the earth can impact your home and mental clarity. Placing a fountain in front of your home is an excellent way to attract flowing money energy since the water element is the universal symbol for wealth and prosperity.
• Be Aware of the Images and Symbols in Your Home. Your choices represent messages from your subconscious. Be careful to select accessories for your home and office that reflect what you want from your future.
• Create a Quiet Sanctuary Within Your Bedroom. Your bedroom needs to be a haven of peace and tranquility--promoting restful sleep. For example, avoid using this place to work. Unless of course you find your work peaceful.
• Make the Kitchen a Center of Calmness. Most kitchens are the hub of family life. Creating a calm atmosphere in this room affects the quality of the meals you provide for your family.
• Love Your Home and It Will Love You. Your home should be thought of as a living entity. Caring for it properly allows you to feel supported, safe, and nourished.

Bringing It All Together

Just by practicing these few basic principles and incorporating the natural elements into your home, you will be able to clear the clutter out of your home and out of your life. If you need a little help getting started, don't hesitate to contact me. Sometimes all we need is a friendly professional to jumpstart the organizing process and get us going in the right direction.

Sheri McConnell is the President of the National Association of Women Writers (http://www.NAWW.org). She helps women writers and entrepreneurs discover, create, and profit from their intellectual knowledge! Free reports for writers available with subscription to NAWW Weekly. Sheri lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband Seth and their four children. Contact her at naww@onebox.com or her toll free number at 866-821-5829.

Feng Shui & the Haunted House!

 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like... to spend one night in haunted hotel room, just for fun? Well, I have! Of course the hotel wouldn't be able to guarantee that the ghost would make an appearance on any given night. After all? the hotel concierge doesn't have an appointment calendar for the resident ghosts.

Then again, how would you like to share your home on a daily basis with spirits of the dearly departed or in some cases the not so dearly departed? It's true? some spirits are friendlier than others. You'd be surprised how many clients over the years have asked if Feng Shui could help with a haunted house. And the answer is? yes, to some extent.

One of the cases that would make a spirit choose to stay in your house over another house is when the outside of your house is too Yang (bright, active, lively), while the inside is too Yin (dark, inactive, still). In this case you want to open your curtains and let more natural light into your home. If that's impossible, use full spectrum light bulbs to imitate actual sunlight, which is another way to avoid depression in the winter months when the days are shorter.

In some instances, when taking the compass reading of a building the needle of the compass vibrates or actually spins round and round, which is a good indication that spirits are in the area. The worst place to live, work or build is where anyone has been buried or died by violence, such as murder, suicide or acts of war, because it's very difficult to cleanse the land or building. The classical Feng Shui method to cleanse that type of land is to let it burn for at least 3 days straight. Today there?s not a place anywhere in the World where you would be allowed to use that method.

When analyzing the unique Feng Shui energy pattern of your home or office, according to when it was built and its exact compass orientation? certain energy combinations make it easy for spirits to prefer to stay in your building. In Classical Feng Shui this is referred to as "Yin God Full Grounded," meaning the Yin energy is fully grounded in the house? therefore it's very comfortable for spirits to stay there. In some cases this energy combination is only triggered by the visiting Annual Energy, which is yet another excellent reason to have your Feng Shui remedies updated each year.

All homes and offices have a combination of unseen Yin and Yang energies in the various sections of the building. When there's too much Yin energy in any given room, that's where the spirits will choose to reside? especially in the SE, South, SW or West, which are the Yin directions. In this case, bringing in more natural light will help to some extent. However, you'll have better results by also adding the appropriate elemental remedy to that room to reduce the Yin energy.

For a fortunate few? a Wang or prosperous energy at your entrance will prevent your home or office from being haunted, as well as make it easier for you to make more money. That's right office buildings can also be haunted. One of my clients had an office in a building that was originally a mortuary, so it had numerous spirits who like to come out to play after dark. It's no wonder everyone that worked there preferred to leave by sunset.

An energy combination that all classically trained Feng Shui professionals would love to have in their own home or office is called? ?5 Ghost Carry Money.? However, it doesn't have anything to do with actual spirits. It's referring to the best energy combination for easily bringing prosperity to you. On the other hand, if you want to have a baby? you'd love to have ?5 Ghost Carry Baby? at your door or in your bedroom. There are simple ways to activate these energies if you're lucky enough to have one of them in your home or office.

Other than having an on-site Feng Shui analysis of your home or office to determine which remedies are required in your situation? remember to open your curtains and let more natural light in to make it uncomfortable for the spirits to remain. Then again, you could always build a shrine to the spirit that's living in your home or office to show you respect them and want to co-exist peacefully with them.

P.K. Odle? an internationally respected instructor for Master Larry Sang?s renowned American Feng Shui Institute since 1998, is the creator of The Feng Shui Advantage?s ?Lifetime Keys Personal Directions Self-Mastery Toolbox.? To learn more about using the ancient Chinese science of Feng Shui to improve your Health, Relationships and Finances? visit her web site and subscribe to her free newsletter, The Feng Shui Advantage MONTHLY, at http://www.FengShuiAdvantage.com The next issue? could change your life!

Baby Room Decoration Wirh Feng Shui

 

Congratulations! You just have added another new love to your life - your baby.

I'm sure you must have done all your home work and prepared everything you can possibly think of, such as baby announcements, baby hampers, baby leash, baby names book, baby photos, baby presents, baby shower favors, baby shower invitation wording, baby shower thank you cards...etc

But wait a minute...what about baby room decoration?

You are a strong believer in the power of feng shui because you've heard a lot of good things about it. Even Donald Trumps employs feng shui experts as his consultant, why not make sure the baby room is well decorated with the best feng shui setup as a kind of welcome present to the wonderful newborn?

When it comes to decorating the baby room with appropriate feng shui setup, the first thing that needs to be done right is to put the baby bed in the right position. Since your baby will be sleeping most of the time - at least for now, the bed should be located in front of a solid background such as a wall, rather than being put in the middle of the room with no wall on either side as support. The bed being right next to some kind of support will ensure that the baby will be resting soundly and peacefully - you know how babies are - their energetic pattern is still very dynamic and thus very vulnerable to any influences from the environment.

Any sharp objects are to be as far away from the baby's room as possible. In I-ching philosophy, sharp objects are of the 'fire' element, which also denotes the characteristic of dynamic changes. When sharp objects such as plants with needle-like leaves are placed in the room, the already dynamic-by-nature baby will be even more dynamic; therefore, the parents or babysitters will find it very hard to calm the baby down. Many more techniques to pacify the baby will need to be called upon.

The lighting of the baby room needs to be blended well together - not too dark, nor too light either. Too dark will be too much with the 'yin' energy whereas too light will be with the 'yang' energy. It's not a good idea to be over one way or the other. As baby perceives the outside world via the light pathway a lot, blending the lighting well will ensure much harmonious energy in the room for the newborn, which is of the utmost importance.

Make sure also to neutralize any unusual odors in the baby room, as bad or undesirable odors are of the 'earth' element which when ignited will create unsettled feelings within the baby's digestive system. Many a case of stomach discomfort that leads to extensive crying or even more serious conditions are due to the fact that the digestive system of the baby is under negative influences, be they from the physical or non-physical origins.

In a nutshell, besides decorating the baby room with all the fancy stuffs, make sure to equip the room with good feng shui - your baby will thank you for it! You will function better as a parent too.

Dr. Kang-pang Chan is a board-certified naturopathic physican who also is a traditional Chinese Feng Shui master of over 25 years of experience. He can be contacted at http://www.go4realfengshui.com for more expert advice.

To learn more tricks for caring for your baby, please go to: What Babies Can Do To You?

Feng Shui Is Not Interior Decorating

 

Feng Shui.

Many thousands of years ago, in little villages in the Orient, Feng Shui was developed.

Each little village had their own ways and own methods on how to perform Feng Shui. In fact their way of life, was often dependent upon it. These people studied the land, wind and water, including the formations of the land and the ways of the wind and water. Feng Shui, means the way of the wind and water. Over aeons of time Feng Shui was improved upon and even the great Chinese emperors used it to insure their power.

The expert practitioners of Feng Shui were known as Feng Shui Masters and emperors hired them to wage war upon their enemies. It has been passed down, through history, that the Feng Shui masters had power to use water, wind and fog, to win battles. Eventually the emperors became afraid. They felt the Feng Shui Masters might betray them and use their powers to bring them down. Therefore, many Feng Shui masters were put to death.

Those who survived hid away in the many Buddhist monasteries, to continue their practice of Feng Shui. They taught monks their secret methods. Even today there is, what is known as "Black Sect Feng Shui". As you will later read, this method is often preferred by Westerners.

Feng Shui is based upon Mother Nature and the use of her forces. This is the ritual origin of Feng Shui and was originally called, "Form School Feng Shui. Another method is called the Compass School. And this, together with Black Sect Feng Shui, makes up the basis of most Feng Shui theory and practice.

The Compass School basically originated in Chinese astrology and this ties in the magnetic influence of the planets and the earth, to the energy patterns of an area. The position of Jupiter, as the bringer of fortune and lurk, and other numerological information, is what the Compass School way, heavily relies upon, for its function. It uses a 12 part map system and this allows for more detail than the widely spread used 8 part system, which has become popular today.

It is also known as ,"Local Space Chart" and this was produced as a generic form, by using the luopan, or geomantic compass. This compass is very important when determining the directional alignment of buildings, etc. The traditional compass school has changed greatly by the use of new systems which expand the illusions popularised by the Feng Shui master. Unfortunately many are based on ancient texts and concepts and of course mis-translations, are rife. As an example, one refers to the five Chinese elements which are: wood, fire, earth , metal and water. These are not really elements at all, but stages of matter. However, that is what they were called in ancient times and two more qualities; energy and heat were added.

The luopan utilises two primary forms of Feng Shui. The 8 house, or 8 mansion, method, which is also known as the East and West Group. This discusses the directional influence on the people and the buildings, to find out how to place oneself, to one's best advantage, within any building.

A second application, which is interesting to me as an acupuncturist, is the use of the Feng Shui to find orientation. This, combined with the aspect of time, brings forth a detailed chart of the key (qi or ki) inside the building. This is sometimes known as, Xuan, Kong Feng Shui. A method called Time and Space. We look at Qi within the building and then design a floor plan to determine which are the auspicious, or inauspicious areas of the building. After which, we bring into play the five Chinese elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water.

A good Feng Shui practitioner can bring about a balance of Qi, which is similar to the use of acupuncture needles, correcting any abnormalities, or imbalance, in Qi.

We then come to the Black Sect Feng Shui school, which is often preferred in Western civilisation because it tends to down play the astrological benefits of Feng Shui and emphasise the psychological aspect.

This has of necessity, been a very short and incomplete article on Feng Shui. There are many aspects of Feng Shui that have been pilloried in the West. Many Westerners believe only in their five senses and cannot comprehend any efficacious method outside these very limited parameters. However, the use of Eastern modalities is growing in the West.

Indeed, Proctor and Gamble, Ford Motors Hewlett-Packard's and even the mighty Coca-Cola Company are now using Feng Shui in their plants to benefit their employees, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The author of this article, Ray Cunningham, possesses two diplomas of acupuncture. One from Hong Kong; the other from Sydney Australia. At present, he resides in central Florida. Learn much more about Feng Shui, go here shmyl.com/hgnnson , or at his web site at: raygc1.com/fengshui This article may be used, free of charge, so long as it remains intact and this resource box is always included.

The Chi of Home Staging: The Art of Feng Shui and Home Staging

 

Parading a seeming endless group of buyers through a home only to hear it ?just isn?t for them? can be frustrating, to say the least.  Words like ?Home Staging?, ?Curb Appeal? are the current new buzzwords for many of the Principles Feng Shui Practitioners have been using for years. 

Feng Shui, literally translated to mean ?Wind and Water? seeks to create an environment that is welcoming, inviting and balanced making the homeowners (or potential homeowners) feel enhanced in a space.  We believe it?s the ENERGY of a space, not just the design or decorating although these play an important role as well. 

Some of the very same concepts Realtors use to show a home we have been using for years but look at it in a different way.  For example, Real Estate Agents always open the blinds and turn on the lights, making the space brighter and more open.  A big principle in Feng Shui is ?letting the outdoors IN? so that the energy flow is in balance.  Additionally, agents may add plants or fresh flowers as eye deflections or to add color.  We add these very things as well with the intention of adding Life Force into a space.

The hardest homes by far to sell are those that have been left empty.  In that instance, the eye is deflected to every crack in the wall or imperfection in the home.  Aside from some pretty decorations, filling up a space even a little changes it from a lifeless home into one with Energy and feeling. 

The very first and one of the most important principles of Feng Shui is to declutter, something every home seller is asked to do.  From our perspective, you can?t allow the new, fresh energy to enter until you have let go of clutter.  Starting to see similarities here?

What is it, then, that a Feng Shui Practitioner might change or add in addition to the standard list already given to homeowners wishing to sell, sell fast and get the best possible price?  First, we want to give them the very best first impression possible.  Let nothing outside be overlooked from overgrown shrubbery to a clear pathway, color in the form of flowers, lights or decorative lawn objects.  Small wind chimes look pretty if seen and sound lovely.  To Feng Shui Consultants, the entrance to the home is the Mouth of Chi so it is important that everything leading to is cleaned and maintained and that the Front Door is clean and painted, open and inviting.  ?Grace your entryway? is a term often heard in Feng Shui.

Walking into a home should make you feel welcomed at once.  A warm start and the proper flow of energy throughout the entire home is what appeals to the potential buyer.  A key thought I had used to sell my previous home is not popular among many agents, but it worked for me.

I was having a gathering of people and asked my realtor to bring her most interested clients.  She thought it best wait until no one was home but I was somewhat insistent.  The buyers walked into light, laughter, music, nice aromas and, most importantly, good ENERGY.  We got two offers the next morning. 

So, what?s the checklist before showing a home?

• Cleaning it thoroughly.  And when you think you?re done, clean it again.  A home that looks well kept looks loved.
• De Clutter  Sometimes the homeowner doesn?t even realize what they are living in.  Cleaning up and cleaning out is the best advice you can give them from both a Home Staging AND Feng Shui Perspective.
• Depersonalize:  A possible new occupant cannot imagine themselves in a new space when the homeowner?s energy and personal object are all around.   Taking away collections, removing personal pictures and leaving some spaces open allows people to envision themselves in that space.
• Lighten up:  Too much furniture or heavy furniture makes a room feel heavy.  If the space is too crowded, energy can?t flow.  Ask them to rent a temporary storage space if necessary and explain the reasons why to make them more receptive.
• Look at the Lighting:  Sometimes just softening the lighting in a room can make a tremendous difference into creating the warmth in a space you are trying to achieve.  See if you can find warm or even some different colored bulbs on occasion to give a new feeling to a room that needs some help.
• Decorate with Style.  Setting the table or leaving a bowl of colorful fruits out adds positive energy. 
• Window treatments are very important.  Check to see if they help keep the room light and airy or have it feeling heavy and dark, even when opened.  Home Stagers often work with a seamstress, can get fabric at wholesale and have a new look with very little expense.
• For homes that need more help, a fresh coat of paint or a new rug can do wonders for a room.  Make sure your Stager has a good and inexpensive painter that they work with to help achieve getting the most for your money in redoing a room.
• Sometimes, investing in renting furniture can be a huge payoff.  For homes that are left lifeless and sit on the market a long time, it could have been sold with even the more expensive methods of home staging for less then their very first price reduction. 

Feng Shui items we use to keep the energy flowing and achieve the life force and five elements include the use of mirrors which can draw people into a space or intensify a lovely object.  We use crystals that oftentimes can?t even be seen but help the chi to activate and the energy to flow.  We often incorporate small water fountains for the use of sounds and a soothing feeling.  We love plants and flowers as they are true life force and always add good energy to a space.  Oftentimes we change the flow just by rearranging the furniture.  We look at the home with both decorative and what we refer to as ?Feng Shui Eyes.?

As a Feng Shui Consultant who frequently works with Realtors, I have heard the horror stories of a sale about to be made when a Feng Shui Consultant tells a new buyer that home won?t support them.  I don?t practice Feng Shui using fear or negativity, I feel a home can always support a new occupant through the use of simple and inexpensive objects.  Feng Shui was never intended to be the cause of fear or negativity, it is used to help and enhance everyone in their spaces in every area of their lives.  Feng Shui can assist with a sale as well when the homeowners are told how the new home will support them.

People are much more in tune with Feng Shui and Energy then they were even just a few years ago.  Being the Real Estate Agent with knowledge in this field gives you an edge over other Realtors in the fact that homeowners are much more interested and are often impressed with another way to look at things.

Please note that there are currently no standardized accreditations in place for either a Feng Shui Consultant or a Home Stager.  Although some carry training that will give them the appearance of having the work ?expert? or ?accredited? after their names, the courses vary from two day online to several days.  Look for someone who has been in business a number of years or someone who comes with good recommendations.   

Costs for a complete evaluation of a home for Home Staging, Curb Appeal and Feng Shui Principles to get that home sold FAST should be under $200.  They should incorporate all of the principles mentioned and be clear to both the Agent and the Homeowner on what to do to best optimize their chances to sell quickly for the best prices.

For additional information on Feng Shui and Real Estate, please visit www.FengShuiLI.com

If you have any questions about home staging, please contact us at

HomeStagingLI@aol.com

Carole Provenzale has been a Certified Feng Shui Consultant since 1997 and is the Founder of Feng Shui Long Island and Home Staging Long Island.  In addition to providing caring and affordable consultations for Homes and Businesses and working with Realtors, Architects and Contractiors, Carole is a keynote speaker and published author.  Please visit her website for addition information at http://www.FengShuiLI.com or email her directly at FengShuiLI@aol.com or HomeStagingLI@aol.com

 

7 Feng Shui Tips For Spicing Up Your Lovelife

 

Are you happy with your lovelife or would you like to see it improved?

No matter who you are, there are times when "the bedroom" is not the loving and fun room it should be.

There are of course numerous reasons why this may happen but there are some simple things you can do to help you make things better.

Your bedroom acts as a magnet both literally and metaphorically for your relationships. It is also where you sleep during the night renewing your energy levels in preparation for what the world has to offer to you the next day.

It is most likely where your romantic life is centered - unless of course you like to experiment - perhaps you're a free spirit who likes to commune with the outdoors ;-)

Your bedroom is your and your homes sanctuary.

The positioning and layout within it plays a massive role not only on your passion and romance chances but also your health, wealth and other relationships in general.

Careful attention should indeed be paid on this highly important room. When you get it right, positive energy (called "chi" by the Chinese and "ki" by the Japenese) will flow easily through your home.

Get it wrong...

All things in life are connected at the minute quantum level and the following information will help guide you so you and your relationships flourish:

1. Make sure your bedroom "feels" inviting - it must fulfill the role of a place of safety for you. When you look at the state of your bedroom now - what does it say to and about you? Does it say "I'm at home with myself" or is it a big jumble and in disarray? Is it just functional - it's purpose only for sleeping in your eyes, if so - if you want your love life to change, then this has got to change too.

2. Look around at all of the items - furniture/trinkets etc... in your bedroom. Do you have good/loving memories and feelings for these items? Or are there items which hold bad memories? If there are - get rid of them, they hold a residual energy and act as a constant reminder to your non-conscious mind. How about photos? Are there any old flames "hanging around" - again, chuck them out - you do want to move on to a new relationship - don't you?

3. Your bed should be the focal point of the room - this is where both "action" and "inaction" takes place, where you are both energized and renewed. Does your bedroom have a "personality problem"? Is it in effect multitasking? Do you have a home office or perhaps a treadmill beside you? Again, these items should not be here. You want to focus on your relationships rather than your body or mind in this room - move them out. If this is not possible due to space constraints, you will need to use a screen to keep them "at bay".

4. The ever present TV. Yes it can be cosy to curl up in bed and watch a great movie but a TV sends out a stream of positive ions (rather than positive chi) - this device is "yang" in nature and will ensure your body does not get the rest it requires. It also represents a 3rd party in the room - not particularly conducive to a stable and healthy monogomous relationship... Once again - the TV has got to go.

5. Make sure your bed is as far away from the door to your room as you can. If you are unable to see the door, you will feel ill at ease at a subconscious level - this is because you will sense you cannot see if an intruder will enter your room (heaven forbid!). This unease will of course impact how you rest at night.

6. Choose a bed which has a solid and sturdy headboard. In Form School Feng Shui, the headboard represents a supportive mountain to your back.

7. Your bed holds residual energy from those who have come and gone before. In an ideal world, if you have had a partner and wish to attract a new one, you should purchase a new bed. This gives you and your new relationship an optimal chance to flourish. Regardless, you should invest in the best bed you can as if you sleep 8 hours per day, this means you will spend 1/3 of your entire life in it!




Tracy O'Brien is a long time student and practitioner of the ancient art of Feng Shui. She is also the founder of FengShuiAstrology.com For more Feng Shui Tips and a FREE Feng Shui Astrology Personality Profile, visit: http://www.fengshuiastrology.com

5 Powerful Feng Shui Principles You Can Use Immediately In Your Home!

 

In Chinese feng shui translates to wind and water. As a form of knowledge and mystical instruction it dates back several thousand years to ancient China. Thousands of years ago, the rulers of China needed to consider carefully the geography and layout of the country, since constructing any buildings, bridges or infrastructure depending on the land. In particular builders needed to carefully plan their constructions around the severe winds, mountains and water masses, as well as the propensity of China to flood. Because of these earthly considerations, the word feng shui (meaning wind and water) came about.

In America, we became acquainted with Feng Shui back in the 1840's during the California gold rush when many families from all over the world came to the US to seek their fortunes in gold. These days we are all know about feng shui and it is a common principle that modern people use to help organize their lives.

Indeed we can thank the many Chinese immigrants that flocked to the United States in the 1800's since they brought with them their belief systems, which included a faith in the principles of Feng Shui. In this day and age we tend to use a more basic version of this knowledge, but it continues to prove it's worth.

The origins of Feng Shui

The Chinese originally devised the principles and philosophies of Feng Shui in order to decide where to bury significant people, in particular members of dynasties and royal families. It was initially taken up to select burial sites for the wealthy, as well as palace locations for royalty. Scholars that practiced feng shui analyzed the signs and signals given from the earth to make a decision as to where to construct buildings and bury the dead. For example, they would consider which trees were clearly affected by wind, looked for rocks, and streams.

Based on these early observations, the book of the I Ching (meaning "Book of Changes") was written. At its core, Feng Shui functions as a rulebook to working with nature, following a life that respect and reveres the earth, and acting with integrity towards our immediate environment as well as the planet more generally.

Feng Shui really must be experienced to be believed. Ask anyone who has ever taken up the practice and they will tell you that it not only turned their life around but also saved it as well. Feng Shui really is the most practical guide to better living that the numerous new age remedies have to offer.

Feng Shui provides principles that not only improve your inner self but also your lived in environment. Many people that organize their lives around the framework of Feng Shui report that it brings a balance to your life force. Not only does it built a platform for a balanced life style, it also brings harmony and serenity even in this day and age of hustle and bustle and confusion.

The principles of Feng Shui

To improve your life through Feng Shui, it is imperative that you follow the guidelines of balance and harmony that are at the root of Feng Shui. According to Feng Shui, the universe is composed of three components. Every living being, every plant and every object is supposed to represent one of these three element which are Yin, Yang and Chi. Yang is male in nature where as Yin is female in nature. Together Yin and Yang are two forces which are responsible in creation and sustenance of all living and non-living objects on earth. Chi is the force that is created through the natural interplay of Yin and Yang.

Chi (or positive energy) should always be able to flow freely through any space in order to help us being in balance with the elements surrounding us. Chi is what brings us what we desire in life and allows us to be prosperous. Chi is based on the natural energy exchange which exists among everything on earth.

Get Started And Implement These Powerful Yet Simple Tips

Learning about feng shui takes time, and there are very many principles to follow. That said, bringing positive energy into your home is relatively easy and can involve only a few simple adjustments. Here are 5 powerful tips to get you started.

1. You should never crowd furniture. Each piece of furniture should have space around it to allow chi (or good energy) to flow freely.

2. Never place beds, chairs, sofas or desks right across or with their back towards the main door. You and your guests should never positioned with your back right across the entrance door.

3. Do not concentrate too much of one energy in one place. Your house should balance fire, water and metal to be in balance, you should avoid placing to much fire, earth or wood in one area.

4. Do not position elements in opposition to one another. For example a fireplace or stove should not be across from a wash basin, fish tank or toilet. The clash between fire and water will cause disharmony in the house.

5. Illuminate dark corners since they concentrate too much negative yin energy. Place a light or a plant in shadowy areas to disperse the darkness and allow chi energy to flow into the space.

Incorporating the principles of Feng Shui into your home is sure to help you better balance your life.

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Achieve A Balance - Feng Shui All The Way

 

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese belief that involves studying natural and the built environments. The arrangements of these objects affect the yin and the yang, as well as the energy of a room. Feng Shui has developed into many different versions based on religion, geography, symbolism and culture. One commonality of all Feng Shui practitioners, Of course, is the belief in energy. Different schools of Feng Shui have progressed into seven different forms.

1. The Compass School

The first school of thought is the Compass school. The compass school uses 8 trigrams of the I-Ching. These 8 trigrams are known collectively as Pa Kua, that is based on the eight main directions of a compass. Each of these directions is associated with a specific chi. A southern direction, for example, is vibrant energy and is associated with the middle of the summer.

2. Eight Mansion School

Another school is the Eight Mansion School, also known as the Eight House Feng Shui. This school of thought is based on the individual number of a person. The number of the man living in the home is used to bring harmony and balance to the home. Furthermore, people using this system have both lucky and unlucky numbers, with the west numbers being 2, 6, 7, and 8 and the east numbers being 1, 3, 4, and 9.

3. Form School

The Form school of thought is based on the landscapes shape and uses four symbolic animals. These animals are used to identify the type of landscape. The Form school is easy to use along with the Compass school to increase chi both in and out of the home.

4. Black Hat Sect

The Black Hat Sect is another school of thought. The Black Hat Sect used a fixed entry point for determination of the life areas. It is similar in philosophy to the Compass school, but the areas are different. In addition, the Black Hat Sect mixes psychology, Buddhism and basic design principles, as well.

5. Nine Star Key School

Another school is the Nine Star Key School. This form used stars to help identify lucky and unlucky days. Using complicated math formulas, this school can pinpoint when a person will get married and the astrological sign of the person to be married to. This form is very inflexible and is based purely on science. The Nine Star Key will also tell the practitioner what house he lives in and makes suggestions on how to live based on the house.

6. Flying Star School

The Flying Star philosophy is the most common Asian form of Feng Shui and is based on astrology and numerology. This form is difficult to understand and to learn. It, too, is based on mathematical principals and is used to determine a persons fate.

7. Four Pillars School

The final school of thought is the Four Pillars. This form is not very common and is based on astrology according to the persons date of birth, right down to the minutes. This form is also used to determine a persons fate.

8. The Five Elements

After determining that school of thought is best for an individual, it is important to also understand each element. These five elements are: Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, and Wood. The elements are capable of destroying each others energies and forming a continual cycle. Through the use of these elements, balance and harmony can be created in a home. If these elements are used incorrectly, Of course, the energy can be destroyed or lessened.

Each of the five elements is also associated with a color, direction, and number.

Earth (Brown/Beige) - 2,5,8 - Southwest

Fire (Red/Purple) ?? 9 - South

Water (Blue/Black) ?? 1 - North

Metal (Grey/Reflective) - 6,7 - West

Wood (Green) - 3,4 - East

Each of these elements has both a destructive and a productive cycle and must be used carefully.

The productive cycle uses the following pattern:

Water ?? Wood ?? Fire ?? Earth ?? Metal

Water feed feeds Wood for it to grow. Wood then feeds Fire and produces Earth. Earth, in turn created Metal. Metal holds water and, thus, continues the cycle. To keep this cycle flowing, bring into the room the elements before and after the main element

The destructive cycle reduces energy and can be used in a room where one element needs to be lessened. It follows this pattern:

Water ?? Fire ?? Metal ?? Wood ?? Earth

Water puts out Fire and Fire melts Metal. Metal cuts Wood down and Wood clogs Earth, while Earth muddies Water.

9. Using Feng Shui

Every room needs to be balanced with each of the five elements. Some elements can be heavier than others due to size; chair might score as three counts of an element while a throw pillow only counts as one.

For more great feng shui related articles and resources check out http://anxietyplace.info

How to apply Feng Shui

 

How does feng shui work? I don't mean getting a compass, drawing up the floor plan and creating a bagua, I mean, how is it applied?

The Five Element Theory is the key. It doesn't matter if you use the compass method, the flying stars method, or the black hat method. To properly apply 'cures' or solutions to feng shui issues, you use the five element theory.

The feng shui elements are essentially different phases of chi, and are represented by physical characteristics such as shape, color, or material. There are five kinds of chi: Water, Fire, Wood, Earth, and Metal. These are the five elements, and shouldn't be confused with the actual elements. They are different phases of energy, and there are three different flows: destructive, supportive, and draining.

The supportive (or creative) cycle of the five elements is where each energy 'feeds' the next.

The destructive cycle of the elements, obviously, is where the energies destroy one another, and the draining cycle calms an element that may be out of balance. Here is a summary:

Water supports wood, destroys Fire (if Wood is weak) and drains Metal. Wood supports Fire, destroys Earth (if Fire is weak) and drains Water. Fire supports Earth, destroys Metal (if Earth is weak) and drains Wood. Earth supports Metal, destroys Water (if Metal is weak) and drains Fire. Metal supports Water, destroys Wood (if Water is weak) and drains Earth.

If you have an overabundance of the feng shui element of Metal in your home, you can use objects that represent either Water or Fire, depending on just how much Metal you have. If you don't have enough Soil, then use things that support Metal as well as Soil.

If you are having relationship issues (or just wish you had a relationship to have issues with), then you do need to draw up the floor plan, and decide which method you are going to use. The bagua used in Black Hat is not the same as the one used in the Eight Mansions.

If you use the Black Hat method, and you find that your Relationships area is in the bathroom, maybe you are flushing that type of energy down the toilet. Now, the element that is active in the Relationships is Earth. The Earth element will destroy the Water element, unless you use some Metal to support it. Metal element objects are round or spherical, made of metal, and are metallic or white in color. A round white porcelain bowl with chunks of pyrite would do it (and no rust). A round mirror would be okay.

In the Eight Mansions method, the bagua is the same as far as shape and number of areas, but there it ends. There are eight different baguas, and the one you use depends on what direction your house sits in. For every bagua, there are four auspicious directions, and four inauspicious directions. There are no designated aspirations in the Eight Mansions; but you still use the five elements to balance out the lucky and unlucky areas.

Let's use the Gen trigram, and say that your bedroom is located in the Disaster location, which here is in the South. This location promotes disputes and legal issues, so you really just want to calm the chi that you find here. To do that you would use objects from an element that either destroys or drains Fire, the element that is present in this spot. Looking at the chart above, we see that you can use either Water, to destroy it, or Earth, to drain it.

Only in rare occasions do you actually want to destroy an element. So I would suggest artifacts from the Earth element, such as painting the walls in earth tones, or carpeting in those tones.

Use squat furniture, like a futon, pictures of mountainscapes, and maybe a cotton quilt.

You do not want to use any Wood element here, as Wood supports Fire, and we already have an issue with that element being too strong here.

I hope that this helps you figure out how to apply the principles of feng shui, at least a little bit. Check out www.western-world-feng-shui.com for more information.

Raelynn Manitz began studying feng shui in 1999, and runs a website for feng shui advice at www.western-world-feng-shui.com

Bedroom Feng Shui

 

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art, where placement of objects in a room depends on the movement of chi or natural energy of our environment. Based on the patterns of nature, a Feng shui master will tell us where to place every individual object in our home or workplace. A master will also provide advice on how a building should be positioned on a property. Feng Shui shows us how to support the flow of energy in our lives for better health and prosperity.

The best location for a bedroom, according to Feng Shui is in the rear of the home. This is where it is said that all "restful" energy lies. In order to preserve this energy the bedroom should have only one door connecting it to the rest of the house. It is best that the bedroom is not located over a garage. If it is, to preserve a restful sleep, one must use heavy solid objects on the floor or hang a mirror on the garage ceiling so that it will reflect the image of the car away from the bedroom. If a kitchen is located over the bedroom, place a mirror on the ceiling of the bedroom reflecting downward, sealing off the bustling activities occurring in the kitchen.

There should always be a door connecting the bedroom and the bathroom, and the door should always be kept closed. Feng Shui recommends not having a television in the bedroom as it causes less interactions between couples. If one is present, it should be covered when not in use. A work station in the bedroom is also discouraged as is exercise equipments because these release opposite energies than that of restful energy.

Mirrors in a bedroom can be a problem as they are said to reflect one's negative energy when one is sleeping, thereby causing nightmares. This principle applies to any object that reflects like paintings, computer screens or metal surfaces.

Feng Shui recommends that a person sleep with legs facing away from the door because such a position is referred to as the "coffin" position. Colors in the bedroom should be subtle, as should the colors of bedroom furniture. Clean up clutter in the bedroom including closets for good energy.

Bedrooms are rooms to go to for peace and relaxation. To distract negative energy Feng Shui encourages a good circulation of natural energy and plenty of fresh air.

Bedrooms provides detailed information on bedrooms, bedroom furniture, bedroom sets, bedroom accessories and more. Bedrooms is affliated with Antique Bedroom Furniture.

Feng Shui

 

Feng Shui is a Mandarin phrase meaning - Force of Wind, Flow of Water. As old as Chinese culture itself, the name originated around 6000 BC. Feng Shui is described in classical texts as ?Auspicious heavenly influence, beneficial topography, and harmonious human actions.? In essence, it?s a means of superimposing divine, archetypal order on the earth, and living in accordance with the Tao, or Way of Heaven. Ultimately, it aims at maximizing the positive environmental forces, or Qi, molding the landscape if necessary to enhance the flow thereof. Its other purpose is to divert, and neutralize the negative Sha Qi forces. Chinese alchemy, especially as outlined in the Secret of the Golden Flower, when applied to Feng Shui, aims to ultimately transcend the inter-death state by building the imperishable diamond body.

More mundanely, Feng Shui considers our residences to be a direct extension of ourselves. It provides the means of living in harmony with nature, and how to benefit from the positive energy, or Qi, in our living environment.

Many Feng Shui Schools have developed over the millennia, reflecting the multi-faceted nature of the discipline, however, most are a combination of the Form, and Compass Schools.

Feng Shui Schools

The Compass School based on the 8 trigrams of the I Ching, known as the Pa Kua, which, in turn, is based on the eight compass directions. Each direction being associated with a season, and a specific energy or ?element?, (more correctly, 5 stages of change).

The Form School, is based on the morphology of the landscape: topographical features, soil quality, and watercourses. The ?Regulating the Qi? school was concerned with finding the ?the Feng Shui spot?, and made detailed studies of the land, and watercourses, and concerned itself with locating the ?dragon pathways?, the ?Dimai? or arteries , and veins of the earth.

Eight Mansion/ House Feng Shui, is based upon an individual?s Kua number. Initially, the male householder?s Kua number is utilized to bring the house into harmonic balance. Each person has auspicious and inauspicious directions, discoverable from the birth-date. The auspicious directions relate to success, health, romance, and development, while the inauspicious directions relate to bad luck, obstacles, illness, and destruction.

Nine Star Key uses the stars to establish lucky, and unlucky days. Astrology dictates when, and whom to marry. Each year, the Nine Star Key reveals what astrological house holds sway, and how best to live in accordance with its principles.

Black Hat Sect, relies on the Ba Gua diagram, which is an orientation device. It allows one to pinpoint the 9 areas of the home: prosperity, fame, relationships, family, health, children, knowledge, career, and patrons.

Flying Star is based on a combination of numerology, and astrology. It allows one to avoid continuing sickness, arguments, bankruptcy, legal problems, loss of wealth, relationship problems, health problems, and accidents.

Four Pillars, based on Chinese astrology, delineates the individual relationship with the zodiacal animals relating to the year, month, day, and hour.

There is much interchange of concept, and methodology between each of these schools. The best way is to experiment personally to find the most temperamentally suitable.

Home Office Feng Shui: A Crash Course In Arrangement

 

Feng shui has gained much popularity - even in the United States.

Feng shui is the ancient art of arrangement and color usage that is presumed to promote balance and the flow of energy in a given space.

Even if you don?t believe in the philosophy of feng shui, applying some of the basic principles of this practice to your home office can help you operate your virtual corporation more efficiently?and may make it a pleasant place to spend the better part of your day.

Following are some quick feng shui tips tailored to the home office space, but you can apply these techniques to any office.

Location
Situate your home office as close to the front door of your house as possible. If you can avoid it, do not locate your office in the basement?the first floor or higher is preferable, because energy flows upward. Basement offices can be painted white, with bright lighting and a fan installed to promote energy flow (or just to make you feel happier).

Desk placement
Position your desk so that you are facing the entrance to the room, with your back toward the wall or a corner. Even outside of feng shui considerations, sitting with your back to the door is disruptive because you won?t know who is coming in to the room. If there are windows in your office room, try to place your desk so the window is to your left if you?re right-handed, and to your right if you?re left-handed. Never position your desk in the center of the room.

Color scheme
Feng shui recommendations for color in the home office vary according to your company?s goals. If your business relies on selling or making deals, the aggressive red is a good choice. Yellow promotes discipline and stimulates mental activity and clarity of thought?a solid color scheme for any home office. Warm colors such as orange and tan represent collaboration and cooperation. This is an excellent option for offices with more than one team member. For writing and other creative business endeavors, consider blue-green, which is soothing and promotes creativity.

You can find out more on to acquire the mindset and behavior of the rich (with or without feng shui), copy exactly what they are doing to achieve financial success, and stay wealthy all your life on Rene Graeber?s website at http://www.smart-ways-to-make-money.com

7 Feng Shui Fundamentals for Children's Bedrooms

 

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

Home Office Feng Shui

 

Home Office Feng Shui

Whether you believe in the Oriental powers of feng shui or not, there are an increasingly large number of people who do. Either way, it's fun to examine different ideas, so let's take a look at your home office from the feng shui point of view.

Business people in Asia have considered work place feng shui to be a crucial contributor to personal and business success for centuries. Anything that has lasted for centuries is worth a closer look to see if any part of the concept will work for you. In this article we will ignore corporate business office feng shui, and focus on home office adaptations.

Have a separate outside entrance to your office if possible. If you can not, then choose a room that is near the front or back door of the house or apartment. Separate your home office from the rest of the living area in order to keep your business and personal lives separate. If your home office is part of a larger room, then partition it off with bookcases, screens, or large plants.

Never have your back to the window. Having your back to a door symbolically leaves you open to attack. If you directly face a door you may be overpowered by the incoming Chi. The best position is with your back to a wall that holds an Earth element such as a picture of a mountain or a lake. The next best position is angled away from a doorway or facing a wall featuring a water element such as a fish or a picture of lake, or even abstract art that features wavy lines.

You can energize your desk by adorning it with objects that symbolize the five elements to attract work and luck. Simply follow the Lo Shu grid like this:

North: Your beverage cup or glass.

Northeast: A crystal paperweight

Northwest: Your computer terminal

East: Fresh flowers

Southeast: A small green plant

South: A desk lamp or something red

Flat ceilings are best for promoting the flow of Chi. If you have a sloped ceiling, cathedral ceiling, or exposed beams then you you can hang wind chimes or bamboo flutes to offset the negative effects.

If you have views of harmful elements from your window, you can negate them by the strategic placement of wind chimes or plants. Cactus and Bamboo are plants symbolize good fortune and are ideal for placement in the home office. Any sharp leaved plants are good feng shui in this area as they are believed to deter harmful influences.

Always take a short walk before entering your office to work each day and another one at the end of your working day as another measure of separating your business life from your personal life. Leave at least 7-9 inches of space between each piece of office furniture. This allows room for energy to flow.

Keep your workspace clean and clutter-free in order to allow a free flow of feng shui energy throughout the room. There is a difference between clutter and stored items. Stored items should, however, be filed away or stored neatly in a cabinet or closet to allow the flow of feng shui energy.

Place a picture of a lake, waterfall or any other water scene on one of the walls on the East side of your office. This represents the flow of energy. You can also use one of those desktop fountains or even an aquarium

Place a green, smooth-leafed plant, not one with jagged or pointed leaves, on a shelf in the corner closest to your water item. You can use an artificial plant if you are a known live plant killer.

Here are some other items that you can also place in that corner:

* red eggs symbolizing wealth creation

* a red envelope containing several coins

* a crystal on a red ribbon near the window

* three Chinese coins tied with a red ribbon

* a pearl or anything spherical

* a wheel or bell

* a symbol or picture of red fish

* a lotus flower symbolizing great achievements from humble beginnings

Also, consider placing a decorative jar filled with water near the entrance to your office.

Fend Shui Benefits

Feng shui is said to make you more aware of how your environment affects your state of mind. Even if you don't subscribe to the ancient Oriental ways, you have to admit that an uncluttered office, with room to move around, and pleasant decorations is much better than a cluttered dungeon that's stuffed to the ceiling with piles of paper.

Also, feng shui helps you to stay focused by forcing you to store incomplete and future projects in a storage area so you won't be distracted by worrying over them every day. Feng shui experts claim that you will receive these additional benefits as well:

* Increase your prosperity & abundance.

* Boost your health.

* Reduce insomnia & stress.

* Enhance your personal power.

* Easing of family conflicts.

* Increase your concentration

* Enhance financial security.

* Attract new customers to your business.

* Upgrade your life in many other ways.

There is a lot more to feng shui than we can possibly cover in this article. The Internet is an abundant source of articles. Thousands of books have been written on the subject, and there are even feng shui consultants that will come in and help your organize your office and home. Hopefully your interest level has been raised and you will follow up by learning more.

Good luck and good health!

Suggested readings:

Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0767903595/hbbo-20

Feng Shui Your Life by Jayme Barrett
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0806976292/hbbo-20

© 2004 Vishal P. Rao

For opportunities, ideas and resources to start a home based business, visit:

http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com

For more articles by the author, visit:

http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com/library/reprints.shtml

Feng Shui Flying Star application.... (Advanced)John Mausolf

 

Could you share your understanding in pairing up the following & list the pairs in order of most importance/power for interpreting the flying star configurations:

mountain star, water star, time/earth/construction star, year/annual star, monthly star, house trigram, personal trigram, etc.

Answer: Howdy,

Go to my links page (part of my Freebies section), and join either of the Feng Shui e-mail lists, they are the perfect forum for just your type of questions. Well worth the time and effort.

In regard of wealth, compare the mountain star to the water star. Is it enhancing it, against it, weakening it, etc...? Still thinking about wealth, what is the (you call) time/earth/construction star doing to it during this 20 year period and also look at the next period. Check the Yearly stars to see if they may trigger anything. Don't worry about monthly stars too much, their effect is normally too weak to concern yourself with.

Do the same things, but this time for the mountain stars in regard of health and relationships.

Check the pathways into the premises, what is being brought in at the facing and sitting sides, also at the doorways, simply use the entry way that has the most positive water star located there. Look at what energies are being carried through your premises are they positive or negative? Use an appropriate pathway.

Check what energies are being brought into each room, by shrinking the chart down and placing it centred over each room so as to see the water stars at the door ways.

Check the front door/main entry door influence, by centring your chart over the doorway and seeing what water stars are being brought there from outside (along the path or driveway) and check how they work together (for, against, etc...)

This is really all a beginner needs to do when looking at the Flying Stars. Make sure to look at the forms (surroundings) outside, do they support the stars?

Hope this helps you. Let me know.

Its all good, John Mausolf.
Pure Feng Shui Freebies
http://www.purefengshui.com

Could you share your understanding in pairing up the following & list the pairs in order of most importance/power for interpreting the flying star configurations:

mountain star, water star, time/earth/construction star, year/annual star, monthly star, house trigram, personal trigram, etc.

Answer: Howdy,

Go to my links page (part of my Freebies section), and join either of the Feng Shui e-mail lists, they are the perfect forum for just your type of questions. Well worth the time and effort.

In regard of wealth, compare the mountain star to the water star. Is it enhancing it, against it, weakening it, etc...? Still thinking about wealth, what is the (you call) time/earth/construction star doing to it during this 20 year period and also look at the next period. Check the Yearly stars to see if they may trigger anything. Don't worry about monthly stars too much, their effect is normally too weak to concern yourself with.

Do the same things, but this time for the mountain stars in regard of health and relationships.

Check the pathways into the premises, what is being brought in at the facing and sitting sides, also at the doorways, simply use the entry way that has the most positive water star located there. Look at what energies are being carried through your premises are they positive or negative? Use an appropriate pathway.

Check what energies are being brought into each room, by shrinking the chart down and placing it centred over each room so as to see the water stars at the door ways.

Check the front door/main entry door influence, by centring your chart over the doorway and seeing what water stars are being brought there from outside (along the path or driveway) and check how they work together (for, against, etc...)

This is really all a beginner needs to do when looking at the Flying Stars. Make sure to look at the forms (surroundings) outside, do they support the stars?

Hope this helps you. Let me know.

Its all good, John Mausolf.
Pure Feng Shui Freebies
http://www.purefengshui.com

John has studied with many Masters of Feng Shui since 1997, and now chooses to give away his knowledge through his numerous free articles and courses at his site. http://www.purefengshui.com

 

7 Feng Shui Tips for Creating Environments That Propel You Into Your Best Year Yet!

 

Now is a great time to be setting the stage for 2003. Its
time to be making space for more of what you want and
stretching those possibility muscles. Are you ready to
propel yourself to the next level?

By creating environments that pull you forward, you are
supported in living your best life. This could mean
setting a deadline that pulls you forward in the action you
need to take, or creating a physical environment that
changes your energy.

1. What you would regret not having done if you knew you
had one week to live? What is one step you could take this
week towards reaching this goal? Can you find a picture or
object you can place in your home to symbolize your goal?
In Feng Shui this is known as an enhancement, and will
Serve as a powerful anchor to your intention.

2. Clear your clutter - this is the biggest thing you can
do to create space for the new. You can never do it too
often! Anything that is draining your energy needs to be
addressed. You need all your energy to live a full life.
Surround yourself with things that make your heart sing!

3. What do you have on your walls? Your artwork is
supporting you or working against you. Make sure you
consciously choose your artwork for what it says to you
rather than whether it matches the color scheme in your
home! And, make sure its saying what you want it to be
saying.

4. Find pictures in magazines that appeal to you and make a
collage or 'treasure map' by arranging them on poster
board. This can be on a specific goal, such as travel or
prosperity, or it could be on all the different aspects you
would like to have in your life.

5. Write a descriptive piece as if you have already reached
your goal. Where are you living, what are people saying to
you, how do you feel when you get up in the morning, what
do you do with your day etc? Write it in the present tense
as if its happening now, and put as many emotions into it
as possible. Write it out on your favorite colored paper.
For additional power, you can use this as a Feng Shui
enhancement. For information on where different aspects of
your life, such as prosperity, are represented in your home or
room see: http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/BaguaMap.html

6. After you've cleared your clutter, using the Bagua Map,
decide which area you would like to enhance. Do you want
to increase your prosperity, improve your relationships,
maybe travel? Place something that symbolizes this for
you, in that particular area of your home or office.

7. Surround yourself with people who support you and
inspire you to be your best. Friends who remind you of who
you are when you forget, and friends who will lovingly be
honest with you, will support you in your dreams.

The Universe has many more resources and ideas than you do!
Its your job to stay focused on the outcomes youre
choosing, create environments that pull you forward, and
watch for synchronicity and surprises. 
http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/

Get your FREE 7-part e-course Your Secret
Weapon: Powerful Feng Shui Tips To Give Your Business The
Competitive Edge at http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/
Vicky White is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant and Life
Coach who works with clients both locally and
internationally.

The Feng Shui of Procrastination

 

What does procrastination have to do with Feng Shui? Actually, everything! Feng Shui is about the free flow of energy in your environment and in yourself. Its also about creating environments that support your success and pull you forward.

Whats the biggest thing that prevents that flow of energy? Clutter. And what creates clutter? You've got it - procrastination! You can procrastinate about anything - things that seem difficult, and things you enjoy, such as writing or taking that time to nurture yourself.

Do you have people to call, letters to answer, things youve been putting off? Maybe you think they will be difficult, or take a long time. Maybe you wonder if your voice will make a difference if you don't like something your politicians are doing. How about your business? Most people have at least one idea they havent got around to that if put into action would make a difference to their bottom line.

Procrastination puts you out of integrity with yourself. In Feng Shui the Fame and Reputation area is about integrity. It's how you are seen in the community - and that comes right back to whether you walk your talk. Do you do what you say you'll do? Are you being true to yourself and your values?

When you dont follow through on your ideas and intentions energy blocks are created. It takes energy to avoid taking action, and it takes energy to deal with the consequences.

Clutter is delayed decisions. It's procrastination. Its stress. It's the same thing as putting a piece of paper in that pile on your desk, telling yourself you'll deal with it later. As the piles grow, your energy becomes clogged. Next thing you know youre spending time looking through your piles for information you've lost because you didn't file your papers where they belonged - in files or in your recycling bin.

There's a fine line between procrastination, and letting the dust settle while you give yourself space to take inspired action. And if you listen to that small voice within you, you'll know which you are choosing.

Committing to action is a very different energy from procrastination.

Tips for Creating an Environment of Action and Abundance

1. Get real about your procrastination habit. Can you take a step back and even laugh at it?

2. Are you telling yourself you don't have time for that project? Is it something you really want to do? How much television do you watch? Is there something you need to remove from your environment to have your life reflect your priorities?

3. Make a commitment to others. Commitments have power. By stating your intention to important people in your life you will be making yourself accountable and creating an environment of support.

4. Become a person who keeps their word. The Fame & Reputation area is directly opposite the Career & Life Purpose area on the Bagua, which means passion, authenticity, flow, integrity and visibility are all connected. Where is your energy blocked? What are you not following through on with others, or in a promise to yourself?

5. Are you waiting for the eleventh hour somewhere in your life? This could be a project due on a certain date, a commitment made to someone, or a dream you are assuming you have forever to live. Make a start now. Starting is often the hardest part and you will be setting something in motion.

6. Schedule time for planning. Instead of wondering where to start on a project you will know exactly what to do next. Break it down into small pieces, put them in your schedule, and give each a time limit so it doesn't expand out forever.

7. Create a physical environment that reflects who you are. Live with colors, items, clothes you love, and of course clear the clutter. A clear desk and office space will support your creativity and prosperity.

8. Hang out with successful and positive people who uplift you. You become like the people you are with, so it's important to create an environment of people who will support your success.

9. Take a renewal day each week to make space for nourishment and inspiration. This is a day for you, with no work, emails, or errands. You're making space for inklings and synchronicity to emerge and for you to hear them.

10. Work with a Coach who will support you in bridging the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. Having a Coach in your corner enables you to be, do and have so much more.

To discover where different aspects of your life are represented in your home or office, See http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/BaguaMap.html http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/

Vicky White is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant and Life Coach who works with clients both locally and internationally. Get your FREE 7-part e-course Your Secret Weapon: Powerful Feng Shui Tips To Give Your Business The Competitive Edge at http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/

Feng Shui - Create Prosperity at the Office by Clearing the Clutter

 

The essence of Feng Shui revolves around using positive energy, or Chi, to enhance your surroundings. Serenity, prosperity, and wealth follow the occupants of homes and offices with Chi.

Your office should be a pleasant, un-cluttered, well-lit, and inspiring space. The most important thing you can do to increase the flow of chi is to get rid of the piles of clutter throughout the office. If your desk has piles of papers, boxes, files, and post-it notes taped to the computer, chi will get stuck. Your creativity and decision-making skills will be blocked. If your office is orderly and un-cluttered, you will think more clearly and make decisions more easily.

Here are some tips to clear the clutter in your office:
1. Piles of boxes and papers on the floor immediately slows the flow of chi, so get rid of all the piles for a smooth flow.
2. Go through all the piles on your desk. Sort them into your files. Use stacking baskets, file cabinets, and rolling files to keep things organized.
3. Go through your desk drawers. Throw out old pens, old notes, loose paperclips and rubber bands. Buy a desk organizer to keep things organized into compartments.
4. File cabinets and bookshelves can get overloaded with old papers, out-dated manuals, old magazines, and piles of old paper and envelops. These things all create negative energy.
5. Your computer also needs to be cleaned up. Delete old e-mails, back-up files onto a CD and store in a CD tower. Clean up your temp files and Internet cache on a regular basis.

Clearing the clutter will not happen overnight. Give yourself one or two weeks to get your office in order. Try to chip away at it a little each day. Tackle one task at a time. Before you know it wealth and prosperity will be heading your way. Check out this Feng Shui website for more information http//www.168fengshui.com/

Reprinted with permission from Jean Hanson, Virtual Assistant (Copyright 2002, Jean Hanson, VA Office Solution, http://www.vaofficesolution.com). To subscribe to Jean's free newsletter, Office Solutions, visit her website.