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.

Correcting Wrong Feng Shui Advice

 

Feng Shui is an amazing science and the number of masters, disciples, practitioners are growing at an amazing rate. As it gets more commercialized, many of us encounter a lot of conflicting advice and the correct usage of items gets lost through marketing hype. We start seeing items being described as being able to increase wealth, health, prosperity, fame, and solving world hunger at the same time. There is NO item or remedy that will do this. Learn about the common "advice" given and how they are wrong. Many sources of Feng Shui will claim to be "authentic", but hopefully this article will allow you to see through them. You dedicate your resources to this beautiful art and you have every right to know when a source is pretending to be "traditional" for the sake of a sale.

WRONG: Southeast is your Wealth Corner to enhance
RIGHT: Find your Wealth/Success corner by getting your Kua number
Most people's personal Wealth/Success corner will differ, and don't allow broad generalizations to tell you what is right. We were all born unique, and real Feng Shui knows this. For those whose Kua number is 8 or females with a Kua of 5, Southeast is actually your Total Loss Direction (the most inauspicious direction). If we were to follow the numbers/ratio calculation, 1 out of 2 people will have Southeast as a bad direction (e.g. Mishaps, Five Ghosts, Six Killings, Total Loss) that should not be stimulated. Placing a windchime in the Southeast will actually do more harm than good for you. Yes, following the Later Heaven Sequence, Southeast can be considered to be a Wealth corner, but it's not meant for individuals or normal households.

WRONG: Enhance your way to wealth and happiness first
RIGHT: Identify and remedy the bad sources of Feng Shui first, then only enhance
Proper traditional Feng Shui Masters from Asia will agree on one thing: you work on defence and remedies for your life/home first, and then only think about enhancing. Though in this day age, it's perfectly fine to want to enhance, you should keep in mind the best way to start is by going for remedies that can play dual roles (protective and enhancing). Crystals are great enhancers and in small quantities will benefit the user. I've met a client who was a big fan of Feng Shui and crystals, through her passion she placed many crystals in her NorthWest sector of home and this triggered and amplified the Illness Star in her home bring about sickness to her whole family. Items like Kuan Kong, Chung Kwei, Fuk Luk Sau are great items for protection that will play a secondary role in bringing in benefits to your home.

WRONG: Red is the color of Wealth to always use
RIGHT: Red is to amplify and signifies the Fire element. Use in moderate amounts
Red is an amplifier and should be used in moderation as well as careful consideration. They are also great for enhancing or activating metallic items, but again, they are used in small quantities. I've had a client who was told red was wealth, and thus painted her entire home office red. Unfortunately, this was her Mishaps direction and for that year, the Conflict Star was in that section. By having too much red in one area, will upset the 5 Wu Xing Element cycle, and when there is no balance, there is bad Feng Shui. The only times a lot of red will do good is for the first few days of events that welcome a new beginning. This could come in the form of a store opening, Lunar New Year and marriages.

WRONG: No clutter and a super mess-free/clean home is good Feng Shui
RIGHT: Organized and well kept is good Feng Shui, but your home must have character.
While having a clean and clutter free home is good Feng Shui, don't overdo it. Yes, you want chi to be able to flow freely in your home. Yes, keeping things clean and in good order is good Feng Shui. But you SHOULD have some forms 'clutter' to make it your home. Many of us will have a dislike for many reasons, but part of it is because it's so sterile, clean and to a point 'faceless' that we cannot relate to it or see it as an inviting place. You want your home to be 'lived in' and yours. Many so called Feng Shui Masters will say to keep your home as clean as possible, but having your baby daughter's soft toys on the sofa and her bedroom lying about is actually very good Feng Shui. It's HER home and her place of comfort and happiness. Many will consider her toys as 'clutter', but it's actually nice to have them around. The house is happy and alive with good vibes from her and her items, and this will make the flowing chi around your house the same. Organized and well kept is good. Too clean is bad.

WRONG: Brand new and polished items are best
RIGHT: Earth buried items are more potent because they have more knowledge
In traditional Feng Shui in China, items that have 'matured' are considered to be much more potent compared to the 'shiny and new' items. This is why that many items have been purposely buried in earth/soil so that they are given time to mature and absorb the energies before serving the owner. This is why you will find many earth buried items (ranging from coins to brass figurines) to be a bit more pricier compared to newer versions. Many of us have seen the famous I Ching Coins or Imperial Coins which look new/nice and go for more affordable prices. But if you want them to have more effectiveness, go for earth buried versions of them.

Of course there are many more misconceptions, but this is a good start by identifying the biggest offenders. Though almost everyone is guilty to a certain extent of adding a marketing spin to their products and services, remember to always take it with a grain of salt. Behind each rule and application in Feng Shui, there is always a solid explanation behind it. Learn the logic behind it and empower yourself with this knowledge. Next time you read or hear a source saying they are offering "traditional" or "authentic" Feng Shui, you'll know better.

For more information on remedies, don't forget to visit our website at: www.smilingbamboo.com! :)

Ken Toh is the co-founder of Smiling Bamboo (www.smilingbamboo.com) and strives to preserve the true traditions of Feng Shui amidst all the marketing hype of today. Having spent his life surrounded by Feng Shui and living in both Eastern/Western cultures has given him a firm understanding of bridging the gap of this beautiful science

All You Need To Know About The Feng Shui Bagua Map

 

The feng shui bagua map is an octagonal shaped map which allows you to evaluate in feng shui terms any living or working space. The feng shui bagua is a very important feng shui tool and indispensable when we wish to harmonize a place and the elements in it.

According to the feng shui bagua map, each part of your house corresponds to a different life aspect. The life aspects are nine and each one of them has its own characteristics and elements. By properly harmonizing each of the bagua areas within your home or working place, you will be harmonizing each area of your life.

The nine life areas symbolized in the feng shui bagua are: prosperity, fame and reputation, relationships and love, family, health, creativity and children, skills and knowledge, helpful people and travel, and career. Prosperity is the area which you should pay attention to when you are having money related problems, its color is purple and the elements you should use in it are wood and water.

The feng shui bagua life area called fame and reputation is the one which should be paid attention to when wishing a reputation improvement of any kind; it is represented by the color red and its most important elements are fire and wood. Relationships and love area is the one which should be improved when looking for starting or improving a relationship of any kind; its color is pink and the elements are earth and fire.

Family is another feng shui bagua life area and you can harmonize family boundaries by working on it, its colors are green, black and blue and its main element is water. Health, another life area represented in the feng shui bagua map, can be improved by working on that area of your house. Health colors are yellow, brown and orange, and its main elements are earth and fire.

The next feng shui bagua life area is creativity and children. Creativity and children should be harmonized when having problems with children in the family, when wishing to have children or when wishing to improve our creativity. The colors of this area are yellow and earth tones, and its element is metal. On the other hand, the colors you should use in order to improve the skills and knowledge life area are black and green and the element you should add is earth.

Helpful people and travel is another feng shui bagua life area and it can be improved by using the colors white and black and by making sure it contains the elements metal and water. The life area of career can be harmonized and improved by using blue and white in the space which corresponds to it as well as by adding some metal in it.

By Jakob Jelling

http://www.fengshuicrazy.com

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.fengshuicrazy.com. Please visit his website and learn all the feng shui tips you'll ever need!

Feng Shui Fertility: Six Ways to Create More "Baby Chi"

 

Today, feng shui is used for everything from arranging office cubicles to gaining more recognition at work to helping aspiring writers become more prolific. But what if what you want is a baby? When you are trying to conceive, feng shui can be another tool in your fertility arsenal.

Fertility is such a delicate thing because it can be affected so easily. This is where feng shui can come help. Feng shui can help create a more balanced, harmonious and relaxed environment for conception to occur.

Obviously, the first place to look at is the home. Perhaps there is some kind of energy blockage. Another consideration is the personal feng shui are the parents. This is the feng shui that is related to gender and birthdate.

Unlike western thought, feng shui for parents places the most emphasis on the father and not the mother. The father must have what is called descendants luck. This is where personal feng shui can be called upon to help improve this type of luck.

Renowned feng shui writer, Lillian Too, credits every book to her daughter Jennifer, whom she says was conceived after a feng shui master visited her home and saw that a tree was blocking her front door. The master told her that once the tree was removed she became pregnant.

True to his prediction and after nine infertile years of marriage Lillians daughter was born. This was also what launched her full study and practice of feng shui.

When it comes to enhancing fertility with feng shui, though, it would be wise to address both parents as well as the home. This way, a complete approach will be taken and nothing is overlooked. Fertility feng shui can't create miracles but it can create a positive environment in which miracles can occur.

6 Tips for Improving Fertility Feng Shui

1. ACTIVATE THE DESCENDANTS LUCK DIRECTION.

The northwest (NW) is the direction of descendants luck. It is also the direction of heaven according to feng shui (and arent all babies heaven-sent?).

By positioning the man to sleep with his head pointed in the northwest direction, sit at work facing the NW, eat facing the NW, etc., this will activate his descendants luck.

It might look odd, if necessary, couples should turn the bed so that the man is sleeping with his head pointing NW. If this makes the mans head point toward the door or sleep with his back to the door, then try another method.

Another way to activate the descendants luck is to install a metal oscillating fan in the bedroom. Placed in the NW corner and turned on during the day, the fan produces a generous helping of descendants luck in the bedroom. Be sure to turn it off while sleeping, though, or this luck will be scattered and unable to attach itself to the couple sleeping in the room.

2. USE PERSONAL FENG SHUI.

Personal feng shui is a powerful method for creating good descendants luck. To calculate your personal feng shui directions, go to http://www.redlotusconsulting.com/KuaCalculator.html

Based on the KUA number, you can determine the mans personal descendants luck direction. The man should work, eat, and sleep facing this direction if the NW direction does not work for him.

KUA NUMBER

1 South

2 Northwest

3 Southeast

4 East

5 Northwest

6 Southwest

7 Northeast

8 West

9 North

3. REMOVE ANY BLOCKS TO THE FRONT DOOR.

It worked from Lillian Too, so it might work for you. Be sure that there is an open space out the front door and that there is nothing in direction line with your front door, such as a tree, street, or other object. The front door is considered the mouth of chi and is where all energy enters the home. Make this area clean, auspicious, and beautiful.

4. ENHANCE THE WEST SECTOR.

The west is the sector associated with the children. For that reason it is best to avoid having fire objects here, such as candles or bright lamps. Earth objects, such as vases are excellent fertility enhancers. Enhance this portion of the house, living, and bedroom with metal objects, such as fans, stereos, or other electronic or metal items.

Lastly, be sure to address problem areas in the west sectors of the home (and the west corner of your bedroom and living room) such as crowded closets or junk rooms. Work at getting these cleaned out to allow new creative (fertility) energy to enter your life.

If there is a bathroom in this sector, make sure bathroom doors are shut and to keep a bright light on in this room.

5. OBSERVE PROPER BEDROOM FENG SHUI.

Bedroom feng shui is extremely important when you are trying to conceive. Beds should never share the same wall as the door, a bathroom, or a kitchen. Televisions, work objects such as computers, mirrors, plants, and exercise equipment should be removed. Rest and romance should be the only activities in this room.

6. USE FERTILITY SYMBOLS AND ENHANCEMENTS.

Feng shui uses a number of symbols, many of which are thought to enhance fertility. Some of these would include:

Dragons: Placed on the side table of the mans side of the bed, the dragon can add a little extra oomph in the bedroom. Make sure the dragon is small, otherwise, it will create too much yang energy in the room and make rest difficult.

Elephants: Place a pair of elephants on either side of the bedroom door. Elephants are associated with pregnancy. Or, place one statue of an elephant in the living room. Placed prominently in the bedroom, elephants are said to produce male children.

Double fish: The double fish is a symbol of marital union. Display this in the southwest corner of your bedroom.

Single piece of hollow bamboo: Place this in the north sector of the bedroom to enhance fertility. These are said to aid conception.

Red paper lanterns: hung on either side of the bed, these are believed to bring excellent yang (creative)energy to the bedroom.

When you are trying to conceive, it's always worth taking a comprehensive approach. Fortunately, feng shui can help you make sure the environment supports your endeavors to bring that new addition to your family.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of The Red Lotus Letter feng shui E-Zine. For more information or to subscribe, go to http://www.redlotusletter.com

kweber@redlotusconsulting.com

14 Feng Shui Tips to Create Romance & Passion in Your Life

 

Your bedroom is where you're renewed, energized and romantic. It's your sanctuary. Your bedroom will affect your prosperity, relationships and well-being. Everything is connected.

Whether you're looking for a new relationship or looking to enhance an existing one, these tips will set the scene.

1. Create an inviting sanctuary What is your bedroom saying? Does it reflect who you are, and set the scene for the relationship you want, or is it a room you don't think too much about because you only sleep - or try to sleep there. Want more to happen in there?

2. Let go of past associations You are affected by the energy of everything in your surroundings. Does your furniture remind you of the past? Do you have photos of past partners? Yikes! Let go of anything you don't want to bring into your present or upcoming relationship.

3. Make your bed the primary feature What's in your bedroom with you? Exercise equipment, desk, computer? This energy will conflict with the purpose of the bedroom - serenity, romance and renewal. If necessary, use a screen to separate these different functions.

4. Remove the television from your bedroom A television will affect your relationships, and your sleep. The television is a more vibrant, yang energy, which can make it less relaxing for sleep, and take your attention away from your partner.

5. Position your bed
The ideal bed position is as far away from the door as possible, and with a clear view of the door from where you lie. If you cannot see the door easily, this will set up an unconscious vulnerability that will affect the quality of your sleep and other aspects of your life. A solid headboard will support a strong relationship.

6. Who are you sleeping with? Your bed holds the energy of anyone who has slept in it. Support the beginning of a new life with someone by replacing your bed. And, considering you spend a third of your life in bed, invest in the best possible.

7. Don't let Clutter Bog You Down! Clutter affects all areas of your life more than anything else, and your bedroom is no exception. Clutter here will be affecting your health, your prosperity, and both existing and potential relationships. Clutter will prevent you from creating your dreams.

Don't underestimate the importance of clearing your closet. Clients report this gives them an immediate increase in energy and improved feelings about themselves. Give away anything that doesn't make you feel your best. One client found herself writing her autobiography after procrastinating for 4 years. The more you express of yourself, the better your chance of having a relationship that works for you.

Clutter is anything unfinished, unused, unresolved, tolerated, or disorganized. So, this could be physical clutter, or unresolved issues with your partner or an ex partner.

8. Get a fresh perspective on your art Art work is a powerful enhancement in creating your life. If you're a single woman, having a picture of a lonely woman walking along the beach will not be helping you create someone new in your life. Make sure your art is sending the right messages. Position images of pairs of things in your bedroom and relationship areas of your home.

9. Make space for a relationship One client set the intention for a new relationship in her life, and made space for it by making space in her closet and in her bathroom for the person who would come into her life. She added a second pillow on the bed. Within a very short time she was in a new relationship.

Set your bedroom up for two if you want to create a relationship. Have matching bedside tables and lamps. What represents romance to you? Have pairs of things such as two dolphins, two roses, two candles.

10. Nurture your number one relationship - the one with yourself. Are you being the person your ideal partner or your existing partner will fall in love with? Are you fully expressing your unique gifts? Nurture yourself with your favorite scented candles, music and sensual fabrics.

11. Think back
What did you allow yourself to do while in love? Allow yourself to be that person and do those things. Get in the mood. Write poetry, be wildly sexual, say no to invitations you would rather not accept. Indulge your senses. Treat yourself as the god or goddess you are, the one your partner falls in love with.

12. In the heat of love, what are the things you allow yourself to believe about yourself? That you are beautiful, desirable, treasured? You are still that person. If its a stretch to think of yourself in this way, act 'as if'.

13. Add fresh flowers
Fresh flowers give life to your bedroom, and are a wonderful treat for yourself. Make sure to discard them when they begin to wilt.

14. Always celebrate the love you have in your life, whether its with a partner, friends or family.

* For information on how to determine where the Relationship area of your home or office is 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/

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