Your Home Is A Window To Opportunity

“An open mind is like an open window, it lets in fresh air.”
– Mike Hernacki

Clean the office windows prompted my inner voice. Such a mundane topic to begin a blog but experiencing the sunlight stream across my desk boosting my creative space (and my mind) with a much needed drink of Ch’i, I realized without my office windows I would be lacking in this joyful experience. We cannot live without light. It is essential to our minds, bodies, health and well-being. Light nourishes our spaces and this brilliant energy gets our ideas flowing and our Ch’i going. A well placed window can maximize the benefits of this creative life force.

What’s the perk for you? When architectural details are arranged in such a way that they generate an elevated emotions in you, the positive feelings attract positive experiences. Some houses need a little more TLC while others need a little tweak to stimulate more Ch’i. I’ve created a list of ten Feng Shui design features related to window placement, window care and window construction to help you create a life of opportunity.

Doors represent the voice of the adult where as windows represent the voice of the child. If your windows cannot open, old Ch’i is constrained. Every one in the house may gradually “suffocate”, unable to process clearly or not move at all. Life can be problematic for children.
– Fix the windows.
– Place a small round mirror on the inoperable window(s). This encourages the ch’i to circulate and revive the occupants.

Too few doors in relationship to the windows and the children may decree what happens in the house creating chaos. At work, there may be a strike by unhappy employees, mirroring an unruly parent/child relationship.
Nuance: Evaluate the size of the windows and doors. A very large window can give the children very strong voices and visa versa, a very large door can give the parents very strong voices.
– If there too few doors, hang a bell on the inside of the parent’s bedroom door (or on the doors of management personnel) to enhance their parental voice.
– Option: install panes in the large window. The mulleins soften the voice of the child. They then may be motivated to listen.

If a window is behind you as you sit at your desk and it provides you with good light and good scenery, then you need not do anything. But if an arrow point at you from the outside, you need to adjust it. A concave Bagua mirror on the outside reflecting back to the offending building will soften (blunt) the arrow.

If the window is wider than your desk (or bed) and you feel nervous, make an adjustment. Drapes or blinds can be used to make the window appear smaller, feeling more secure.

Windows that begin at eye level making it impossible to see out, can create feelings of constriction and control. This feature is designed into many modern schools. Watch for a child’s basement bedroom where the windows are above their head. They may feel like a frog in the well.
– Hang a mirror in the affected room(s) at eye level.
– You can have a breakthrough by practicing the Six Stage Up-lifting Ch’i Method.

If windows are shorter than the tallest person in the building, that person may feel depressed or oppressed. They  may internalize their feelings resulting in a loss of clarity and an inability to process thoughts and take action. If an entire office building had short windows, what madness might run through the hallways.
– Place a mirror in the room that is high enough to allow his or her Ch’i to expand. The center of the mirror should be at eye level.
– Hang a crystal ball in the short window(s) to elevate the Ch’i. The rainbow colors created will lift one’s Ch’i.
– Make the window appear taller than it actually is, by installing curtains that extend above the window.

Rare but still there is that one occasion when a stove is under a window (not good) and if it is barred (really disastrous) family members may end up in the hospital, in court, or in jail.
– Paint the window frame in the colors of the five elements (green, red, yellow, white, and black).
– Grow greenery on the bars.

If a family or business is separated from their community, standoffish and isolated, check to see if the windows open inward. If this is the case, the Ch’i is constantly being sucked into the home or office. The lack of connection can hinder opportunity, and create mental and physical instability.
– Hang a wind chime near the front door to activate a connection with the outside world.
– Hang a crystal ball near the window where the sun shines. The rainbow colors created by the faceted crystal will bring good luck, endurance and fortitude. Family members may be more willing to leave the house.
– Use colors in the affected room that are full of life force like green, blue, bluish purple and reddish purple
– Red and green can help a nervous adolescent come out into the world.
– A timid teenager may benefit from pink, red, blue, and green.

Professor Lin was once asked by a student in one of his Berkeley workshops about a broken window in the Knowledge gua. In his over arching vision he replied, did the person break their hand or their wrist? The answer was, Yes! The hands in the Bagua are related to the Knowledge gua (front left corner) of the home. Repair broken windows, replace inoperable windows, windows that are stuck and install energy efficient window panes before an accident happens.

The eyes are the body part symbolic of the Fame Gua (central back part of the house). If you seek clarity about your career, want to develop ideas that create a robust network, increase your visibility in your profession or community, improve your inner sight, keep the windows in this area clean. 

Bonus: Any outlet to the outside is related to the eyes. Be sure your vents, fans, air conditioners, etc., are working properly. You will help protect the eyes from injury and illness.

Glass doors correspond to the eyes. Simply keeping them clean will help you maintain the clarity of your vision.

What can a window teach you?
• Keep your eyes open
• See things as they are
• Enjoy what you see
• Prepare to meet opportunity
• Enlighten your mind
• If something is broke, fix it
– Bette Steflik, Shen Men Feng Shui

Allow me to help you arrange your home where you feel fully supported. I am available for a full consultation service or for an hour telephone conversation. Details are at this link Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Plant. Love. Pray. Coping With Eclipse Energies.

“If you adjust your ch’i well, your good ch’i will influence your heart. If your ch’i is good, love is created. And, love develops good ch’i.”
– H.H. “Professor” Lin Yun

The summer sky is ablaze with change. Eclipses and retrogrades activate profound advancement in humanity. But if all we experience is chaos and conflict while they transit, can we ever imagine we could live in grace under fire and find a softer, easier way to evolve? Yes! There is sacred way and your home is the key player.

If you are new to my blogs and presentations, I decorate interiors for the soul. Calmly arranging your space depopulates stress. Adjusting design details that cause conflict opens each room to love, beauty and abundance, waking up the spirit in your home and helping you cope with heavy energies, especially the current eclipses.

You can deflect those curve balls the cosmos has thrown at us by implementing a firewall of peace with good luck adjustments. I have selected six to help you get started living in grace under fire and finding your way home to love.

Shift If your luck is not good, every 9, 18 or 27 days, change some aspect of your furniture arrangement. You are changing the ch’i using the sense of touch. Your life force will be adjusted and awakened.

The best approach is move items that have not been moved recently. For example: your bed, the dining room table, the couch or the crock pot. You only need to lift the bed or table and then put it down in the same spot. The same holds true for objects that have been stored. At the moment the item is moved, the area beneath begins to breathe and shift. The space is revitalized, and the auspicious Ch’i begins to fill your home.

Alleviate If you or a family member or friend are suffering from an intangible stress. If you feel the weight of the world but you can’t quite put your finger on what’s causing it, make an adjustment in Helpful People. Nuance: in the office, the bedroom and the yard strengthens the effect.

Stabilize One of the best cures for calming the heart and mind:
Materials:
A circle of red paper
A brand new black pen
Tape

Procedure:
• Hold your breath and write “security” (with the new black pen) on one side of the red circle.
• In the same breath, write your name on the other side.
• Place the circle under your bed or chair, with “security” side facing the floor (adhere with tape)
• Visualize security and/or stability in your career, marriage, health, finances etc. You can also extend your visualization to include the stability of your family, your neighbors and everyone around the world. You might even wish for the stabilization of an unsettled, national or worldly, financial, social or political situation.
• Reinforce with the Three Secrets, using the Expelling Mudra to eliminate all obstacles (If you want to details I request nine red envelopes for this section, email me bette@shenmenfengshui.com).

Nuances:
If you write “stability”, you also may be able to help:
A child who cannot concentrate.
A parent whose child cannot manage time.
A wife whose husband frequently spends time away from home.
An employer whose employees quit again and again.

Plant Professor Lin was asked what to do when we live in an area that is vulnerable to floods, hurricanes, avalanches, earthquakes and natural disasters. He said planting trees will help vulnerable areas. He said, “Plant bamboo in every gua of a vulnerable area. You can also place bamboo in your home. It can be a picture of bamboo, a wall hanging, a flute from the Yun Lin Temple or a bamboo curtain. Bamboo is hollow, it bows in the wind. It provides peace, safety and support and drives away negative forces.

Love The secret to a successful life is performing a good deed daily.
Do these without expectation. Helping another person you shift not only their reality but yours as well. A kind deed improves your luck, circumstances and income. For emphasis do nine good deeds a day. But if karma has eclipsed your good luck, perform twenty seven good deeds in one day. Your sincerity is the most important part. Performing good deeds will strengthen your cures.

Pray Creating an altar in your home invests your home with an illuminating focus. It can contain a candle, incense, flowers, a crystal, a holy icon such as a Buddha and an object of personal meaning. Visiting the altar daily infuses your home with grace and your endeavors with a positive influence.

A well designed space allows you to access positive energy at all times. Call upon me to help you arrange your home where you feel fully supported. I am available for a full consultation or for an hour telephone conversation, Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Men Like Feng Shui Too!

“It’s not just a girl thing, men like Feng Shui too!”
– Bette Steflik

Delivering this opening remark at a networking event brought a chuckle to the room. There is a myth that Feng Shui is a girl thing yet in my 18 years of consulting nearly as many men as women have hired me for a consultation. They are equally savvy when it comes to improving their real estate. Here’s the rest of the story, I hope you like it too.

Gary’s home could have been set into the fairytale ‘the house that Jack built’. The building looked like it was constructed on a whim, rather like a design with Alice in mind after emerging from the rabbit hole. Though it had adorable idiosyncrasies that worked for my client, Gary was wise to get Feng Shui advice to tame its wild parts.

Not long after we began, his wife joined us. She politely listened while he asked questions, learned Feng Shui lingo and took notes. When we finished she gave him a big appreciative kiss. She said it was the best birthday gift ever! I give him credit for summoning the courage to forge into unfamiliar territory and find out how those pesky details were causing his marriage trouble.

Since that day I’ve met many Garys who want to nurture their relationship. I have selected eight not-so-common Feng Shui design features that I have seen cause a partnership to grow apart. Correcting invisible elements in the home that cause conflict frees partners to experience unlimited potential with each other. 

A tall building or tall house may handicap the Ch’i of a smaller house adjacent to it. The personal development of the residents may be suppressed. Partners particularly may find their issues never are not resolved due to an absence of compassion and wisdom.
Correction: one adjustment is to install a convex mirror on the side of the house facing the taller building. It turns the taller building’s image upside down, divesting it of its power.

A lot with uneven sides may bring good luck and fortune to only one partner. When you stand on the lot and look out to the street, the right side is the female side and the left is the male side. If the female side is shorter, all the females in the family may be skimmed of their fair share and vice versa. If it’s the male side, the males may suffer setbacks. An imbalance like this can ravage a relationship. A wife may develop a more successful career and her husband may feel threatened. A wife may fall into despair as her husband becomes more successful and busy and is constantly away from home.
Correction: one adjustment is to install a light in the short corner which shines to the highest point of the house.

A house missing the Partnership gua. Correction: one adjustment is to paint the color of the gua on the wall adjacent to the missing piece. This can push the wall out to give back the missing piece.

If you or your partner work most of the time. Check to see if the home office is in Partnership. If you spend long hours working, it can destroy your relationship.
Correction: one adjustment is to place a picture of the partner who does not work excessively into the partner’s office in the Partnership gua. They may then be reminded how much they love their partner and they may want to spend time with their partner. Also hang a mirror to pull the office into another position in the house.

An Empty door is a door enclosure without an actual door. The door is symbolic of the voice of the adult, an Empty door can mean a lack of communication. In Partnership, partners may not be able to share their feelings of love, regard, displeasure, doubt, eagerness and need. Good communication is often is the top attribute to a successful partnership.
Correction: one adjustment is to hang a door, if not possible hang a wind chime or crystal from the ceiling at the entry of the Empty door.

A Master Bedroom on a slanted wall suggests unexpected events for the occupants. Partners may experience an unexpected tragedy which may dissolve their relationship.
Correction: one adjustment is to hang a crystal ball on the inside of the door.

A bed on the edge of a “cleaver shaped room” suggests partners may speak with cutting and sharp words.
Correction: one adjustment is to install a mirror on the appropriate wall to “complete” the shape; the “cleaver” becomes a rectangle.

A bed in command to the bedroom door (or make the adjustment), you and your partner will face the world from a place of stability and power.

Have you decided this will be your year? “Boldness has genius”… start with one hour of Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Feng Shui Cures To Recalibrate After The Storm

“You have no silver linings without a cloud.”
– Angela Carter

Harvey’s devastating blow to Houston. Irma’s ferocious pounding upon the islands and Florida, raging fires in the west have left us feeling vulnerable, toppled and tested by the forces of Nature. Now we are being asked to further tap into our reserves, pull up our sleeves to clear the debris and pull out our handkerchiefs to wipe away our children’s tears.

But there is a silver lining after a storm – resilience. But it takes time, time to pause, reflect and to feel into what to do next.

I have a Feng Shui bag with a deep pocket for times like these. It empowers the spirit and smooths the Ch’i. It contains Feng Shui cures–rituals–that support your psyche, restores your faith and reawakens your confidence. For performing ceremony or placing a cure is the pause between action and non-action. It creates a focal point to help you tap into your reserve and recalibrate your energy, enabling you to stand on solid ground again.

Adjust your home.
Invite Auspicious Ch’i.
If the front door is rarely opened, the Ch’i of the house will be unhealthy. This is the point of entry for human Ch’i, wealth Ch’i, health Ch’i, spiritual Ch’i and all types of Ch’i. Let the auspicious Ch’i flow in. If you do not open the door but enter through the garage, for 27 consecutive days, nine times a day, open the front door. You are reawakening the Ch’i.

Take Command.
Place the master bed in the command position. If the bed is not in command of the bedroom door there may be a sense of danger, lack of opportunity, anger, mood swings, anxiety, headaches, restless sleep and heart trouble.

Calm your mind.
Begin the healing by activating the center of the bedroom or the center of the house. Hang a 40mm or 50mm faceted crystal from the ceiling in the center of the room.

Adjust Your Ch’i
Exhaustion. Gather Energy. Beat the Heavenly Drum
Rub your hands together with sincerity nine times, creating warmth in your palms. Cover your ears with your palms. Your fingers will meet at the back of your head (at the occiput, the ridge). Put your forefinger on the top of your middle finger on each hand and slide the the forefinger quickly down onto the head. It creates a thump or snap (like beating a drum). Repeat eight more times for a total of nine time. This exercise may give you more mental alertness.

Panic Attack. Release Agitation. Inhale Exhale Breathing Exercise
(red envelopes requested)

Insomnia. Transform The Inner Dialogue. Tapping The Head
In those times when you cannot catch your breath, your heart is racing or you have trouble sleeping. Use all ten fingers and tap on the head, 108 times. You can begin at the forehead and go to the base of the neck or visa versa. If your worry persists, you can tap 324 times (three sets of 108 times). It draws restricted Ch’i from your inner brain cavity to the outer skull and out to atmosphere to be released.

Worry. Invite The Aid of Helpful People.
Reduce worry in your life by adjusting the Helpful People in corner of your lot, or home or bedroom. Benefactors and mentors are ‘those who make life easier’.

Not Thinking Clearly. Cultivate Clarity.
At the front door wire the electrical so automatically a bright light comes on or a clear sound is heard.

Making time to pause the Ch’i will rise to meet you. The strength of this yin yang relationship creates the space for rock solid stability and ample mental acuity to deal with your past and confidently envision the direction your life is meant to go.

Have you decided this will be your year? “Boldness has genius”…start with one hour of Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

What I have discovered about our homes is that creating a heart healthy space leads to peace and contentment. The bedroom is where it begins. Start with my complimentary pdf: 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind. Design your space to your best advantage. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.