Feng Shui Mom Tips For You!

“Mother is the heartbeat in the home; and without her, there seems to be no heartthrob.”
— Leroy Brownlow

Recently I have been feeling into what my mother meant to me. She was a chef, chauffeur, seamstress, storyteller, confidante, but most of all she championed my life. Her devotion, dreams for my journey and her desire that I have opportunities she didn’t have are what I cherish most and it is why who I am today. Her strong shoulders and listening ear built my esteem and inspire me now.

To honor my mom’s beautiful soul and all of you, Moms, I scanned my heart to see what simple tips would offer you something long lasting like the perennial love you share with your family. So for all mothers – new moms, single moms finding their way, mothers who are re-feathering their nest, mothers who have entered the next stage of their life, dads who are mothers, nannas who are mothers to their grandchildren, aunties who have adopted their sibling’s children, moms who mother the creatures of this earth…Thank you for sharing the gift that is you, here are five Feng Shui Mom Tips/gifts for you.

Let Heaven Help You.
Now it’s your turn. Need a good plumber, pronto? An investment adviser? Better yet, want a fab hairstyle or indulge in a Thai massage? Helpful People make your life easier. They reside in a place called Heaven of the Bagua (the eight life situations that influence our lives). Its location is in the front right corner of your home as you face your home from the front door. Activate this area and initiate the momentum for help from all realms to arrive. Support will be there when you need it most. Horses or a dragon, a picture of a deity or beloved mentor, or place an image of a landscape you love to travel to. A sacred object here appropriate to the gua’s meaning will invite unseen forces to fly to your aid.

Live Life In Full Bloom.
Let your life blossom. May is peony season. Considered a heavenly flower, peonies symbolize prosperity, nobility and honor. Put a little extra cash in your purse for a shopping spree or take a week long trip with your girlfriends when you place nine silk peonies in a vase and wish for peace and prosperity (because the vase symbolizes peace). Mount it on a flower stand in the Wealth gua (far left corner of the house) with a lotus, chrysanthemum and plum blossom and you will have “peace and fortune in the four seasons”.

Don’t Let Anything Steal Your Joy!
Give in and let go. Orange zest opens the neural pathways to joy and their meaning connects them with abundance. The citrus smell of orange peels infusing your bath water will uplift your body, soothe your senses, rebalance your energy and clear your mind. Pamper yourself with scented candles, a soft sponge to let water drip over your body and the sound of peaceful music will clear your thoughts. Sip on a cup of chamomile tea to ease any tension remaining from the day.

Show Up For Yourself.
If you’ve been a stay at home mom, are you a little nervous about submitting a resumé? Are you giving an important presentation to a new client? Negotiating a raise? Relax, this dressing tip will bring success. Red is one of the luckiest colors in Chinese traditions, standing for loyalty, success and happiness. Add red accessories to every outfit. Or play it simple, wear a cute bracelet made of red interwoven Chinese knots around your wrist to ward off bad luck.

Mirror Mirror On the Wall. You’re the Luckiest of Them All.
What do you dream about at night? Manifest them with a mirror at the foot of the bed. Contrary to what you may have read about mirrors in the bedroom, a mirror placed on the wall in front of you will expand the possibility of your future. You see the space in front of your bed represents your future and should be deep. In the process of placing the mirror make sure you remove a bench or chest for these pieces of furniture block your chances for good luck and happiness.

Want more than these Five Feng Shui Mom Tips? 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.

12 Feng Shui Prosperity Cures For Demanding Times

“Where you find peace is where your home is.”
– Chinese Proverb
Split second changes in the economy, world affairs and especially our personal relationships can utterly alter our sense of security. It’s in demanding times like these that Feng Shui rises to the top to offer a unique moment to stage our homes to offset instability. The natural world has always befriended mankind. Flora and fauna are no stranger to textiles, art and home furnishings in Chinese Feng Shui. Surrounding ourselves with robust creatures and auspicious greenery invoke their highest strengths that help us claim our prosperity and sense of well being. Strategically placed plant and animal symbols garner opportunities, bless our dwellings and uplift the Ch’i. Representations of dragons, horses, peonies, orchids, bamboo… on our walls, hallways and lawns suffuse our spaces with joy, luck, prosperity and safety. In this May blog discover how to attract a partner with an orchid, where to place a horse to create success, what tree will improve your children’s education and much more. Selectively placed, these Black Sect Feng Shui cures, I believe, will help you and your family to flourish. 

If you daydream about a partner look to the orchid to find the individual who is just right for you, for the orchid symbolizes refinement, friendship and beauty. Enhance this adjustment when you place a pink or purple orchid in the Relationship gua (Kun – far right back of the house or the bedroom). Pink is the color that represents Kun. Visualize the perfect person walks into your life. You will know they are the one.

The magnificent horse has advanced human civilization for countless centuries. When you place an image of a horse galloping into your home, this suggests “you may advance speedily to your goal”. Because the Chinese language is layered with homonyms, puns are used with fervor. The number eight rhymes with the word ‘to prosper’ or ‘to attain wealth’. When you place eight horses in a framed image or a sculpture of eight horses in the Helpful People Gua, you call upon horse’s energies of power, endurance, firmness and strength. 

A tree shaped like a pyramid is auspicious in Knowledge for it reinforces the shape of the trigram- mountain. Plant this tree shape in the front left corner (facing the house from the road) to ensure your children absorb the knowledge that will help them advance in their studies.

Animals that live in or along the ocean contain the vastness of Water. And Water symbolizes wealth. Wealth is desirable because it correlates to freedom, freedom to choose how you want to live and go where you want to go and do what you want to do. Landscape the front corners of your property and you create a rounded shape like a crab shell. This auspicious shape will bring:
Great wealth and prosperity.
Blessings and success to the offspring
Enhance fame and spread one’s good name far and wide.

The gracious bamboo with its ability to bow in the wind represents vitality and flexibility. And as long as it remains healthy it showers the recipient with its blessings of peace and prosperity. It teaches dignity, wisdom, longevity and fidelity. Three bamboo stalks in the Wealth gua are auspicious. Three stalks represent the trinity of happiness, wealth, and longevity (also represent past, present and future). Adding a fourth stalk represents stability, strength and power.

Flowers and their meaning are deeply embedded in Chinese culture and they serve to convey epic messages that express powerful positive emotions. A peony, the national flower, stands tall and symbolizes prosperity, happiness and peace. A peony in a vase expresses the wish for prosperity and peace because the vase symbolizes peace. Pictured with a lotus, chrysanthemum and plum blossom, the peony symbolizes “peace and fortune in the four seasons.” An auspicious placement for one’s bedroom or the Wealth gua.

Divine beast, the imperial dragon is regarded as descending from the Heaven realm. Its intense power delivers great good fortune. The Dragon brings upon the essence of life, in the form of its celestial breath, known as ‘shing ch’i’. It yields life and bestows its power in the form of the seasons, bringing water from rain, warmth from the sunshine, wind from the seas and soil from the Earth. Being a divine mythical animal, the Dragon can ward off wandering evil spirits, protect the innocent and bestow safety to all that hold his emblem. Displaying a five toed gold dragon (not red for that is a cooked dragon) in your Helpful People area of either your bedroom, home or office petitions the creative force of Heaven to enhance your life. 

When the voluptuous persimmon appears as a symbol it denotes an energy which would remove the obstacles and allow things to proceed smoothly. When the cypress, ganderma and the persimmon fruit are combined it implies that things should be not just unobstructed but also as ‘willed’. Your business will bloom during demanding times when you plant a persimmon tree for in the Chinese language persimmon sounds like “booming market”. Place an image of a persimmon in the Children gua and be ready to receive winning ideas to bolster your business.

If you are a coach, a mentor or wish to teach, place an image of a plum tree in your home in most any area of the house. But if you want to share your wisdom effectively place it in the Knowledge gua. Here it will foster the qualities of a charismatic teacher and student relationship. The metaphor of plum means students everywhere (around the world).

Associated with luck, long life and the divine fruit of the gods, the Chinese believe the peach can make people perpetually young and peach petals create an intense trance of love. The peach tree represents longevity and the peach wood wards off evil. If you are searching for a partner place peach blossom petals in a bowl in the Relationship gua of your bedroom. Once you have found your beloved remove the petals (for you might attract another suitor) and replace them with an image of a peach tree to create a long lasting relationship. When you are certain of your partner take the image down and either plant a pear tree in your back yard or hang an image of a pear tree in your Relationship gua. The sound of pear in the Chinese language is the same as sharing.

More than just prized for its eminence, the tiger in China is considered the king of all beasts as it symbolizes power and a great deal of nerve. Traditionally it is a symbol of luck, success and achievement. The embodiment of ‘yang’ enery the tiger is a ‘solar animal’ and associated with the sun, summer and fire. It represents protection, generosity, illumination, but also unpredictability. It is revered as the symbol that wards off the main disasters of a household – ghosts, fire, and thieves. Tigers are also associated with the God of Wealth, who is often seen sitting on a tiger in Asian art. In ancient Chinese myth, there are five tigers that hold the balance of cosmic forces and maintain harmony. Place an image of a tiger in your Fame gua (center back section of the house) if you are looking to enhance your career. But never place two tigers in your bedroom for you may destroy  your partnership as it is known that tigers will claw each other to the death. 

If a deer crosses your path you are lucky. This gentle ungulate is an omen for happiness and riches. Its name is a homonym for the word abundance and it is known for its endurance, grace and long life. Deer is regarded as a symbol for longevity in China. The God of Longevity is often shown with a deer and it is reputed to be able to locate the herbs of immortality. Deer statuary will bring happiness and good fortune. If you have an inauspicious pillar placement in your home, hang images of dragons and/or other auspicious animals on the pillar such as a deer, a phoenix… and visualize that these images will bring you wealth and status.

Thank you for taking the time to come here! 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.

 

Feng Shui Flowers That Whisper Good Fortune

“Hear blessings dropping their blossoms all around you.”
Mawlana Jalal-al-Din Rumi

If we wish to attract what is good for us, flowers are a direct path to enhancing our feelings and elevating our sense of well-being. Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General. Hospital and her research team investigated the effects of flowers in the home and they concluded 1) flowers influence people emotionally; they foster compassion and kindness. 2) people feel less negative around flowers. Looking at them first thing in the morning dissipates anxiety or feelings of depression. 3) having flowers at home can carry over to work creating a frame of mind for happiness and enthusiasm. 

In the right place flowers in your home whisper their message, be joyful and blessings will fall like blossoms all around you.

Flowers have a long held importance and cultural significance in Chinese culture. They believe they communicate positive messages.

Here are five of my favorites that I give as Feng Shui adjustments and personally display during the Chinese seasonal festivals.

Peony Their elegant, full blossoms and delicate fragrance make them a favorite of bride’s bouquets and with good reason. The Chinese hold the peony in high esteem because it symbolizes prosperity and nobility. It also represents wealth, rank, female beauty and honor. Yellow and purple varieties are the most desirable. According to Feng Shui tradition, cultivate affluence by hanging either an image of a peony in a vase or placing an actual peony in a vase in the living room of your home. Either one expresses the wish for ‘prosperity and peace’, because the peony represents prosperity and the vase is a rebus for peace.

Orchid We all want someone special who is just right for us. The orchid represents integrity, friendship and nobility. Confucius compared the orchid to a virtuous man. In BSTB Feng Shui tradition to attract a refined and cultured partner place a pink orchid in your Relationship corner. The nuance to this relationship adjustment is visualize you are attracting the perfect person for you.

Lotus The Chinese believe the lotus symbolizes purity, long life, humility and honor. In Chinese Buddhism, Quan Yin is depicted seated on a lotus flower because it rises from the mud in beauty and symbolizes perfection and purity of the heart and mind. Mud represents a meaningful part of the lotus flower’s development. In Buddhist teachings, we humans are born into suffering, it is a vital part of our experience. The sacred lotus grows in the deep mud, far away from the sun. But sooner or later, it reaches the light becoming the most beautiful flower ever. If you’ve struggled to accept your fears. If you’ve felt your burdens have not brought you redemption. If despair reminds you that you feel you’ve failed, it may be difficult to see that these muddy waters make you the exquisite human being that you are, but you are. 

Chrysanthemum The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is the Double Ninth Festival also called Chongyang Festival (this year it is October 17, 2018). Nine is a yang number (symbolizing forever). Celebrating the double nine brings auspiciousness to the household. “Double Ninth” is pronounced the same as the word “forever” so ancestors are also worshipped on that day. Chrysanthemum is a Chinese word derived from “Chu hua” meaning “October flower”. White chrysanthemums represent nobility and elegance and attract good luck to the home and a life of ease. It is revered like the orchid, bamboo and plum. Displaying chrysanthemums in the home and eating Chongyang (double yang) cakes (cake sounds like height so they are regarded as lucky) are popular customs honoring this festival. They lift the Ch’i of, not only individuals, but families and communities too.

Narcissus Narcissus is known as the “water goddess”. It is said this flower can rout out evil spirits. At Chinese New Year (The Year of the Water Pig is February 5, 2019), the Chinese believe daffodil and Narcissus bulbs when in bloom bring good fortune and luck to a home. The modern take: enliven your Ch’i through the sense of smell. This adjustment calms the nervous system and promotes a sense of well being.

The Flower Cure Many times the most unlikely Feng Shui adjustment has the greatest affect. If the valve between the stomach and the esophagus is not opening and closing properly and there is acid reflux, H.H. “Professor” Lin Yun suggested this cure (nine red envelopes requested). The essence of this cure is how the sense of smell affects the body, mind and spirit.

Photo credit: https://www.quitecontemporary.com/2017/01/diy-ceramic-vases.html

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.

How To Manifest Peace

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster’, I hear my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing there are so many helpers–so many caring people in the world.”
Mr. Rogers

The tragedies that have pierced the heart of the world were such a force that I had to step back these past several weeks to think deeply how Feng Shui may empower us to create a world that is safe. The story we tell this time of year is about peace, goodwill towards all. I asked myself, “How do we maintain a peaceful coexistence throughout the year?” “Build it into the world!” whispered in my ear.

It is through H. H. ‘Professor’ Lin Yun rich legacy of Feng Shui and dharma teachings that I am able to share this wisdom with you. I have selected six Feng Shui precepts that I believe will help us to help each other live under an umbrella of peace. At the least may they be a foundation to harmonize our hearts and mend strained relations and not just the United States, but around the world too. Because when we show we care, we feel safe.

Solidarity In a sense right now we are all vulnerable. Professor Lin said planting bamboo will help vulnerable areas. Bamboo is an uprising force. It provides support. It can drive away negative forces and has the power to suppress evil Ch’i over time. Bamboo is hollow and soft inside, these characteristics symbolizes humility. When you plant bamboo, you add that quality to your own nature. You create solidarity and help your neighbors, near and far, when you place bamboo or the imagery of bamboo in your home and/or plant bamboo on your property. It will wrap its long limbs of peace and safety around you.

Safety New homes that consume an entire lot are on the rise in major and mid-sized cities. They create pressure among neighbors. Everyone feels the narrow space and tight fit. Like a pressure cooker that has to release steam an adjustment to your home can deflect a crisis before it happens. Plant greenery, especially plants with colorful flowers in your lot, both front and back yard. The colors release the pressure of being crowded. It is also vital we maintain our city parks and not let them be sold to developers. Stay up to date on city policy and stay closely connected to your neighborhood associations.

Stillness Take time to be still and shake off negativity by meditating. Start with chanting. The Sanskrit chant, Om mani padme hum, has been practiced all around the world for thousands of years. As you chant and meditate you may realize you have all the power, clarity and the omniscience of the Buddha. If you do not ascribe to the Buddha, then place your focus on God or your higher power. As you practice meditating you unify your inner being, your heart comes into coherence. You let go of divisiveness and inner conflict which is the pathway to peace.

Softness His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama has often expressed that feeling warm-hearted allows him to smile and be happy even in the company of strangers. Being kind and nice towards others creates an atmosphere  for them to be kind in return. A smile works wonders in a potentially unfamiliar situation. When you can help another person feel at ease neither you or they feel alone. Your lives become much easier. Practice kindness, sympathy and generosity daily.

Simple beauty A son and father interviewed after the Bataclan attack. The son is fearful the gunmen may return and he wants to leave. His father speaks calmly to him and says, “They may have guns but we have flowers.” The son feels reassured comforted and a look of peace washes over his face. 

In 2007, Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D. of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital and her research team investigated the effects of flowers in the home. Flowers foster compassion. Participants noted that they felt influenced by flowers emotionally, causing them to feel kindness and more compassion for others. Looking at flowers first thing in the morning, particularly in the kitchen, dissipates anxiety and feelings of depression. Having flowers at home can have a positive carry-over impact on your mood at work too. They energize your time at work.

In the Chinese culture flowers served as a significant vehicle of communication. They convey epic messages that express powerful positive emotions. A peony, the national flower, stands tall and symbolizes prosperity, happiness and peace. Plum blossoms, the harbinger of spring, represent firmness and solidity. The lotus whispers, that which may not be sullied. Chrysanthemums brave the frost to bloom in a vast array of colors. The narcissus is known as ‘the fairy over ripples’. They speak of the correct way of living, indicating being clean and healthy. If you want a flower’s quality to support your endeavor, display a picture purchase flowers and usher in the force they represent. For those suffering from acid reflux Professor Lin shared The Flower Cure.

Self Care If you are suffering from stress or depression caused by the tragedies or you can’t quite put your finger on what the stress is but you feel pressure, make an adjustment in Helpful People. It could be the house, office, bedroom, or any Helpful People gua. If you need more strength, place three cures, one in each of three places. If you live in an apartment, one could be the home, bedroom, and desk. If you live in a home with property, you can adjust the bedroom, house and lot.

Have questions about your home? Minimize stress by designing it with vitality and beauty with Feng Shui A La Carte.

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.