Tag Archives: Yin Ch’i

Fall Reset. The Benefits Of Letting Go.

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“Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.”
– Eckhart Tolle

Do you love the radiance of an autumn day? Are you inspired by a vibrant landscape of deep reds and brilliant oranges? Do you relish cool crisp evenings of a physical richness that warms your bones like smelling crossed buns baking in the oven, you snuggled in a fuzzy sweater sipping on hot tea by a fire where you turn your attention to holiday preparation?

But did you know seasonal changes have a universal importance as well? Letting go in Autumn what you have accumulated aligns with Nature’s time. It aligns your mind and your body’s internal clock which is important to your mental and physical health.

In technology a reset “clears any pending errors or events and brings a system to normal condition”. I believe a reset to your house resets the karma of pending errors you may have inherited with your home. We see Nature resetting when leaves take their flight and trees reveal their fabulous bones in preparation for Winter rest and new life in Spring. This is humans visual cue to do the same.

At the root of a reset is release. In Chinese cosmology, Fall is the Metal Season, it is called Rising Yin and the time of year to nourish Yin energy. This season is for purging and purifying your home.  The act of clutter clearing becomes elevated to a cosmological attunement that aligns with Fall in the Five Seasons. Its place is true and meaningful in the regeneration of life.

Opening the channels in your space and opening the channels in your mind, body and spirit elevate your emotional state and create a lightness of being. BSTB purification rituals and ceremonies avail you of living in the receptive mode (“to receive” is the meaning of Yin energy) where all possibilities manifest. Think back to the opportunities, objects and relationships that were beyond your grasp over the year. A reset gives you a second chance. Before the end of October if you would focus on self care and letting go of your stuff you would see with clearer vision what is right for you. Here are methods to help you get started.

Let go first in your mind. To create a smooth process of clearing closets, drawers, the basement and garage, clear worry and anxiety from your mind. Go to bed and in the drowsy state visualize a positive vision of what you look forward to–a trip, a funny movie–whatever lightens your mind. Then see the things you love but have difficulty letting go find their way into boxes and bins, perhaps going to a friend or neighbor whom you know would be excited to receive them. You will wake up with an energized mental attitude and be more able to face the day. Do this over a period of nine nights (the number of completion and peak accomplishment). 

Clear away energetic residue next. The walls in your home retain predecessor energy unless a space blessing has been performed. Painting the walls is one level of energy clearing but for a deeper karmic cleanse I recommend “Changing the Ch’i Of The House And Transforming The Fortunes For Individuals And Residences”. The purpose is letting go the remains of old patterns, resentments and vendettas. Oranges, (lemon is stronger to expel evil spirits. Orange has a hint of auspiciousness that lemon does not have), mantras, your visualization and intention will evict any misfortune and replace it with positive, prosperous, auspicious Ch’i. Inquire with me how you can attain this time honored ceremony. Nine red envelopes are requested.

Seek balance. You too can benefit from the stringent yet refreshing quality of citrus. During the day stress accumulates in your energy. Before you can adequately release the things you have been holding onto, your mind needs to be clear. Bathe in an orange peel bath (where lemons calm, lighten and refresh, oranges are auspicious and bring good fortune). Cut nine circles from the skin of an orange, soak them in a bowl. Pour them into  warm bath water and wash your entire body, even your head. Orange’s clarifying essence removes worry and uplifts your Ch’i, helping you to balance.

See new possibilities. Place a mirror on the wall at the foot of the bed. It will allow you to see all the potential resolutions to your problems related to letting go. Set it with this intention and you will feel energized and your results will reflect your enthusiasm.

Nourish your stamina. You live in the residue of yesterday’s thought. When you avoid making a decision hold your hands left over right, thumbs together and palms up over your tan’tien (at the level of your navel). Take in a deep breath in through your mouth and visualize universal light, positive Ch’i and good luck enter and circulate throughout your body and all your cells. Exhale in eight short puffs with the last one, ninth, expelling all the negative Ch’i, bad luck and obstacles. Repeat nine times and finish with a mantra of your choice.

Ready to release. Start with five minutes at a time. This allows you to mindfully build the momentum. Give one item away a day, next day two and increase the number each day. Take the 9-9-9 challenge. Identify nine items you want to donate and nine items to be returned to their proper home. Use the four box method. One for trash, give away, keep or re-locate. Enter a room in your home and place each item into one of the following boxes. Don’t skip a single one. The Feng Shui methods I have shared will help you identify more quickly what you love and what someone else will benefit by.

Vitality for your utmost passions. Preparing your home and your mind, connects you with your senses. When the above methods are performed daily for nine days (think of creating a morning ritual with them), you by-pass the mental processes that keep you in a resistance loop. Your energy becomes liberated from your emotions. Your enthusiasm increases. Your mind is not detained by distractions. With an orderly home you can now focus your energy on the things you enjoy instead of what you worry about. Your health is optimized and the universal part of it, your subconscious mind, will respond to your will and requests.

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 for Feng Shui a La Carte are at  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. Feng Shui design rejuvenates and replenishes your Ch’i. Subscribe to my blog and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

Spring Power. It’s Easy Being Green.

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Within each thing is contained all things. In the seed is the tree; in the tree is the forest…Each thing exists to nourish all others and in return to be nourished itself.
– Vasant Lad and David Frawley, The Yoga of Herbs

At the moment I am writing, Nature’s Spring Power has bloomed all over the northern hemisphere. As if awakened by Prince Charming’s kiss, the sun’s radiance arouses the landscape, dissolving winter’s sleep. Green, vernal shoots burst forth and aromatic scents perfume the atmosphere where hungry bees buzz mightily ensuring that our summer tables are fresh with fruit. Everywhere is an intelligent, pulsating world of creation, nourishment and support.

If you are like me you may want to harness this Spring Power for now and when winter’s twilight comes early and the leaves have fallen. It’s definitely the way of Feng Shui. You see, thousands of years ago in order to align with the seasons of creation and decay, the philosophy of the Tao, Yin-Yang theory and the Five Phases evolved. The Tao is the governing order of all things. However to explain the Tao’s movement through time, the Yin-Yang Theory of opposites emerged followed by the Five Phases/Seasons which further differentiated its dynamism as exemplified by the five powers, Water (winter), Wood (spring), Fire (summer), Earth (late summer) and Metal (fall).

You can imagine in the waining days of the year how a burst of Spring Power could keep your system running at its optimum. The Wood element is represented by Spring. It is a creative season. It’s symbolic of new beginnings. Its meaning is to be on purpose and be the change. It is benevolence and compassionate understanding, qualities we find useful in certain stages of our development, our relationships and our careers. Building the Chi in your home with Wood cures gives you the drive to remove stagnate energy and finish projects that have been languishing.

If your bedroom feels devoid of life force, your health is suffering from too much Yin Ch’i, or you want to enhance the energy in your home, here are five BSTB Feng Shui cures that invest your home with positive energy that will take you in a new direction.

Spring clean any time of year. Whenever there is an excessive build-up of stress and frustration, it’s time to pull out the oranges. When Ch’i becomes blocked, oranges have a warm, sunny, sweet aroma that convey joy and positivity, dispersing moodiness and irritability (Gabriel Mojay, Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit). To change the Ch’i and the fortune of you and your home, purchase nine oranges. During the hours of  11:00 p.m to 1:00 a.m. cut nine circles (zest only) out of each orange for 81 circles. Break these down onto a dinner plate and chant a mantra or say a prayer that invests the peels with the light of 10,000 Buddhas. Take a small handful of the peels and start in any direction. Every few steps, scatter the peels throughout the house until the plate is empty. Allow for them to stay for one night, three nights or nine nights. For a detailed version of the ceremony, send me an email (red envelopes requested).

Show your ‘face’ to the world. What story is your front entry telling? Does it represent who you are ? Does your door knob working properly and easy to grasp? This is how you grasped life. Do you have vital plants in and around your front door? Plants are life force. We are most aware of their rising yang energy in Spring but they are useful in balancing our Ch’i throughout the year. Your front door can be enhanced with healthy round leaf plants on either side. They lift your Ch’i and attract prospects. If sustainability is part of your philosophy, purchase native, evergreen plants that require little water as a green addition to the Feng Shui.

Transform worry into calm. Bamboo has a long and humble connection to the Chinese culture. If your children live away from home and you are concerned about them you can hang a bamboo drape in the Children/Tui gua of your home. If your child has a dangerous occupation, sport or hobby, hang a bamboo drape in the Children gua of your home because bamboo is symbolic of safety, it provides safety.

Work peacefully for money. The drooping bamboo leaves cross one another, as if they are composing the Chinese character “An” (tranquility). Being both hollow and soft inside, it symbolizes humility (the Chinese word for hollow means to be humble). Its hollowness allows it to bow in the wind. The sound a bamboo flute makes is peaceful and it can drive away negative influences so it protects. If you wish to have money and work peacefully for it, hang a bamboo drape in the Wealth/Hsun gua of your home.

Double your happiness. To nurture a partnership that you have already created add the Spring Power of nine lush plants in the bedroom. The demands of work can deplete your energy. The plants’ life force will support your own and expand your mental focus so you can dedicate time to your partner. A nuance to this cure is place fruiting or flowering plants as they symbolize that your efforts will bear fruit.

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 Emotions Are Decorating Your Space

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“An interior is the natural projection of the soul.”
– Coco Chanel

Decorating should be the fun part of moving and home improvement but if everyday something comes up, you feel anxious, some event triggers an unhappy thought and you just can’t get started…your emotions are decorating your space. Here is what Jeanette discovered. Her family decided to move across country so her husband could take a new position and they could be closer to her parents. She had one week to choose a home for her family. The home she fell in love with had vaulted ceilings, a view of the back yard from the front door, a large master suite that stretched from front to back, a three car garage…it was certainly the right neighborhood and the school was perfect for her children. Once they settled into the new house she thought everything would be as before. But the stress of moving never dissipated. A barrier progressively developed between she and her husband. They were silent at the dinner table and he stopped coming home at reasonable hours. Her 13 year old son did not like sleeping in his room. It was so good before the move, what happened? 

Wanting to find the husband she had lost, to help her son stop his nightly wandering and bring some happiness to herself, she called me for help. Jeanette’s story is a powerfully moving scenario and not unlike the stories clients share expressing their profound loss and disbelief over what has happened to the life they once had. She had read several Feng Shui books. She suspected the emotional issues between she and her husband, her son’s distraction and her moodiness were stemming from her home. And she admitted she didn’t feel good being there. When I shared what I saw, my words immediately resonated with her. She had no trouble making a plan and her next step would be decorating using Feng Shui design.

I believe design education goes a long way in creating awareness that our home influences our well-being. With that in mind, I composed this Feng Shui guide to help you make better choices when deciding on your new nest. And if you are already settled in your space, you might recognize one or two design features that may be limiting your freedom and curbing your peace of mind. 

Want a picture? Here is a helpful companion blog on floor plans, “Unraveling Your Home’s Floor Plan With Feng Shui.

 Depletion That Paints You Into A Corner
• A hidden front door is when you cannot see the door from the street. Feelings of isolation can develop over time. What Professor Lin would call “strange chi.” At an office there may be loss of income, feeling frustration, depression and loss of motivation.
• An obstacle (blocking tree, wall, utility pole or column) at the front door can limit opportunities.
• Double doors can create confusion, especially if the door to enter is not marked properly.
• A slanted front door creates a slant on daily interactions that explode into unexpected events related to all areas of life.
• A blocking wall inside the front door can impede the forward movement of everyone in the household. Everyone may struggle with their career. Faith in the future may be lost.
• Front door /back door alignment may possibly create a split through the whole house. The closer the doors the worse this patten is. Parents may feel a barrier between them and lead separate lives. Parents and children lose touch. Money may leak and opportunities dry up. Money, motivation, reputation, health and good luck may fly out the back door.
• A split at the front door can affect all areas of life dramatically. The brain is activated unevenly and the two sides will start to lack coordination. The inhabitant may act more and think less. Or think more and act less. In either situation there is an imbalance. As a result illness along the midline can development. Also confusion and the lack of sound decision making can cost a family their health or business. Non-stop arguing and violence can result with a split at the front door. Extreme marital, family and business interactions can take place here.
• A split stairway (typical of split level homes) aka Mandarin duck stairway creates an environment where everything begins to fall apart; it can even shatter a person’s peace of mind. The different levels affect partners where they are more likely to experience miscommunication or not speak at all; children have difficulty feeling accepted; finances fluctuate wildly. Invariably health is unstable. When it is a company and affects all the employees, the consequences can be disastrous.

 Bad Luck That Colors Your Morale
• Seeing a cemetery, a morgue or a deserted house from your front door may bring illness and sudden expected disasters.
• If your home is at end of a “double T” intersection your luck may dwindle in all areas but in particular health and finances.
• A narrow driveway or path. The opportunity to expand your heart and mind may never happen. And if you see opportunity you won’t be able to grasp it, feeling shut down.
• A toilet over the front door brings bad luck to the entire household or business.
• A stove that is backed up to the toilet that is on the other side of the wall affects your luck to the point it may run out.
• A dead door is a door that is nailed shut or that cannot be opened. This feature may stifle’s one’s voice completely. If the original door has been closed there can be a sudden downturn in fortune or slow loss of resources.

Details That Design Conflict
• Arguing Doors are two doors that when they are open bump up against one another. The clashing is jarring to the senses and disturbs the inhabitants equilibrium. Conflict results. It may run throughout the house.
• Biting Doors are doors that are out of alignment with one another. Visualize walking out of your bedroom and seeing part of a door entry and part of a wall. This design feature creates a split and has the effect of a front door split. Biting doors create discord between parents and parents and children. In a child’s room it can create a bully. You may lose friends and neighbors can turn into enemies. In an office setting there may be gossip, back stabbing and power struggles. Biting doors at the front door are especially detrimental as the conflict and verbal fighting can reach into the neighborhood.
• Piercing Heart Doors are three or more doors which you could walk in a straight line. They create an invisible obstacle through the house which impedes relations between partners, partners and their children and between siblings. Alienation and separation tear the family apart.
• Many doors opening into a small space. I think we all have this one, especially around the bedrooms and bathroom. A door is a “mouth”. This area can be especially noisy because all the voices are trying to speak at once. Listening is difficult and family members may end up quarreling. This design feature is the underpinnings for health issues, particularly the digestive organs.
• Too many doors in relationship to the windows and the adult voice may be too powerful. This ratio may silence the voice of the children. In a business situation management (the adult) may not heart the feedback of employees (the children). There may be a conflict of wills.
• Too few doors in relationship to the windows and the children may create havoc. On the job, employees may strike or rebel.

Architecture That Exhausts All Your Emotional Resources
• A door that is below the level of the street make every movement feel like an uphill climb. Time becomes altered and energy depleted. There is an inability to follow through and complete projects.
• A contrary door is a door that opens to a wall instead of the main part of the room. Everyone who lives in the house may find they are laboring and not enjoying the results of their work. They may feel exhausted and disappointed most of the time.
• If a stove is in line with the front door, family problems may never be resolved. There is constant worry and pressure which can exhaust everyone who lives there.
• If a bedroom is the first room an inhabitant sees when entering the house, they may be too tired to take care of their responsibilities and daily duties.

 Exterior And Interiors That Are Blueprints For Illness
• An industrial park or factory next door may be overwhelming. The distraction and pollution create physical and mental imbalances. Being empty at night they create a yin presence. All of this affects your ability to concentrate, be clear and effective.
• A bathroom in the center of the house or office can deplete all life situations. Poor health can plague every inhabitant year after year, effecting succeeding generations.
• A fireplace in the center of the house can burn up money, create infamy and heat up passion so it is burns outside the house, drying up your creative juices. The flow of your career may come to a drizzle and your inner growth may be non-existent. Your vitality is depleted and your emotional capacity to lift your life to joy is severely restrained.
•A stairway that ends too close to a wall may impede the flow of Ch’i in the building and the bodies of the inhabitants. You may feel blocked physically, emotionally and in your career.

If you want to receive a cure for any one of these design features, I will ask you to honor the red envelope tradition.

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.

Harvest The Best In Your Life – Feng Shui Tips

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“To everything there is a season and a time and purpose under Heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Here in Portland, Oregon, the leaves are a blast of crimson and gold. The fields were harvested weeks ago and we’ve begun to set the table with hearty soups, squashes and vibrant root vegetables. Autumn reminds us to wind down. Mother earth is letting go. We pull in and stock up as the cool, crisp mornings prompt us to winter’s imminent arrival. For humans, we take into account what we have accumulated and appreciate what we’ve accomplished. The abundance of summer has been assimilated and now it is time to integrate the wisdom gained from the events over the year. Fall, the Metal element in the Five Elements, lays the space to refine your relationship to the Earth, to yourself, to your home and harvest the best in your life. Here are four tips to create a spacious, harmonized body, mind and home this Fall.

Conserve In Autumn your body wants to conserve energy. As you draw inward, you are being pulled outward by the same responsibilities as in other times of the year. Uplift your energy and harvest the best in your life by taking time to give some oxygen to your thoughts and emotions. This nurtures  your Ch’i and will place you ahead of the holiday triggers that stir up conflict. But if discord is already snooping about, create a spacious and clear mind with an orange peel bath. Cut nine circles (skin only) of one orange and wash your entire body, even your head. Make it a ritual for nine consecutive nights for good measure. The warm, fresh, sweetness of orange conveys joy and positivity, dispersing moodiness and irritability. Letting go in this positive way encourages peace of mind. This is what gives the orange its reputation as embodying “good luck”.

Clear out As the leaves fall and you are bringing out your warm, snuggly sweaters and rain wear, this is a good to time clear out unused items in your closet(s). If you find it’s not easy getting started, Professor Lin Yun shared this valuable piece of advice. “Speak to the item. Thank it for faithfully serving you.” Then say, “I appreciate you but now it is time to part ways.” By liberating the space in your closet(s) you send the message that you are in tune with the best in your life and ready for the prospects coming your way.

Clean Now that you are refreshed and have more energy, you can turn your attention to creating spaciousness in your home. You are probably familiar with spring cleaning but the shift from warm to cool temperatures encourages mold to propagate and your health is likely to be compromised. I encourage a good fall clean especially the stove the seat of our wealth and family unity. And what’s more, fall cleaning is an act of completion of the four previous seasons (winter, spring, summer and the middle season of harvest time). This could also be the perfect time to convert to green cleaning products, even make your own. Here is one recipe for an all-purpose cleaner from Rodale’s Organic Life: 9 parts water to 1 part white vinegar. I like to add rosemary essential oil to the cleaner. The plant is considered to “renew enthusiasm and bolster self-confidence.” As an herb of remembrance, it helps us not only to recall loved ones but to remember our own true path and for me, to remember to harvest the best in my life.

Consider Some folks live without a roof over the head nor sleep in a bed. Consider passing along some of your good fortune. Lend a helping hand when you see a person in need. Kindness ripples out and has a positive effect on the world.

Have questions about your home?  Feng Shui A La Carte, think of it as a fairy godmother for your home.

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.