Crouching Tiger, Hurtful Words. Feng Shui Relationship Advice Saves A Couple’s Love.

You may be conscious of what you put in your tummy and how it makes you feel, but do you know that a picture hanging in your home can turn a pleasant mood into anger? A fine art print or painting may be executed beautifully but if the image is violent, it impacts not only your sense of safety and well being but your partner’s as well. Here is Mary’s story about seeking relationship advice. When I consult for a client, after I arrive at their home, we sit down, talk about the floor plan and discuss the goals they want to accomplish. Mary was living alone and renting. She was quiet about her life, all she really revealed was she wanted more income. Her dream was to sell her jewelry and earn a good living at it. She was very talented but didn’t feel confident in her abilities. When we started touring her home I saw a Chinese silk painting of  fighting tigers in her bedroom. It was in her Partnership corner. When I asked about her relationship, she started describing the problems with her current boyfriend in detail: argumentative, hurtful, close to violent. I pointed to the claws and said there is part of your problem. Tigers will fight to the death. Those claws had turned into fighting words and she was ready to throw in the towel. I recommended she retire the image. After I left, she immediately took it down. Mary was very motivated and followed the cures I gave her. Once she selected the color that pleased her eye, she painted the room. It was a beautiful, Benjamin Moore, “dusk pink”, a Partnership color. She added plants to bring life force and more oxygen for clear thinking. She hung a round mirror above the bed so there would be no rough edges to the communication between she and her partner. Mary also placed a light at the front door to help with clarity as the entry represents the head. Right away a change ocurred. It was a miracle in her eyes. Her boyfriend stopped acting moody and defensive. She stopped being apologetic. The words between them softened and they started listening to each other again. They worked out their differences. Mary gained confidence. She asked for a raise where she worked and the owner invited her to display her jewelry. Her good luck came back.

The Ba-gua, the Feng Shui octagon, is a time tested method to evaluate the energy fluctuations in a home (ex. a stairway is a design detail with up and down movement. When it is in the wealth gua, it will create instability around money. You may not know when you will get paid or you lose money easily). The eight sided shape is used as a template and superimposed onto a client’s floor plan because it symbolizes important life situations: career, knowledge, family, prosperity, reputation, partnership, children, helpful people (with health in the center). The Ba-gua reveals how these life situations interact. Angularity of walls, color, furniture arrangement, decorations and art in one area will affect another area but equally all who live under the roof or who come in contact with the space. When Mary confessed to her problems with her boyfriend she was able to see the influence of her choice in art. This discovery was the piece that saved her mind.

One thing 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.

 

WOW! Summer Solstice Gift.

When was the last time your heart skipped a beat and you said, “Wow that was a treat!” My wish for you this Summer Solstice is to have a “world of wonderfulness” day. Turn it upside down and backwards with play. Start dessert first. There is no sense to make. Let your cells tingle. Take back your freedom. Sing a jingle. Don’t try to do anything at all except stretch like Alice, make yourself tall. Crinkle your nose, wiggle your toes and smile when your loved one hands you a rose. I’m smiling. Are you?

Do me a favor? Check out, “9 Feng Shui Office Secrets That Lead To Ultimate Productivity.” If time is your no. 1 priority, I think these office concepts will fill you in.

Would you double it? One thing 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.

Super Moon. Career Success. 9 Feng Shui Office Tips For Ultimate Productivity.

“Don’t lose sight of what you want to achieve. Every action is a step toward or away from what you want.”
– Shane Parrish

Shane’s vision superbly aligns with the June 23 Super MoonLaunch your project, reformulate your mission or infuse your career with an innovative strategy. Results are guaranteed from the Zodiac’s master of efficiency, organization and commitment, CapricornIt will be non stop exhilarating focus the two weeks following, but you can be certain to revel in meeting your goal. Start with intentional redesign of your work space.

The Tao of productivity.
Work environments focus on one reality to get tasks accomplished. But what is essential to maintaining healthy productivity is balance: physical space to mental space, logic to feeling, Yang to Yin. Yang is systems, logic, deadlines, physical space and tangible results. Yin is feelings, intention, mental space, imagination and the intangible. When expectations are founded on a manifesto of deadlines and unhappiness. When dissatisfaction predominates then productivity goes down. Balance the Yang to Yin, logic to feeling and you’ll dissolve busyness, filler steps and distractions. What will emerge is a natural system of productivity and efficiency. 

9 Feng Shui Office Tips for Ultimate Productivity.

  1. Yang: position. Your desk is the seat of your power. Don’t diminish your concentration with interruptions. Turn your desk so you can see who is coming into your office. Or place a mirror opposite where you sit at the desk. Form a habit of smiling into the mirror. Ultimately it will increase your happiness quotient. Yin: perspective. Create a daily mantra that reminds you of your life purpose. Say it nine times before arriving at the office, express it with gratitude. It adds energy to your energy.
  2. Yang: commanding view! Your office door is an important entry. The best position for your office desk is in the furthest opposite corner or wall from the door. You are perceived as having more authority. Yin: this placement builds confidence and self control. It favors a relax approach and open minded communication among your co-workers and with your boss.
  3. Yang: change a mediocre workspace into a dynamic, energizing room with quality lighting. It activates your endorphins and bolsters your mood. Add a LED lamp next to you. The spotlight creates attention getting results. Yin: the warmth of the sun is a life giving presence. Mirror its generosity, perform a kind deed. Kindness generates the same feeling as abundance.
  4. Yang: invite Nature’s vitality in. A plant’s life force increases your brain power to help you complete your tasks. Place a lush green plant with rounded leaves on the desk if it’s close to the door or in line of the door. It creates a friendly boundary plus it reminds you to breathe. Yin: make time after work for a Forest BathShinrin-yoku. Its a short, leisure walk through the woods for relaxation and breathing in phytoncides (wood essential oils). The Japanese regard this as natural aromatherapy and it promotes a healthy lifestyle.
  5. Yang: six inch solution: if you bang your chair against the wall when you back up from your desk you are creating the scenario “there is no way to turn a situation around.” Your mind goes directly to feeling “blocked in”. Move your desk away from the wall at least six inches. Your focus smooths out and problem solving becomes easier. Yin: unblock your thoughts with meditation and function at your highest operating state. It produces calm and you may avoid amygdala (the part of the brain that controls response and empathy) hijacking. 
  6. Yang: a difficult economy produces daily anxiety. Red has a stabilizing effect on the eyes which are connected to your heart. Place a red object in the area directly across from the entrance to your office. A side note: red, symbolic of happiness, is a colorful antidote to anxiety. Yin: get away from the computer every few hours. Consciously breathe: inhale-one, two, three, four; exhale-one, two, three, four. Might seem counter intuitive but actually this creates deep calm which awakens your brain. Feel recharged and ready to get back to work.
  7. Yang: periodically evaluate the items on your desk: What is unusable let go. This following detail may seem small but is seminal to your creativity. Make a space on your desk so your eyes can come to rest in that spot while you work. The spaciousness it creates can foster an innovative idea. Yin: clutter is connected to your emotions. If find you are emotional at work, first harmonize your space. This creates balance in your mind. Its much easier to sort through your files with a clear head.
  8. Yang: not getting answers to your questions and the right help is an opportunity for wasting time and feeling overwhelmed by frustration. The most effective solution I have seen is transcendental. Yin: stand at your office or cubicle, the far right front corner is the Helpful People area. Place with intention a poster of a beautiful place, a mentor or a world figure that you admire. Visualize Helpful People show up with frequency when you have a problem. And find opportunities to be a helpful person yourself.
  9. Yang: if you like working from the coffee shop make sure you check in at your office chair and desk periodically. Maybe Chinese superstition but don’t wait for the shoe to drop and all areas of your life spin out of control. Yin: visualize. Your imagination is stronger than your thoughts. See in your mind the steps and the end result of your project. Outside events will conspire to make your work flow more easily.

Setting up your work space is the forward step in creating the Tao of productivity.

My services are Feng Shui a La Carte, one hour or Your House Is Talking, full consultation. I look forward to having a conversation with you.

One thing 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. 

Save Your Money From Going Down the Toilet!

photo credit: Milli.Az
Privy, lavatory, throne, potty, can, john. The 2 1/2 baths that provide convenience is a hot spot that robs your health and money, and your life just may be going down the toilet. Moving gray water away from the home is a necessary, sanitary, modern-day comfort. But the toilet’s drain also pulls energy out of the house. In the Feng Shui metaphor its location determines the types of loss (financial, health, bad luck, lack of concentration, missed opportunities) you experience in your personal life. If you’ve been devastated by illness and are running up medical bills or just experiencing unexpected expenses, there is a silver lining to your story. Combat the brown rim by familiarizing yourself with the following energetic principles then implement the Feng Shui cures provided to restore what has been lost.

Derived from ancient Chinese divination, the Ba-gua (eight sided template of life) is used to determined patterns in a home. Translated from Chinese “Ba” means “eight” and “gua means “trigram”. Before a consultation the Ba-gua is superimposed onto the floor plan of the home and the life situations are interpreted in relationship to the shape of the house. There are eight: career, self-knowledge, family, wealth, fame/reputation, partnership, children, helpful people with health in the center. A life situation is interchangeable with the word, gua and it has a three fold significance. It represents a meaningful postion in the octagon; it is symbolic of an influential life situation and  it correlates to a physical location in your home. The rooms of the house–living, dining, kitchen, bedroom, hallway, stairs, bathroom–now take on the individual meaning of each gua and this creates an underlying significance in your life. For example a living room might be located in the Helpful People (people who bring you money) corner or the Master bathroom might be situated in the Wealth gua (draining your wealth). For one area it might be boon, in another area a detriment. 

The bathroom placement affects all the guas; the following are the worst: (check your home to see if there is a match)

  • Center of the house. It depletes all the eight guas, draining finances and resources. Poor health may plague everyone in the home.
  • Wealth Gua (located in the back left corner of the house). All good fortune, good luck and Ch’i leave the house via the drain. 
  • Helpful Gua (located in the front right conner of the house). Loss of Helpful People who bring you money, pay you money for the work you perform and aid you with your career.
  • Children Gua (located in the middle right side of the house). Children are drained of their vitality which leads to being sick often. They may be distracted and cannot focus on their studies thus doing poorly in school. 

The toilet/bathroom in relationship to another design feature can cause health crises and financial loss. Do you recognize one of these situations?

  • A bed and toilet that are back to back (with only a wall between) can cause sickness in the head, even a brain tumor. Money can be flushed away. It can be difficult for a child to concentrate, losing time from studies.
  • Toilet over the bed will cause health problems. 
  • Bedroom facing a bathroom can cause stomach ailments.
  • Bathroom over the front entry will bring bad luck to the entire family living at home. It can lead to scoundrels and legal trouble. 
  • Bathroom adjacent to the kitchen. A bathroom is symbolic of a family’s expenses and the kitchen is symbolic of a family’s wealth. Money will drain away in this scenario.

The toilet seat down is a general cure but there are stronger adjustments to correct an offending bathroom that depletes the energy in a gua. Where possible hang a full length mirror on the front of the bathroom door. It will take on the image of whatever is opposite from it (the mirror) and the bathroom is no longer present. Even if the bathroom door is open the adjustment continues to work. “Sealing the Drains” is an excellent ceremony if you do not want or cannot hang mirrors in your bathrooms. If one of these doesn’t work for you, contact me.

Just as you would remodel your kitchen or paint your bedroom, Feng Shui is home improvement that nourishes the spirit of your place. Listen to your home and let it inform you how you can enliven it with changes that will put $$$ in your pocket and enrich your life.

One thing 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 class and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

A Eighteen Year Old’s Wisdom Gave Me Words To Speak.

Zach Sobiech passed away May 20, 2013. Knowing he was going to die made him all the more aware to be alive. At age fourteen he was diagnose with osteosarcoma, terminal cancer. He wanted love, marriage, four children and a future. His illness would keep him from these but he didn’t allow his fate to stop his dreams. He strove to make a difference; to be true to himself; to express his deep affection for his family and friends in a legacy of songs (Clouds). He never passed an opportunity to make everyday special. Zach did not hold back. In his words: “What makes me feel good is when someone has a smile on their face and I helped put it there.” 

He made me smile and cry–a testament to his spirit.

We are all looking for Why. Why me? Why am I here? Why now? Zach knew Why – Love is why. His story inspired me to share why I do what I love to do. His compassion and love to see his family and friends happy remind me why I love to help people make their homes special: because I want to put a smile on their face. Folks come to me unhappy, in fear, angry, depressed, sick, feeling defeated, out of touch with their emotions and some because they have cancer. They have tried many methods but those end up being temporary. Then inspiration arrives, an object in their home lights up before them. They start searching for a solution closer to their heart–their home. I want to be a light, a source that helps them turn on their own light. If I have succeeded in that, I feel I have accomplished what I set out to do. This is the legacy I want to leave–help one person, one home at a time; both to feel their best. A balanced home helps all the rest to work. 

If you are feeling bad about yourself or disappointed that something didn’t work out in your life, or love real life stories about kids doing super sized things, watch this video of  Zach. Its full of miracles and smiles. Thank you Zach for leading with your  heart and showing us all the way.

Zach and his family started a fund to help children outlive cancer, Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund.

One thing 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.

Lost In Space, A Split Down The Center Creates A Rift In A Woman’s Heart.

Danger Will Robinson Danger!

My sister and I would laugh at Lost in Space, B9 Robot, his mechanical arms flailing out of control. Though this silly computer from the future may have had dangerous aliens to contend with, we did not. We were safe in our home. Fast forward to 2013, a friend is struggling, overwhelmed by demands, feeling insecure if she says no to the volume of responsibility at work, she is afraid she will lose her job. Her aliens are demons from her past–an abusive home, an absent parent, shipped off to foster homes. There was no B9 to protect her. She doesn’t feel safe. To mask her fear she takes on responsibility for everyone and everything. Her need to control is ruining two of her closest relationships–her health and her peace of mind. As women we live with this issue everyday. How do we balance responsibility and self care?

In western culture there is no cultural programming that speaks about the effect our home has on our psyche. But if you inquire into a health crisis, a partnership failing, a prosperity blockage or a career stall will start a conversation quickly. Talk therapy works yet a problem can still exist. So my friends, family and clients come with questions, could there be something to Feng Shui?

Yes! The body knows what is going on even when the mind is skeptical. For this particular friend, she has a split stairway aka Mandarin Duck stairway: one set of stairs go up to the main floor while the other set goes down to the basement.  When I see this I feel I should wave my arms and warn “Danger Will Robinson”! It creates a brain that moves too quickly for the body. The left and right hemispheres are stimulated unevenly and begin to lack alignment. One may think more and act less, or one may act more and think less. This type of split is a major split. The lives of people unravel. It creates separation between partners, it can tear families apart, and affect a person’s mental health. Finances fluctuate wildly, a couple can’t see eye to eye, children may grapple and health remains unstable. The family may experience an onset of fatigued and confusion. There may be no joining of the hearts. Emotions are charged then exhausted, over and again, depleting the adrenals.

The cure for a split at the front door is to bring the eyes into focus on one object at the entrance. The adjustment enables the brain to bridge the two hemispheres and it eliminates angry words. The eyes, now focused, calm the brain and this allows for a strong connection eighteen inches down to the heart. With the emotions quelled, self care can more easily take root and it is possible to address all life situations with clarity and peace.

The beautiful art work was created by Michele Dodds

One thing 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 class and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.

 

Five Feng Shui Staging Tips That Sell!

“Typically a potential buyer has made up their mind ten seconds after they step in the front door. They were already forming an opinion as they pulled into your driveway!”
– Jan Van Horne of Coldwell Banker Burnet Realty in Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Feng Shui staging maximizes your profitability by tapping the buyer’s emotions to make a quick, smooth sale. It’s the other half of real estate marketing.

Create curb appeal and invigorate your dwelling with these five Feng Shui staging categories. They make a place for something happy, something blowing, something playful, something flowing and when your place feels good that is what sells your home.

Play up the front yard with accents. Smart street numbers are eye candy. A buyer will notice your exterior paint color but really appreciate your attention to detail–it’s the wink that gets them to walk inside. Check online or have a custom design made, (illuminated house numbers). A water feature near the front door adds dimension and gives a spacious impression (garden fountain). Create a dramatic statement with outdoor lighting. Lights draw up healthy earth Ch’i and stimulates the front yard. Bring more wealth to the transaction with this Feng Shui secret: curve the edges of the front lot with landscaping, lawn, concrete or pavers like the rounded shell of a crab. The auspicious shape is a magnet for money opportunities.

Give your front door a face lift. Miniature cracks, chipped paint and inoperable features means a long delay. Hang a wind chime (Woodstock wind chime) over the entry to lift your senses. Create suppleness with colorful planters, new door mat and paint that makes it shine. An attention catching secret: the proverbial Chinese red is (Benjamin Moore red) the number one Feng Shui paint choice because it has a multitude of attribute. It is symbolic of happiness, righteousness, virtuosity and power. And the most important quality, it builds auspiciousness over time. If red does not compliment your color scheme, black represents water and money; green symbolizes friendliness and good health.

Design clarity into your entry. When you enter what do you feel? A buyer could get off on the wrong foot here. The entrance represents your head, career and reputation. Is the foyer inviting with ample space, greenery, pleasing sounds and uplifting aroma? Or do you feel stopped in your tracks with a blocking wall or a split at the doorway? Minimize the potential for a dramatic scene. Place a large fashion mirror or nature painting with perspective on a blocking wall. This could be the tipping point for the buyer to sign a contract. An offset stairway causes one eye to focus on the stairs and one on the long view of the hallway. A split in vision creates confusion in the mind. The buyer may have doubts even when they glowed over the kitchen or complimented the backyard. A beautiful, well proportioned, crystal chandelier catches the attention of both eyes and corrects the problem (globe chandelier). You will see a quicker sale when you connect the eyes to the heart.

Get Helpful People on your side. This is your spouse, Feng Shui consultant, realtor, title insurance agent, home inspector, handyman, but most the prospective buyer. Locate the interior right, front corner of the house and place a sacred object, something that is connected to Heaven or a beautiful place you’ve visited or has weight like a three dimensional carving of a dragon. Anyone of these are designed to attract the people and conditions that minimize obstacles. Add your visualization to bring it together seamlessly. The secret: where attention goes, energy flows. Helpful People is opposite the Wealth corner. Activating this area will culminate in an easy sale.

Secure a sale with Feng Shui mind power. Perform a rice blessing. It is a land ceremony that reunites the spirit of your home to the property. It is a way of saying good bye by welcoming new energy that attracts the person who will love and cherish your space.

Moving is a top ten life “upheaval”. Helping a client implement Feng Shui staging techniques, I believe, brings out the hidden beauty of a home and is a professional kindness as it: 1) attracts the right buyer for your home;  2) creates a quick, positive sell; 3) brings less aggravation to the process; 4) more money for your pocketbook.

From Nancy Messinger, Oregon First Realtor “Bette, within 24 hours of listing Maureen’s home we received a full price offer. It sold for the highest price per square foot of any home in her development in the last year. She and her family were able to move forward with their plans. On the buyer’s side a single mother had been frantically looking for a home in the neighborhood so that her daughter could attend the local elementary school and her grandmother, who lives nearby, could babysit. Happy ending on both sides. Again, I want to thank you for being a part of this journey, for the Feng Shui blessings and clearing of negative energy. Great job!”

If you want to reclaim the beauty of your home my Feng Shui Real Estate Home Selling Packet will help you stay focused on a consistent, smooth, positive, selling experience, Fresh Starts.

The Three Most Dangerous Words Everyone Should Know

Just Nuke It!

Just to save yourself time you could be starving your body with microwave cooking. If you’ve just ‘nuked’ your brew and have taken a sip, read on. Within two minutes of imbibing your coffee that has been heated with microwave current, the molecular structure of your blood changes. Foods that are heated or cooked with microwave current become unrecognizable to your body and cannot be broken down. “Microwaved food contains both molecules and energies not present in food cooked in the way humans have been cooking food since the discovery of fire. Microwave energy from the sun and other stars is direct current based. Artificially produced microwaves are produced from alternating current and force a billion or more polarity reversals per second in every food molecule they hit. Production of unnatural molecules is inevitable. Naturally occurring amino acids have been observed to undergo isomeric changes (changes in shape morphing) as well as transformation into toxic forms, under the impact of microwaves produced in ovens.” Comparative Study of Food Prepared Conventionally and in the Microwave Oven, published by Raum & Zelt in 1992, at 3(2): 43

I am an energy specialist who helps clients design conscious spaces. I have seen time and again how Feng Shui addresses health and safety. Electrical devices in your home produce EMFs, (electromagnetic frequencies). Too many plugged-in electrical devices–widescreen plasma TV, computers, cordless phones, electric blankets, hand held hair dryer and microwave ovens–increase the levels of electromagnetic pollution and your body is not designed to assimilate and process the excess frequencies. 95% of the time that I enter into a kitchen, the microwave competes for space with the stove and for some, it totally eclipses the conventional oven.

Humans share a long history with fire. The stove is important in our collective conscious. It represents finances, restores family unity and keeps you free from legal trouble when it is in good condition and you are in command position. On the other hand microwaves are alien. They are short waves of electromagnetic energy that travel at the speed of light (186, 282 miles per second). The body is adaptable but it cannot adapt to changes of polarity. If we continue to demand that time take precedence over health, our bodies will become weakened, our immune systems compromised and that will evolve into more serious illnesses such as cancer.

Still holding your cup? Here is scientific research that has a big conclusion about the transformation of nutrients by microwave current. “Dr. Hans ulrich Hertel, food scientist, was the first to conceive and carry out a quality clinical study on the effects microwaved nutrients have on the blood and physiology of the human body. His small, but well controlled, study showed the degenerative force produced in microwave ovens and the food processed in them. The scientific conclusion showed that microwave cooking changed the nutrients in the food; and, changes took place in the participants’ blood that could cause deterioration in the human system. Hertel’s scientific study was done along with Dr. Bernard H. Blanc of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the university Institute for Biochemistry…Lymphocytes (white blood cells) showed a more distinct short-term decrease following the intake of microwaved food than after the intake of all the other variants. Each of these indicators pointed to degeneration.” globalhealingcenter.com

Microwave treadmill? Or optimal health? If you’ve noticed loss of memory, concentration, feeling more emotional, having difficulty with digestion and you continue to be sick, review how often you use your microwave. Consider putting these symptoms together with the cooking process of your food. A modification to your lifestyle could save your health.

One thing 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 class and special offers. You’ll receive this valuable Feng Shui Guide as a thank you gift.