Category Archives: Home Design

Feng Shui Cures That Take The Blues Away

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“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
– Anne Lamott

May 20 is mental health action day. Unraveling why a loved one encounters a mental health issue can be exhausting: a chemical imbalance in the brain, a childhood trauma, an accident, exposure to toxins, brain defect and/or tumor, genetic factors, seasonal changes, history of family origin, violence, stress, family abuse and poverty….Most often not one symptom is the cause but a combination of these. And now the “emotional addiction” of FOMO (fear of missing out) that the blue light world of digital devices feeds is creating a new set of problems. According to Harvard Health Publishing, it has a dark side. “Although environmentally friendly, blue light can affect your sleep and potentially cause disease. It affects an individual’s circadian rhythm and melatonin levels.”

Staying up late, especially while looking at a blue light screen disrupts your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle and can lead to various negative effects on your mind and body. These effects include difficulty focusing, mood swings, and increased risk of chronic diseases.

There are Feng Shui cures that take the blues away and they are real options to stopping the cycle. From a Feng Shui standpoint awareness is key to creating lasting change. A simple move can alter your or your loved one’s reality. Relief from mental anguish can be immediate; begin by arranging your bedroom.

• Place your bed in command (you can see the bedroom door but not sleep in line of the bedroom door). Sleeping out of command causes melancholy (doubling the impact of decreased motivation) neurological disorders, migraines, anxiety and irritability. Equally lack of focus causes loss of opportunity in one’s waking life which can lead to depression that intensifies FOMO.

• Adjust poison arrows “sha Ch’i” (where two walls meet to form a corner) coming at you either as you enter or while you sleep. For a “knife edge” aka “poison arrow” will send your mind into a spin of self criticism and recrimination or believing someone else is criticizing you. A 50 mm faceted crystal strung from a red cord hung in front of the knife edge or a string of faux pearls softens the edge. Adding visualization and intention will have 120% affect on the effectiveness of the adjustment.

• Correct a master bedroom that rests on the knife edge of a cleaver-shaped house. Think of a razor’s edge however this is a blade on the edge of a home. A steely edge implies not knowing what might happen next, the feeling of insecurity becomes compounded and overtime there can be a mental breakdown.

• Eliminate high electric and magnetic fields. Your TV, smart phone, radio, computers all emit electromagnetic pollution. EMFs can increase stress and irritability. Clear these by removing them from the bedroom.

• Alter the effects of a contrary door (a door that opens to a wall instead of the main part of the bedroom). The one who sleeps in this room is laboring and not enjoying the results of their work. They may feel exhausted and disappointed most of the time. A bell on the door OR a mirror on the blocking wall will expand the senses settling the mind and body into a state of calm

• Rethink making a bedroom in the basement. Windows that begin at a level with which it’s impossible to see out create feelings of limitation and loss of personal power. Many modern prisons and schools are designed with this feature. Often parents will create a bedroom for their teenage child in the basement. However sleeping in a basement signifies in the Chinese metaphor “to have someone walking on your grave.” Sleeping below ground compounds the effect on their self-esteem.

• Start a new habit with Feng Shui cures that take the blues away. Focus on the positive impact this will have and that it will help you create a new life story. Cultivate a new bedtime routine. Begin with turning off devices three hours before bedtime. Take a warm bath with orange peels to balance your Ch’i. For some, journaling releases stress and over active thinking that result from interactions during the day. Slow, deep breaths can help calm your nervous system and promote relaxation. Meditate to replenish your mind. Imagine a peaceful scene to clear your thoughts to help you drift off into sleep. Express gratitude for the day and the gifts you received no matter how small. Being conscious of creating a new pattern and shifting old beliefs into new behaviors will create a comforting tranquil state of mind, a mind that is open to receive the rewards that are readily available.

Do you want to enhance what is already a good relationship with your home, family, your job or partner? I would be happy to help you with your place. I am available for a full consultation service as well as the Feng Shui A La Carte. I look forward to talking to you soon! 503-232-2543 or bette@shenmenfengshui.com.

Light Your Fire With Feng Shui

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“Life is a pure flame and we live by an invisible sun within us.”Thomas Browne

Search the internet and you will see hundreds of Feng Shui articles on wealth, abundance, family dynamics, partnership goals and health, but a lesser in-demand reader topic is how your home can light your fire and bring your unique gifts, talents and skills to your friends, neighbors, community and the world.

I am speaking about your reputation. It’s an important aspect of both your professional and personal relationships. A good reputation leads to numerous benefits: it can forge trust and credibility, attract opportunities and enhance social standing. A positive reputation makes it easier to build your relationships, gain access to resources, command a better salary and influence others. If you are reading this, it’s your sign that you are favored to light your fire and manifest your dream career, step into a leadership role in your community, develop a successful side hustle and/or improve your customer loyalty. The Feng Shui Bagua can help you “you get the word out without saying a word”. So where do you begin?

In the middle back sector of your home. The Fame and Reputation gua, also known as “Li”, is located there. Li is nestled between the Wealth gua (Hsun) to its right when facing the door and Partnership (Kun) to its left when facing the door. Associated with brightness, nurturance and the ability to discern and differentiate, Li epitomizes nurturing yourself and others through interdependency. In the Book of Changes Li is  “Clinging Fire”. One of the attributes of Fire is that it clings to whatever it is burning – a natural condition that also applies to your reputation in your community. Chinese summer (May 5) makes this an auspicious season to ride this Fire energy. It will ignite your good name and expand your good fortune. Should you accept this mission your next move could send sparks into your community, illuminating your career path and expanding your joy.


Get Recognized. Light you fire with red for it is the color of Fire. Red is an energy source, a stimulator and a way of expelling bad Ch’i. If your reputation has been maligned, if you want to enhance your reputation, step into a new role or extend your reach beyond the city in which you work, paint a red wall in the Fame gua and set your intention accordingly.

Enhance Your Renown. The Three Harmony Adjustment is based upon the Chinese Zodiac and the auspicious relationships of the 12 zodiac animals. Enhance your renown by locating the Fame gua, the Knowledge gua and Helpful People gua in your home. This becomes a Three Harmony of Fire. As long as these areas are fully intact, place the same shape of mirror (for example a round mirror) on the wall in each gua. Visualize the mirror is creating an auspicious extension beyond the walls of your home. These protrusions will enhance your good standing, creating trust within your sphere of influence and beyond.

Restore Your Reputation. A bathroom in Fame will dampen the Fire element and deplete the gua. The heart may become weakened. We need the warmth of Fire to speak from our heart, to soften cold words, comfort grief from within or succor a loved one. We may also experience damage to our reputation, status and honor. Mount a full length mirror on the outside of the bathroom door and visualize it assumes the image of whatever is in front of it. See the bathroom disappear and your reputation restored.

Claim Your Fame. Adjust Fame in three places. 1) In the backyard place a topiary that is triangular or plant a tall columnar or oval tree which are auspicious in the Fame gua. They will add visibility. 2) In the house add a light in the Li gua to light up your stature or hang an image of a Phoenix which represents Fire. 3) Place the Five Buddha Firecrackers (yunlintemple.org) in the Fame area between the mattress and box spring of your bed to impel your name.

Activate Your Standing. Make sure to check in at your office and sit in your office chair. Avoid bad luck by activating both Career and Helpful People. You might add a water feature in Career for it represents Water. This can either be in your front yard, house or home office. In Helpful People hang the image of a Dragon or Horses (eight is an auspicious number)or an Elephant. Or you may hang an image of a fruit tree that comes into full glory in the season of Heave which is late autumn. You can then engage your mind and heart to create a powerful adjustment with deep roots.

Want to enhance what is already a good relationship with your home, family, your job or partner? I would be happy to help you with your place. My signature offerings are, Your House Is Talking, full consultation or take a smaller bite with Feng Shui A La Carte. I look forward to talking to you soon! 503-232-2543 or bette@shenmenfengshui.com

.photo credit: Andre Furtado, UnSplash

The Goodness of Green

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“Green is the prime color of the world and that from which its loveliness arises.”
– Pedro Calderón de la Barca
When someone inspires me, it’s a call to action. When a color inspires me it changes my life. I recall a sweet conversation with a darling stranger who shared, “Color is my medicine.” Selecting her attire was a conscious ritual that expressed her quirky personality yet protected her from a world that could often be unkind. Her words struck a chord with me: the colors we adorn our bodies and homes with are profound and meaningful. They affirm our sense of beauty and peace of mind, more so than choosing current color trends.

This brief conversation was especially timely and I could see it mirrored in my March walks along the Ridge. The landscape has been filled with an explosion of luscious greens – emerald, olive, pea, lime, pine and verdigris. Grasses, plants and trees are happily rioting in the warm, spring sun. Nature has indeed replenished the earth. This joy led me to ask, “what is the goodness of green” and “how do we use its goodness in Feng Shui?”

The goodness of green is that it refreshes the body and spirit. It is associated with springtime, a fresh start, vitality and hope. It is a common color in nature – grass, trees and vegetation reflect this color and can help you to feel grounded, creative and calm. Green is easy on the eyes and you can look at it for a long time and not experience eye strain. It lays its verdant, healing vibration upon our spirits in a manner that equalizes, relaxes and balances painful processes.

Will you be turning your attention to a remodel or refresh your house in the coming months? What about painting your bedroom? If you are dealing with depression, the goodness of apple green is that it supports new beginnings. It’s an invitation to take a different path; it inspires hope and encourages possibilities for a better future. Add this secret for the best results: visualize in detail your venture into the unknown while the vitality of green strengthens your resolve to follow through.

Does this economy have you worrying a lot and you can’t seem to shake the feeling? Cheek your front door. Open it, what do you see? Are there dead or unhealthy plants within view? Remove them and your worries may dissolve. Replace the old with new greenery (both inside and outside the door). The goodness of green is your decision making will improve, your next step will be clear and you will feel confident in moving forward.

Did you daydream when you were a child? Do you still want to step out of your body so you don’t have to dealt with adult matters? The goodness of green is that it can influence your inner state and give you hope that a fresh start is around the corner. Wearing the color green is grounding like a tall tree that draws the vital essence of the earth up through its roots into its branches and leaves. Its essence infuses your spirit with a sense of aliveness, abundance and focused energy.

Plants are all too happy to share their abundant life force. They thrive in groups. The goodness of green in the bedroom is they revitalize your Ch’i. If you place nine (representing longevity, completion and peak accomplishment) green plants in the master bedroom, this BTSB Feng Shui adjustment will lend ardor in your intimate moments with your beloved.

Green orchids bring extra blessings and luck to friends and family. Sending them is a powerful good deed as they are a symbol of good fortune, good health and longevity. The Japanese culture employs the goodness of green by displaying a green orchid in the home or office. It is believed to bring good fortune into one’s life and career.

Bamboo has a long and humble connection to the Chinese culture. 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) which allows it to bow in the wind. The goodness of this green tree is that it provides peace and can drive away negative influences so it will protect you. If you wish to have money and work peacefully for it, hang a bamboo drape in the Wealth/Hsun gua (far left back corner) of your home.

Do you want to enhance what is already a good relationship with your home, family, your job or partner? I would be happy to help you with your place. I am available my signature offering, Your House Is Talking, full consultation service as well as the Feng Shui A La Carte. I look forward to talking to you soon! 503-232-2543 or bette@shenmenfengshui.com.

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.