2020: Your Soul In Focus

“Sometimes life is about risking everything for a dream that no one can see but you.”
– Enrique Iglesias

2020 is the year of conscious living. What this means is there will be a pronounced shift from operating via our intellect to living from our heart. We can take real advantage of this incoming energy when we marry our soul desires with our purpose. This alignment is the kind that incites our joy which creates good timing, prosperity and abundant opportunities. If you want to realize your dream for 2020, here’s your opening to envision “your future you”.

Beginning is not so difficult when you understand that physical reality is not fixed but malleable and can be manipulated for positive change. Now through the end of the year is a perfect incubation period for imagining, setting intention and seeing all the details. Explore the dynamic, prosperous person you are, first in the subtle realm, by writing out your day to day activities. See all the elements of the work you’ll be doing. Imagine what your good health looks like. Envision the high value relationships you will attract and muse over the opportunities you want to see happen. Invest in this daily and you will create a solid foundation for your future you.

Master this shift with four areas of the Bagua that enhance personal development. Blend Feng Shui design with self discovery and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the alchemy. Isn’t it time to go for what you want?

Knowledge/Self Cultivation
Self awareness is the foundation to understanding your potential. The Knowledge area, Gen, of your home (front left corner of the house) is referred to as the Mountain. It is the time to strategically withdraw and muse over your experiences. Hiking up a mountain trail and resting at the summit is a form of contemplation. The fresh mountain air stimulates deep breath and this activates the brain, opening the channels for your intuition to directly access your cognitive functions. Which means your decision making is direct, fluid and connected to your desires. Literally this may be achieved with spiritual breath work like the Nine Step Breathing. In Feng Shui design, place an intentional object in this area. It can be a wall hanging of a mountain you love; or paint the room or a single wall the color of this gua (blue, teal, turquoise); or hang a clear, faceted crystal for clarity. With proper visualization, anyone of these adjustments will encourage mental reflection and remind you to perform daily meditation. The gateway to your success is your intuition and meditating helps you connect to the world through it with a calm mind. Dedicate time to ponder your behavior, your choices and your experiences. You will be in sync with your goals and confident to release beliefs and behaviors that will not serve you in 2020.

Helpful People/Travel
Heaven is the complement of Earth, the Yang of the Yin. The duality of Yang and Yin creates balance. You can bless your endeavors with the help of Heaven. You can manifest your intentions with the ease of Helpful People. Chien is in the front right corner of the house. This area symbolizes the head. If you are experiencing fuzzy thinking, distraction, confusion, obfuscation and you really want a shift to occur, place an image of a person who is helpful. It may be a public figure you admire, a mentor who has helped you or a deity whom has assisted you in times of need. Set the intention to amplify a ‘clear head’ and laser focus. Also pay attention to a streak of bad luck with contractors, vendors or service people. If it’s taking longer for the work to be completed or materials are misplaced or stolen, this drama consumes your valuable time where you could be doing something else. This is another opportunity to place a cure in this area. But remember do not place two.

Fame/Reputation
In the central back area of the house is the Fame gua. Its Chinese name Li means ‘clinging’ but it also signifies ‘brightness’. The sun and the moon cling to the heavens brightening the world. Grass and trees cling to the earth prospering the world. The I-Ching (from which the Bagua derives) describes the intention of Fame/Li in the following. “It is advantageous to persist to clinging to the right object; then what is intended can progress smoothly. When clinging to the right object, one must act with tenderness. i.e. remain steady with it and nourish tenderness….(iching123.com).” In the Bagua metaphor the eyes symbolize (the light that shines through them) Fame. If you are stymied by inaction, if you are ruminating and cannot access what your heart is telling you, if you are searching but your eyes cannot perceive what you truly desire, place an adjustment here to carry out your aspirations for 2020. The color is red and the triangle shape represents Fire. Remember this is the area where your reputation shines onto your community.

The Center
As you prepare for a transition in your life, call upon the Center of your home to provide support. It is the center of your Universe. It is your domain, your place to collect yourself, poise your thoughts and absorb life events and to pull it all together. In the transcendental sense it is mental, emotional spiritual and physical health. When you are experiencing a shift or growth, life may feel unstable. Create firmness here. Add yellow (orange or brown work too) if you need to feel safe and trust your ideas. When the fruit of our labor have been harvested we are ready to push on. Place an adjustment in the center for a harmonious conversion to the next stage. With change disarray may suddenly appear. Go to the Center, pause and let Earth support you as you move through the life lesson. Because the four sides are equal and it lends soundness, the shape is the square.

We all carry the initiative to awaken our heart and identify our purpose which lifts everyone on this planet. My hope is you find this time insightful, fertile and rewarding for however you choose to fulfill your potential.

Want to get started right on designing your future you? A well designed space allows you to access positive energy at all times. Call me, 503-232-2543 and I will help you arrange your home where you feel fully supported. I am available for a full consultation https://shenmenfengshui.com/services/consulting/ or for an hour telephone conversation, Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

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

Year of the Earth Dog. Unleash Joy. Master Success.

“You are all that you need to be inspired and living on purpose and the things that continue to flow into your life are just symbols of the unlimited abundance of your source.”
Dr. Wayne Dyer

You’re in for stability after all the speed from the last two years Fire energy. Doesn’t that feel great? Plus the Earth Dog year has the potential to bring lasting, positive change. Loyalty, fairness, justice and surpassing unbeatable odds will illuminate your journey. Together we mutually prosper when we to tap into our altruistic nature and help the greater good. Harmony will underly our endeavors. Life will feel on purpose. We will unleash our joy and master success. No longer will inequality be tolerated. Dog’s sense of fairness, empathy and kindness will weigh in on prejudice, bigotry and mistreatment of all beings. 

What can you look forward to? Relations will be your greatest asset. Developing strong family ties; loving friendships; community with like minded people; minimizing stress and maximizing comfort in your homes–these will support lasting harmony, good spirits and fulfillment.

What does Chinese Astrology have to say about the year? Here is a snapshot. Yang Earth sits on top of Dog (also Earth). These two elements are capable of great support to each other however we feel weighed down by the sheer density of the mountain when these two meet. Instead of an undulating surface that reminds us to be soft and nurturing there are stand offs and refusals to surrender. With the absence of Fire, our enthusiasm wanes in the face of challenges. Flexibility fails us when we need to bend with the wind. What we require is modulation in order to succeed.

Motivational guru, Tony Robbins’ “harmonic wealth” just may be the modulation to unleash Dog’s natural joy. It may add the confidence to handle the spectrum of events that inevitably will come your way. In Tony’s words, “Wealth is not just money it embodies five key factors: financial wealth, relational wealth, intellectual wealth, physical wealth and spiritual wealth.” Balance these five areas and you build wholeness and well-being.

Harmonic wealth gives you the stability of Earth without its stuckness. With stability worry dissipates, the heart becomes calm and the channel between the heart and brain expands. The brain will mobilize then magnetize the people, resources and events to manifest your intention and actualize what you came here to do–share your gifts. To help you set The Year of the Earth Dog in motion, I have chosen corresponding Feng Shui rituals that I believe will call forth the joy and success that is rightfully yours.

Financial
If you want money and you want to work peacefully for it, hang a bamboo drape some place in the Wealth gua in your home. One of the attributes of bamboo is to provide safety. If you travel often because of work you can hang a bamboo curtain in the Helpful People corner to keep you safe. If you wish to avoid legal problems that create afflictions for your family or if your family has been pulled apart by arguing because of money, hang a bamboo drape in the Family Gua.

Relational
If and your partner are deadlocked in your opinions, place a wind chime in the bedroom. It can help get the “sounds” of conflict and disharmony out of your system. Professor Lin shared a story about a husband and wife having outrageous fights. One day there was silence. The atmosphere was electric but no words were spoken. The next day the wife sent her husband a letter suing him for divorce. They consulted with Professor, he gave them this cure, the couple began to communicate again and did not divorce.

Intellectual
There is a lot in this world that is beyond our perception. When we take measures to develop our sensory organs we develop better perception. It helps us to see the yin side of life. We are better able to predict future events. We learn to look in a profound way. Practice the Astral Body Meditation and it will help you enhance your ability to make accurate predictions and to see the yin in the yang and the yang in the yin. (Nine red envelopes requested)

Physical
Strengthen your immune system by changing your furniture three times over a 99 day period. Or rearrange your furnishings every 27 days for three consecutive times (total of 81 days). It wakes up the Ch’i and removes stale or blocked energy.

Spiritual/Transcendental
If you find yourself in an escalating situation, calm your mind by chanting the Calming Heart Mantra: Gate, Gate, Paragate, Para Sum Gate, Bodhi Swaha nine or 27 times. You will come up with solutions not available to you before.

Get your leafy greens in The Year of the Earth Dog. Cultivate plants in your home. The vitality of the Wood breaks up Earth whereby generating movement and growth. The flip side Earth feeds Wood, so incorporating Wood by adding the color green in your home is essential in this Dog year. The second lucky color is black. Entertain the notion of wearing black or adding water to your environment to balance the surplus of Earth. Water feeds Wood, you are adding another layer to offset the surplus of Earth.

Take measures to watch your diet and digestion this year. The stomach/spleen are the paired organs related to Earth. Encumbered digestion engenders the urge for sugar and starch. You may vacillate between the urge to fill up and the discomfort of being too full. Avoid feast or famine cycles that speed stagnation and deprive you of diminished metabolic efficiency. Long lasting nourishment comes from complex carbohydrates, vegetables and proteins.

Carry a three dimensional Rabbit charm with you. It can be jade, boxwood or bone. Do not purchase a red resin Rabbit, it is a cooked rabbit. The Rabbit is the secret friend of the Dog. From Khadro Crystal Chu of the Black Sect Esoteric Feng Shui, ‘Chinese folk culture believes that when Rabbit and Dog meet, it will bring forth wealth and nobility.” 

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.

Say Yes! To Abundance And Change

“There is only “yes” in the Universe!”
Abraham Hicks

Let’s start the new year with a big Yes! Big dreams manifest when you play with the design in your home! Design that nurtures, comforts, moves, attracts and manifests abundance. Feng Shui, is the game-changer and when we decorate our homes with beautiful decor, life force and lots of love (for love is Ch’i), prosperity flows right into our front door.

Are you ready for change? The Year of the Yang Earth Dog (why Chinese new year is celebrated ) begins February 16, 2018. Rumors promise it will be a year of harmony yet a mountain is a mighty big force to move. Eminent astrologers are predicting we can expect standoffs too. Maybe your parents, your spouse or your children will take on the stress. The month before the lunar calendar shift is a perfect time to prepare for the change. My method: measuring tape, deep breaths, chant a few mantras, then decorate for success. I want you to accomplish anything you set your mind to do, so I’ve included eight life designs I believe will inspire you to create abundance and manifest your dreams in 2018.

Function At Your Highest Potential Beginning the year in a mood swing only blocks our higher instincts. But we can eliminate self doubt, anger and fear with a qigong practice. Similar to an acupuncture treatment tapping opens the meridians in the brain and dissipates excess energy. The clarity helps us to get an objective distance on the internal conflict.
Tapping the Head.
If you have trouble sleeping this practice can restore energy, enthusiasm and reverse the downward spiral of pessimism. Also if you have a problem to solve the answer may appear spontaneously.
• Use the ends of the fingers of both hands, tap simultaneously on the the head at least 108 times.
• You may repeat this cycle two more times for a total of three times or 324 taps.
• Perform this exercise every morning, noon and evening.
• Repeat for 27 days.

Open New Doors Literally! If you never use your front door (only entering through the garage) this can cause a sense of suffocation in the house. It will create lack of Ch’i of all kinds: health ch’i, wealth ch’i, spiritual ch’i… When the front door isn’t used, there is a feeling of no place to go nor a sense of oneself – the Ch’i is stuck. It’s difficult to feel abundance, make money nor ask people for money. Use the front door at least once a month. Or open it nine times a month. Nuance: The front door represents Helpful People. Create a well-defined path with lush greenery, colorful plants and lighting. Add a bright light at the door and for greater emphasis an automatic sound that goes off or a light that comes on upon entering the home. We need for Helpful People have to know where you find us.

Counteract A Financial Downturn December 2017 the east coast of the United States experienced a supersize snow storm creating a supersize void in income. Staying home and playing it safe was important, but making a livelihood is too. This Feng Shui solution can turn our finances to flowing again. Keep in mind the stove is symbolic of our finances. A vent or microwave over our stove oppresses it. Applying green above our stove will lift the energy, creating more opportunities for money to come to us:
• easily
• without pressure
• relieves worry

Spin The Wheel of Fortune If your financial situation has you worried, place an image of a wind mill into Hsun, the Wealth corner, of your property or home. If a three dimensional wind mill is used, make sure the spokes move. The movement will get your luck with finances moving again.

Promises From Heaven If there is an image of the sky represented in a picture in the home, a mirror can be hung in your Wealth corner to capture and move the image to Hsun/Wealth. A clear, bright sky represents heaven. The mirror may allow the kingdom of heaven to penetrate the material world bringing prosperity.

Advise That Keeps The Pocketbook Happy We need Helpful People in our life. We need the right advisers. We need not find someone who will send us down the wrong path. The front right corner of our property is the Helpful People corner. Place something here that has weight like a statue of a deity, a bird bath or a rock from Mt. Tai Shan or a sacred site. Or place inside the home a statue of a green or golden dragon (never place a red dragon for the poor fellow is cooked) or a running horse. These animals represent the power of Heaven (from the I-Ching this area is called Tian/Chien/Chyan which translates as Heaven).

Solve Good Luck Problems Calling on abundance from Heaven and Earth. When there is more than one problem to be solved and we do not have the money to do many cures. Turn the Pre-Heaven Ba-gua (flat mirror is preferable but convex will work) upside down; place Earth (three broken lines) at the top, and Heaven (three solid lines) at the bottom and adhere to the door jam or wall over the front door. Heaven is below and Earth is above. This reversal of positions brings Heaven to Earth. This notion of Paradise derives from Hexagram 11 of the I-Ching.

Meditate To Access Your Inner Guidance There is a place within you that is totally connected with the infinite wisdom of the Universe. It has all the answers to all the questions you will ask. You can learn to trust your guidance when you create a consistent practice of meditation. It will keep you safe. Supreme Yoga Section One. (red envelopes requested)

Do One Good Deed A Day Do it with sincerity and wealth will come quickly. Perform one good deed a day for 27 days. Stop for three days and start again. Perform the cures and ceremonies visualize this is helping our neighbors, the community, the city, the state, the country and the world. Performing good deeds daily will help the cures to work more quickly and draw in abundance.

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.