Tag Archives: command position

Stepping Back To Feng Shui Basics

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“Your Feng Shui consultation has been life transformative. I feel a deeper connection with place, space and nature than I ever have before. It’s helped me make decisions – from picking a color, deciding on placement, what to prioritize. And it’s helped me build a relationship with my space. I’ve treated this place like a rental for close to a decade, and I am just now realizing that when I make home improvements, I am also improving myself.”

That person in you who dreams I am talking to you. I want to help you unpack your future as I helped this client. I want to help you shape a relationship with your home that supports the outcomes you desire. I want to help you design your space with beautiful color, amazing decor and transcendental adjustments to balance those pesky angles, out of command stoves and ill-placed doors, where your home will feel unified, whole and balanced.

I’ve discovered the easiest way to begin is to step back to basics so you can unlock the energy in your home’s key features and step into the future that you designed. Let’s start living creatively. 

We can find answers to our worries at the front door. The front door, symbolic of the head, affects how you think and act + what you accomplish. If you have dead or unhealthy plants at the front door, replace them with new and vital ones. Your decision making will improve, your mind will be clear and you can move forward with confidence. The front door also represents your career, your future, your reputation, your head, helpful people and your health. The condition of the door and lighting at the door are important for focus. 
• If you need more clarity a brighter light bulb at the entrance will help your head and help you get clear. 
• If you can’t use the front door very often or don’t use it at all or come through the garage it can cause a sense of suffocation in the house. You will lack of all kinds of Ch’i, health Ch’i and wealth Ch’i included. You want to use it now and then. If you do not use your front door it creates a sense you have no place to go nor will you have a sense of yourself. Use your front door at least once a month, a least open it either once or nine times a month. 
• Hidden front doors steal your voice from the world. Where as a Contrary door (opens to a wall) may block the progress of the entire family. Hang a mirror on the wall to expand the space or a chime to sound when you open the door. 
• A split at the front door can adversely all areas of the home. The brain is stimulated unevenly. Left and right sides begin to lack coordination. You may think more and act less, or the opposite might be true, you may act more and think less. Either way, this imbalance creates illness along the midline, confusion, and an inability to make decisions; any one of which could hurt a healthy family dynamic. Correct the split by drawing the attention of both eyes simultaneously to an object such as a mirror, the Ten Emperor Coins, or a beautiful picture.
• A front entry stairway will leak Ch’i from the house. This feature depletes the body’s midline. Heart disease is a common affliction. Hang a mirror, facing the door, at the top of the stairway to lift the energy up the stairs. 

Look to your desk, bed and stove for motivation and feeling empowered. If you cannot see what is behind you; or the placement of the desk, bed and stove line up along the door wall or you are in direct line of the door, you are out of command (if you don’t know if yours is out of command, send me an email). Your brain and body do not feel safe in these placements. The amygdala, which is in the limbic brain (fight or flight assessment) processes strong emotions such as fear. Your brain dials into survival mode and all your internal resources are directed at defending an unknown threat. It’s not a time to create (your future). From the BSTB Feng Shui standpoint your body responds in the following manner
• Headaches result including migraines
• Restless sleep, insomnia is covered in this
• Failure to regulate emotions such as anger
• Elevates mood swings
• Depletes the body’s Ch’i and you may develop illness along the midline
• Prone to accidents and injury
• Launches neurological disorders
• Obscures the ability see both opportunity and trouble coming
Move the desk and bed so you can see the door but not be in line of the door. Best to face your desk out in the direction of the door. Move the first two as long as they do not back up to a stove or a toilet. 
• If the desk cannot be moved, place a large mirror on the wall in front of you. 
• A large mirror may turn your life around 180 degrees. Add that visualization and intention to strengthen the adjustment. 
• Adjust a stove out of command by placing a mirror that is the width of the stove and the height to where it doesn’t cut off the head of the tallest person in the household. If there is a microwave consider moving it. The energetic weight it places upon the burners depresses the income of the entire household.

Discover where the placement of your bathroom may have you feeling drained. In the Feng Shui metaphor the bathroom represents a correlation between our expenses and our internal plumbing. In turn its placement will affect the fortune, health and wealth of everyone living in the household. If it is directly over a “gua” it depletes the potential of that gua. Same if it is in an extension, it will deplete or negate all good fortune of the extension. The worst places for the bathroom are the center of the house. Here is depletes all eight guas, draining all of life’s resources. Poor health will affect every occupant year after year, generation after generation. Wealth, Helpful People and Children are the other unfavorable places in the home. However when a bathroom is on top of any of the eight guas as you look at your floor plan, it will deplete that gua. 
The list is longer than there is room to share but here are a few examples of other dissipating details that are common. 
• Bathrooms that face each other can create an massive drain on family finances. Hang a mirror on both bathroom walls or hang a 40 mm crystal hung on a red cord between the two bathrooms.
• Bathrooms that are too small will affect everyone in the households’ digestion. Expand the space with mirrors or paint the bathroom a lighter color like gray.
• When a toilet and bed back up to each other (the wall is in between) health and financial problems will suffer. Illness could be develop in the head. For example a brain tumor. If you are a student, it is difficult to study because the brain is affected.
• Your money can be flushed away. To adjust, move the bed away from the wall. Or mirror the wall behind the bed from floor to top of the headboard. The mirror should face the bed. The width of the mirror should be the same width of the headboard. The reason you put a mirror there is you have in a sense two beds. Your bed and the reflection of the bed takes over the reflection of the toilet
that is behind it. Or place a convex mirror behind the headboard. The size will depend on the size of the bed. The convex mirror must take in the entire headboard.
• Master bedroom with a bathroom that has no door can pull two partners apart. The circumstance that causes the separation may be a disaster. This disaster could be one that one of the partners may go away, be lost, or even die.
Either (not all)
– Put in a door to separate the two rooms.
– Hang a 40mm crystal in the middle of the empty door frame.
– Hang a bamboo curtain in the empty door to separate the two rooms. This is a very desirable cure for bamboo symbolizes peace, safety and can ward off evil forces.

Allow me to help you arrange your home where you feel fully supported. I am available for a full consultation service or for an hour telephone conversation. Details are at this link Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

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

Take Command Of Your Sleep, Start With Feng Shui Design

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“By helping us keep the world in perspective, sleep gives us a chance to refocus on the essence of who we are. And in that place of connection, it is easier for the fears and concerns of the world to drop away.”
– Arianna Huffington, The Sleep Revolution

In July I shared with you I will be part of an anthology, Recipes For Living Coloring Journal. It’s no surprise my chapter is devoted to how Feng Shui bedroom design helps you sleep better. I truly believe the bedroom is the most important room in the house. So when I read Arianna Huffington’s account of her “wake up call” in The Sleep Revolution, I knew that the benefits of Feng Shui design need to spread throughout the world.

“We are in a sleep deprivation crisis,” writes Ms. Huffington. “I experienced firsthand the high price we’re paying for cheating sleep when I collapsed from exhaustion.” She goes on to say, “If we look at our lives as a spiritual journey, sleep becomes a key paradox: when we completely identify with our persona in this world–with our job, our appearance, our bank account–we are asleep to life’s deeper dimensions….We are living in a golden age of sleep science–revealing all the ways in which sleep and dreams play a vital role in our decision making, emotional intelligence, cognitive function and creativity. And how lack of sleep is often the culprit behind anxiety, stress, depression and a myriad of health problems.” (Harmony Books, The Sleep Revolution)

Consulting with my clients I have discovered a similar loop. Usually it takes the form of an underlying anxiety that monitors their decision making where their choices are based on a stress response. For nearly everyone of them this stems from an exhaustive bedroom design.

Sleep not only helps you work efficiently but be a productive part of society. Yet productivity is but one piece of the well-being matrix. Living fully and consciously means tapping into your creativity, your rich well of emotions and you soul’s purpose.

Of all the Feng Shui design advice I give on the bedroom, I have found “placing the bed in command position” carries the most weight in addressing productivity (yang) and creativity (yin) of our everyday lives. And for those who constantly deal with anxiety, worry and depression, it is a gift for the soul. Bed placement creates a palpable shift in your emotions and I have seen a positive attitude change as a result. Choices come from confidence rather than the seat of the pants. Clarity eliminates self-sabotaging behavior that cycles into stress. Inspiration flows freely as the brain functions at its optimal capacity rather than run on auto-pilot.

If you’ve had doubts why changing your bed position is a good idea, I’ve included a short list. You may be surprised how it influences your health and peace of mind.

  • Heart troubles. Where your bed is positioned can place stress on your emotional heart. Prolonged stress can develop into physical heart troubles including a murmur and arrhythmia.
  • Illness along the midline. Your major organs from your brain to your kidneys can be affected.
  • Insomnia and restless sleep. Our brain is responsible for our survival. It we’re too close to an entrance, either facing it, to the side of it or behind it, this placement triggers the amygdala (the fight-or-flight mechanism). Our brain never shuts off and this weakens the immune system which depends on releasing toxins and building tissue in sleep.
  • Missed opportunity. If you sleep in line of the door your body never lets down at night to rejuvenate. During the day you may be preoccupied with a low grade headache which will invariably eclipse a chance meeting or being considered for promotion.
  • Mood swings. If your bed is on the door wall, you cannot see who is coming, you may feel a sense of danger and you may be blind-sided.

Command position is based on H.H. ”Professor” Lin’s Theory of Relative Positioning which states, the energy that is closest to you affects you the most. Think of the gunslinger in the old westerns. He always had his back to the wall and his eye on the saloon doors. Never too close and not in line of those swinging doors.

  • Your bedroom door determines command position.
  • The door should be within eyeshot of the bed.
  • The bed placement should allow the widest scope of vision of the door.
  • The best placement when feasible is the farther wall from the bedroom door.

As you lay in bed tonight take a moment and observe your surroundings. What do you see? What do you feel? Self awareness is key to getting a good night’s sleep.

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.

For Back-To-School Success, Begin With Your Child’s Bedroom Design.

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The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. 
–Sydney Harris

You want what is best for your child. Your child dreams of being happy. Let your child’s genius out with good Feng Shui design. It helps them gain a positive outlook, develop a curious intellect and build self-confidence. By nurturing these beneficial habits of character you fulfill both your dream and theirs. In truth, Feng Shui is fundamental, insomuch that it creates a favorable environment for your child to go back-to-school feeling focused, cheerful and enthusiastic.

Where to begin.
Your child’s bedroom is their personal realm to sleep, study, play, entertain their friends and discover who they are. Because they spend a good portion of their time here, creating a meaningful and personal arrangement will help them access their talents and enjoy a positive school year experience. 

What to arrange.
Placement of your child’s bed influences their ability to wake up clear headed and start on the right foot. “Command position” places the bed in the opposite diagonal corner to the bedroom door with the door in clear sight. This key concept allows for an overall view of the space and gives your son or daughter a sense of control. This arrangement nurtures relaxation and feeling safe and protected.

Quite often overlooked but very important is the space under the bed. Ch’i needs to circulate. A bed on the ground conducts yin Ch’i and the potential for unexplained illness to occur.

If you have a designated area for your child’s study time and their desk faces a wall, their back is to the door. This shifts their attention to what is going on behind rather than on the homework in front of them. The distraction can be remedied by placing a clear, one piece, framed mirror on the wall in front of their desk. It will give them a sense of focus. This mirror placement also expands the space and reflects back self assurance. Oh and be sure when the light goes out for bed the computer is covered.

Why keep the space in front of the bed clear?
The space in front of your child’s bed represents their future and should be deep. Remove tall footboards, chests, chairs or couch. This establishes, at an early age, trust that the future is bright and promising. Keep this area clear as much as possible.

Which colors work best.
If you want your child to feel calm yet energized, light blues and greens and are soothing, restful colors. Green specifically stimulates growth, health and focus. Your child can look at green for a long time and not get eye strain. Blue emits a sense of well-being. It cools down energy. If your child is unable to settled down before going to bed or they are prone to feeling frustrated or angry, paint the walls soft blue or add accents in their room. Earth tones too help your child’s emotions come to rest if they experience mood swings. 

How to encourage a positive outlook.
Electronics are an inevitable part of modern living but they can be minimized and they should be because long exposure to a young, developing brain can affect a good night’s sleep and create mental stress plus nerve damage that leads to more serious consequences. A distance of four feet reduces the effect of harmful EMF energy (electromagnetic field). If you want to be completely electronic free you can purchase a kill switch that turns off all electronic devices. 

Assign a space for child’s achievements by hanging up their awards and certificates where they are easily visible and can be enjoyed. Admire their artwork with them. Place a poster board where it will be seen upon entering the room for your child to pin their artwork, display their cherished posters and photos with friends from favorite events.

Poison arrows are corners and angles that point at your child when they enter the room, study at their desk or sleep in bed. They are stress producers. They can bring up feelings of being criticized. A faceted crystal will soften a sharp corner. Should the corner of their desk be directed at your son’s or daughter’s head while he is sleeping, you can place a scarf on it or a trailing plant. A philodendron is a good solution. In addition to modifying the effect, you teach your child responsibility in plant care with regular waterings and feeding.

When you change your child’s bedroom design.
You’ll receive A+ for your efforts when you see the look of radiance and enthusiasm in your child’s eyes when they excitedly tell you, “I want to go back and learn more.” Ring the bell! A genius sprouted, a dream come true.

If vitality, beauty and balance is what you seek, check out Feng Shui A La Carte.

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

 

When Home Improvement Becomes Soul Improvement.

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“We hammer wood for a house but it is the inner space that makes it livable.” –Tao Te Ching

Can you fix the unfixable? Beyond the 9 to 5, beyond the soaring career climb, beyond the A lists and A’s on English tests, beyond the cancer scare, beyond is where your heart dares to find happiness. Has it become increasingly difficult to feel your feet upon the ground? What influences you in your surround? Are the things that vie for your attention–forgotten birthday wishes, a sink full of dirty dishes, rushing after work to your child’s soccer game, text messages left unanswered–keep you tethered to a frenzy when really you would rather follow your whimsy? Time to seek another way; it only gets better with Feng Shui.

Your story is in the details.
“My partner and I feel more in sync; we work better together.” “(I) rediscovered stability, confidence and joy in my environment and in my life.” “I’m finally feeling like everything is on track with us! I am a true believer in Feng Shui from all the good things that have happened in my life.” Each one of these individuals came to me in despair. They could not fathom how to fix what they thought was unfixable. Little did they know it was right in the (design) details of their home. It was beyond their comprehension that by changing a design feature they would experience a miraculous change too. Hearing about the “unseen”, learning how architectural features affected their thought processes, influenced their emotions, impacted their physical health, helped them connect to the truth and influence of Ch’i and feel their own life force mirror it inside. Even if they didn’t comprehend how a cure could possibly work, they embraced why to implement the home improvement cures, why to perform the ceremonies, why to say the intentions, why to imagine the visualizations. What they understood was these were lifelines to their well being, these ritual processes were a celebration for their soul.

What my clients learned. Implementing the transcendental concept of the Yin and Yang is the only way real change takes root in our lives. If you are missing your soul connection, start with the Yin, known as the “unseen”. It exists in every situation and its influence is powerful. H.H.“Professor” Lin Yun in his ever present wisdom would share: “we may not see a tornado developing (yin), but we do see the destruction (yang). We may see political demonstrations, murder or hijackings (yang), but we don’t see the underlying intrigue of a political coup (yin). We can see a wind chime or crystal (yang), but we cannot see the Three Secrets (yin). We may see someone fired (yang), but we must also see that his or her firing can affect the next “owner” of the job (yin).” (courtesy Katherine Metz). Now that you know its effect, isn’t time to tune in and turn things right side up?

Your house is talking. Are you pulling your hair out with home improvement projects (a split stairway at the entrance will cause all life situations to spin out of control)? Have you scheduled an unexpected surgery (seeing the stove from a door that leads to the outside)? Are you arguing with your partner (many doors opening into a small space?). Do you wake up tired (contrary door)? Or angry (biting doors)? Your house is talking. Start with your bed, desk and stove, place them in command position. Read my March Blog, “Do You Feel Secure In Your Home?” then tour your home for the remaining details and make corrections. Remember this life is all you have.

Keep calm and carry on. You can do one thing that will make a difference. If you want more vitality, more love, more abundance, create peace in your household, even peace on the streets, implement one of the three color systems: the Five Element System, the six true words color system or the rainbow color system. Or use the color, green, because it is a peaceful color.

Here is a link to Floor Plans Matter, examples of common design details and how they affect occupants’ Ch’i. Perhaps you will recognize your home in one of this.  

Have a brilliant and beautiful October!

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.