Tag Archives: Covid-19

Take Your Dreams To Heart

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“One moment can change a day, one day can change a life and one life can change the world.”
– Buddha

You have an amazing heart and for that I have a special blog for you this month because I know it’s been a big job to hold strong, to have faith, to practice your best self when Covid-19 has pulled the rug out from under your plans and your future feels hijacked. You’ve got this and I want you to get more. I want you to know there is a benefit to the reality that is shifting before your eyes. These are fertile times for personal illumination and destiny is calling us to live our dreams through our hearts. 

Recently I have been enjoying a beautiful meditation by Gregg Braden. It opens the heart to the extraordinary feeling of bliss because this is the space from which dreams come true. And I am supplementing this opportunity for expanded intuition and creativity with four Feng Shui adjustments that correct and enhance “Li” the gua related to the heart.

Gregg shares we have 40,000 brain-like cells,  ‘sensory neurites’, concentrated in such a way that they are called the ‘little brain in the heart’. They can learn independently from the neurons in our brain. They can think and remember independently from the neurons in the brain. They communicate separately to us from the neurons in our brain…When we marry the heart and the brain together, when we harmonize the heart and the brain together, this extended neural network makes us different from all other forms of life. This is where our deepest empathy, compassion, intuition comes from. When we harmonize the little brain heart with the big brain in the head we can process information very quickly. Really fast information recall. Here is the reason why: when we access with our heart, using our intuition we don’t go through the logic and the fear, self esteem and all the doubt that we have in our brain which defends with ego resistance nor are we slowed down by our mental functions.

Our heart doesn’t work that way. Affirmations are powerful tools to implement change in our lives at any time. They are especially potent when we are communicating with our subconscious in a language that our subconscious recognizes. When we harmonize our heart and our brain, this is the hot line to our subconscious. Our affirmations of our perfect relationships, our healing, our dreams begins in our bodies. Extraordinary states of deep intuition are available through harmonizing the heart and the brain. There are three steps to creating this harmonious awareness that come from ancient traditions. (This can be performed just as you awake or go to sleep because these are excellent times for intention setting and opening the channel to the subconscious. Enhance the meditation with background music, lighting a candle, burning incense to clear energy, diffusing sandalwood or frankincense essentials oils. – Bette Steflik)

• Simply and gently place either one finger or your hand or your palms or the prayer mudra on the sternum of your heart. Your awareness will always go to the place in your body where you feel the touch, the sensation. Allow your awareness to move there.

• Slow your breathing. Five seconds on the inhale. Five seconds on the exhale. This sends a powerful signal to your body, from your mind to your heart that says I am turning my attention inward. You are telling your body that “I am safe”. That frees your body to let go of the stress hormones and the feelings of stress. When that happens the healing chemistry begins….Now the body is awakening to its powerful immune response and anti-aging hormones. Breathing slower you are telling your body it is safe.

• Create a feeling in your heart where you feel the touch. Feel one or some combination of the following four feelings: care for anything or for anyone. Appreciation or anything or for anyone. Gratitude or anything or for anyone. And compassion for or anything or for anyone. Researchers have found these four key words will trigger the experience between our heart and our brain to create that coherence .1 Hz. To the best of your ability feel those feelings and breathe from your heart center. Do that for 60 seconds. This ritual is ancient and primal. It is the key to the deepest truth of who you are in this world. The positive vibration you created will hold for six hours after you open your eyes. 

Why do this? This is where the super learning comes from. Or when you are working to solve or create something new: a book, poetry, music. Your creativity comes from this deep space.
– Gregg Braden

In the Bagua formation, Li, the Fame gua is connected to the Fire element of the Five Elements. The heart which is known as the Emperor in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the organ that represents this phase. When standing at the front door facing into your home, the location is the central back section of your house. It rests between Hsun, the Wealth gua to the left and Kun, the Partnership gua to the right.

If this area is missing or depleted by a design feature such as a bathroom it may be difficult to excel in your career, pass examinations, receive recognition for a promotion, improve your status, and connect with networking groups that can enhance your visibility and that affects your sense of esteem and well-being. Physically you may develop eye disorders. Mentally your clarity, whether it’s your goals, being self directed or your vision of your future, may be obscured. A side note when Fame is enhanced this activates and improves your career. Want more name recognition? More heart in your relationships? More joy in your life? Here are four Fame tips to increase your influence.

Correct A bathroom in the Fame gua depletes this area (see above). Place a mirror on the outside of the door. It will reflect whatever is in front of it and the bathroom will transcendentally disappear. The nuance from Professor Lin the door may remain open and the cure still works.

Color Red is associated with Fame and Fire. Color may be used to fill in a missing area. Painting the wall red with the visualization that the color is pushing the wall out will transcendentally correct the missing area of the house. The added bonus is you’ve added your “Wall of Fame”.

Center Stage Li means “bright”. When you project yourself from a place of courtesy, professionalism and regard, you raise your esteem and others will view you as confident, considerate and connected. This place of power raises your status. Activate this area with diplomas, awards, and recognitions. The triangle shape is associated with this gua. Animals that represent Li are the tortoise, crab, pheasant (from The Form School) and shellfish. Illumination is a quality of this gua. A framed sunset or a rainbow are suitable for this gua as well.

Credit Believe in you, find your mantra and light your fire with an empowerment. Place an affirmation in this area, such as “I am so grateful and happy that I am now…(fill in the blank) or I am endlessly abundant with talent, skill, intelligence and joy that I utilize everyday. 

If you are looking to build a new home, remodel, plan a wedding, purchase a home or sell one, when you begin has tremendous influence on the outcome of your event. Beginning on the right foot with an auspicious date and time will bring success to your endeavor. Contact me, bette@shenmenfengshui.com for details of how I can assist you with getting started.

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.

Feng Shui Design For Better Immune Health

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“You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control  what goes on inside.”
–Dr. Wayne Dyer

Staying healthy is a premium during this Covid-19 quarantine. Immune health isn’t necessarily a goal we connect with our homes but in reality our spaces are the barriers against illness. I have been contemplating what will be useful to you during this extraordinarily difficult time. I have curated ten adjustments and ceremonies (a qigong practice too) to help you minimize stress, strengthen your immune health and a Feng Shui tip for the front door to get clarity about what course of action to take.

Defense against stress
Over the past 20 years scientific studies have reported stress is the number one causes of illness besides inflammation. If you are working from home and if you are looking after your children, place three lush, green plants in every room where you work and also where you supervise your children. Plants enhance concentration, abate air toxicity, minimize tension, increase your immune health and lift your frame of mind.

Light the front entry (the brighter the better), both the outside and the inside of the front door. The front entrance represents your head besides your health, the light brings more clarity to your brain, helping you choose the right course of action to take.

Worried about the future? Adjust any dark small or narrow area near the front door or the door you enter often. Add sound here. Hang a bell on the door or a wind chime from the ceiling. Clean up any untidy plants at the front door.  Adjust the Helpful People area with a statue or an image of someone who is a mentor, teacher, someone you highly respect. It can also be an image of a deity. If a statue of a deity make sure it is up off the floor. Or place an image or statue of a dragon, (not red, that is a cooked dragon). They are mythical creatures who have benevolent intent to help humans. 

Lost your job during this time? Check to see if one of your doors, particularly the front door opens to a wall. This is known as a contrary door. Your shoulders may be starting to weigh upon your heart and lungs, depleting your pulmonary system, weakening your ability to ward off virus and illnesses. Adjust this feature by hanging a mirror (be sure not to cut off the top of your head nor chin) on the wall that you see as you enter. This wakes up your Ch’i .

SARS outbreak of 2003, scientists discovered the infectious disease spread like wildfire throughout an apartment complex via the sewage pipes. Clean your sewage pipes. If you live in an apartment building contact your landlord.

Harmonize Your Energy
Dried orange peels were used for centuries in ancient China. They were an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. Perform a ceremony with nine whole oranges. Cut nine circles out of each orange for a total of 81 circles. Break those down on a plate and while doing so see the light of 10,000 Buddhas being infused into the peels. Start at your front door and walk around your home (either clockwise or counter clockwise) casting the peels onto the floor. Visualize the light of 10,000 Buddhas is removing any sick Ch’i, bad luck Ch’i and bankruptcy Ch’i, instead happy Ch’i, wealth Ch’i and abundant blessings have come to nest in your home. Best to do this at 11:00 p.m.

Acrid odors have been used in China for centuries to stave off illness. Hang one of the following in your space. Be sure it is visible to everyone. You are adjusting by the sense of smell.
Cloves of garlic
Curry, dill or duren
Garlic chives
Red pepper
Raw onions
Orange peel

Besides cleansing your surfaces, take the opportunity to cleanse your lymphatic system. “This system builds immune health by making special white blood cells called lymphocytes that produce antibodies which are responsible for immune responses that defend the body against disease.” (Unity Point) Tai Chi Forest qigong shares a calming, clarifying short video on tapping the lymphatic meridians. 

According to Thich Nhat Hanh, “a mantra is a magic formula that, once it is uttered, can entirely change a situation, our mind, our body or a person. But this magic formula must be spoken in a state of concentration-that is to say, a state in which body and mind are absolutely in a state of unity.” Tara is the “Mother of all the Buddhas” and she protects the welfare of all beings. Find an image of Red Tara to help you focus. Red Tara eats up illness. Her right eye reflects the sun and kills the virus. The left eye reflects the moon. An elixir pours out of her eyes healing those afflicted. As you face her she connects to your heart and the light sends to you comes from your heart and circles the planet. As you visualize the above, chant, “Om Tara Tuttare Ture Soha” 108 times.

Kindness matches the same vibration as abundance. Perform one good deed a day for 27 days or 9 good deeds a day for nine days to improve your luck and strengthen your cures.

I wish for you good health, peace and hope.

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.