Tag Archives: Feng Shui A La Carte

Ten Feng Shui Wellness Tips For Burnout

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“Even though much of our doing (as women) is motivated by love, it does catch up with us when we don’t take time to care for ourselves.”
– Daisy Lee
Are these sun-kissed days enticing you to be on the go and from dawn to dusk you can’t say no? Are you at the point of exhaustion caring for loved ones? Overlooking your needs may have you tangled in commitments. What about a step back to refresh your energy before you burnout. July’s blog is filled with holistic tips that renew your spirit before summer fades and you haven’t had any fun. It’s time to fill your cup.

When I sought out Feng Shui I received answers from this metaphysical system that transformed my emotional and mental well being. As part of my journey I discovered the value of the Five Elements theory as a way to understand the subtleties and intricacies between seasonal change and human nature. Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal represent winter, spring, summer, late summer and fall respectively. Each has a function in the evolution of  a changing year. Each element has qualities and characteristics that support and assist the three elements while decreasing and checking the power of one specific element. To my amazement and delight the Five Ekements offer an insightful practice in self care.

Fire signifies Summer. Fire in balance is splendor, fulfillment and expansion. When Fire blazes too hot it looks like feeling overloaded, overexcited and overextended and it burns out its own source turning it into cold ash. We can gently control the amount of Fire we express by introducing into our homes co-elements that bring Fire into check reducing nervousness, anxiety and stress. These two elements are Water and Earth.

If you want to subdue too much Fire, seek out Water, it controls Fire. Like a lullaby for your nervous system the sound of a bubbling water fountain near the path to your front door or inside your front entry are an invitation to your brain to switch from beta (fight or flight waves) to alpha (creative waves). Smoothing the brain waves lowers stress and aligns the heart and brain. Wouldn’t you like to regain that feeling of ease y0u once had?

Steaming water: sip on a cup of chamomile tea lowers tension in the brain and body. The flowers of the Chamomile plant when made into a tea reduce your stress and acts as a gentle sleep aid.

Hydration: drinking 10 glasses of water can leave you feeling calm, satisfied and more positive. This practice improves focus, increases alertness and attention span. If  you are too tired to give  your significant other quality time, you could pour a glass of water and vow to support each other’s  water habits, toasting to more precious moments together. Drinking water not only helps your brain but strengthens your battery, your kidneys, your source, that keeps you going day after day.

Water distillation: diffusing clary sage, bergamot and lemon can be the ultimate stress buster. Clary sage reduces cortisol and regulates dopamine bringing on a feeling of contentment. Bergamot is a refreshing pick-me-up while reducing blood pressure and heart rate. It promotes a more balanced mental state. Lemon helps modify sadness, depression and lethargy with its bright, invigorating fragrance. It too is a mood lifter and compliments the other two when all are diffused together.

Water bath: add orange peels to a warm bath for oranges are an adaptogenic. Oranges offer what you need most. If’ it’s relaxation, they’ve got you covered. If it’s releasing stress, they’ve got your back. Relax into a dreamy bliss.
Water time: the subconscious is most active as you awaken in the morning. It’s easily programmable. Feeding it positive messages, visualizing what you wish to achieve and saying affirmations will elevate your emotional state. Begin with a mediation or write in a journal to collect your mind and energy before you begin your day.

Earth has the ability to steady any situation with its calm, grounded presence. It tames overwhelm, feeling scattered and exposed by stabilizing excessive thoughts that may lead to  emotional outbursts. In the Five Element constructive cycle Earth follows Fire. In its relationship with Fire it is the child of Fire. If you want to tone down excessive thinking and distraction, wear the colors of Earth in your wardrobe. Those are yellow, orange and brown and any variation in between.

Earth colors evoke grounding, helpfulness and being pliant. Adding earth colors like yellow, orange or brown to the center of your home creates stability, focus and calm. These colors cultivate a sense of trust in yourself, your ideas and feeling supported by those you love. As the well of trust deepens you become trustworthy.

If redecorating your home doesn’t appeal to you but life is moving too fast, place a 50 mm crystal hung from a red cord either in the center of  your home or the center of your bedroom. The center represents the Earth element. This is the place of transition. Reflect upon the wows, the woes, the friends whom you love and the beliefs you had to let go. The ‘cure’ is your quiet connection with order, harmony and the abundance that has ripened your life. Come back to center, to your senses, allowing your soul to rest and release strife. And when you are fulfilled, gather up the muse from this nurturing space, step into the world again and wildly share your grace.

Stepping onto the Earth. Remember what it felt like after a summer rain? Relive that feeling by walking barefoot on the ground. Remove your shoes and plant your feet on the earth. Within five minutes the atmospheric static electricity that has collected in your body discharges. This practice counteracts the positive charged electricity that breaks down your immune system. Touching the earth, the body absorbs its negative ions and they charge up your immune system. Studies report that there are measurable health benefits with grounding beginning with feeling calm.

May these wellness tips offer unification of your mind, body and spirit. May these adjustments help you create an oasis of calm to get you through. May you feel ease, may you feel at peace.

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.

Beltane Rituals. Soothe Yourself With Beauty.

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“Ritual is the act of sanctifying action – even ordinary action – so that it has meaning. I can light a candle because I need the light or because the candle represents the light I need.”
– Christina Baldwin
The Yin and Yang are always at work. April taught us lessons, some difficult, some compelling. May teaches us sweetness. It comes to our aid absorbing the pieces into its vast well of beauty that we can tap into all month long.

In diverse cultures around the world, Summer is the midpoint between the vernal equinox and summer solstice. May 1-2 is Beltane (Fire of Bel) or May Day. May 4 in the Chinese lunar calendar is Lixia, (The Inauguration of Summer).

The beginning of each season provides an opportunity to create a fortuitous beginning. In sanctifying the season, we invoke our own potential laying the path for abundance and success. In January I shared Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) rituals. Now, four months later, life begins anew with the imminence of Summer. Its energy potential fertilizes the seeds of intention we plant during this time. This blog will focus on Beltane. The Beltane rituals below are simple and easy to implement. Select what feels right for you.

May your day be blessed, your morning bright, your evenings filled with fae and sprite…. Beltane honors life and new growth. One of the eight solar sabbats celebrated by Wiccan cultures, humans offer their prayers and gratitude to the Earth and human fertility is celebrated with rituals. Traditionally groups come together but you can create a private Beltane ritual in your home or backyard. So ring a bell to scare away bad spirits (yes, we do that in Feng Shui too!) and add candles to your spring altar to welcome the Fire of the Sun. Here are eleven easy  Beltane rituals to celebrate abundance and the promise of prosperity.

• Create a bonfire. Bel is a Celtic Sun God. He is the father/protector/husband of the Mother Goddess, often known as nature/earth. Bonfires are a way to symbolize Bel and his fire, and encourage him to bring life to the earth.

• Leave an offering for the Fae. The veils are thin between the worlds. Fairies are mischievous beings who often cause chaos. Offerings of Rowan branches or hawthorne placed above the windows and doors were a sign of protection. Food is left on the steps for fairies. Leave what is seasonal in your area which can include crystals and little lavender cakes to show your respect.

• Arrange Flowers At Your Front Door. Flowers’ beauty and fragrance represent nature and the fertility of the season. It was common to gather flowers and weave crowns or wreaths from them. Hanging them on doors is a sign of abundance and prosperity. Flowers traditionally associated with Beltane are roses, lilacs, bluebells, primrose, daisies, and marigolds.

• Bathe To Welcome Summer. The element of water is refreshing and rejuvenates our senses. It is believed that if you bathe in the dew gathered before dawn on Beltane morn, your beauty will flourish throughout the year. Draw a bath for yourself and add essential oils of lavender or lilac. Light yellow, green or pink candles. Saying a prayer of appreciation for all that you have is the theme of this day.

• Dress in Green. Emerald or any color of green refreshes your body and spirit. Green is a common color in nature – grass, trees and vegetation – it can help us feel grounded, creative and calm. Green shades have a stress-relieving and rejuvenating effect. In color psychology, colors of shorter wave lengths relax and cool the human body and mind. Green invests you with tranquility. Jade, forest, mint, sage or any variation of green is easy on the eyes and you can look at green for a long time and not experience eye strain. Green equalizes, relaxes and balances painful processes. Need to address an issue? Wrap yourself in a deep sage or an emerald green throw. Quietly sit by candlelight, touch your heart with your hands and breathe.

• Make An Altar. An altar or shrine in your home helps you manifest the abundance and fertility of Beltane. Add lilacs, daffodils, budding branches. Place oats and honey too.

• Stroll In Nature. Connect to your inner child. Explore the woods, run through a field of flowers and absorb the abundance of new life all around you.

• Adorn Your Home. Wreaths, bouquets or garlands of containing yellow flowers celebrate Beltane and the b. Marigold and for wild flowers: Golden Ragwort, Yellow Sorrel, Yellow Goat’s Beard, Dandelion and Coreopsis.

• Walk Your Property. Give thanks and ask for protection for the coming year.

• Decorate A Tree. Use colorful ribbons that represent your wishes for the coming year.

• Take Action On A Project. The planets are lined up to nurture a project(s) that is near to your heart. It will gain traction and meet with success.

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.

Dragon’s Best Friend

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“Friends are great riches.”
– Unknown

Considered the Angel of the Orient, the Dragon has long been revered for its greatness, goodness and blessings for the Chinese people. A symbol of charisma, decisiveness and transformation, this wise, powerful creature brings the essence of life in the form of celestial breath, known to many as “Sheng Ch’i”. It grants its power in the form of the seasons, bringing water from rain, warmth from sunshine, wind from the seas and soil from the earth. The Dragon is the greatest divine force on earth.

The Yang Wood Dragon will embark on its hallowed voyage beginning February 10, 2024. In Dragon years we perform our hero’s work. It is through our impetus that the wheels of motivation are set with resolve, inventiveness and courage and help us realize our soul’s plan. We can carry out our intentions when we strengthen our Ch’i with Feng Shui adjustments, Chinese New Year ceremonies and carry a three dimensional talisman for the duration of the year. “Chinese folk culture believes Dragon and Cock best of flock.” (Khadro Crystal Chu) Dragon’s Best Friend is honest, brave, lucky, and trustworthy. The three dimensional image of the Rooster reminds us to focus on solutions that will raise our status in the Wood Dragon Year. This lucky fowl favors jade, boxwood or bone. Enjoy the inspiration this match brings!

For you dear folks whose animal protector is Rabbit and Dog, carry the power combo charm (preferably jade for its life force) of the Rat and Monkey as your talisman. The smart, clever Rat and the mystical Monkey are friends to the Dragon. They will harmonize any taxing energies of the Dragon and Rooster during this year.

Why is Rooster Dragon’s Best Friend? Rooster lent its beautiful horns to the Dragon so he could attend the Jade Emperor’s party in grand style is one story. Rooster is brave, motivated, proud and with a magnificent tail like a Phoenix. How could the Dragon not notice him. But there are the virtues of the Rooster that make him a holy asset for this year. The five virtues of the Rooster by Tian Rao: ‘”The Rooster dons a crimson cap, a mark of literary sophistication! It claws its enemies, what martial prowess! It calls to its cohorts when food is available, a creature of compassion! It fights to the death with its nemesis, what bravery! And it never fails to keep time, a trustworthy soul.” What is unique about rooster is its ability to keep time for humans which leads the Chinese to the conclusion there is a divine spark, like the Sun that exists in the rooster which makes it capable of this unique task.’

What other reasons to have a Dragon’s Best Friend by your side? Ceremonies of protection use rooster feathers in BSTB Feng Shui. They guard the individual against scoundrels who may be agents for spirits. They have the ability to turn them into Helpful People. This is a carry over from ancient times when roosters were used in many kinds of rituals. In Chinese folk stories, all ghosts are scared by the rooster’s crow. Ghosts can only appear at night, but the rooster’s crow means the day is coming. So all ghosts fear the rooster’s crow, for ghosts lose their power at dawn. So if scoundrels are coming into your life, this ceremony has the strength to turn the situation around.

Roosters are beautiful, with its red comb, colorful feathers and golden tail. At first they were called ji (吉, meaning luck) because it was believed this animal would bring people luck like the phoenix.

The roosters suggest prosperity. They reproduce very fast. The Chinese believed this was synonymous with prosperity in terms of both population and wealth.

If you want to enhance your Rooster talisman to receive even more good fortune and good luck email me, bette@shenmenfengshui.com for details. Nine red envelopes requested.

Etsy carries Three Dimensional Jade Roosters. Start with Marina Lighthouse, Feng Shui Shopper. She closes her shop right after the new year.

This year I am offering the BSTB ceremonies so wealth and abundant good fortune are readily available: revel in “Welcoming the Wealth Gods” into your home; feel protected peeling away bad luck during “The Golden Cicada” ceremony and jump for joy when orange peels bless your home at midnight during “Changing the Ch’i…”.

Welcome the Wealth Gods 
Invite the Wealth Gods right into your home with this midnight tradition. Face the yearly direction then walk the Gods back to your front door and enjoy safety, protection, better health and prosperity throughout the year.

The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell 
In this ceremony remove all work problems, relationship problems, financial problems and health problems when you peel the shell from the egg. Your true self, your good Ch’i emerges from the crust of life’s difficulties allowing you to magnetize what you desire with a clear heart.

Changing The Chi Of The House and Transforming The Fortunes For Individuals and Residences 
Wake up the house with fragrance and invite new beginnings, wealth Ch’i, happy Ch’i, prosperity Ch’i, and healthy Ch’i.

Receive two bonus cures + the Three Secret Reinforcements, the main amplifying tool for Black Sect Tantric Buddhist Feng Shui adjustments. It is a ritual way of adding extra strength to your cure.

The Three Lucky Feng Shui Secret Traditions Packet is$27 + nine red envelopes. Email me at bette@shenmenfengshui.com for payment options. Nine red envelopes must be received by mail on or before Thursday, February 1, 2024 to ensure your mailing will arrive in time.
Xīn xiǎng shì chéng
May all your wishes come true

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.

photo credit: Arib Neko. UnSplash.

Feng Shui Fall Decor

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“When everything looks like a magical oil painting, you know you are in Autumn!”– Mehmet Murat Ildan

Spring and summer aren’t the only colorful seasons. Autumn’s story is rich with glowing crimson and vibrant amber hues. Squashes, fruit and flowers possess their summer blaze well into November endowing us with the strength to retain our radiant selves in this season of letting go. If you cherish autumn’s abundance, the following fall decor will enrich your home and your senses while promising hope and good fortune.

Pumpkin
In the tapestry of fall, pumpkins are the prosperity bearer. Align with good fortune when pumpkins are lined up at your front door. Equally you can display them in arrangements at the inside entry. The Chinese believe this edible squash creates golden opportunities. In folkloric tradition, farmer’s wives would carve out the belly and place items in them to attract wealth. You may expect to increase your prosperity, abundance, your good luck from your ancestors, insure your children will have illustrious careers and acquire an enchanting life. This fruit will even draw up the earth energy to manifest gold.

Persimmon
Round, brilliant orange, the auspicious persimmon has the same pronunciation as the word for “matters, affairs or events and also for an “official”or “gentleman”. A persimmon shown together with an apple forms the rebus “may your matters be safe”. Also known as date-palms or Chinese figs, when placed along side a mandarine orange these fruits together symbolize the following sentiment…“May you have good fortune in all your undertakings.”

In Buddhism, they are symbols of transformation. Six persimmon fruits are symbols of enlightenment. The symbolism reveals that green persimmons are acrid and bitter in their immature state, they represent ignorance. As the fruit matures, it becomes sweet and represents wisdom that comes after transformation.

Pomegranate
Pomegranates represent fertility but for the holidays their usefulness can bring happiness to the family as well as good luck for your descendants. Display pomegranates in a table arrangement either at the front entry or the dining room table. If you like the pomegranate’s color and shape, display it as art in your home to attract these qualities year round.

Orange
Filled with intriguing homonyms the Chinese language is a good romp with words. The meaning of the orange connects them with abundance. Orange is called chéngzi in Chinese which sounds like gold, (jin) and represents wealth. Place a bowl of nine oranges on your dining room table or design them into a centerpiece for Thanksgiving. They will incubate money ch’i.

Chrysanthemum
Enhance your Feng Shui Fall Decor with mums. White chrysanthemums represent nobility and elegance and attract good luck to the home and a life of ease. It is revered like the orchid, bamboo and plum. Displaying chrysanthemums in home lifts the Ch’i of, not only individuals, but families and communities too. If you want to cure for wealth, put together a flower arrangement with a lotus, chrysanthemum and plum blossom plus the peony. Together these symbolize “peace and fortune in the four seasons.”

Narcissus
Flowers are a direct path to enhancing your feelings and elevating your sense of well-being. Placing them where they are visible in your home calms the nervous system. This can carry over to your work place creating a frame of mind for happiness and enthusiasm. Narcissus is known as the “water goddess”. At Chinese New Year they bring good luck and good fortune. During other festivities such as Thanksgiving they enliven your Ch’i through the sense of smell.

I am deeply grateful for your presence and participation with Feng Shui. Sending you heartfelt wishes for a season that is bright and joyful. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

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.

Chinese New Year Rituals. Renew Abundance.

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“We not not only nurture our sacred relationships through ritual, but we are nurtured by them as well, in ritual, we move and we are moved.”
– Alison Leigh Lilly

Here we go again! Another turn of the wheel to begin anew. Chinese New Year is around the corner. This significant event has the agency to deeply move our Ch’i and elevate our life force. Customs, practiced over thousands of years by millions around the world, reset our homes and renew our abundance for the coming year. It’s a hopeful moment when create an advantageous start with Chinese New Year rituals. You and your family will certainly enjoy the delectable foods, fireworks, laughter and fun. Host a reunion dinner and invite friends to bring a good fortune dish that everyone may take home good luck.

The Year of the Yin Water Rabbit begins January 22, 2023. January 21 the rituals begin. Chinese New Year rituals include color, plants, fruit, foods, good luck clothing and auspicious decorations to enliven home and human Ch’i. These rituals’ power lie in the repetition and sincerity in which they are performed. They are simple and most of all easy. Choose as many or as few as you like. There are some that are new to the list this year.

Begin with your front entry. Design it for success and good health. What you display here influences the entire house so add a red item. Red in the Feng Shui metaphor means: happiness, courtesy, respect, power and strength. Your front door represents career and reputation. With that in mind visualize the red object activates your Fame Ch’i.

Traditionally Chinese knots were expected to ward off evil spirits and act as good luck charms. At Chinese New Year Chinese knot decorations are seen hanging on walls, doors of homes and as shop decorations to add some festival feel. Their significance is deeply rooted in Buddhist and Taoist tradition. The Pan Chang knot, for example, is inspired by the Eternal Knot, the Buddhist symbol of the ultimate unity of everything, and one of the “Eight Auspicious signs.” Just like the Eternal Knot, Chinese Knots are made with one single thread; are symmetrical in all directions and have no distinctions between head and tail. Though they are often consider folk art, they embody the fundamental principles of Chinese’s aesthetic and philosophy: symmetry, balance, unity, and interconnections. These qualities are auspicious to bring good fortune into your life.

Display a bowl of oranges in your home and money will come easily. The word for orange (Chengzi) sounds like gold (Jin) in the Chinese language.

Place a platter of tangerines on your dining room table for the saying, “Da ju da li” translates as “May you enjoy an abundance of fortune and profits.” In Asian countries it’s auspicious to place two tangerine trees at the entrance of a home or business but adding the tangerines to your dining room table stimulates your income for the table is the secondary source of your income.

Surround yourself with colorful fruit so that you will have a fruitful year. Pomelos are large pear-shaped grapefruits which mean “to have”. Pineapple sounds like wealth but its real strength is fame, promotion and excellent fortune. You can display the fruit at the front entry, the dining room, even the kitchen.

Brighten your home and your luck with narcissus (daffodils). The Chinese affirm that daffodil and Narcissus bulbs when in bloom during the New Year, bring good fortune and luck to a home. They enliven our Ch’i through the sense of smell. This adjustment calms the nervous system. With a clear mind we gain clear access to our decision making center (intuition).

Prepare a reunion dinner on Chinese Lunar New Year’s eve. The image of the circle is used in food dishes like fish balls. The circle is associated with family. This creates unity, support and continuity. This sense of family unity is called Yuan and underlies all festivals. Yuan means roundness and it suggests the attainment of the Five Fold Happiness (good luck, prosperity, happiness, wealth and longevity). Veggies embody the freshness of “evergreen” and store good fortune in their roots. Support your vitality in the Year of the Water Tiger when you include them in your first meal of the new year. Make a feast and have left overs because left overs symbolize that you’ll have money rolling into the next year. Add a little laughter! Shrimp in the Chinese language sounds like Ha, Ha, Ha and translates as merriment and well being. Joyfulness brings a future of limitless possibility. Cook a whole fish and leave some. Serve longevity noodles and eat them in one long strand (try not to break one or it will shorten your life). Add lettuce for it translates as “growing wealth”. Dumplings, jiao zi look like golden ingots. They promise wealth and prosperity. Serve nian giro, a sticky rice pudding cake which is symbolic of helping people “advance toward higher positions and prosperity step by step”. Make the evening uplifting and happy; include music and play games with your children, tell jokes and laugh.

Serve an even number of dishes (like eight) to bestow “double happiness” on the family.

“Avoid cutting the luck of the year” by putting your knives and scissors away before Chinese New Year eve evening, January 21. Schedule a hair trim or mani/pedi before Chinese New Year’s Eve.

Refrain from cursing on New Year’s Day because letting your tongue fly will affect your luck for the entire year. One day of restraint could mean you’ve mastered your impulses and that can bring more opportunities than you might realize. However if you do inadvertently curse say “Tong yen woo chi!” to reverse the affect.

Slumber not before midnight on Chinese Lunar New Year’s eve to ensure good luck will cross your threshold. The sound of sleepiness in Chinese is similar to trouble. Sleepless means no trouble in the coming year.

Keep the Goddess of Poverty away  “Fu” means “good fortune” or “happiness” and is represented both as a Chinese ideograph and its homophone, a bat. Placing the image of a bat (Lan Su Garden in Portland, Oregon was constructed with five bats roof tiles) or the image of “Fu” at your front entry clearly sets the intention to invite good fortune into your life.

Bring one new item such as furniture, décor or art into your home and business to stimulate prosperity Ch’i and to compound your sheng Ch’i (beneficial energy). In addition give away one item or more. This leaves both physical and symbolic space for good fortune.

Throw away china, crockery or glassware that are broken, chipped or have hairline cracks, these augur bad luck.

Break a cup or plate (or anything) during New Year say “Fall to the floor and burst into bloom!”

Dress in “up-beat” clothing or buy new clothes for the first day of the New Year.

Carry newly circulated bills: whatever your pocketbook will allow, either nine new one dollar bills or nine new twenty dollar bills.

Purchase a new bill fold for man or a new pocketbook for a woman. In BSTB tradition, black symbolizes water which is equivalent to money. Red is also auspicious to carry. Add a bit of green that stays in the item so your money doesn’t burn up.

Benming Nian – meeting your zodiac year.
One would think that your zodiac year would be a good one. On the contrary, Chinese traditional belief is that your benming nian is going to be full of bad luck. So if it’s your year (Rabbit. Dragon and Rooster are in offending positions to the Year God so they will benefit too), you need to take a few precautions to ensure that your year  is not a bad one.

To ward off any dangers that might befall you in your benming nian, it is traditionally believed that it helps to wear the color red. Red is one of the luckiest colors in Chinese traditions, standing for loyalty, success and happiness. You’ll see red all over the place during traditional Chinese festivals and particularly Chinese New Year: red lanterns, red envelopes, red paper hangings. When it comes to decorations, just about everyone is red and ornamented in gold.

If you believe in this, wear red every day, all year long. You can go big: add red accessories to every outfit. Or you can play it simple, wear a cute bracelet made of red interwoven Chinese knots around your wrist tow ward off bad luck.

Make amends with anyone with whom you’ve had a row or falling-out.

The first New Year Day everyone dines on a vegetarian meal to honor one’s ancestors. Then the family dresses in their finest clothes and visits older family members, paying respect, taking along gifts of Mandarin oranges and sweets of all kinds generally offered in a “tray of togetherness”. It is also customary to hand out hong bao (red envelopes with new bills or coins) to family members and friends of any age, who are single and unmarried.

The devoted Dog is the Hare’s secret best friend. In the Year of the Yin Water Rabbit it is auspicious to carry a three dimensional Dog with you. “Chinese folk culture believes that when Rabbit and Dog meet, it will bring forth wealth and nobility.”
– Khadro Crystal Chu
The ardent Dog favors jade, boxwood or bone. Enjoy the inspiration this match brings!

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.

Want Wealth? Mirror Abundance With Feng Shui

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“The daily practice of gratitude is one of the conduits by which your wealth will come to you.”
–Wallace D. Wattles

Warmed with food and spiced with sweet greetings and joy, Thanksgiving day our homes mirror simple abundance. and invite a timeless grace to wash over us filling our hearts with love, laughter and appreciation.

We can reflect this feel-good abundance often. A mirror in the Feng Shui metaphor has many functions. It draws in auspicious Ch’i, expands an image, strengthens an image, reduces a threat plus much more. If we want happiness, a robust career, prosperity, success for our children, a loving relationship, time for travel…Feng Shui can support our desires. In deep gratitude for you I am sharing seven wealth cures I believe will bring you comfort and joy for the holidays.

If you want more wealth. Place a mirror on your office desk face up in the Wealth area. Your intention creates a deep well to hold the money you gain.

If you want draw money in quickly. Place a concave mirror in the Wealth gua of your home to attract money quickly. It may come in the form of a lump sum from a single source.

If you want to expand the range of money sources, place a convex mirror in the Wealth gua of your home or bedroom to expand the dimensions of offerings.

If you are working hard and are seeing no results for your efforts especially in the area of financial gain, you may have a contrary door (the door opens to a wall). Place a large mirror (do not cut off   the head of the tallest person in the house) on the wall to dissolve the blocking wall.

If you have felt closed off and stifled check the placement of your bed. If the foot of the bed is close to the wall, place a mirror on the wall at the foot of the bed to broaden your thoughts. You may be inspired with big ideas about making big money.

If you and your partner argue about money, place a round mirror above the bed in the bedroom to soften harsh words between you. You may come to agreements quickly and plan how to use your finances more equitably.

If money comes in and goes out quickly, place a convex mirror over the door in the Wealth gua to absorb money that is leaking out the back.

If you are hindered by bad luck in your financial dealings, place a mirror on the ceiling above the stove. It will lift up your assets as the stove is symbolic of your money source.

Thank you for being here. I appreciate you! Please have a healthy and happy holiday season.

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.

Don’t Let Bad Feng Shui Steal Your Joy

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“One of the secrets of success is to refuse to let temporary setbacks defeat us.”
–Mary Kay Ash

What is bad Feng Shui? Let’s follow the Ch’i in these scenarios. Did you recently purchase a new home? Move into an apartment? Add a bathroom to your house? Was your joy upended (a fall that required surgery. Suffered a big cash loss. Were you by-passed for a promotion at work) by something like one of these events? Maybe you’re feeling cautious and wondering, can I handle the tension? Now if a wise friend steps in and says you need to look at the Feng Shui, would you take their advice? Bad Feng Shui design is a motivator to change the arrangement of your home with the bonus that it will help you let go of stress.

Intangible yet palpable, energy in our environment silently influences our motives, decisions and choices. Professor Lin would often describe Ch’i (energy) as the harmony of yin (invisible) and yang (visible). 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 may see someone fired (yang), but we must also see that his or her firing can affect the next “owner” of the job (yin). There is a yin side to every story.

Let’s start with a home purchase. If after you moved in money started going through your hands like water, here’s what you might see as bad Feng Shui in your home’s design. When the Wealth gua (Hsun) is missing either on the lot or the house, money has no place to land. You may be convinced you are inhabiting a money pit (install a light pole at the projected corner of the missing area). Sliding glass doors invite money to fly out the back (mount a round 3″ sun moon mirror over the inside of the back door with the sun side facing into the house to hold the yang energy in). A bathroom or a bathroom in an extension in the Wealth gua depletes the Ch‘i as you watch your finances spiral down the drain (place a round 3″ mirror over the toilet to counteract the drain). Money missing from your bank account? A closet in the Wealth gua suggests someone is squirreling it away. It’s a delicate situation but your partner might be the one (place a light inside the closet to “reveal” any miscreant behavior). A detached garage adjacent to the Wealth gua of the house suggests crooks (relatives or unscrupulous friends) are stealing your money (attach the garage to the house with a sacred ceremony). Avoid sharp or prickly plants at the front door, for they may invite scoundrels and other difficult problems that disrupt the entire family. A dining room is a secondary source of income. Too close to an outside door and you may lose not only money but friends and your health (hang a 40mm clear crystal or wind chime between the door and the dining room table). There is no need to despair over these setbacks. The aforementioned sacred objects (placed on your altar for nine nights with intention) harness the dynamic forces that adjust the Ch’i and balance your home. 

What design in the condo could have influenced a nasty fall? Believe it or not check the position of the stove. In the Feng Shui metaphor a stove that faces a door leading to the outside portends a lot of illness or unexplained illness. Being cut. Surgery. Constant worry and pressure may weaken everyone in the house. Family problems may be unresolved (place a wind chime or crystal ball between the door and the stove). Next look for stairs. Stairs anywhere fluctuate the Ch’i but in the center this results in a health problem. It can be illness, surgery, even a break in the body (place a large mirror at the top of the stairs to lift the Ch’i up. If you cannot place a mirror then a 40mm clear crystal will adjust the stairway). In the Feng Shui allegory the four corners of the lot represent the limbs of the body. The four corners of the house also relate to the limbs. The four corners of the master bedroom relate to the limbs. If someone breaks a bone, adjust the four corners of the house or the four corners of the master bedroom. Do not be hasty to cut down trees in your yard without performing a sacred ceremony.

If you have repeatedly felt setback by circumstances such as overlooked for a raise or a promotion what can your apartment tell you? The front entry represents the head, health, reputation and helpful people. Walking into a cramped, dark entrance depletes your Ch’i and suppresses your chances for advancement (a bright light on the outside will enhance everyone’s career, but if not possible then add a brighter light to the entry’s fixture. Include a large mirror or an image that has perspective, such as a landscape, to open up the space). Lack of command of the bed will rob you of opportunity. If your bed is on the door wall you may experience restless sleep, anxiety, heart arrhythmia and a murmur, even anger. Debilitated by your emotions, you may not be able to handle more responsibility that comes with a career advancement (place the bed where you can see the door but not be in line of the door). Feeling rudderless can be the result of a bed that floats in the middle of the room. If times are tough, place at least one side of the bed against the wall. You will reassure strong support and a feeling of security.

Tapping into hidden Feng Shui energies you turn probability into actuality, latent potential into reality, disappointment into joy, lack of confidence into courage. One design change can save your sanity.

Allow me to help you change any bad Feng Shui that is stealing your joy. 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! Build A Foundation For Joy!

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“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
– Maya Angelou

As long as you live you’ll never stop dreaming. So when you realize your home is the foundation for your joy it becomes fertile ground upon which your imagination can create your dream career, your dream partner, your dream vacation or whatever you are dreaming in right now. In BSTB Feng Shui it begins with the Bagua (Template of Life). It’s the most complete guide to revitalizing a home and activating one’s dreams. If you were to craft a room with color, texture, sound or smell or a combination of these using the Feng Shui principles of design and intention, you would find it invokes your imagination. As your home becomes harmonized you are stimulated by an awakening to possibilities; you harmonize with what you desire and this broadens the spectrum of what you can foresee and magnetize.

“The more detail and clarity you bring to your dreams, the more you will be able to attract what you want.” The form and intent of the Bagua is that it is a platform upon which you create something new, to accelerate your aliveness, growth and realize your purpose. As you activate creativity in one or each gua you tap into the energy of abundance and from that frequency you manifest.

My offering this month is imagine, create, design then receive your dreams and more!

Heaven/Helpful People
Not feeling inspired? Want more time to invest in the pursuits that make you feel alive and abundant? The Helpful People gua, represented by Heaven in the I-Ching is the gua of the Creative Principle. Heaven seeds Earth to create the abundance we see all around. Expand time with an adjustment.
Cure: Place a clock with hands and face to amplify time (to do what you love).

Career
Lacking motivation in your job? Do you daydream at your desk? It might be time to reexamine your goals to alter your belief that you can do what you love and make money at it too. Open your mind to the deep waters of your purpose with an adjustment.
Cure: Activate your intuition with the sounds of a water fountain.

Knowledge
Love to journal, doodle in the margins, play with words? Does it appeal to you to turn this into something that is more than a hobby? Visualize a mountain and each step is taking you to your dream. Reinforce your creativity with an adjustment.
Cure: Hang a wind chime to ring in writing a book.

Family
Feeling uprooted? Unable to direct your attention on that dream that keeps whispering in your ear, nudging you to start? Focus your energy like thunder that strikes the ground.
Cure: Place a windmill to get a new project started.

Wealth
Can’t make out what your inner guides are saying? Didn’t know you have inner guides? Feeling a bit anxious? The Wealth gua is represented by the Wind in the I-Ching. Our words, the words of our loved ones and our guides ride on the wind. Feel the wind support your higher good with an adjustment.
Cure: Hang a rainbow banner to catch the winds of good fortune.

Fame
Having trouble putting your heart into what you do? Feeling disappointment when something doesn’t turn out? Wishful thinking occupying your thoughts? Tap into your artistry. Let your heart pump happiness with an adjustment that takes you right into the present moment.
Cure: Install a bright light to illuminate your genius.

Relationship
Feeling ungrounded? Or stuck in the mud? Trying to do too much for everyone else and forgetting your needs? Imagine trees laden with ripe fruit on an August day with an adjustment that nourishes your soul connection.
Cure: Place a container of seasonal flowers to remind you of the joy of receptivity.

Children
Wonder if creativity bypassed your DNA? Having trouble being spontaneous? When was the last time you had a play date that felt meaningful? In the I-Ching this area is call The Joyous Lake. Drink in refreshment like dipping your toe into cool water on a hot summer day when you make an adjustment.
Cure: Hang a round mirror to remind you to be true to yourself and remember your bliss lies within.

Center
The center represents the Eight Trigrams and the Ten Directions. It covers the ten thousand things. When your life is in transition and you cannot quite grab ahold of your destiny, make an adjustment here to set things straight. The shape of the Chinese coin represents Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, The Tao of Creation. Place one here to hold the center together.

Allow me to help you arrange your home where you feel fully supported and build a foundation for joy. 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. Mental Health. Take Action.

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“There is hope even when your brain tells you there isn’t.”
– John Green

May 20 is mental health action day. We may not always understand the underlying cause why a friend or family member struggles with a mental health issue. It could be 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…. There are more than I can mention here.

As well there may be hidden factors in your home that exacerbate a mental health condition. It can show up in the form of confusion, anger, conflict, addiction and stress. I have never spoken about my sister’s condition to respect her privacy but I think if she knew she could help someone struggling with depression by sharing her story, she would say please share. This one Feng Shui detail had a critical influence on her emotional stability. She had a Mandarin Duck Stairway in her home. First hand I saw conflict and anger at the slightest comment. She was constantly exhausted and did not feel good about herself yet she was a beautiful, loving, extraordinarily talented woman. It was difficult to witness her personal struggles. Professor Lin described this design detail as destroying a person’s sanity. Sadly it’s true. 

Self awareness is key to creating change. For all who are struggling, patient and their family members who agonize over them, here is a short list of design features that can affect one’s mental stability. 

• Mandarin Duck stairway (learn more at the link)
Stairs that fluctuate at the front entry. One set go up to the next level while the other go down, the brain is constantly assaulted with this split. 

• Split at the front door
The brain is stimulated unevenly as one eye sees a long view and the other eye sees a short view. It creates an imbalance in the brain, illness along the midline, confusion, non-stop arguing and violence.

• Long hallway
A door at the end of a long hallway can create upset, not only for the digestive system, but upsetting one’s emotional equilibrium. You can easily misinterpret a simple comment from a family member or friend and it might set off a reaction that is out of proportion to the situation. 

Cleaver-shaped house
Think of a razor’s edge however this is a blade on the edge of a home. A master bedroom or office that rests on the knife edge of a cleaver-shaped house partners may cut each other with their words. Parents and children may lash out. A steely edge implies not knowing what might happen next, the feeling of insecurity becomes compounded and overtime there can be a mental breakdown. 

• Bedrooms with high electric and magnetic fields.
Your TV, smart phone, radio, computers all emit electromagnetic pollution. EMFs can increase stress and irritability.

• 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.

• Tall buildings may oppress the Ch’i of a smaller building next to it. The occupants may not develop to their full potential, feel low self-esteem and suffer. 

We all deserve love and affection. Understanding there are multiple factors that may affect a person’s mental health, we are in a better position to support their recovery and help them find their way out of the labyrinth of despair. 

If someone you care about is afflicted and suffering, reaching out may make all the difference in their life. 

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.

Light Up Your Great Ideas With Feng Shui

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“If you can dream it, you can do it.”
– Walt Disney

Your home is not only a place to eat, sleep, grow your family and live out your life. Like a blank canvas waiting for color and inspiration, your home embodies a silent, subtle world that surrounds you. Intangible but palpable, it is the space that defines the rooms and encompasses your furnishings. It is the space that once is activated by turning the couch on an angle or painting a wall red or adding a bright light to the front door, is poised to help you light up your great ideas which one day may include taking a chance on something new.

I am hearing folks talk about the hard truths of 2020. They are passionate about telling their stories and up-leveling their purpose. They are writing books with compelling messages; developing brands to reflect a growing ecological kinship to the earth; planning service strategies that will support their new mission. They are trusting their higher guidance and they want to share it. If you are part of this mindfulness revolution or even dare to take your career on a new path, then let the details from the arrangement of your rooms, the flowers on your desk, the color of your walls, the images you have placed, let these personal items reflect the excitement, the dedication and engagement you give to your work everyday.

All it takes is calibrating your home to what you desire. Before launching your great idea, look around, does your home and home office reflect your value? A new desk placement can change your point of view and bring in a steady flow of income. The right color can inspire your creativity. Let your authentic self shine with Feng Shui.

Create Powerful Momentum For What Is To Come
Take Command Of Your Space
Command position is where you sit at your desk so you can see the door but not be in line of the door. And good desk placement is the mainstay in developing your ideas and services. Here are several distinguished nuances that could set your career on a trajectory for success.
– Face the door wall with your desk is in command This desk position suggests work will be steady.
– Face the side wall but still in a command position. Projects, clients, income, work will come in cycles. You may work hard for a few days or months and then have time for a vacation or simply to slow down. Ideal for a writer.
– Place your desk on an angle. If you want things to move more quickly consider moving your desk to an angled position. You can enhance this position by placing a light that shines on the desk from behind. You can also place a plant in the corner behind the desk. Or you can hang the Ten Emperor Coins with the two bamboo flutes from the Yun Lin Temple on each wall of the corner. However there is a caveat: if you do not have support to take the next steps or don’t have the financial backing to expand quickly, the placement may actually bankrupt you.
– Place your desk with a wall too close in front of you and your open-mindedness and creativity may diminish. Your learning may be slower and you may not acquire a broad range of knowledge. However if there are no other alternate choices, place a mirror on the wall in front of you or place a picture with depth or place a picture of your deity in front of you.
– Sit at your desk with a wall behind you, you will receive support and you will feel supported. You can enhance this position by sitting in a chair that has a solid back and you may receive solid advice from friends and advisors.
– Sit where there is not enough room behind you and you may not be able to turn things around when they get difficult. You may become cornered. You may lose your power and your perspective. You may not leave yourself enough room to turn around or change directions. Things may get very difficult. Make sure you have enough room behind you and if you don’t, move the desk forward.

Speak To Your Strengths
Launching a book or website you want all your forces to support you, that includes a strong front door (the mouth of Ch’i). If your front door does not face the street, it could be what is called a “hidden front door”. This position takes your voice away from the world. Opportunities do not come easily. Isolated is a manifested fear from this design detail.
– Light the top of the Hidden door with a light placed on the ground just opposite the door. It does not have to be turned on.
– Hang a wind-chime at the front door.
– Carefully mark the path to the front door, so there is no confusion. 

Enhance Your Creativity
Every aspect of your profession, service or artistry is a creative endeavor. Add the colors, white, black and green to your home office or where you brainstorm and download ideas. Green plants, flowering plants but fruiting plants in particular will enhance your career.

Reinforce Your Career (Trigram)
Purchase either a wind chime or a 40mm faceted crystal ball. Place it on your altar for nine nights. On the tenth day walk the sacred object to each trigram position of the house or office. Upon arriving at the gua, spin the crystal or shake the wind chime. When complete, walk to the center then you will be assured you have life covered. Visualize all of life’s problems are covered. When you adjust the center you want to visualize that everything is covered. Then you can hang the crystal ball in the center of the gua that needs enhancement. If you are going to adjust Career visualize you are bringing the knowledge with you, you are bringing fame with you, you are bringing helpful people with you to the Career gua so you can move forward. Visualize all the auspicious chi, visualize in with the good and out with the bad, everything is getting better and better. Visualize you have more time to give to your Career and the appropriate salary or compensation, Visualize the color of the Career gua (black). Visualize your job offer is a good package and an appropriate salary. Visualize the color of the gua as you are adding the adjustment.

Steady Your Focus
Tapping the Head three times day (108 times per round) will help you steady yourself and concentrate. The excessive Ch’i is drawn out of the brain. This method is helpful to perform at night when counting sheep has failed.

Calm Your Mind
Calm is often underrated however it is the underpinnings of inspiration when offering your services and running your business. A calm attitude engenders new ideas and insights on how to execute them.
– Color speaks the language of the brain. Wear green to calm your heart. If you or a friend’s emotions are all over the place this refreshing color will help relax (always remember to set your intention) your heart. Earth colors like yellow, brown and orange are calming as well.
– Place a Yu bowl under your bed under your heart to build trust. It allows you to trust yourself and trust what is happening around you.
– Place a red circle that has your name that you wrote on one side with a new black pen and the word “stability” on the other side. Hold your breath while you write these. Next place the red circle either under your heart under your bed or under your office chair with the word stability facing the floor to stay more calm as you create and expand your ideas.

Follow Your Impulses
Place a windmill on your property in the Family Gua to stimulate ideas for new projects.

Build Your Reputation
Red is the color of the Fire element and the Fame gua. 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 fame or if you desire to extend your reach beyond the city in which you work, paint a red wall in the Fame gua and set your intention accordingly. If that does not work with your decor plant a conifer in your back yard, the triangle is the shape that represents Fire. Or place an affirmation in the Fame gua of your home that is framed in red.

Perform 9 good deeds in one day. And continue to perform one good deed a day for 27 days. This practice will enhance the Feng Shui in your home. Abundance is synonymous with giving. The key is to help another selflessly.

Enhance Your Feng Shui
When you perform a cure, envision that you are at the juncture between heaven and earth, this visualization enables you to receive universal chi to help you overcome all your obstacles.

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.