Tag Archives: Feng Shui Design

Spring Power. It’s Easy Being Green.

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Within each thing is contained all things. In the seed is the tree; in the tree is the forest…Each thing exists to nourish all others and in return to be nourished itself.
– Vasant Lad and David Frawley, The Yoga of Herbs

At the moment I am writing, Nature’s Spring Power has bloomed all over the northern hemisphere. As if awakened by Prince Charming’s kiss, the sun’s radiance arouses the landscape, dissolving winter’s sleep. Green, vernal shoots burst forth and aromatic scents perfume the atmosphere where hungry bees buzz mightily ensuring that our summer tables are fresh with fruit. Everywhere is an intelligent, pulsating world of creation, nourishment and support.

If you are like me you may want to harness this Spring Power for now and when winter’s twilight comes early and the leaves have fallen. It’s definitely the way of Feng Shui. You see, thousands of years ago in order to align with the seasons of creation and decay, the philosophy of the Tao, Yin-Yang theory and the Five Phases evolved. The Tao is the governing order of all things. However to explain the Tao’s movement through time, the Yin-Yang Theory of opposites emerged followed by the Five Phases/Seasons which further differentiated its dynamism as exemplified by the five powers, Water (winter), Wood (spring), Fire (summer), Earth (late summer) and Metal (fall).

You can imagine in the waining days of the year how a burst of Spring Power could keep your system running at its optimum. The Wood element is represented by Spring. It is a creative season. It’s symbolic of new beginnings. Its meaning is to be on purpose and be the change. It is benevolence and compassionate understanding, qualities we find useful in certain stages of our development, our relationships and our careers. Building the Chi in your home with Wood cures gives you the drive to remove stagnate energy and finish projects that have been languishing.

If your bedroom feels devoid of life force, your health is suffering from too much Yin Ch’i, or you want to enhance the energy in your home, here are five BSTB Feng Shui cures that invest your home with positive energy that will take you in a new direction.

Spring clean any time of year. Whenever there is an excessive build-up of stress and frustration, it’s time to pull out the oranges. When Ch’i becomes blocked, oranges have a warm, sunny, sweet aroma that convey joy and positivity, dispersing moodiness and irritability (Gabriel Mojay, Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit). To change the Ch’i and the fortune of you and your home, purchase nine oranges. During the hours of  11:00 p.m to 1:00 a.m. cut nine circles (zest only) out of each orange for 81 circles. Break these down onto a dinner plate and chant a mantra or say a prayer that invests the peels with the light of 10,000 Buddhas. Take a small handful of the peels and start in any direction. Every few steps, scatter the peels throughout the house until the plate is empty. Allow for them to stay for one night, three nights or nine nights. For a detailed version of the ceremony, send me an email (red envelopes requested).

Show your ‘face’ to the world. What story is your front entry telling? Does it represent who you are ? Does your door knob working properly and easy to grasp? This is how you grasped life. Do you have vital plants in and around your front door? Plants are life force. We are most aware of their rising yang energy in Spring but they are useful in balancing our Ch’i throughout the year. Your front door can be enhanced with healthy round leaf plants on either side. They lift your Ch’i and attract prospects. If sustainability is part of your philosophy, purchase native, evergreen plants that require little water as a green addition to the Feng Shui.

Transform worry into calm. Bamboo has a long and humble connection to the Chinese culture. If your children live away from home and you are concerned about them you can hang a bamboo drape in the Children/Tui gua of your home. If your child has a dangerous occupation, sport or hobby, hang a bamboo drape in the Children gua of your home because bamboo is symbolic of safety, it provides safety.

Work peacefully for money. The drooping bamboo leaves cross one another, as if they are composing the Chinese character “An” (tranquility). Being both hollow and soft inside, it symbolizes humility (the Chinese word for hollow means to be humble). Its hollowness allows it to bow in the wind. The sound a bamboo flute makes is peaceful and it can drive away negative influences so it protects. If you wish to have money and work peacefully for it, hang a bamboo drape in the Wealth/Hsun gua of your home.

Double your happiness. To nurture a partnership that you have already created add the Spring Power of nine lush plants in the bedroom. The demands of work can deplete your energy. The plants’ life force will support your own and expand your mental focus so you can dedicate time to your partner. A nuance to this cure is place fruiting or flowering plants as they symbolize that your efforts will bear fruit.

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.

Feng Shui Design For Your Best Life

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photo credit: Paintzen

“Recent discoveries in Western Science now add to a growing body of evidence suggesting Beauty is a transformational power… Through our experience of Beauty, we’re given the power to change the feelings that we have in our bodies. Our feelings, in turn, are directly linked to the world beyond our bodies.”
– Gregg Braden

Moving a bed to take command in the bedroom, painting a front door crimson red to expand opportunities, positioning a desk so a voice will be heard…these mini experiences create beauty and offer peace of mind but they also are thresholds that beckon something extraordinary to happen. When we correct the structural deficiencies in our home’s design Feng Shui’s subtle positive power not only releases restrictions in our life but reflects a bigger vision of who we might become.

That vision begins at the front door. To discover who we might become we need to uncover the story our entry tells. The Feng Shui design metaphor of the front entry reaches into our career, reputation, the people who help us and the health of everyone in the household.  “…so place something attractive here so when you first enter your home you enter through beauty.” Louise Hay’s perfect action step is a great reminder to appreciate Beauty because we all have storms in our life. 

Plagued by headaches? Do you feel confused or lose stuff? You can open your entry to vitality when you place plants just inside the front door. They embody life force and generate a positive impulse. Green is soothing and can be viewed for a long time without causing eye strain. If one of your family members has an illness, place nine potted plants in the front entry. 

Discord in your family could mean there is a split view when you walk into your home. A split at the front door can stimulate the brain unevenly, you may think more and act less or act more and think less. There is a potential for illness along the midline from the head to the kidneys. When your eyes cannot focus on one object, you may feel confusion and it becomes difficult to make decisions. Everyone in the house may become impatient, anxious, out of sorts and not accommodating to one another. You At home you want to feel relaxed not harassed. Hang a beautiful chandelier to lift your eyes upward. If your stairway is causing the split, mount a crystal finial on the stair’s post, it will draw your eyes to it. Or hang a faceted lead crystal from the ceiling.

Conflict in your heart that you can’t put your finger on and is difficult to express suggests your stairway leads straight out the front door. This feature not only affects all the eight guas, especially health and wealth, but it can create conflict that is burns your heart and never gets expressed. Anger could take over your life. But there is hope. A planter outside the front door will catch the Ch’i that is escaping out the door.

Lack of risers can steal the Ch’i from everyone who enters your home. You may feel tired all the time and just can’t handle your responsibilities. As simple as it may look, it’s impact is debilitating. Plants underneath delivers vitality or uplight the stairs.

Restriction in your career might be mirrored by a blocking wall as you enter your home. Hanging a mirror or a beautiful landscape can expand your entry and give you a wider entrée. But here is an additional piece not widely known–sound–hang a wind chime on the door will open up the space. It’s lyrical quality can awaken your senses and clear your mind.

Need a boost to your career? A bright light at the front door is good for the career of everyone in the household so the brighter within reason.

Accent your entrance with a splash of red directly across from it. This design treatment can improve your reputation where you work. Red symbolizes happiness, virtuosity, power and inspire you every time you walk through the door.

Spring is a pioneering time, a time of great energy, tender shoots are breaking through the hard ground. I feel inspired by the vernal season and I am excited that winter has ended. It’s time to take up a paint brush, hammer, ceremonies, cures and start designing my own reality. Hope you’ll join me!

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have you decided this will be your year? “Boldness has genius”…start with one hour of Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

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

Say Yes! To Abundance And Change

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have you decided this will be your year? “Boldness has genius”… start with one hour of Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

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

Feng Shui. How Your Emotions Decorate Your Space

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“An interior is the natural projection of the soul.”
– Coco Chanel

Feng Shui design reveals how your house is talking from joy to abundance to anxiety and stress. If you walk into a room and it triggers unhappy thoughts…your emotions decorate your space and visa versa, the door, the stairs, the stove, the bed may initiate physiological stress that creates mood swings.  Here is what Jeanette discovered. Her family decided to move across country so her husband could take a new position and they could be closer to her parents. She had one week to choose a home for her family. The home she fell in love with had vaulted ceilings, a view of the back yard from the front door, a large master suite that stretched from front to back, a three car garage…it was certainly the right neighborhood and the school was perfect for her children. Once they settled into the new house she thought everything would be as before. But the stress of moving never dissipated. A barrier progressively developed between she and her husband. They were silent at the dinner table and he stopped coming home at reasonable hours. Her 13 year old son did not like sleeping in his room. It was so good before the move, what happened? 

Wanting to find the husband she had lost, to help her son stop his nightly wandering and bring some happiness to herself, she called me for help. Jeanette’s story is a powerfully moving scenario and not unlike the stories clients share expressing their profound loss and disbelief over what has happened to the life they once had. She had read several Feng Shui books. She suspected the emotional issues between she and her husband, her son’s distraction and her moodiness were stemming from her home. And she admitted she didn’t feel good being there. When I shared what I saw, my words immediately resonated with her. She had no trouble making a plan and her next step would be decorating using Feng Shui design.

I believe Feng Shui education goes a long way in creating awareness that our home influences our well-being. With that in mind, I composed this Feng Shui guide to help you understand how the design of your home influences how your emotions decorate your space. This guide will help you make informed decisions when you purchase your new home. And if you are already settled in your space, you might recognize one or two design features where your emotions decorate your space, limit your freedom and curb your peace of mind. 

Want a picture? Here is a helpful companion blog on floor plans, “Unraveling Your Home’s Floor Plan With Feng Shui.
 Depletion That Paints You Into A Corner
A hidden front door is when you cannot see the door from the street. Here’s a surprising example how emotions decorate your space. Feelings of isolation can develop over time. What Professor Lin would call “strange chi.” At an office there may be loss of income, feeling frustration, depression and loss of motivation.
• An obstacle (blocking tree, wall, utility pole or column) at the front door can limit opportunities.
• Double doors can create confusion, especially if the door to enter is not marked properly.
• A slanted front door creates a slant on daily interactions that explode into unexpected events related to all areas of life.
• A blocking wall inside the front door can impede the forward movement of everyone in the household. Everyone may struggle with their career. Faith in the future may be lost.
• Front door /back door alignment may possibly create a split through the whole house. The closer the doors the worse this patten is. Parents may feel a barrier between them and lead separate lives. Parents and children lose touch. Money may leak and opportunities dry up. Money, motivation, reputation, health and good luck may fly out the back door.
• Your emotions decorate your space when there is a split at the front door. This detail can affect all areas of life dramatically. The brain is activated unevenly and the two sides will start to lack coordination. The inhabitant may act more and think less. Or think more and act less. In either situation there is an imbalance. As a result illness along the midline can development. Also confusion and the lack of sound decision making can cost a family their health or business. Non-stop arguing and violence can result with a split at the front door. Extreme marital, family and business interactions can take place here.
• A split stairway (typical of split level homes) aka Mandarin duck stairway creates an environment where everything begins to fall apart; it can even shatter a person’s peace of mind. The different levels affect partners where they are more likely to experience miscommunication or not speak at all; children have difficulty feeling accepted; finances fluctuate wildly. Invariably health is unstable. When it is a company and affects all the employees, the consequences can be disastrous.

 Bad Luck That Colors Your Morale
• Seeing a cemetery, a morgue or a deserted house from your front door may bring illness and sudden expected disasters.
• If your home is at end of a “double T” intersection your luck may dwindle in all areas but in particular health and finances.
• A narrow driveway or path. The opportunity to expand your heart and mind may never happen. And if you see opportunity you won’t be able to grasp it, feeling shut down.
• A toilet over the front door brings bad luck to the entire household or business.
• A stove that is backed up to the toilet that is on the other side of the wall affects your luck to the point it may run out.
• A dead door is a door that is nailed shut or that cannot be opened. This feature may stifle’s one’s voice completely. If the original door has been closed there can be a sudden downturn in fortune or slow loss of resources.

Details That Design Conflict
• Arguing Doors are two doors that when they are open bump up against one another. The clashing is jarring to the senses and disturbs the inhabitants equilibrium. Conflict results. It may run throughout the house.
• Biting Doors are a very troubling example how emotions decorate your space. Biting doors are doors that are out of alignment with one another. Visualize walking out of your bedroom and seeing part of a door entry and part of a wall. This design feature creates a split and has the effect of a front door split. Biting doors create discord between parents and parents and children. In a child’s room it can create a bully. You may lose friends and neighbors can turn into enemies. In an office setting there may be gossip, back stabbing and power struggles. Biting doors at the front door are especially detrimental as the conflict and verbal fighting can reach into the neighborhood.
• Piercing Heart Doors are three or more doors which you could walk in a straight line. They create an invisible obstacle through the house which impedes relations between partners, partners and their children and between siblings. Alienation and separation tear the family apart.
• Many doors opening into a small space. I think we all have this one, especially around the bedrooms and bathroom. A door is a “mouth”. This area can be especially noisy because all the voices are trying to speak at once. Listening is difficult and family members may end up quarreling. This design feature is the underpinnings for health issues, particularly the digestive organs.
• Too many doors in relationship to the windows and the adult voice may be too powerful. This ratio may silence the voice of the children. In a business situation management (the adult) may not heart the feedback of employees (the children). There may be a conflict of wills.
• Too few doors in relationship to the windows and the children may create havoc. On the job, employees may strike or rebel.

Architecture That Exhausts All Your Emotional Resources
• A door that is below the level of the street make every movement feel like an uphill climb. Time becomes altered and energy depleted. There is an inability to follow through and complete projects.
• A contrary door is a door that opens to a wall instead of the main part of the room. Everyone who lives in the house may find they are laboring and not enjoying the results of their work. They may feel exhausted and disappointed most of the time.
• If a stove is in line with the front door, family problems may never be resolved. There is constant worry and pressure which can exhaust everyone who lives there.
• If a bedroom is the first room an inhabitant sees when entering the house, they may be too tired to take care of their responsibilities and daily duties.

 Exterior And Interiors That Are Blueprints For Illness
• An industrial park or factory next door may be overwhelming. The distraction and pollution create physical and mental imbalances. Being empty at night they create a yin presence. All of this affects your ability to concentrate, be clear and effective.
• A bathroom in the center of the house or office can deplete all life situations. Poor health can plague every inhabitant year after year, effecting succeeding generations.
• A fireplace in the center of the house can burn up money, create infamy and heat up passion so it is burns outside the house, drying up your creative juices. The flow of your career may come to a drizzle and your inner growth may be non-existent. Your vitality is depleted and your emotional capacity to lift your life to joy is severely restrained.
•A stairway that ends too close to a wall may impede the flow of Ch’i in the building and the bodies of the inhabitants. You may feel blocked physically, emotionally and in your career.

If you would like to receive a cure for any one of these design features, I am happy to share I request red envelopes, here is the red envelope tradition.

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.

Sacred Space: Incubate Your Dreams In 2016

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“Sacred space is an absolute necessity for anybody today. You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don’t know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen.”
– Joseph Campbell

Contrary to belief that winter is a season of sleep, there is evidence it is a transformative time. While plants and wildlife slumber in dormant bliss, celestial events conspire to help us prepare for the deep well of opportunities coming this year. Winter Solstice the light returns to the Northern hemisphere. The days lengthen and swell with the increasing light. January 1, our inner light is ignited with the entrance of the a new year. Midpoint between Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox, February 4, “Lichun”, the light of Spring arrives. Bursting through the frost, the hearty, winter plum blossom exemplifies forging ahead and so we tackle our plans. The timed cues between Heaven and Earth remind our spirit to renew our vow to ourself and the year ahead. 

Our spirit is the mystical, intangible part of our nature and important because it knows precisely when to act and what makes us happy. If we fail to recognize its value, joy remains beyond our grasp. This is reason alone to honor its place within us and create a space of its own. The highly respected Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth, says of sacred space, “To live in a sacred space is to live in a symbolic environment where spiritual life is possible, where everything around you speaks of the exaltation of the spirit….This is the place of creative incubation…Your sacred space is where you find yourself again and again.”

If you’ve always written out your resolutions it might time to blend them with a spatial solution. Here are some basics to help you create a sacred space that will give you the support you need to incubate your dreams in 2016. You want it to be comfortable and away from noise. It can be a bedroom, study, workspace, a corner of a room, chair or your backyard. Keep in mind it is an intentional space that quiets your mind, frees you from stress and provides peace and healing. 

Create an altar or area where you can place special items to heightened your awareness of withdrawing from the world and honoring time alone. You may place fresh cut flowers, life force such as a plant or plants, an aquarium or a water fountain. Sights and sounds should be pleasing and meaningful. Scent is also a powerful tool to follow a path of awakening. A diffuser or dish of orange or lemon essential oil bring clarity or place a bowl of nine oranges. These add color and good fortune. Burning incense is a form of prayer. These methods engage your five senses and enhance the purification of your mind. If your space only has room for a table with a candle, add natural elements such as a shell from a favorite beach, a rock from a lakeshore or a special piece of wood that you picked up from the mountains. If there is a deity that is near to your heart, a statue or a painting is appropriate. If it is a Buddha statue like Quan Yin, Green Tara or Amitabha Buddha honor it with water offerings, food offerings, incense and candles that are placed on a tier below. Devote 5-30 minutes a day to meditate, journal, read or draw. At first you might feel resistance to getting started but if you select a time each day you can commit to, the demands of the world will vanish as you fall in love with this quiet, still time in your day. And when you leave give gratitude to your space for giving you sustenance and joy.

Have questions about your home? Want to feel more vitality and joy?. There are tried and true Feng Shui design principles that my clients share have garnered them success. I want you too to receive the same opportunity so I created Feng Shui A La Carte to get you there.

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.

Crouching Tiger, Hurtful Words. Feng Shui Relationship Advice Saves A Couple’s Love.

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You may be conscious of what you put in your tummy and how it makes you feel, but do you know that a picture hanging in your home can turn a pleasant mood into anger? A fine art print or painting may be executed beautifully but if the image is violent, it impacts not only your sense of safety and well being but your partner’s as well. Here is Mary’s story about seeking relationship advice. When I consult for a client, after I arrive at their home, we sit down, talk about the floor plan and discuss the goals they want to accomplish. Mary was living alone and renting. She was quiet about her life, all she really revealed was she wanted more income. Her dream was to sell her jewelry and earn a good living at it. She was very talented but didn’t feel confident in her abilities. When we started touring her home I saw a Chinese silk painting of  fighting tigers in her bedroom. It was in her Partnership corner. When I asked about her relationship, she started describing the problems with her current boyfriend in detail: argumentative, hurtful, close to violent. I pointed to the claws and said there is part of your problem. Tigers will fight to the death. Those claws had turned into fighting words and she was ready to throw in the towel. I recommended she retire the image. After I left, she immediately took it down. Mary was very motivated and followed the cures I gave her. Once she selected the color that pleased her eye, she painted the room. It was a beautiful, Benjamin Moore, “dusk pink”, a Partnership color. She added plants to bring life force and more oxygen for clear thinking. She hung a round mirror above the bed so there would be no rough edges to the communication between she and her partner. Mary also placed a light at the front door to help with clarity as the entry represents the head. Right away a change ocurred. It was a miracle in her eyes. Her boyfriend stopped acting moody and defensive. She stopped being apologetic. The words between them softened and they started listening to each other again. They worked out their differences. Mary gained confidence. She asked for a raise where she worked and the owner invited her to display her jewelry. Her good luck came back.

The Ba-gua, the Feng Shui octagon, is a time tested method to evaluate the energy fluctuations in a home (ex. a stairway is a design detail with up and down movement. When it is in the wealth gua, it will create instability around money. You may not know when you will get paid or you lose money easily). The eight sided shape is used as a template and superimposed onto a client’s floor plan because it symbolizes important life situations: career, knowledge, family, prosperity, reputation, partnership, children, helpful people (with health in the center). The Ba-gua reveals how these life situations interact. Angularity of walls, color, furniture arrangement, decorations and art in one area will affect another area but equally all who live under the roof or who come in contact with the space. When Mary confessed to her problems with her boyfriend she was able to see the influence of her choice in art. This discovery was the piece that saved her mind.

One thing 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.

 

A Eighteen Year Old’s Wisdom Gave Me Words To Speak.

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Zach Sobiech passed away May 20, 2013. Knowing he was going to die made him all the more aware to be alive. At age fourteen he was diagnose with osteosarcoma, terminal cancer. He wanted love, marriage, four children and a future. His illness would keep him from these but he didn’t allow his fate to stop his dreams. He strove to make a difference; to be true to himself; to express his deep affection for his family and friends in a legacy of songs (Clouds). He never passed an opportunity to make everyday special. Zach did not hold back. In his words: “What makes me feel good is when someone has a smile on their face and I helped put it there.” 

He made me smile and cry–a testament to his spirit.

We are all looking for Why. Why me? Why am I here? Why now? Zach knew Why – Love is why. His story inspired me to share why I do what I love to do. His compassion and love to see his family and friends happy remind me why I love to help people make their homes special: because I want to put a smile on their face. Folks come to me unhappy, in fear, angry, depressed, sick, feeling defeated, out of touch with their emotions and some because they have cancer. They have tried many methods but those end up being temporary. Then inspiration arrives, an object in their home lights up before them. They start searching for a solution closer to their heart–their home. I want to be a light, a source that helps them turn on their own light. If I have succeeded in that, I feel I have accomplished what I set out to do. This is the legacy I want to leave–help one person, one home at a time; both to feel their best. A balanced home helps all the rest to work. 

If you are feeling bad about yourself or disappointed that something didn’t work out in your life, or love real life stories about kids doing super sized things, watch this video of  Zach. Its full of miracles and smiles. Thank you Zach for leading with your  heart and showing us all the way.

Zach and his family started a fund to help children outlive cancer, Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund.

One thing 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.