Tag Archives: meditation

De-stress The Holidays With Full Moon Rituals

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“The moon does not worry….It keeps to its course, but by its very nature, it gently influences. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished.”
– Taoist Master, Deng Ming-Dao

Not only is the year ending in a few weeks, but this month closes the decade. Questions are likely distracting you. Will I get it all done? Can I afford the expense of the holidays? Will my family make demands? Will my in-laws get along? There is a light on December 12, a full moon light that has the potential to shift you out of any anxiety and transform that anxious state into bliss; to bring heaven to earth allowing you to enjoy the season with family and friends.

The numerology of the December 12 Full Moon (1212) signifies something has changed for the better and you have gone through some type of portal or gateway. It means “Have faith in your dreams. You are on the right track.” If you read my blogs you are familiar with my message: Feng Shui is a portal through which you can advance your development by consciously designing your space. To access the auspicious full moon energy, I have included four methods to add to your Feng Shui toolkit. These rituals will help you enhance your savvy, establish a mindfulness routine and unleash the power within you because in your being you’ve got this.

Cool down
Full moon light clears your thinking. We are all innately wise but how do we access it at will? The wise men of times past would consult the Heavenly bodies to heal their hearts and minds. If they needed a remedy, a healing, a purification, they consulted the moon or the sun. The December 12 full moon light can bathe you with its restorative power. If you feel fuzzy, distracted, angry or overwhelmed, walk out into a clear space like a park or a field, free from electrical wires. Stand facing the moon. Open your arms to receive. Feel the cool, yin energy. See your body, your mind, your spirit relax and the moon’s essence washing over you. Neither Motrin nor Benadryl have the power like you to put the pieces back together when life is out of balance.

De-clutter
Full moon energy increases your attention to detail. Marie Kondo’s simple and gentle advice for releasing the physical things that no longer serve you is a wonderful full moon ritual. Begin days before the full moon. Take fifteen minutes. Hold the object in question. Ask yourself does it bring me joy? Do I feel love? If not, thank it with sincerity for the time it served you and find it a new home.

Release
Full moons highlight endings. This is an opportune time to purge emotions, trauma, grief (if you are ready), suffering and what has been blocking you. Purchase a new white candle(s), find an area where you will not be disturbed. Best times are 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. If this is not doable, December 12 is an auspicious date so you can perform this ritual at any time that is suits your schedule but ideally you want to see the moon when you look out the window. Orange or lemon essential oil is perfect for purifying your space. Pour a few drops onto the burning candle or use a diffuser. Or cut circles out of the zest of an orange or lemon and sprinkle around your room. Visualize the light of the full moon encircling you. Write down what you want to release on several slips of paper or just one page. Say out loud what you want to let go. Throw the paper into a small fire-proof cauldron or cooking pot or let the candle burn them. Feel the burden lift off of you. Feel your breath deepen in your tan’tien (belly). Feel the transformation in your heart. You have exited one portal and entered a new phase of your life.

Amplify
Full moon power can increase your intuition. Performing rituals illuminate your senses, not just your mind. They have the capacity to activate a full body awareness. This advanced awareness accesses your subconscious which can annex universal information/super knowledge, the source of all creativity (Edison accessed infinite intelligence to create his inventions. Mozart wrote his music note perfect the first time. He said when he sat down to write the entire opus, it would come into his mind and he would simply transcribe it onto paper). If you need an answer to a difficult problem, give it to your subconscious at bedtime and it will download a creative solution. But you are not limited to sleep to source your creativity, you can do this at any time of the day. Maintaining a daily meditation practice is key. It helps you focus on your goals and inspiration will come to you more easily. If you do not have a mediation practice contact me and I would be happy to discuss what BSTB meditations might work for you.

Full moons expand human consciousness. We are in need of big compassion this time of year. His Holiness, Grandmaster Lin Yun gave us a secret to a successful life: perform a good deed every day. By helping another person, you shift, not only their reality, but yours as well. A kind deed will improve your luck, circumstances and income. Kindness is the antidote to the economic down turn. For emphasis do nine good deeds a day and if you need to really shift energy, twenty seven good deeds in one day. But remember that your sincerity is the most important part.

A well designed space allows you to access positive energy at all times. Call upon 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: Old World Witchcraft

Design Your Life Around Your Purpose

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“Your life has purpose. Your story is important. Your dreams count. Your voice matters. You were born to make an impact.”
– Author unknown

When you make a decision you’re dynamic and you are powerful (thank you Abraham Hicks). This mindset immediately creates a field that surrounds you with positive intent where everything moves in cooperation with what you’ve asked for and supports your alignment with your desires.

When you are in symmetry with your desires (this is where Feng Shui comes in) the design of your home, the arrangement of your furniture, the position of your desk, bed and stove, the alignment of Ch’i and the accents to the front door maximize the wish-fulfilling energy coming into your house. This positive Ch’i creates worlds. So you may want to consider this: envision the walls in your home, the shape of your furnishings, color and lighting in your rooms, less as physical, finite objects and more as you’re composing a directive to assemble the people, places and events you desire to experience. Consciously putting your home into order yields the good fortune (luck, money, love) that blesses you.

For my September blog I am offering a secret enhancement to design your life around your purpose. This cure is from Professor Lin’s infinite body of Feng Shui wisdom. But before I give you the secret cure, consider implementing these practices, they are 99% on the mark to help you succeed.

Professor Lin recommends that meditating daily has extraordinary benefits: it calms your mind, you develop the focus to act with discernment and it broadens your inspiration, all of which help you master your life. Allow meditation to have a place in your day to access your inner voice, your intuition, it has wise messages for you. Add journaling and chanting to encourage self-esteem and self-reliance. Include a personal mantra or Buddhist mantras to transform your inner dialogue so that you recognize what you nurture, you become. Then this cure will be the most effective and powerful.

Place the bed, desk and stove in command position (you can see the door but not be in line of the door) because these areas are your command centers. You make more powerful yet meaningful Feng Shui adjustments when you understand how lack of command hinders your ability to stay aligned with your desires. The necessity for command position influences your sense of safety; you may experience lack of opportunity; anger and mood swings. In the case if the bed is out of command heart trouble, insomnia and illness along the midline (among other health issues) may arise. When your desk is out of command you may have an outdated perspective, unable to see both opportunity and trouble coming and experience lack of support. If you cannot see what is going on while you are at the stove, this suggests a downturn in finances, diminished good luck and heart trouble. Referred back to the 27 Bedroom Concepts for how to place your bed in command, it will apply to the desk too. If you have a question about command position I am happy to answer your inquiry. Please contact me bette@shenmenfengshui.com (I follow the Red Envelope Tradition). In Feng Shui Matters To Your Heart, I share a list of design features that affect your focus and clarity. The list can be useful when you are wanting to make a change.

Ba-gua Formation
Choose either your house or your lot, but do not mix and match them. Perform this sequence for either the house or the lot not both. It’s like saying you do not trust the cure’s effectiveness. These specific adjustments mentioned are meant to be suggestions. Please be mindful of the character and qualities of the gua you are enhancing. If you go your own way, your cure could be less effective and then you may conclude the cure does not work.

Perform this cure between the hours of 11 pm to 1 am (Zi hours) or 11 am to 1 pm (Wu hours). You will complete this cure in eight days. If you miss a day you must start over at Helpful People.

Day One
Begin with the Helpful People (Chien)Gua. It is located in the front right corner of the house or lot. Outside you can place a tall rock or a bird bath, a statue of a Buddha. Place something that has weight. Inside a photo of a travel destination you love. A mirror will expand this area with the proper intention.

Day Two
Move clockwise to Career (Kan). If you know a blessing ritual from the Black Sect Buddhist Feng Shui perform that. An image of water or an actual water feature or a photo of your ancestors or an affirmation for your career are appropriate.

Day Three
Next move to Knowledge (Gen). It is located in the front left corner of your home or lot). Hang a wind chime or place an image of a mountain or a pathway or archway. Something that leads you into contemplation.

Day Four
Continue clockwise to Family (Jen). Hang a wind chime to encourage good luck for the family. Or plant bamboo. It bends in the wind; it bows in the wind and implies having the flexible Ch’i to get along with family members. Or hang an image of bamboo in this area of your home.

Day Five
Move to the back left corner to Wealth (Hsun). It is related to Wind in the I-Ching and also the Wood element. Water is usually depicted here. Hang an image of grasses blowing in the wind. Or place a convex mirror to expand the various resources to receive money.

Day Six
Continue on to the back center of the house or lot. This is the Fame Gua (Li). It means Radiance or Clarity also Clinging (as Fire clings to whatever it is burning). A spot light here to shine the light on your reputation or a crystal to add radiance to your visibility in your community.

Day Seven
Move in a clockwise fashion to Partnership (Kun) which is in the right back corner of the house or lot. This is an Earth gua. Containers, pottery, a bench, or a wheelbarrow are appropriate. Add pink roses in the house or plant roses in the yard in this area.

Day Eight
The last enhancement. This area is the Children Gua (Dui). It is mistaken for Creativity, creativity belongs to all the guas. A white statue for the lot or place a metal statue of children playing. Something hand made by a child like a drawing would activate the Ch’i. 

A home that is not a complete rectangle may have a missing area or in some cases like an L shape home, an extension. These need an adjustment before you begin the Bagua Formation cure.

Want to get started right away? Design your life around your purpose? Let’s get started! A well-designed space allows you to access positive energy at all times. Call me, 503-232-2543 and I will help you arrange your home where you feel fully supported. I am available for a full consultation or for an hour telephone conversation, Feng Shui A La Carte. Think of it as a fairy godmother for your house.

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

Secrets That Maximize The Great American Eclipse

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“Success is meeting every challenge from your calm center within. Seek strength and guidance intuitively in your inner self.”
– Swami Kriyananda

In less than five days a breathtaking, bucket list eclipse will darken the skies of midland America with millions flocking to watch. Concurrently completely weird anomalies will happen as a result. Stars and planets will be viewable in the middle of the day; a 360 degree sunset will be visible around the moon; corona rainbows are likely to appear. With the change in light, the temperature will plummet. Birds will think it is dusk and begin their evening song. Roosters will start crowing when the sun reappears. With this confusion in time and space as day turns to night, how might you maximize your experience when the sun drops out of sight?

Many ancient cultures believed eclipses were a bad omen. In China, they thought a celestial dragon was eating the sun. The Greek word ekleipsis from which eclipse is derived, means abandonment. In India, food is considered tainted during an eclipse. Fasting is observed before and after. Maybe the ancients were on to an important concept, that it is a vulnerable time on this third rock from the sun and it is better to be mindful than frivolous.

Contrary to what scientist and astronomers purport, that eclipses do not have an effect on human behavior and health, a celestial event such as a solar or lunar eclipse can affect you physically, emotionally and intellectually. And yet it has the potential to amplify your emotional intelligence, mental expansion and spiritual cultivation. Yogis and spiritual masters use it as an opportunity to retreat indoors and perform pujas. It is an excellent time to cultivate a spiritual practice if you do not already have one. If you have decided to sit (literally) out the Great American Eclipse, here are action steps you can take to minimize the effects of the solar eclipse and maximize your experience.

The electromagnetic fields of animals and humans lowered during an eclipse, thus inhibiting concentration and focus.
Don’t look at the eclipse.
Don’t engage in day to day activities.
Don’t make important decisions.
Don’t initiate important projects.
Don’t eat food 12 hours before. Specifically do not eat or drink water during the eclipse.

An eclipse is a powerful time to accelerate your spiritual development. The pituitary and pineal glands become rewired. The cosmic channels are open and spiritual practice allows you to receive downloads that will increase your awareness.
Do set your intention of exploring your spiritual essence.
Do take an orange peel bath to cleanse your auric field prior to the start of the eclipse.
Do chant mantras (Om Mani Padme Hum, Gate, Gate…).
Do meditate.
Do perform yoga or qigong.
Do journal or creative writing.

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.

Polishing The Mirror

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“As you live deeper in the heart, the mirror gets clearer and cleaner.”
– Rumi

With tonight’s Mid-Autumn Moon Festival celebration I am reminded of the tens of thousands who venture out of doors to dine on moon cakes, drink wine with loved ones and pay homage to their ancestors. I too have worshipped the moon as I held my sake cup up high to the sky at the Portland Japanese Garden. In ancient China women would bring out water-filled basins to absorb the perfectly round moon used to purify their homes when they cleaned. This gentle influence can pull an entire ocean from shore to shore. And because of its power, it has been collected for centuries to remove heat from an angry heart or clear a furrowed brow of confusion.

Like the water basin filled by the moon, mirrors can also be filled–sometimes it is the moon’s yin essence, sometimes the sun’s vitality, yet it is always filled with intention. A “programed” mirror can create soft words between partners, pull water across a bed to attract money or flip an oppressive building upside down. Understanding how this esoteric magic works has largely remained untapped. If you desire to understand the transcendental nature of your mirror cure or if you are a first time seeker of Feng Shui, the following wisdom may give you a greater appreciation for an ordinary mirror.

Mirrors Help Us Release Judgement “The Mirror is an ancient Buddhist symbol for clarity, completeness of perception and purity of consciousness. A mirror reflects a thing objectively but what we see in the mirror is not the thing itself. Because the object is not seen directly, it may be seen more accurately – more clearly, without judgement and with great perspective. This can lessen the tendency to see a thing as fixed or solid and encourage better understanding. The mirror or perception, more effectively propels the mind toward insight and compassion than mere argument or lecture.”
–Baronet 4 Tibet

Mirrors Fill With Whatever Is Before Them A mirror has no color, no image and can fill itself with whatever is before it. This “empty” nature is what makes it possible. Take an object like a vase of red flowers and it becomes the flowers and the vase. Take it away and place a bowl of oranges and it becomes the fruit. We, humans, are also capable of reflecting what is before us. However we may not be conscious of the effect of the content of what fills us. Often this leads to unhappiness and limitations.

Mirrors Give Us Insight Looking into the mirror’s reflective surface reminds us of the impermanence of nature and bends the limitations of our thinking. We may experience a sudden insight that the thing is not good nor bad, not beautiful nor ugly. And we begin to see ourselves in the same way and embrace our true nature.

Polish The Mirror In Your Heart Sprinkling your day with meditation, spiritual breathing, chanting a mantra, for example, Om Mani Padme Hum, and taking walks, help you shift from a busy mind into focused perception. These precious, out-of-time still moments create a direct path to living deeper in your heart. The stillness polishes your mind and with your intention refreshed, your wish projects into the mirror and beyond the wall on which it rests, expanding all possibilities and opportunities.

Mirrors

  • Bagua mirrors protect everything that are behind them. Most often they are hung outside to protect everything within. Their power rests in the power of the eight trigrams, the five elements and theory of yin and yang.
  • Convex Mirrors widen an area of view, they broaden the scope of an adjustment creating an array of possibilities.
  • Concave Mirrors widen an image and soften a potential threat such as a knife-edge or an oncoming road.
  • Sun Moon Mirrors create balance that is represented by yin and yang, night and day, the moon and the sun. This universal balance of light can create clarity, cultivate good judgement, keep you safe and strengthen your prosperity. When life gets a little frenetic, this mirror can be like the ocean–calm, steady, rhythmic and pure.

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.

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.

Feng Shui Color Tips: Choosing The Right Hue For You!

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“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way…”
–Georgia O’Keefe

Color touches upon every aspect of life and creates a meaningful impact on your surroundings. It nurtures your health, replenishes money, captures opportunities for your livelihood and strengthens your communication skills. You can broadcast your intention with color. Refresh your body, brighten your mood, remove clutter in your thoughts or find creative solutions for your questions. Harmonizing your surroundings with color aligns you with your purpose and allows you to be free to tap into your highest potential.

Feng shui color tips and the science of color help facilitate telling a coworker how you feel; asking your boss for a raise; planning a passionate night with your partner; mending a relationship; writing your memoir and sleeping peacefully. 

Basic Rainbow colors +

Red is associated with happiness, passion and prosperity. Use red to feel enthusiasm. A sensational color for your power outfit that will pull your resume and prodigious work history together is red–fire engine red, Chinese red, chili pepper red. Red in Feng shui adds courtesy, etiquette, power and strength.

Orange restores, it warms and stimulates. It is a color to help you process your ideas. If you are a writer or want to try your hand at a creative project bring some orange, tangerine or mango to the craft table or tie a scarf around your neck to stimulate your throat chakra–you will speak your truth and play more successfully with the ideas that bubble up.

Yellow boosts your self-confidence. It brightens and promotes healing. If you have had a falling out with a family member and you want to mend your relationship, wear lemon or marigold yellow. It will raise both of your spirits. It will smooth out rigidity and inflexible opinions.

Green refreshes your body and spirit. It is a common color in nature – grass, trees and vegetation – it can help you to feel grounded, creative and calm. It is easy on the eyes and you can look at green for a long time and not experience eye strain. It equalizes, relaxes and balances painful processes. Wrap yourself in a deep sage or emerald green chenille blanket. Sit quietly by candlelight in your meditation room, touch your heart with your hands, feel its pulse, and quietly focus on feeling serene.

Blue clarifies. It emits a sense of well-being. It also soothes, focuses, and cools down energy. Gums sore? That inflammation could be unexpressed anger at work. Wear a sky blue dress or blouse to get mental clarity on the underlying issue. Still need to cool down? Go to bed in a cloud of blue flannel sheets or periwinkle blue cotton pajamas.

Indigo cultivates your intuition and builds self trust. Find a world market or antique mall that carries exotic scarves from Turkey or pashminas from India. Cloak your body and enjoy the mystery of the deep inky blue. Develop your insights from the messages you receive both visible and invisible.

Purple transforms energy on a higher level. It relaxes the nervous system and has a calming mental effect (not to mention boosts sex drive). It is wonderful to adorn a space where you meditate. After a long work day, gently refocus your attention and nourish your mind, when you slip into a flowing, satin robe of deep purple hue. Feel the luxury of its abundant warmth and sensuality. And while you are contemplating your bed and bedroom, check out Under The Covers With Five Element Color to see what colors work best for your bed.

Pink inspires love and romance. Hot pink and fuchsia stimulate passion. Be playful and use your imagination. Your brain is the biggest sex organ. You can do wonders with sheer magenta fabric to lead your partner to the boudoir.

Black connects you to your wisdom. Helps access deeper thoughts. If you need to take command of a situation wear black to express your authority.

White purifies. It is recognized as innocence and cleanliness in the west.  In the east, it is the symbol of death. If you have tried everything and still cannot shed those extra pounds wear all white. You will be so concerned with keeping your clothes spotless that you will be very careful about what goes into your mouth. No spaghetti sauce or chocolate fudge sundae for dinner.

Please share Feng Shui color tips of your own. 

Feng Shui touches on every aspect of life. If you want a small taste, I invite you to try 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.