2020: Your Soul In Focus

“Sometimes life is about risking everything for a dream that no one can see but you.”
– Enrique Iglesias

2020 is the year of conscious living. What this means is there will be a pronounced shift from operating via our intellect to living from our heart. We can take real advantage of this incoming energy when we marry our soul desires with our purpose. This alignment is the kind that incites our joy which creates good timing, prosperity and abundant opportunities. If you want to realize your dream for 2020, here’s your opening to envision “your future you”.

Beginning is not so difficult when you understand that physical reality is not fixed but malleable and can be manipulated for positive change. Now through the end of the year is a perfect incubation period for imagining, setting intention and seeing all the details. Explore the dynamic, prosperous person you are, first in the subtle realm, by writing out your day to day activities. See all the elements of the work you’ll be doing. Imagine what your good health looks like. Envision the high value relationships you will attract and muse over the opportunities you want to see happen. Invest in this daily and you will create a solid foundation for your future you.

Master this shift with four areas of the Bagua that enhance personal development. Blend Feng Shui design with self discovery and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the alchemy. Isn’t it time to go for what you want?

Knowledge/Self Cultivation
Self awareness is the foundation to understanding your potential. The Knowledge area, Gen, of your home (front left corner of the house) is referred to as the Mountain. It is the time to strategically withdraw and muse over your experiences. Hiking up a mountain trail and resting at the summit is a form of contemplation. The fresh mountain air stimulates deep breath and this activates the brain, opening the channels for your intuition to directly access your cognitive functions. Which means your decision making is direct, fluid and connected to your desires. Literally this may be achieved with spiritual breath work like the Nine Step Breathing. In Feng Shui design, place an intentional object in this area. It can be a wall hanging of a mountain you love; or paint the room or a single wall the color of this gua (blue, teal, turquoise); or hang a clear, faceted crystal for clarity. With proper visualization, anyone of these adjustments will encourage mental reflection and remind you to perform daily meditation. The gateway to your success is your intuition and meditating helps you connect to the world through it with a calm mind. Dedicate time to ponder your behavior, your choices and your experiences. You will be in sync with your goals and confident to release beliefs and behaviors that will not serve you in 2020.

Helpful People/Travel
Heaven is the complement of Earth, the Yang of the Yin. The duality of Yang and Yin creates balance. You can bless your endeavors with the help of Heaven. You can manifest your intentions with the ease of Helpful People. Chien is in the front right corner of the house. This area symbolizes the head. If you are experiencing fuzzy thinking, distraction, confusion, obfuscation and you really want a shift to occur, place an image of a person who is helpful. It may be a public figure you admire, a mentor who has helped you or a deity whom has assisted you in times of need. Set the intention to amplify a ‘clear head’ and laser focus. Also pay attention to a streak of bad luck with contractors, vendors or service people. If it’s taking longer for the work to be completed or materials are misplaced or stolen, this drama consumes your valuable time where you could be doing something else. This is another opportunity to place a cure in this area. But remember do not place two.

Fame/Reputation
In the central back area of the house is the Fame gua. Its Chinese name Li means ‘clinging’ but it also signifies ‘brightness’. The sun and the moon cling to the heavens brightening the world. Grass and trees cling to the earth prospering the world. The I-Ching (from which the Bagua derives) describes the intention of Fame/Li in the following. “It is advantageous to persist to clinging to the right object; then what is intended can progress smoothly. When clinging to the right object, one must act with tenderness. i.e. remain steady with it and nourish tenderness….(iching123.com).” In the Bagua metaphor the eyes symbolize (the light that shines through them) Fame. If you are stymied by inaction, if you are ruminating and cannot access what your heart is telling you, if you are searching but your eyes cannot perceive what you truly desire, place an adjustment here to carry out your aspirations for 2020. The color is red and the triangle shape represents Fire. Remember this is the area where your reputation shines onto your community.

The Center
As you prepare for a transition in your life, call upon the Center of your home to provide support. It is the center of your Universe. It is your domain, your place to collect yourself, poise your thoughts and absorb life events and to pull it all together. In the transcendental sense it is mental, emotional spiritual and physical health. When you are experiencing a shift or growth, life may feel unstable. Create firmness here. Add yellow (orange or brown work too) if you need to feel safe and trust your ideas. When the fruit of our labor have been harvested we are ready to push on. Place an adjustment in the center for a harmonious conversion to the next stage. With change disarray may suddenly appear. Go to the Center, pause and let Earth support you as you move through the life lesson. Because the four sides are equal and it lends soundness, the shape is the square.

We all carry the initiative to awaken our heart and identify our purpose which lifts everyone on this planet. My hope is you find this time insightful, fertile and rewarding for however you choose to fulfill your potential.

Want to get started right on designing your future you? 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 https://shenmenfengshui.com/services/consulting/ 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.

3 Ways To Transform Stress In Your Home

“As we head into the dark time of year, let’s take a moment to check in with our practice of compassion, for ourselves and others. Let’s notice our reactions as we encounter pain and suffering, our own and that of others. Notice when we open our hearts and make friends with the discomfort and when we go into fear, anger, resistance or stuckness. Our heads might not know where we are at, but our bodies can give us loads of information.”
Sacred Circle Dance

We are experiencing an unprecedented exposure to media, download of EMFs and anxiety over global events. These kinds of stress undermine our sense of safety and control in the world. If you are having difficulty sleeping; concerned for your family’s safety; wondering how to minimize conflict at home, on the road and in the workplace, there is a way to help your life go right. Not only compassion transforms stress, creating your home as your center of strength can help you act with confidence in an uncertain world. If you are ready to make-over your home, here are three key areas that will help you revolutionize your inner state and create a sense of safety.

Begin with those who make life easier.
Look to the front right corner as you face into the house, this is Chien, Helpful People help us accomplish what we set out to do. In the I-Ching this area is represented by Heaven. Heaven Ch’i is effortless in its ability to manifest.

  • Activating this niche with a Feng Shui adjustment draws Heaven onto Earth. Placing a sacred object here invites the people and sets up the events that come to your aide. An image or statue of dragon (no red dragons for that is a cooked dragon), horses, a goose, lion or elephant represent this area. You could hang an image of a special place that you have traveled to or long to visit. Or mount a wall clock for this gua is associated with time. How we manage our time is a mark of success. Make your visualization precise.

Hold your family together.
Locate the center of your home. A strong center can contain you and your loved in the thick of the intricacies of everyday life. If the center of your home is weak, your life can spin out of control. Check for the following details.

  • A stairway in the center creates instability which can lead to worry and restlessness. Loss of Ch’i can destroy your sense of peace and leak energy from the entire house and your energy too. Hang a wind-chime or a mirror at the top of the stairway. Or paint the railing green.
  • A bathroom in the center will deplete all the life situations that the Bagua contains. Your life’s resources will either vanish slowly or be depleted in an immediate surge down the drain.
    Place a mirror on the outside of the bathroom door. This “transcendentally” removes the bathroom by reflecting what is in front of the mirror, hence the bathroom “disappears”.
  • Other details that should be avoided in the middle of the house: boiler; motor; electrical service box – your main disconnect; oven; fireplace; generator. If something electrical or hot exists in the middle of the house, you can paint it green or decorate it with a green plant or place a green plant on top of it.

Avoid dissonance and exhaustion.
Walk to your bedroom. Check to see if your bed is placed on the edge of a “cleaver” shaped room.

  • If the master bed is on the edge of the cleaver, words may be cutting and sharp. This creates dissonance among family members that can spread beyond the walls of your home and impinge upon your life in exhausting ways. If you have a cleaver shaped bedroom, place a mirror on the wall opposite the bed to pull the bed off the knife edge. 
  • Subscribe to my blogspot for more bedroom help. Receive 27 Bedroom Concepts To Maximize Your Health, Happiness and Peace of Mind.

If you want more information about design that contributes to stress, lack of safety, ill health and conflict, check out Floor Plans Matter. I describe one design feature in each of nine floor plans. My hope is that you start to think of your home as your source to regenerate your energy where you can face the world with good humor, trust and feel empowered to make a change for your own good.

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

Photo credit: LoveFairyGarden, Etsy.com

The Restorative Power of Harmony

“He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the Universe.”
– Marcus Aurelius

The hot days of August sweeten the landscape and the harvest yields its fruit with ample abundance. We are aware of the Earth’s providence and our senses are filled with peace and plenty. Earth follows Fire (in the Chinese Five Element Theory) just like the fruit forms after the blossom, for Earth it is the fruit ripening on the trees, heavy and suspended. This is the season of transition.

Earth represents our center of gravity. It is the axis from which everything else–our dreams, our career, our relationships–orientate from. When we amend the earth we create a proper and receptive soil that supports our roots and gives us a sturdy base. Our growth is sustained by balance and we gracefully manage a stressful world.

Summers have become more intense and 2018 was particularly stressful. The arrival of the passive, caring Earth season has been a welcomed relief. Like Mrs. Doubtfire, this time denotes generosity, kindness and feeling grounded, Earth’s qualities that help us find our balance again. If you have lost a sense of serenity, want to reestablish harmony, desire focus or aspire to feel whole and undivided, I have culled from Professor Lin’s wisdom the following five insights in the hope these teachings will you help you realign with your purpose and regain your peace of mind.

Find Your Axis With Color The “earth” beneath our feet locates us in time and space. When we worry and stress about events that are beyond our control or when we don’t feel supported, the center of our home helps us regain our inner composure. It is the center of our Universe. It is our domain to collect ourselves and trust that the sun will rise again. In the transcendental sense the center is your health. Create harmony, stability, focus and calm by adding earth colors like yellow, orange or brown to the center of your home. These colors cultivate trust in yourself, your ideas and feeling supported by those you love. As the well of trust deepens you become trustworthy. Rapport among family and friends becomes unified and harmony abides.

Create A Center of Gravity When life’s difficulties threaten to flip your world upside down, adjust Earth in your home to set things straight. It is represented in the Bagua by the Tai Ch’i symbol (Yang ascending, Yin descending). In your home it could be a very busy place where family members come and go without a care to what is happening here, yet this area requires everyone’s attention as it supports handling stress. If you are falling a lot, nervous, resistant to change or feeling off center, activate the center of the house Bagua with a 60mm faceted crystal. It represents the supportive power of the light of universal wisdom. Before hanging it, program the newly purchased crystal with your intention to stabilize the entire household. Visualize the energy spiraling to the floor(s) above and through the basement. See the Ch’i from the crystal radiating to all the rooms in the house.

Change Directions Without Losing Balance If you have taken one of my classes, received a consultation from me or if you have read a book on Feng Shui, you will recognize the Bagua, the eight sided octagon. The eight trigrams represent the eight directions (E, S, W, N, NW, NW, SE, SW) and the thousands of things in the universe. However not everything is covered. In the center you will find what you cannot find elsewhere. If life feels disharmonious or fragmented or if you are unsure about what direction to take and don’t know where in your home to correct this, you can be absolutely covered by adjusting the center. Remember the t’ai ch’i faces outward to all the trigrams and interacts with them. Visualize harmony is restored in your life.

Stabilize Your Relationships If you are asking too much from others and not giving in return or giving away too much, you may have an imbalance in your Earth element. Purchase a Yu bowl (flat and squat, it represents stability). www.etsy.com Place nine small round or oval stones in a shallow bowl (a Yu if you have one). Fill the bowl three-quarters full with water and it place outside briefly to absorb the daylight (the supportive power of the light of universal wisdom). Then go to your bed and place it under your bed or on the nightstand. Visualize the qualities of the earth: stability, security, gentleness, ease, nurturing, peace loving, supportive and reliability. Perform the body, mind, speech reinforcements known as the Three Secrets (red envelopes requested). Remove the water every morning and fill it three-quarters full. Take it outside briefly to absorb the sunlight. Do this for 9 or 27 days. After 9 or 27 days return the stones to the earth. Do not use them for anything else. To stop family members from quarreling, place the Yu on your nightstand.

Cultivate Focus Find time to be alone to know yourself. In my June blog I share tips on how to create a sacred space. The quiet enables you to tune into your inner voice, the voice through which your intuition speaks. Meditation, journaling and chanting will help you develop self-esteem and self-reliance. These moments in solitude help you tap into the restorative power of the Earth, harmonize your spirit and replenish your soul.

The yellow Buddha, Ratnasambhava is associated with giving and generosity. Six forms of generosity are: of material things ~ giving time, energy and thought ~ giving knowledge ~ Fearlessness ~ Life and limb ~ the Dharma

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.