A video that is beautiful and thought-provoking.
Take a few minutes to watch – you will be glad you did.
Just be sure you have the sound ON so you can hear the music and narration.
My best wishes to you for a wonderful Holiday Season.
May you have joy, laughter and love.
Linda
photo by Thien Ahn Dinh
“The attempt must be made; the outcome is irrelevant. Right action is a pale material reflection of the divine, but reflection it is, nonetheless. Define your goal and exert reason to accomplish it by virtuous action; success or failure is secondary..” – Iain Pears, The Dream of Scipio
Arranging things is important to enhancing and balancing the chi energy in your home or workspace. But to get the best results you must add an intention.
What is an intention? A wish, a dream, a goal, a prayer? It is all of these. But to make your intention come true you must include action to make your goal happen. No passive wishing. You must add your own energy into the mix. With your intention, think of the steps you need to take to make your dream come true. And then start doing them.
Intentions are faith plus action plus letting go. Writing down your intention is one step.
If you want to meet your Prince or Princess Charming, you are not going to find him or her sitting at home. (Unless you have a crush on your UPS person.)
I can’t think of a better romance attraction magnet than enjoying yourself.
If your intention is about business or career success:
Get out there make your dream come true, then you will bump into Good Luck.
I teach my clients a beautiful intention ritual to help them clarify their goals, the steps toward that goal and how to offer this to God/The Universe.
The essence of this ritual is:
Do your best. Live and act in the moment. Trust that what you need will come to you.
And be mindful of your blessings with gratitude. Read this post about The Seed of Happiness.
photo by julie jordan scott
I say this to my Feng Shui clients: The best kind of home is one that expresses who you are and what you love. And as a bonus, when you personalize the decoration of your home, you raise your Chi – whether you are Feng Shui-ing your home or not.
“I see it every day: People trying to create a home that somebody else tells them they should have….if it doesn’t represent you, you’re not going to be happy. Take a beat and say ’Is this something I want to live with, or am I just buying it because I saw it on a TV show?’ ” – Nate Berkus, interior designer, television host and author.
“… your home should not be a presentation to your friends. Surroundings should relate to who you are, what you love, and to what you deem important in life.” – George Lois , mass media expert and advertising provocateur – just don’t say he is the original Don Draper of Mad Men.
Is your home decorated or staged? Feng Shui uses home decoration/interior design as a vehicle to enhance and balance Chi. But if you are looking for inspiration to create a home with warmth on television, in magazines or online you will be challenged. Two clients I worked with recently were using what they saw in the media, unedited, as the template for the decoration of their living rooms. One followed a theme décor right down to the objects on her coffee table. It was beautiful, but none of it expressed who she was. Another client was inspired by a photo to have deep teal walls. It was beautiful in the photo, but would not work with the rug she wanted to use in her living room. Both clients were open to my suggestions: one to personalize her space and the second about why the teal wall worked in the photo but not in her living room, and what alternative she could use to compliment her rug and get a similar effect as in the photo.
What you see in the media are staged rooms. Not rooms for people to live in. Take time to look at the entire photo and see what elements are working together. Then figure out if it will work for you:
Trust your instincts and take the inspirations you see and adapt them to make them your own.
When I work with a client, I like to use their personal treasures as Feng Shui cures whenever possible. When I see a photo, painting, or memento I ask them “Please, tell me about this.” When I see their face light up as they describe where they got it, who gave it to them or who or what it reminds them of, then I am literally seeing their personal Chi rise. This response indicates that this object is a very powerful cure. I then collaborate with them about where is the best place to put this cure, relating to the theme of the picture or the emotional association of the object.
Sometimes I work with a client who has few or no personal treasures in their home. Sometimes they will say that a piece of art is a “place saver.” Life is too short to surround yourself with anonymous art. If you don’t have an emotional connection to something, at least have something that makes you catch your breath when you first see it – that you love for the sheer beauty of it. (This sudden inhale is also a sign of rising personal Chi.)
This rise in personal Chi occurs even if you are not consciously seeing or connecting with this memento of the people, places and events that have positive and nourishing meaning to your life.
Have you decorated your home according to someone else’s idea of “good taste” or the “latest trend”? If so, it is not your home, it is their home. Express yourself through your treasures. Re-claim your home.
If you doubt your taste or instincts remember: If you are happy with your home, your guests will be happy. Personalize your space.
What have you displayed in your home to help you remember the people, places and events that warm your heart? I would love to hear from you. Share them as a comment, below.
One of the first things you learned about Feng Shui was to position your bed to see the door of your bedroom. Why? So you could see if someone was trying to invade your bedroom and attack you.
Does this reasoning apply to your home in today’s world?
Positioning your bed with the head against a window looks dramatic, but feels ungrounded and exposed.
You also learned what Feng Shui discovered two thousand years ago, and modern social psychology discovered fifty years ago: People do not feel comfortable when their back is exposed. You are hardwired to be hyper-vigilant when you back is to a door or open space, because you cannot see if a saber-tooth tiger, or other danger, is approaching from behind. This is a protective, survival response that reasoning cannot turn off.
What happens when these two ideas clash?
What do you do when the wall opposite your bedroom door, where you would put your bed, is filled with windows? Do you position your bed against/under winders so you can see any potential intruders in your doorway, even though you feel sub-consciously vigilant and have difficulty sleeping? Or do you position your bed against another wall and lose your direct view of the door?
I discovered two interesting facts about Chinese history and culture that contribute to Feng Shui:
Therefore, in old China, having a bandit break into your home to steal your family’s wealth was a real danger. But is this your reality today? You feel secure in your home. Your money is in a bank. There are no marauding bandits roaming your neighborhood.
When I am working with a client and the wall opposite the door is ungrounded and exposed by windows, I recommend they position the head of their bed against a solid wall. This will help to ground them when they sleep and will support more restful sleep (the hyper-vigilance response is not triggered).
If there is more than one spacious, grounded position for their bed then I use their Lo Shu number (lucky directions) as a tie-breaker in deciding where to position their bed.
How do you position your bed? How does it affect your ability to sleep? Do you have a challenging bedroom set-up? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below. I love to hear from you.
Intentions are an important aspect of Feng Shui cures. The physical object or cure is simply a vehicle for your intention. I have written about how to make your intentions more powerful. Check this out.
When novelists are asked what they are working on, some say they don’t like to talk about current projects. They have a deep awareness of intention and the creative process: “you can either talk about it, or you can do it.” Note: any intention is a creative process.
Modern psychology has recently documented that private intentions are more likely to be achieved and the thinking behind this phenomenon. A recent article in Lifehacker describes how your brain handles intentions. Please note: when I am talking about intentions, I mean active (not passive) plans to reach your goals. When you talk about your intention with others your brain processes this talk the same way it does action, the result is a “premature sense of completeness.” Your brain can’t tell the difference in the “identity symbols” that make up your self-image between talk and action. Your brain is satisfied and you don’t act, or need to act, on your goals.
We have all heard about the self-styled writer who has spent a lifetime talking about his/her great novel, but hasn’t sat down and written it. Another example is talking about going on a diet, rather than simply doing it.
It feels counter-intuitive to keep intentions and goals to ourselves – we are encouraged to seek and share support – but staying quiet about your intentions and focusing on the actions that will reach your goal will allow your brain to support you rather than sabotage you.
Private intentions are successful intentions. As the slogan says: “Just do it.”
PS – It’s OK to ask for help with specific steps toward your goal as your work to achieve them. Just don’t get caught in the trap of thinking about it, talking about it and not doing it.
photo by ClaraDon
What are your thoughts on and experiences with intentions? Share your comments below. Thanks!
“The energy of human consciousness may share an affinity with light that we do not yet understand. Turning toward that light, we might find it the source of all our inspiration and creativity.” – Tarthang Tulku, Knowledge of Freedom
I came upon this quote years ago. I confess I don’t completely understand it, but is has inspired some thoughts on how light applies to Feng Shui.
How do you make the most of light and chi in your home and in your life?
There is something nourishing – just as chi energy is nourishing – about sunlight. Maybe someday science will identify it. In the meantime connect to the energy of sunlight and nature every day.
How do you experience the nourishing energy of light? Share in the comment box below.
Photo by Sean MacEntee
More often than not, when I meet someone new and they hear I am a Feng Shui consultant the response is “I really need someone to organize my _________ (fill in the blank).” As if Feng Shui consultants are mystical professional organizers. This is an understandable mistake, because of the emphasis on decluttering in so many Feng Shui books and blogs – including this one.
Balance and harmonize yourself by connection with Nature.
Decluttering is NOT part of traditional Feng Shui. I have been studying Feng Shui since 1989 and the earliest books and lectures on the subject by Asian teachers never mentioned clutter, decluttering or organizing. Why? Clutter is not a problem in Asia. But when the first Chinese teachers brought Feng Shui to America they realized that Americans were drowning in clutter. This had to be addressed because the best Feng Shui interventions are ineffective when clutter is clogging the Chi of a space and a person.
More than twenty years later, we get it. Clutter is not good.
Let’s take a spiritual look at Feng Shui. Feng Shui is about living in balance and harmony with Nature. Ancient Taoist sages viewed Nature as a reflection of the macrocosm, the Universe, and the microcosm, Humankind. To live in harmony with Nature is to live in harmony with the Cosmos and with ourselves.
How can you live in harmony with Nature?
You know that Nature balances you. When you are frazzled, taking a walk calms you; when you feel down, time in Nature lifts your spirits.
Read these articles on how to set up your home to connect with Nature:
Are your window treatments getting between you and Nature?
Bring the power of Nature into your home
Declutter your outdoor life too (Mea Culpa)
What is your favorite way to connect with Nature? How does connection with Nature help you? I would love to see your thoughts in the comments below.
photo by coloredby
Sometimes people ask me “what Feng Shui cure should I use in my – romance area?, – wealth area?, – career area?” The short answer is there is no short answer. Some Feng Shui books make very specific recommendations; I call this “cookie-cutter Feng Shui”. In the best Feng Shui one cure does not fit all situations.
Three factors determine the best Feng Shui cures for you:
1. The Energy of the Space
Some rooms feel “calm”, some feel “upbeat”, some feel “chaotic”, and some feel “heavy.” Calm rooms are usually uncluttered and well-organized with simple decoration. Upbeat rooms are also well-organized and are abundant with decoration. “Chaotic” rooms are frequently cluttered and disorganized. “Heavy” rooms are usually crowded with unused/unloved things.
Start with de-cluttering if the room needs it. The best Feng Shui cures in the world are less effective in a cluttered or disorganized space. Then decide if you want to create a calm or energized room depending on what you want to do in that space. A bedroom should be calmer than a family room. A home office is usually calmer than a creative studio space.
2. The Energy of the Cure
Some Feng Shui books tell you to use a specific cure for a particular part of the ba-gua or compass direction. This is not wrong, but is overly literal and limiting. An unlit purple candle in the Wealth area (correct Ba-Gua color) has less energy than a healthy plant or a crystal in a sunlit window in that same Wealth area.
Chi is energy. You want to use cures that have their own energy: light, color, sound, movement and living things that bring their energy into the room. Personal mementos that remind you of the people, places and events that you love most work as cures by lifting your own energy, consciously or unconsciously.
3. The Energy of the People who use the Space – and What They Plan to Do There.
One way you can figure out your personal energy level is to note what kind of coffee shop you like to hang out in. Do you like to enjoy your latte in a café with a pulsing sound system and a lot of background noise? Or do you gravitate to a coffee shop with softer music and lighting and acoustics that dampen background noise?
Some people are very high-energy, others are mellow. Match the energy of the space to the energy of the person.
A quiet room may be experienced by a high-energy person as boring and they will become restless, while a quieter person will feel comfortable. A room with lots of stimulation (light, colors, sound, and movement) will be a great match for a high-energy person, but will be overwhelming and fatiguing for a quieter person causing them to “shut-down.”
When you are seeking to balance the energy of someone, individualized fine-tuning is necessary to create rooms to help your personal energizer bunny chill out, or motivate and activate your laid-back introvert.
Choose one of the Nine Cures which is the right fit for you and your space. Tune into your intuition to guide you. Try out a cure and see how the room and you feel. If it is not quite right, try another cure.
The bottom line: there is no one “right” cure. What may work for your best friend or the author of a book may not be the best solution for you and your space.
What kind of space works best for you?
Japan photo by Kengo Kuma and Associates. Amsterdam photo by Rien Meulma
In Chinese folk religions, one of the roots of Feng Shui, the most important domestic god is the Kitchen God, Zao Jun. It is believed at special times of the year he goes to heaven and reports to the Jade Emperor (chief deity) on the activities of the family. Based on what Zao Jun says the Jade Emperor gives the family rewards or punishments for the coming year. Traditionally a plaque of the Kitchen God and his wife would be above the stove. To ensure good luck, offerings of food and incense are made to them.
Some of my Feng Shui clients ask me to help them find a place for a personal altar as part of their spiritual practice. These altars are usually in the bedroom to support private meditation. Create a special place for spiritual centering where you can see it more often during your busy day. Borrow the Chinese tradition of a kitchen altar or spiritual reminder.
Your altar could be:
You could place your devotional object:
Do you have a kitchen altar or something similar? Share your ideas and experience in a comment, below.
Read more about creating an altar in your home.
photo by Nieve44/Luz
I have a client who was having difficulty sleeping and felt depleted. Her attractive bedroom had green walls, finely crafted wood furniture and a deep red comforter on her bed. My client is a Wood element person. While her bedroom was beautiful and correct in a design or aesthetic sense, it was working against her personal energy.
As a Wood element person in a wood dominated room – the green walls (green symbolizes wood in Feng Shui) and the wood furniture she was influenced to be restless. Wood is the element of “doing” and a bedroom is a place for “being.” The red comforter represented Fire energy, an energizing element which was consuming her Wood energy. Not a good combination. She needed something to balance and support her personal element energy.
The five elements are an important part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Philosophy and Feng Shui. The system of the five elements was developed by Taoist scholars over 2000 years ago. Each element represents a form of energy. Wood energy is upward growth – think of a tree growing upward. Fire energy is expansive – think of fireworks. You contain all five elements in varying proportions, with one element predominant. The use of the five elements allows you to go deeper into the wisdom of Feng Shui.
The five elements are usually portrayed in a cycle diagram. There is no hierarchy to the elements, they are all equally important. In the Creative Cycle one element or energy creates or supports the next. In the Controlling Cycle (sometimes called the “Destructive Cycle”) one element of energy controls or balances the next.
The use of the five elements in Feng Shui can help you support or balance your personal element energy. As interpreted by Lillian Bridges of Lotus Institute you assess your element type and then make sure the other 4 elements are included in your bedroom to support and balance your personal energy.
Element energies are symbolized by shapes, colors, textures/patterns and other qualities of materials and objects.
For my client, I suggested adding Water energy to her bedroom. Water energy supports Wood energy and controls Fire energy. I suggested she replace her red comforter with a blue one (we selected several shades of blue which worked well with the rich tones of her wood furniture and had enough “presence” – not a pastel blue in this situation – to guide her shopping. ) She needed lamps by her bed, so I suggested getting some with clear glass bases because glass is one of the symbols for Water energy. The light from the lamps represents a more balanced form of Fire energy in her bedroom. A white curtain is both functional and represents Metal energy. She already had several ceramic pieces in her bedroom that had great positive emotional meaning for her – these represent Earth energy. These things plus artwork on the walls created a bedroom balanced and decorated for her personal element energy.
With this client I emphasized the relaxing and supportive element of Water. Now she is sleeping better and has more energy.
Warning: This configuration of elements is not a recipe for the perfect bedroom for everyone, or even for all Wood energy types. Five Element Feng Shui is subtle. It requires an assessment of the element type of the person, current issues or stressors, the energy of the room and what are the simplest changes to balance the energy of the room – all with the goal of supporting the energy of the client.
If you would like a personal Five Element Feng Shui consultation to balance the element energy in your space and support and harmonize your own energy, contact me at 781-643-8697 or email me here.
If you would like to learn more about the five elements please let me know by posting a comment below. This blog is here to inform you and meet your needs. Let me know what you would like in these posts. If enough readers say they want to learn more, I will write a 5-part series on the five elements and post it here.