Feng Shui Blog

What is your knowledge about this long practiced method of using energy flow to improve your life? Read on to learn some of the facts vs myths so you can benefit from this ancient practice.

Many of you are aware of feng shui but have not taken advantage of its benefits. I believe that is because there is so much written and a lot of circulating information, which can be overwhelming. I totally understand that! Books, articles, blogs—there is a lot. But that goes to show you how intricate feng shui can be. But that statement alone can be unnerving! Before I became a Certified Feng shui consultant, I was aware of certain feng shui adjustments, but I really didn’t understand how it all worked. It is my intention to simply explain some of what feng shui can do to help you in your day to day life, and dispel some of the myths.

There are different schools of feng shui, and therefore, many different types of practi-tioners. Your understanding of feng shui could be that you need to have a red door, or that you have to have wind chimes and mirrors everywhere. While these are useful tools that we use for adjustments, it is a myth to think they are the only ones. Depend-ing on the training of your consultant, there will be different approaches for different circumstances. The method your consultant uses reflects their training, and some are more complicated than others. I practice BTB Feng Shui, often called Western Feng Shui. It encompasses the ancient teachings, but has been adjusted for the lifestyle of the modern Western world. I describe this more in-depth here.

Feng Shui consultants use the Bagua to help determine many things about the space you occupy. Simply put, the Bagua is a map that is placed over a blueprint of your home, office, or a room. It can be used on many other surfaces as well from a table to a desk. It is comprised of 8 different sections or guas, each of which rep-resents an area of life, including one’s career, family or wealth, with the center re-served for Health. The Bagua is placed in relation to the front door and tells us many things about good or not so good positioning of bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens, among many other things. It guides us as to how we can help. To read a more in-depth description of the Bagua, click here.

Our lives have become so busy and often times chaotic. Feng shui addresses this in many ways . When working with a client, I first determine where there may be stress in one’s life. I offer a simple quiz that helps one understand where they most need assistance. Once that is determined, I can offer suggestions to help improve the situation.

Mirrors and crystals are two of many different tools used as feng shui adjustments. But it is a myth to think that they are mandatory. Mirrors are very effective in ex-panding a space, which is often the solution to a problem, but not always. Crystals keep energy from going stale. They are common and inexpensive adjustments and they definitely have their place.

What can be tricky is knowing when and how to use a crystal or a mirror. Does the crystal have to be big or small? Does the mirror have to be expensive? Where do you place it? Can you use mirrors outside? What else can I use instead of a crystal? These are areas where your consultant can help.

It is another myth to think that feng shui is a religion. It is a fact that feng shui stems from the Tao, but its teachings are not about reli-gious beliefs or dogma. If you practice a par-ticular religion, feng shui does not interfere with that or replace your personal belief sys-tem. Feng shui supports us by using the flow of energy to our advantage. In BTB feng shui, we also add the power of our intentions as well. This enables our positive thoughts to circulate throughout the universe, which strengthens the power behind our adjust-ments. Remember, feng shui is about energy.

How can feng shui help you? Well, how are things going for you? Are you in a fulfilling relationship? Does your work feel meaningful to you? How are your finances? These are just a few questions that bring to mind how feng shui can help. As a certified feng shui consultant, I can help you discern what areas of your home or office are not working to give you the support you need to meet the goals you have in mind.

We live with feng shui every day, whether we are aware of it or not. When you make adjustments to your surroundings to enhance the feel of a room, whether it be your living room, bedroom or office, that energy is being channeled to help you in your life’s endeavors. When correctly utilized, feng shui can be very effective in bringing about positive change in your life. You can sign up for my free Feng Shui Tidbits newsletter and receive a free download on how to enhance your home’s entrance. I wish you all Peace, Balance and Abundance.

Changing a Room Color Changes the Balance of Energy. Feng Shui Brings it Back

WHEN IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE in your home, be it the family room, office or kitchen, there is a lot to consider.  From a design perspective, you want your home to be pretty, comfortable, cozy and welcoming. And from a Feng Shui perspective, you also want it to enable the best possible energy flow, so you get your best energetic support.

One way to promote energy balance in your home is with color.  In my home, our family room is located in our Partnership area of the Bagua.  It is the gathering place in our home and years ago I had it painted this beautiful coppery orange because I loved the color.  I did not know at the time that this was a great color for the partnership area of my home, because this orange-y color represents fire and promoted lively conversation.  Also, while the color for Partnership on the Bagua is pink, the color orange (as an extension of red) brings some fire to the space and fire always sparks up the Partnership area.  

Yet when you have something that works well but you want to change it, how do you replace that built-in gain when new colors negate that very advantage?

One of the many wonderful things about Feng Shui is that it allows usnumerous, flexible remedies when we find ourselves at a disadvantage due to color, location, room size or shape.  In my case, yes, I was losing the energetic support of that color, but I knew I could balance all of that out by implementing Feng Shui principals and adjustments.

The bookshelf itself is where I finished the balancing of the Partnership corner. I placed a round yellow placemat, put a terra cotta decorative tile on it to enhance the Earth element which is really all I needed to do to enhance the Earth element.  However, because I like balance (who doesn’t?) I brought in all the Elements.  We have Wood (plants), Fire (as mentioned) Earth (as previously described,) Metal on the walls and the shelves and Water (the black around the windows.)

When a room has Feng Shui balance, along with good design, the energy is there to support you, not work against you.  Remember to keep your place clutter free and display possessions that represent your story or items that you love.  And don’t forget to display pairs in the Partnership area!   

If you find yourself unsure of how to proceed on your next design project, or if don’t know how Feng Shui can help you, give me a call!  I offer many packages to suit your situation and am ready to help you achieve Peace, Balance and Abundance!  

USING FENG SHUI TO PROMOTE
A GREAT NIGHT’S SLEEP