Wishing Trees and Feng Shui

In our town there is a beautiful “Wishing Tree” in front of our public library. People get to write their wishes and hang them on the tree. It’s a lovely way to express your goals in a physical way. In Feng Shui wishes are stated as affirmations, and visualizations. Instead of asking for something to come true, you’re actually visualizing it as if’s already happened.

          

In Feng Shui, intention plays a valuable role in enhancing any area of your home or business, as do affirmations that strengthen the potential of any result you want to manifest. Therefore, every wish and enhancement should be made with clear intent. Written or stated affirmations expressed as if the result has already happened are powerful. Affirmations reinforce the assumption that your words and thoughts will become a reality.

                                             

Visualization is a very important Feng Shui tool for achieving one’s goals. There is a belief that when you picture what you want to have happen, the more likely it is to happen. Feng Shui is a blend of physical “seen” enhancements and mental “unseen” intentions. When you intend to bring about changes in your life by making enhancements to your home, the powers of affirmation and visualization will help those enhancements manifest your intention.

So, as you think of hanging a wish on a wishing tree think of hanging an affirmation you have visualized instead.                          

                                                        

   Sample Affirmations for Wishing Trees:

• "I have found my soulmate."
  
• "I'm thriving in my dream job."
• "I awake with joy and purpose every day."
• "The remodeling project has been completed smoothly, and withing budget."
• "Wonderful new opportunities have just come my way."
• "Our home is alive with positive energy, peace and harmony."
• "Our children are healthy and thriving."
• "Prosperity is flowing our way."
• "My positive reputation precedes me in my work."
  
                                   
  
  

Visualize Your Home’s Feng Shui Decor

We’re planning on redecorating and remodeling our guest bathroom. In this process I’m picturing and visualizing what I want it to look like. This is such a valuable step.  It’s important to spend time in a room before decorating, to feel it and picturing what it would look like enhanced, thinking about the Feng Shui Bagua area that it’s in, and the colors, shapes, and the items that will further enhance it.

When you feel the time has come to change the look or feel of a personal space, the space itself can provide you with the most useful guidance. Working with a single room allows you to unearth its potential and better understand how you want to relate to it. You want to look at it, listen to it, bond with it in a personal way. The more you know about the space you wish to change, the better equipped you are to make it beautiful and functional. 

I love the guestroom that we’ve remodeled a few years ago. It used to be a mauve color, and too busy. I never felt comfortable in it, and I’m sure our guests felt the same. Our designer helped me find a subtle mushroom color for the walls, and some barnwood style furniture. It’ quietly neutral, but the burgundy accents add to the Fire element of the Love area. It’s just as I had visualized it, and it has become my favorite room in the house. It also opens to our garden, so it makes it a very special place.                                                                                                                   

                                       

                                                                  Guest Room After

                                        

                                                                  Guest Room Before

Now I’m visualizing the adjacent bathroom. Knowing that this bathroom is in the Fame and Reputation area of our home, I intend to keep as much of the burgundy-colored tile that’s in there, because it not only goes with the decor of the guestroom, which is in the Love and Marriage area, but it also has some great fire energy for fame. We will update the wall color (remove old wallpaper), the lighting, the plumbing fixtures, the flooring, and paint the cabinets. In fact, the process of writing this blog is part of my visualization. 

                                                                                                                                                   Guest Bathroom Before

                                                                    (Stay tuned for the after)

Before you contemplate colors, and enhancements you plan on making, spend some time in the room you plan to modify, observe the way the light moves to each space at different times a day, and the course of a week, or so know those times when you feel drawn to that particular space. Visualize how you want it to feel.

By treating the layout, and decor of your personal space in a mindful way, you can honor its national rhythm, while creating a cohesive, comfortable home that uplifts your energy. When using the recommendations from the Bagua area, you’ll find that it not only brings in beauty, but it’ll also bring in quality of life. Remember that Feng Shui not only deals with beauty, but it deals with enriching your life and achieving your goals. Visualize a beautiful space which will lead you to peace, harmony, and success. 

Feeling Uncreative? Let Feng Shui Help You Retrieve that Spark

 

There are times when you can be a whirlwind or creativity, and other times you feel in the doldrums. When this happens, how do you regain that creative spark?  Did you know that just applying some easy Feng Shui principles to your home can give you the boost of motivation, and creativity you need. Your space is more than happy to help you create the life that you want; all you need to do is shift the energy, and visualize.

                                                    

Years ago, I learned of the clever acronym DRVN and saw how easily it applied to the Feng Shui Principles.

Think of the acronym – DRVN, (Driven) when you:

• Declutter 
• Rearrange (Enhance) 
• Visualize
• Nurture with Nature

Here are 4 easy ways your home can help you energize you and your creativity:

1) Declutter: Piles of old, forgotten, unused items cluttering your home will stifle your creativity. The more clutter, the less creative you can be.  Make decisions about your things and clear them up, with the intention that new energy, creative ideas, and opportunities will come your way. Decluttering is always one of the first steps in Feng Shui transformation, as it begins to move the Ch’i (the vital life force energy streaming through your home.)                                         

                                       

2) Redecorate and enhance a room or just rearrange some items in your home using Feng Shui principles; this changes the perception of your space. When you look at things differently, your brain registers the new patterns in your environment and can set up new patterns in your thinking. I call this “shaking up the Ch’i.”

                                       

3) Visualize yourself in a creative endeavor. Write, state, or picture yourself succeeding in a creative pursuit as if it is already happening. For example, “I have completed my first book”, or “I am thoroughly enjoying my flower arranging class.”

                    

4) Nurture yourself with nature: When in a creative slump seek the out of doors; go on a hike, work in your garden, enjoy a picnic, or just bring fresh flowers into your home.   By surrounding yourself with nature you relax, rejuvenate and open channels to inspiration.

                                     

                    

You are DRiVeN to creativity.  Your space is being creatively used in a new way and will in turn inspire you to creativity. Embrace this renewed energy!

                                         

Longing to Travel – Feng Shui Can Help Get You There

Where are you going this year? Do you have a travel bug? Are you dreaming of exotic faraway places, fun family vacations, or even peaceful retreats? How do you get there? How do you make it happen?  Feng Shui affirmations and visualizations can help guide you to the location of your dreams. 

We just returned from a wonderful, fun-filled family cruise, and I believe that positive affirmations and enhancements in the Helpful People and Travel area of our home played a large role.

Whether you desire to go on an exotic holiday, a local vacation, or want to ensure that everything goes smoothly during an upcoming trip, Feng Shui can help. Feng Shui is simply about living in harmony with the world around you. When your environment is harmonious, channels are open for good things to come your way. On my walk today I thought of the phrase “What you see is what you get” and remembered that I had told my Feng Shui students “Where the eye goes, the Ch’i flows.” I marveled at the connection. 

                               

In Feng Shui there is a belief that seeing things that make you feel calm, or that you regard as beautiful, helps to nourish you. When you create a place where you can see those calming and beautiful things daily, you will create a place where your dreams and goals can be nourished and ultimately manifested. 

Feng Shui Vision Boards can help you picture and realize your dreams. They are simply a collection of images, words and objects that represent a physical manifestation of your feelings and thoughts.    They are known to produce profound results, both those expected as well as unexpected.                         

 Vision boards work on many levels:                                                                                                      

• A Vision Board helps you set and prioritize your goals and intentions.
• The process of creating a vision board helps to solidify these goals in your head and sends them out to the universe.  
• Seeing your vision board regularly, with images and words representing your goals, and wishes helps remind you of what you want to do, where you want to be, and what you want to have.
• The vision board helps to ensure that you continue to move towards those things, both consciously and unconsciously.  
•  Vision boards are fun to make and tap into your creativity.

Most of all – THEY WORK! They have worked for me and for others. I can look back at past vision boards I have created and am excited to compare them against the final results.

How To Create a Travel Vision Board:

A Vision Board is a very personal, individualized representation of your hopes and dreams, so no two are alike. 

• Begin with a board (11x14 or 8 ½ by 14 are the most practical sizes, but anything goes). You can also pick up poster boards at your local Dollar Stores.  
• You can think of your life traveling to the destination of your dreams. Then close your eyes and visualize exactly what you want to happen and where you want to be. See all the details. Imagine yourself actually there. Imagine the people you are traveling with as part of the vision. What else do you see? Hear? How does your vision make you feel? 
• Cut out images from magazines, calendars, maps, postcards, photos that represent these goals. Or search online and download pictures from websites. 
• Use a glue stick, glue gun, tacks, white glue, tape etc. to adhere items to the board. 
• Add inspirational words that are very specific to your goals. Words are very powerful, they turn ideas into action, and therefore they need to be always kept in the affirmative; positive, uplifting statements only.
• Add specific affirmations that you write yourself, as if the goal has already happened. For example: “I love traveling, I’m having such a fun time in Paris” "I am lying on a sandy beach on a Greek Isle.”  “I hiked ten miles today and I’m almost at the top of this lovely mountain.”  

                             

Remember, these are guidelines; there is no right or wrong to creating a vision board. It is a personal representation of YOUR travel goals; therefore, it has to speak to YOU. 

You’re done! Display your board in a location where you will see it every day. This will keep you grounded; help you grow and remind you of what you are grateful for.  It will help you create order out of chaos. Once you have achieved the goals on the board, update it or create a new one. This is not an event – it’s a journey. Enjoy the journey and the unfolding of your life!

                              

Even when I teach Feng Shui classes, I use the Bagua to enhance the classroom to support my travel dreams. Students in my classes notice that I have pictures of France everywhere: the Eiffel Tower in the Helpful People and Travel area; the dark Seine River at night in Career; a Paris flower mart and vineyards in Knowledge and Self-Cultivation and in Health, Family, and Friends; lavender fields in Wealth and Prosperity; and red poppy fields in Fame and Reputation; colorful art in the Children and Creativity.  Every Bagua area is represented by my favorite parts of France.

          

                                           

                                 

  

Stairs and Feng Shui

Stairs can be a blessing in your home, or they can also lead to some problems. In Feng Shui, stairs are viewed as pathways for energy (Ch’i) flow, and their placement and design can significantly impact the overall energy of a home. Ideally, stairs should be positioned to promote smooth, balanced Ch’i flow, rather than disrupting it, and should be well-lit, clutter-free, and preferably with a landing to allow for breaks in the energy flow.

Some Potential Stairway Problems: 

Ideally, stairs should not be located in the center of the home, or directly facing the front door. Stairs facing a door are problematic because the Ch’i flows down them too quickly, especially if they point toward the front entrance. Picture Ch’i flowing out of your home and taking all the positive energy out with it.  The center of your home is your centering and grounding area, and stairs can lead to a feeling of not being grounded, and always on the move. 

          

Corrections for Stairways:

If your staircase points toward the front entrance of your home, it is not all lost. There are several Feng Shui cures that can help the Ch’i remain happily inside your home.  

The first is to block the Ch’i with a piece of furniture, a rug, a plant, or any other sizeable item you can place between the bottom of the stairs and the door. A second option, and the one I use most frequently with my clients, is to hang a mirror above or next to the door facing the stairs, which reflect the energy back up.  Finally, if there is room, I recommend hanging a thirty millimeter round faceted crystal somewhere between the staircase and the door. These will help redirect and balance the energy.

                                                                  

 I also advise my clients to hang any artwork horizontally along the stairs and not stair-stepped down. You don’t want to draw attention downward.

 If the stairs are in the center of your home, I recommend placing a potted plant or a decorative object around the bottom and top of the stairs to redirect the flow of energy. 

                                                    

Stairs should be kept clear of clutter and obstructions, as these can impede the flow of Ch’i, and good lighting is essential for proper energy flow on and around the staircase. 

Railings are preferred, and landings are beneficial for slowing down energy flow.  Imagine a small table with a beautiful arrangement, or a piece of art, to catch your eye as you’re walking down.

                                                    

Enjoy your stairs and help them fill your home with positive energy.

The Restorative Benefits of Feng Shui

In life, we can’t always control what is happening around us, but during stressful times, applying Feng Shui principles to your environment gives you a sense of control within your home. It gives you a peaceful space to process and release your emotions, which inevitably helps to cultivate greater harmony and well-being.

The purpose of Feng Shui is to bring peace, harmony and a sense of serenity, and restfulness to you, your home, and your life. The serenity you create in your home has a great deal of influence on your outlook.

When we create a home that feels good, instead of one filled with anxiety, poor memories of the past, or clutter, it radiates throughout our entire lives and impacts how we show up for ourselves and others.

To that end, think of how you feel after you do a purge of your closet or after your home has been professionally cleaned. It may feel like there is literally more room to breathe. Our environment affects our mental, emotional, and even physical health. By creating harmonious living spaces, we cultivate balance and alignment within ourselves and our environment. 

                                   

Practicing Feng Shui, clearing the clutter, and adding beauty to your home helps you in so many ways:

1. It helps you release emotional baggage and clear mental clutter, because physical clutter creates mental clutter.

2. It allows you to get in touch with yourself by making you feel present in safe, pleasant spaces.

3. It can improve your relationships, because when you experience a feeling of calmness, and control you have fewer disagreements with others. When you are emotionally connected with others, you have less chance of feeling depressed, 

4. It helps you live a more intentional life, by creating space for stillness, meditation and inner Feng Shui.

5. It enhances creativity and intuition by finding ways to enhance your home. Every time you make an enhancement you “move the Ch’i” (the life force energy that flows through your home.)

To achieve all this, I believe that all  it takes are  for you to “remove” and “replenish.” 

First take time to remove any items from your home that clutter your and a stress to your life. For instance, remove all books, equipment, projects and materials from your bedroom that relate to other areas of your life. If you keep objects and equipment that remind you of work or other areas of your life in your bedroom, they can distract you from your intention of enjoying a fulfilling love relationship and relaxing in a nurturing calming environment. Move them to other more appropriate locations in your home. Take time to also remove piles, and objects that you no longer need. Create a decluttered, peaceful environment which nurtures you.

Next replenish yourself by surrounding yourself with items, people and/or experiences which you relish. Flowers, for instance, are a fantastic vehicle to self-care. They represent life, love, beauty, joy, possibility, abundance and transformation. In Feng Shui they represent good health and are particularly enhancing in the Health, Friends and Family area (middle left) of your home.

                                     

There are areas in your home that lend themselves nicely to peace and rest; the left front section of the structure is particularly related to stillness, while the middle left side is related to health and healthy relationships.  

In the Feng Shui Bagua , represented  as a grid of nine sectors, these areas  referred to as the “Knowledge and Self Cultivation Area”, and “Health Family and Friends.” They operate under the premise that good health and clarity of mind come from acquiring a peaceful lifestyle.  This can be accomplished through meditation, contemplation, and introspection.  Knowledge is viewed as the seed of wisdom, therefore when we spend time resting, our field of knowledge will be lush and productive.

There are numerous ways to enhance your home. The most common Feng Shui Ch’i enhancers are: Colors, art, mirrors, crystals, sound makers, natural objects, animals, flowers, lighting, plants, sound makers, water features and wind dancers.

Of all of these, I always feel that colors make the most difference in a person’s environment. Color is a power which directly influences the soul.

The colors in these two areas, are of course the calming colors, shades of blues and greens. The beauty of adding color to your home is that it can be done in a myriad of ways. Painting walls, replacing carpeting and new furniture is the most powerful and striking, but can also be the most expensive solution. If these options are prohibitive now, accents of colors can be introduced through flowers, candles, fabrics, and art. Your choices are endless!  Consider your home a blank canvas and you the artist.

                                 

Why green and blue?

Green - Some scientists believe that our eyes are at the peak of perception to detect the wavelengths corresponding to green, the shade then calms us down. With less strain to perceive the colors, our nervous system can relax.  It also symbolizes nature and attracts harmonious feelings that can diffuse anxiety. It has been proven that walking in a green environment can induce a significant reduction in heart rate. 

                                               

Blue – Psychologists believe that blue is the color of the mind and is essentially soothing.  It is known to lower blood pressure, slow down heart rate, and believe to have a cooling and astringent effect.

                                    

In the Knowledge and Self Cultivation area consider blues, greens, and art representing calm wooded scenes. Remember the calming effect nature has on you. 

In the Health/Family/Friends area use blues, greens and bring in art representing floral scenes, or add fresh cut flowers, or flowering plants in all colors. Flowers have a healing property. 

During these stressful social times, when you feel life is out of your control, removing clutter to free yourself from stress, and surrounding yourself with experiences you relish will keep your spirits up, sustain you and replenish you.

Free yourself from clutter and surround yourself with beauty and feel a shift in how you view life.

                                       

Breathe!

The Importance of Feng Shui Ch’i (Qi)

In Feng Shui, Ch’i or Qi, (either used interchangeably) is the flow of vital life force energy that exists in, and around everything. It is the fundamental concept that governs the flow of energy throughout space. It is energy that permeates everything in the universe, from the earth to living beings. A dynamic force that is constantly moving and interacting. 

It's believed that Qi can influence the health, well-being, and overall harmony of individuals within an environment. Feng Shui aims to enhance the flow of positive Qi by optimizing the placement and arrangement of objects and spaces.  

Feng Shui uses the nine-sector grid called the Bagua, a compass-like tool used to analyze the flow of Qi in different areas of a home or property.  The Ch’i enters from the front door, which is called “The Mouth of Ch’i.” It then flows in a counterclockwise direction following the natural nourishing cycle of the five Feng Shui elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) Water feeds wood, wood feeds fire, fire makes earth, earth makes metal, and metal holds water.

                    

The goal of Feng Shui is to keep the Ch’i flowing without obstructions, such as clutter,  flowing out of staircases leading out the front door, or shooting directly from the front door out a back door or window. These can cause  the Qi  to have negative affects. Because Feng Shui’s goal is to improve our well-being, it aims to control the flow of Qi by using furniture placements, spatial designs, and other material placements so that Qi is redirected in a way that only improves our quality of life.

Understanding Qi can help individuals create a more balanced and harmonious living environment. This can involve rearranging furniture, decluttering, or even adjusting the placement of plants to promote positive Qi flow. 

                                                    

The goal of Feng Shui is to avoid negative Ch’i. 

You can actually feel the negative Qi forces such as clutter, or anything else that bothers our five senses of sight, taste, touch, sound, and smell will affect your wellbeing. When you feel stressed, or unhealthy, you are probably experiencing negative Ch'i in your environment.

Touch is about contacts to your skin with non-physical entities. Some examples are wind, heat waves, humidity, static, electric currents, and other types of energy that you can feel with your skin, muscles, and nerves.

It tells us how to regulate the temperature of our home. We can make proper adjustments to keep us warm, or cooler such as making more use of windows for fresh air.

Another example is living under high voltage electric lines. Feng shui tells us that electricity brings negative Qi that affects both our physical and mental health. Researchers are studying how electric currents produce an electro-magnetic field that damages our DNA and cells. 

It is the kind of invisible pressure you feel when you’re right next to a bigger object or within a narrow space. Low ceilings, low hanging chandeliers, and huge furniture also tend to give off this form of Qi, but you will feel it only when you’re right under these objects or very close to it.

To avoid this Qi, Feng Shui suggests that we use higher ceilings and avoid placing big furniture right next to our bed. The goal is to give us more comfort where we live.

In a home where proper Feng Shui was applied, you will not be affected by negative Qi that impacts  your mental and physical health. Instead, you will be surrounded with other types of Qi that stimulate your senses in a positive way, such as clean air, sunshine, flowers, beautiful art, or other objects you use to keep your spirits up.

                                                     

When you’re healthy, and light spirited people will enjoy your company, your work productivity will increase, and the overall quality of your life will be better. It’s like how employers are improving office design to achieve higher employee productivity.

Enjoy the positive results of surrounding yourself with positive life force energy.

                                                                            

Blessings