Friday, July 26, 2013

Feng Shui Vision Boards

Vision Boards are simply a collection of images, words and objects that represent a physical manifestation of your feelings and thoughts; creating a doorway from the unseen to the seen.  They are known to produce profound expected, as well as unexpected results.

How To Create a 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). 

·         Think of your life in the course of a year, a season or an event, or even a loftier lifetime goal, then close your eyes and visualize exactly what you want to happen, how you want to feel.

·         Cut out images from magazines, calendars, maps, postcards, photos that represent these goals.

·         You can make it 3 dimensional by adding glitter, string, stickers, shells, rocks, magnets, beads etc… Remember you have freedom in creating YOUR board.

·         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. Therefore they need to be always kept in the affirmative. Positive, uplifting statements only. Focus on what you want your life to look life, not what is happening at the moment.

·         Add specific affirmations that you write yourself, as if the goal has already happened.

·         If you want to create a board with quantitative goals, add sticker dots to each one as you achieve them. (A real estate agent had a goal of selling 10 homes that season. She placed a dot on her board each time she sold one. This way she could honor her achievements and watch her goal manifest itself. )

The key is to keep it realistic. Can you say “yes” to everything on your board, or do you need to set a more achievable benchmark for the yearly timeframe. If you create a vision board for a loftier lifetime goal like, “I will be president of a company” before you have a job, on your board have that as the ultimate goal in the center, but also state positive ways for you to get the job that will in time will put you on the path to be in a managerial position and ultimately own a company. Your board has to have substance and you should be able to check off benchmarks as they are achieved.

 Connecting Your  Vision Board to the Bagua:
In the Feng Shui  Bagua (Ba-gua) Map, represented  as a grid of nine sectors. The Bagua comes from the Chinese philosophy, “The I Ching,” and literally means “eight trigrams” , with the 9th area being the ever important Center, or hub.  It is known as an environmental treasure map helping you locate specific energies in your home.  Incorporating these areas in your vision board helps to connect with emotional energy.

 No matter what your goal is, placing a picture, affirmation or word in the area of the map connected to the bagua area will make it more powerful.

·         Health/Friends/Family -  Represents strength, vitality, growth

·         Wealth/Prosperity - Gratitude and abundance

·         Fame -  Integrity, how you are seen, where you glow

·         Love/Marriage -  Receptivity and intimacy

·         Children/Creativity -  What makes you happy, childlike, creativity

·         Helpful People/Travel - Synchronicity, being at the right place at the right time

·         Career - The power and depth we have within, following one’s bliss

·         Knowledge/Self Cultivation - Personal growth, honoring the ability to self enrich and be at peace

·         Center- Grounding and centering

 
 
WEALTH
PROSPERITY
 
 
 
FAME
REPUTATION 
 
LOVE
MARRIAGE
RELATIONSHIPS
  
FAMILY
FRIENDS
HEALTH
 
 
CENTER
GROUNDING
 
CHILDREN
CREATIVITY
 
KNOWLEDGE
SELF-CULTIVATION
 
 
CAREER
 
HELPFUL PEOPLE
TRAVEL
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 Connecting Your  Vision Board to the 5 Elements:
Once you have your pictures, words, objects and affirmations on your board, and before everything is glued on take a minute to look at your board through the 5 Feng Shui Elements lens to ensure that there is a balance or colors and textures.

·         Wood - Represented by objects of nature, blues and greens representing growth

·         Fire -  Represented by lighting, brightness, fire,  red, people and animals or animal prints

·         Earth - Represented by earth tones, soil, yellow, stability and solidity

·         Metal -  Represented by rocks, stones, circles, whites, mental activity

·         Water – Represented by dark tones, water, asymmetrical designs, creativity

These representations can be in any of the bagua areas on your board, but a balance of all 5 of these will make your board more powerful.

 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!

 Feng Shui at Work:
We’re in the throes of a kitchen remodel. I have already placed affirmations for a smooth project in my Helpful People corner but am now creating a Vision Board.
                                                                                          
 

 In the Center I am placing a colored version of our architectural plan on a yellow background, representing the finished product and grounding element. In Career, I represented water with pictures of our black appliances, with words stating MOVING FORWARD.  In Knowledge I put the business card of our contractor. In Family/Health I represented growth by pictures of the mighty oak cabinets. In Wealth I put a log of our budget and the word AFORDABLE. In Fame I have samples of our red glass tile and pictures of our lighting. In Love, I placed pictures of our pair of lights over the sink and two hand blown glass love birds, as well as the words WE LOVE OUR NEW KITCHEN. In Children/Creativity I have the card of our kitchen designer. In Helpful People I have a picture of our quartz countertop (representing the metal element) with the names of all friends and contractors who have advised and worked on the project. Additional words such as COMPLETED, EASY REMODEL, NEW AND IMPROVED.  Once completed, I will place i the board in our current kitchen and as demolition begins move it to our temporary kitchen, and add to it as needed. Can’t wait to see the result!