A Feng Feng Shui Garden's Beautiful Transformation

                                            

For years my husband and I walked past a sad little house, with an overgrown and unkempt garden. The entry could hardly be seen past the tangled forest of bamboo, cactus and dying plants. We often wondered what would happen to this house….and then… a Feng Shui miracle.

                                    

                                    

It was sold and purchased by a master gardener and her husband, who spent months transforming the sad mess into a flowering gem. All the bamboo and other plants were torn out, the house got a new roof, windows, interior and exterior paint. Best of all the gardener used Feng Shui principles of open spaces, high and low plants and curved lines. The entrance was now clearly visible and welcoming to the nourishing Ch’i. 

                                   

In this hectic world, I have learned the importance of having a space that is calm and healing – your garden can be just that space. The recent rains, with following sunshine have blessed this new garden with lush, shiny leaves and a multitude of buds. Shortly it will be turned into a land of beautiful flowers, intoxicating fragrance and an explosion of color.

 It’s important to have an outlet where the brain can breathe, and your garden can be this natural outlet. After a long day at work or just taking a break from your home routines, a walk through our garden can relax you and help you defuse any stress you may have been dealing with.

In a garden, all the 5 Feng Shui elements are usually represented, allowing you to feel calm and at the same time energized. This is because gardens are living, breathing entities offering us the balance of nature. As your home, gardens reflect your personal energy; they can either serve to deplete your energy, or they can enhance and energize you. 

What aspects of your life would you like to see blossom? What dreams do you need to plant in fertile soil? Do you need to weed or dig out anything that's stifling your growth?

 When applicable, use gardens and landscaping to complete the shape of your home. If your home is not a complete square or rectangle anchor the missing areas with a pleasing combination of trees, flowerbeds, garden sculptures, large rocks, decks, patios, fencing, lighting, specialty gardens and/or water features. There is no end to what you can do and the missing area becomes an enhancing outdoor area. Make sure you have an attractive view from every window and door. Be nourished by a lovely view each time you look out; camouflage or screen unsightly views with trees, trellises with climbing vines, and hanging gardens. An inspirational place to rest the eye is a gift you give yourself every day. Basic Feng Shui principles can help you nurture and strengthen your energy and yourself in all aspects of your life. 

                                   

       This home's missing area was anchored by the circle of stones with a heart in the center.

Here are some Feng Shui basics for nurturing gardens:

1) Make the entry beautiful and clutter free.

2) Place water features in the Career and Wealth areas. 

3) Remove dead plants quickly.

4) Balance the Yin/Yang of your garden with opposites (short/tall plants, hot/soft colors, etc.)

5) Whenever possible use curved pathways, allowing the Ch’i to meander and enjoy the beauty. 

                                  

6) Keep all systems working (i.e., watering, lighting – nothing should be broken) 

A garden's transformation can definitely transform your life!

A Feng Shui Vision Board for the Holidays

A friend just shared that her eight year old grandson created a vision board representing the gifts he wants for Christmas. We both laughed and at the same time admired his ingenuity. 

It made me think of the power of visualization in Feng Shui, and the fun of creating vision boards to help attain one's life goals.  I thought of the phrase “What you see is what you get”, and remembered that I had just 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 help to nourishes you. When you create a place where you can see those calming and beautiful things on a daily basis, you will create a place where your dreams and goals can be nourished and ultimately manifested.

What is your vision for the new year? As you navigate the holiday season picture what you want your life to look like. Are you looking for new adventures? Better health? More time with friends and family? The possibilities are endless.  It may be time for you to create your own holidays and beyond vision board to help you achieve these goals. 

Feng Shui Vision Boards can help you picture and realized your dreams. They 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 results, both those expected as well as unexpected, due perhaps to their influence on the unconscious or subconscious mind.

                                                      A vision board created for good health

Vision boards work on many levels:

A Vision Board helps you set and prioritized 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, who 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.

                                          

                                                      A vision  board created for finding love

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). You can also pick up poster boards at your local Dollar Stores.  

*You can think of your life in the course of a year (what you want to have accomplished this time next year) , a season or just a single event, for example a wedding. You can even envision loftier lifetime goals such as career or family you have always wanted. Then close your eyes and visualize exactly what you want to happen. See all the details. Imagine your perfect home, office or event setting. Imagine the people in your life 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. 

*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, 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 my career. I excel in my position and I am given constant accolades for a job well done. I am on the right path for growth.” 

*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. )

*If you create a vision board for a year or specific event, 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 time frame?  Your board has to have substance and you should be able to check off benchmarks as they are achieved. 

 *If you create a vision board for a loftier goal remember to look at it often as a reminder to stay on track. For example if your ultimate goal is to be president of a company, as you go through daily life ask yourself, “Is this what a president of a company would do?” 

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

                                          A vision board for the positive outcome of a project

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!

Preparing Your Feng Shui Garden for the Zen of Spring – Plant Bulbs

I just planted over fifty tulip bulbs in front entrance. I love their representation of life. Nothing says spring like a field of vibrant tulips. You plant them, cover them with rich soil and wait. Under the ground while other flowers sleep, these bulbs are busy coming to life. 

                                       

                                                                     The Zen of Spring

                 

Flowering bulbs have an advantage over flowering plants as the can store energy from one growing season to the next. They have everything then need to thrive. 

                                                

And then comes spring and you can watch them peer out from the ground and spread their wings. It’s a joy to behold to watch them bloom. You can then enjoy them in your garden or use them for beautiful cut arrangements in your home. 

          

          

             

Did you know that flowers bring nature into your home, enhance your health, help calm your mind and improve your attitude?  When I work with flowers on a weekly basis in my Flower arranging classes I immediately feel energized and more centered. Walking into the room with 15 people creating arrangements; taking in the scents and viewing the array of colors brings joy to my life. Then I have the added benefit of displaying a gorgeous flower arrangement in my home on an ongoing basis. 

Flowers are amongst the strongest of the Feng Shui enhancements because they are directly related to the Health, Friends and Family Area of your home (left middle area). If you are dealing with health issues, you want to put fresh flowers or floral representation in that area. 

Just like everything in Feng Shui flowers can uplift the Ch’i if beautiful and healthy, or deplete it if sick, dusty or depleting. If your plants begin to wilt and look sickly, move them on and replace them with vibrant healthy ones.  Artificial plants always need to be kept clean and dust free to have the same uplifting effect.

Think of the qualities of the Bagua areas you want to enhance and use flower colors to enrich the enhancement: Red flowers at an entrance for Career, white for the Helpful People or Children and Creativity areas, yellow for the Center, pinks or reds for Love, purple for Wealth. Use the beauty of nature to paint a palette of colorful enhancements in your home.

Plant your bulbs now and enjoy the glory of spring!

Talking to Your House Enhances Your Feng Shui

Recently my Feng Shui teacher Karen Carrasco posted this useful Feng Shui suggestion, stating the importance of loving your house and treating it with respect and love.  This is so useful since the three Feng Shui principles are that 1) Everything is alive, 2) Everything is Connected, 3) Everything is constantly changing.

“Talk to Your House

Your house is a sentient being with its own spirit and soul. 

Some people identify this spirit as their houseful deities or friendly house spirits.

But some people have altogether forgotten how important the spirit of their house is.

Talk to your house.

Houses that have been ignored tend to be dull, tired, and susceptible to negative energies.

So, talk to your house, listen to its aches and pains, and say hello.

Tell it that you come in peace, tell it that you are there to listen and speak. Be grateful to your house, clean it, beautify it, enhance it, and watch the energies in your home transform themselves into joy.”

                            

Excited About a New Piece of Art? Feng Shui Can Help You Find the Perfect Placement

In Feng Shui our homes can become nurturing places for us mentally, physically and spiritually. To accomplish this, we have to make sure that our surroundings accurately reflect who we are as individuals and who we aspire to become. Keep the energy in your home vital by treating it as an important aspect of your life. We are all different, and therefore, we are fortunate that there are numerous ways to enhance the energy flow in your home. Feng Shui is about finding the personal Ch’i enhancers that match not only the Bagua area but also your personality and style. 

Of all the Ch’I enhancers, I find that working with colors and art gives you almost instant gratification. Art is the soul of a room; it gives it energy and life, and it is easy to identify how it enhances the Feng Shui of a space.  To enhance the Ch’i in your home, choose art that elicits positive feelings and makes your heart sing. Remember that in Feng Shui everything is alive and is constantly talking to you. What you surround yourself with can nourish or drain you. Therefore, ensure that every art piece in your home is one that you love and that portrays a serene or inspirational subject matter. Art depicting violence, death, distortion, or negativity is not recommended. They say that “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  What is your art telling you?

To get the most benefit from art and colors, match them with the function of each room. Choose romantic and sensual for the bedroom, lively, colorful art for the living room, and powerful and motivational for the home office. Use the Bagua map to help you choose the appropriate art and colors that correlate with the goals in your life.   Each of the nine areas of the Bagua is associated with colors and art representations. For example, if you want romance, and your Love and Marriage area is in the dining room, choose art that is romantic and appropriate for your dining area. If you wish to improve your health, and your Health and Family area is in the bathroom, display art that evokes radiant health and vitality. 

Career Area:

* Art - paintings, photos pertaining to moving water (oceans, rivers, etc.), asymmetrical shapes, and black frames                                                                                                                                                 * Colors – black or dark colors

Knowledge and Self Cultivation Area:

* Art - paintings, photos representing calm nature scenes (forests, ferns, vineyards, etc.), columnar shapes, and wooden frames                                                                                                                         * Colors – blue and green    

                                                            

Friends, Family, Health Area: 

* Art - paintings, photos representing fresh, healthy vibrant flowers, family, friends and/or you in a healthy state, columnar shapes, and wooden frames                                                                                   * Colors – blue, green, and floral

          

Wealth and Prosperity Area:

* Art - paintings, photos or sculptures representing opulence and wealth, tall round leaf plants, bubbling fountains, triangular, cone shapes, and wooden frames                                                                              * Colors – purples, blues, and reds

                                                        

Fame Area:

* Art - paintings, photos or sculptures representing celebration, animals, birds, stars suns, fire, upward movement, inspirational quotes, triangular, cone shapes, and wooden frames                                            * Colors – Red

                                                          

Love and Marriage Area:

* Art - paintings, photos or sculptures representing romance, pairs of items, pictures of you and your significant other, pictures of couples, triangular, cone shapes, and wooden frames                                   * Colors – reds and pinks

                                                       

Children and Creativity Area:

* Art - paintings, photos or sculptures representing creativity and whimsy, pictures of children or child art, round shapes, and metal frames                                                                                                            * Colors – whites and pastels 

                                                        

Helpful People and Travel Area:

* Art - paintings, photos or sculptures pertaining to spiritual guides, and/or mentors, places you have traveled to or aspire to visit, pictures of mountains or natural stone, circular shapes, and metal frames                                                                                                                                                                          * Colors – white and grey

                                                             

Center Area:

* Art - paintings, photos or sculptures representing earth scenes, deserts, wheat fields, yellow flowers or trees, rectangular shapes                                                                                                                               * Colors – yellows and earth tones

                                                   

Look at the art you have in your home. Jackson Pollock said, “A painting has a life of its own.” What is each piece “saying” to you?  No matter how positive and creative you may be in your inner world, if your home or work surroundings are contradictory or present energetic barriers, you are likely to find it difficult to manifest all that you desire. By paying attention to the flow of energy around you, beginning with the art and colors that surround you, you can align your inner intentions with your outer realities to make your life a conscious act of creation.

What Color Should I Paint My Master Bedroom? Feng Shui Can Advise.

Master Bedroom – Your Romantic Boudoir

One of the most important rooms in Feng Shui is the master bedroom.  Therefore, what you do with this bedroom has far reaching implications to your wellbeing, harmony and relationships. The best master bedroom colors are found in the warm skin tones of all races of people; from light beiges, tans, cocoas, pinks, peaches, subtle yellows, earthy reds, copper, gold, bronze amongst others. The colors that are too cool and do not work in master bedrooms are pure white, grey, black, blues, and greens because they create a chilly room versus a sensual one. 

                                       

                                                       Walls a soft mushroom color

In the master bedroom the art and pictures should represent the qualities of the Love and Marriage area of the Bagua: pairs of items such as figurines and candles, pictures and art reflecting couples and romantic representations, pictures of you and your significant other.  It is not recommended to put photographs of your children and family in your master bedrooms. Photographs of your family are better served in areas of your home where family is dominant, such as living rooms, family rooms, playrooms and hallways. The bedroom is a romantic oasis, not a place to display photos of mom, dad or the kids. 

                       

Singles Bedrooms 

Whether male or female singles looking for love need to create a romantic boudoir to prepare your room for another; two nightstands, two lamps, two throw pillows on the bed. Remove exercise equipment, family pictures, excess dolls and stuffed animals. Enhance the room as you would the Love and Marriage area of the Bagua, with pairs of items, and romantic art depicting pairs of subjects such as people, animals, flowers, trees or sculptures. All these further energize your desire and intention to be romantically involved. 

Furnishings and Décor

Televisions in bedrooms tend to activate you and do not allow for restful sleep. I like many others like watching TV in bed, but I find I get better sleep when I turn off the TV, close it up, and read for a few minutes before “lights out”.  The key is to keep the TV in a cabinet or armoire so it can be closed upon retiring.  If this can’t be done, I have recommended placing a decorative drape over the TV so that the electromagnetic screen isn’t staring at you all night.

             

                                                     

                                                                           TV in armoire

Bedrooms should be relatively free of clutter; especially avoid accumulating clutter under the bed, as it obstructs the flow of Ch’i. Also avoid keeping exercise equipment or home office items in bedrooms as they signify work. 

The rule of thumb for mirrors in the bedroom is “one or less, and not facing the bed.” Mirrors are too active for the tranquility of bedrooms. If you or your children have the misfortune of having large closet door mirrors, and find it hard to get restful sleep, you may consider curtaining them at night or adding decorative wooden or screen like panels instead. 

Enjoy the rejuvenation powers of your bedroom. Nighty night!

Virtual Feng Shui Consultations Are Easy, Fun, and Very Rewarding

Feng Shui is the study and practice of arranging your environment to help you achieve your life goals. What better way to enjoy a Feng Shui Consultation than in the comfort of your own home?

Throughout the pandemic all my consultations were virtual. The upside of this is that it allowed me to spread Feng Shui energy to all corners of the U.S., and internationally including Canada and South Africa. 

All it takes is a picture of the layout of your home and pictures of each room. Then we arrange for a two-hour phone consultation.

Are you ready to make some changes in your life? Just Facebook Message me (Maria McCullough) for more information.