Creating Feng Shui Friendly Laundry Rooms

 

I love our laundry room, mainly because I enhanced it using Feng Shui principles. It happens to be in my Children and Creativity area of my home; therefore, I enhanced it with whites, pastel yellow, pictures of my daughter and grandchildren, and whimsical items.  I find it a delight to do laundry!

                                                 

Since the laundry room isn't a public space, it's easy to neglect it when decorating. Yet this room serves a very important function. It is a place of water and removing debris, the cleansing area of the home.

I recommend following a few basic Feng Shui rules, and then enhancing it according to its location on the Bagua.

 A Few Basic of a Feng Shui Rules:                                                                                                    There are a few basic rules governing the Feng Shui of a laundry room.

 Control the Water Element – The Water element can help promote wealth, but it's important you         don't let it get out of control in your laundry room, particularly where water drains out of your           house.

• Keep the lid of your washing machine always closed.
• Make sure none of the hoses are leaking. Don't let your finances flow away from you with dirty water.    

• Keep it Clean–  Remove the dryer lint regularly.

• Empty laundry trash can, wash floors.
  
  
• Keep It Maintained and Organized - Don’t allow clothes to accumulate in the laundry room.
• Don't use this room as a catch-all for storing other items.  Don't allow things to accumulate.

• Adjust Lighting - Replace burned out light bulbs.
• Provide good lighting through windows and overhead lights.

 Enhancing with the Feng Shui Bagua:                                                                                                   Make your laundry room inviting and pleasing to the eye. Give it just as much design attention as you   would other rooms in your home.

 Wherever your laundry room resides, adding a few enhancements (colors, items and shapes related to    that area will help lift the Ch’i.

                                       

 Career Area (Water Element)

·         Items in items in black or very dark colors, glass/crystal items, water features, art representing waterscapes

·         Water represents the flow of wealth.

Knowledge and Self Cultivation Area (Wood Element)

·         Items are made of wood, colors blue, green, black colors, plants and art representing still wooded scenes 

Friends/Family/Health Area (Wood Element)

·         Floral arrangements or art depicting vibrant flowers, photos of family, friends, colors blues and greens 

Wealth Area (Fire Element)

·         Opulent items in the purple color spectrum, healthy, round leaf plants 

Fame Area (Fire Element)

·         The colors red, items representing the fire element with candles and lighting, art representing celebration, success and upward movement, inspirational sayings, awards  

Love and Marriage Area (Fire Element)

·         Pairs of items, art or photos depicting romance, reds, and pinks, photos of you and significant other 

Children and Creativity Area (Metal Element)

·         Items in metal, colors of white and pastels, whimsical art, pictures of children, craft items 

Center Area:                                                                                                                                              ·    Ceramics, the colors yellow, earth tones, and rectangle shapes

Helpful People and Travel Area (Metal Element)

·         Art or figures pertaining to travel, spiritual guides, metal and colors of white, black or grey 

Sometimes there is just a laundry closet in the home. I recommend hanging a 30-millimeter round faceted glass crystal in the center to help circulate the energy, then add small enhancements based on Bagua area

Don't overdo your Feng Shui laundry room design with too many elements so as not to create a clutter. Keep good design principles in mind when creating a positive flow of Ch’i.

 

Practicing Feng Shui Kindness for Well-Being

In these stressful times, doing everything we can to be at peace and improve our well-being is so important. Feng Shui is all about balance and positive energy.  When we make Feng Shui enhancements in our home, and expect results, we must remember that these adjustments are only 1/3 of the equation. Our destiny, and our actions make up the other 2/3 of the formula. We may have little control over our destiny, but our actions are completely within our reach.  This is where acts of kindness come in. 

Practicing Inner Feng Shui begins by being kind to yourself. For example, being kind to yourself can involve saying affirming things to yourself or focusing on what you can control, such as deep breathing, meditating, enjoying nature, or changing your situation by doing a good deed each day. This will change the course of energy. A simple act of kindness can make an impact. When one does something good, solely for the benefit of another, the reality is that they both benefit.

Kindness is important for many reasons, including improving your well-being:

•  It can deepen friendships and create safety in relationships by encouraging understanding and vulnerability.  
  
                           

•    It can help create and strengthen social connections. It can help people feel a sense of belonging, make new friends, and connect with their communities. 
  
  
•   It can reduce stress, anxiety, and worry. It can also improve feelings of confidence, optimism and well-being. 

                                        

•    It can boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, and increase the production of feel-good hormones like dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin. 
  
  
•  Kindness can make the world a happier place and encourage others to be kind as well. 

      

Begin doing an act of kindness a day and watch your Feng Shui energy change for the good!

                                      

There's Joy in Moving the Feng Shui Ch'i

Did you know that every time you declutter, redecorate, remodel, or just add another piece of furniture or art you are changing the energy of your home, which will help you achieve your goals and live your best life?

Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of arranging your environment, is meant to bring your life peace and harmony. To do this your environment needs to bring you joy, since in Feng Shui your environment reflects your consciousness.

In Feng Shui, “Ch’i”, or “Qi” is a vital life force or energy that powers all living things.  The goal of Feng Shui is to harness Ch’i to improve life. 

Good Ch’i is meant to nourish you, while negative Ch’i, which blocks the energy, can drain you. Feng Shui is all about adjusting your environment, by correcting, enhancing, or changing items, colors, shapes based on the Feng Shui principles, and the five elements. These elements are water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. You can improve the Ch’i flow by adding, moving, or combining these elements, based on each of the nine Bagua areas. 

                                       

Each time we make a change in our home, my husband and I say we're “Moving the Ch’i.” We say this when we clean the garage, empty closets, buy new art, a piece of furniture or undertake a big remodel. My clients say they feel an energy shift, and it’s evident in their before and after pictures.

When we remodeled our kitchen, residing in the Love and Marriage area, from green to rich wood tones and red tiles we noticed a shift in romance.

                                    

When we remodeled our bathroom in the Health, Family and Friend's area from burgundy and pink to soft greens, wood,  and florals we noticed an improvement in our health.

                                     

Our daughter just redecorated our grandkid’s bedroom in the Knowledge and Self Cultivation area from overly cluttered to clean, organized, attractive bedding, beds and furniture. They both now are calmer and love to lay in their new beds and read. 

                                      

Little changes can make a big difference. A client has a blank wall in her Fame and Reputation area. I can’t wait to see how adding a large piece of red tone, celebration, upward movement, or fame art will change the Ch’i of the room and positively affect her life. 

                                                

We are about to replace our roof with a new one. I can't wait to see what affect that will have. We're excited at the prospect. 

Do You Practice Intuitive Feng Shui?

Do you practice Intuitive Feng Shui? As I enter the homes of my friends and clients, I can quickly tell that so many of them do..

Feng Shui is all about creating  a feeling.  The goal is to enter your home after a long workday, or an exhausting experience, and say “Ahhhh, I’m home to my sanctuary.”  You should feel calmed and nurtured by your home, and not even more stressed. If you feel that your home is harmonious, with a calming effect, it’s because it probably has good energy, and you’re experiencing intuitive Feng Shui. 

                                       

Are good things happening to you, opportunities opening up, and problems easily solving themselves; or do you feel that it’s just one thing after another, you’re stuck and can’t seem to get ahead?  If good things are happening to you, and life, even with its challenges, is flowing smoothly, then you’re experiencing intuitive Feng Shui.

Do you find that you sleep better in one room over another, or enjoy sitting in one area of your home better than the rest? If so, take a close look at those rooms because they exhibit intuitive Feng Shui. 

                                       

Intuitive Feng Shui is the ability to create happy, harmonious homes naturally and from our heart, without needing to use logic. You can, with very little Feng Shui training become aware of your environment and apply intuitive Feng Shui. Without even thinking too much about it, you’re intuitively arranging areas in your home to be balanced and allow the energy to flow in a positive way.  You probably have removed the clutter. You may have added plants and flowers. You have your desk, and other seating arrangements facing the front door in the power position, and have displayed art that has positive representations.  These are small things that evoke positive energy, and represent intuitive Feng Shui. 

                                                     

You can easily develop intuitive Feng Shui skills out of your experience of being in different places. Each time you go to a new place be aware of how you feel there. Is the atmosphere fast flowing, slow, intense, settled or volatile? Then look for what it is about the building, decoration and layout that you think could contribute to that energy flow, and your current mood. This creates an inner knowing or intuition. You can later draw on your experiences to create spaces in your home that reproduce the emotional responses you are looking for.

The secret is to keep connecting your mental and emotional state to the possible influence of the home or business you are in.

Feng Shui is based on three guiding principles:

1) Everything is Alive.  Everything in your home is talking at you either positively or negatively. If you listen to the chatter and quickly do something about it (discarding, clearing, replacing, repairing or redecorating) then you’re allowing your energy to be transformed and are practicing intuitive Feng Shui. If on the other hand you live with clutter and broken items your energy will be drained. 

                                               

2) Everything is Connected. When you allow changes to be made a chain reaction in energy flow occurs. You may feel you have more energy, smile more, feel healthier, want to do nice things for others. This in turn will lead to positive opportunities. By clearing a closet and bringing clothes to a consignment store I have made new friends and business opportunities. By observing and celebrating the connections your positive energy creates you are practicing intuitive Feng Shui.

                                       

3)   Everything is Constantly Changing. Life has a way of being in a constant flow; nothing remains the same. The art of Feng Shui is to steer the flow in positive directions. One opportunity can lead to another. If you allow the energy in your home to help move you forward, you are practicing intuitive Feng Shui. 

                                                      

Black Hat Feng Shui

There are two schools of thought in Feng Shui, the Compass and Form Schools. When reading about both, some of my students and clients are confused about the difference, and which they should use.  I was trained in, and practice the Form school which is known as Western Black Hat Feng Shui. Feng Shui is over three thousand years old in Eastern cultures, but it only really came to be known in the west with the introduction of "Black Hat Feng Shui."

Traditional Compass School Feng Shui masters are more interested in the type of Ch’i (positive life force energy) that enters a site and to do this they use more than just the simple Bagua. In addition, they might also use Chinese Astrology in conjunction with Feng Shui, to determine pillars of destiny, individual charts, house charts, flying stars and much more. Special attention is placed on compass readings for compass directions.

                                   

To simplify the complex rules of traditional Chinese Feng Shui, Black Hat uses the Bagua to divide a building into eight areas, meaning “Eight Trigrams” with the center for grounding.

Black Hat Feng Shui does not use a compass, and the main door is usually in only one of three sectors. The simplicity of this system means that Black Hat Feng Shui is very popular, and easily accessible. It relies on the power of visualizations and in particular, the use of decorative "enhancers" or objects that help you arrange your home to help you live your best life, and achieve your goals. They include using general Feng Shui theories, principles, philosophies, and the correct use of color, shape and natural materials such as plants and water.

Black Hat Feng Shui is known for a more simplistic use of the Bagua. This versatility of the Bagua chart makes this form of Feng Shui more accessible to individuals. Unlike Classical Feng Shui that requires extensive studying and training, the Black Hat rules are simple to follow and almost anyone can quickly utilize the Bagua for a home enhancement.

The steps in Black Hat Feng Shui are simple:

Step One: Procure or draw the layout of your home. This drawing should indicate your front door. Other exterior doors should also be added. Be sure to scale-to-size as much as possible so that each room in your home is accurately represented, including garages and attached decks.

Step Two: Superimpose the Bagua map over your layout. In Feng Shui, the bottom of the Bagua map will fall over the front side of your home layout. Your front door may fall in the left side, middle or right side of the front, and in the case of an upside-down horseshoe shaped home sometimes in the center.

                                  

Step Three: You can now use the map to help strengthen various areas of your life, such as career, money, relationships and health according to Black Hat Feng Shui principles, and enhancements including color, shapes, art and items.  You can learn how to anchor missing areas. Begin by familiarizing yourself with each sector of the Bagua and how it relates to the room(s) of your home.

If you are experiencing any negative effects in your life from one of these nine sectors, you can use Feng Shui principles and remedies to transform the inauspicious aspects, and attract auspicious Ch’i energy.

Both schools of thought have powerful, life changing results when applied and followed correctly.  Choose the one that works best for you.

 

Enhancing Guest Rooms in the Feng Shui Love, Family and Friends Area

Do you want more love in your life?  The art and practice of Feng Shui uses the Feng Shui Bagua to help you identify and enhance each area of your home which is related to those areas in your life. A lot has been written about enhancing the Love area, the back right corner of your home, which is a perfect location for the master bedroom. Not all homes have the master bedroom in this area, for example, in our home, the main floor Love area is in our kitchen, while downstairs it’s in our guest room. Some may have it in the dining room, bathroom, living room etc. Love can reside in many rooms in your home.  But what if it happens to be a guest room?  

                           Two burgundy throw pillows, a love pillow, two nightstands and lamps, and a burgundy throw

The element for the Love, Marriage, and Relationships area is Fire which is represented by any shade in the red color spectrum, from pink tones to burgundy and purple, along with white (the color of the Metal element); the shapes of cones and triangles; any type of lighting; anything derived from animals; and art depicting people, animals, suns, stars. Because the Wood element feeds fire, adding representations of wood, such as plants or items made of wood, helps to nurture your enhancements. Think of a beautiful red or pink orchid with two stems representing romance.

                                                                                                                                                          Pair of birds and a heart

What we did when we redecorated our guest room:

                                   

Enhancements for the Love, Marriage, and Relationships Area in a Guest Room of Your Home: (Choose One or More)

• Begin by decluttering the space.

• Add shades of red, pink, and white.

• Enhance with art representing pairs (lovebirds, two hearts, two candles, etc.) and romantic   

    themes.

• Unlike the master bedroom, where you would place pictures of you and your significant other, 

   here you would hang art representing pairs, hang inspirational sayings representing romance, 

   display hearts. Create an inviting environment for your guests by displaying a vase with pink 

   or red  flowers.

• Display items in the shapes of cones or triangles, or representations of hearts.

• Add your affirmations calling in love and romance.

                                                                                                                     Pairs or artwork - hummingbirds and sea shells

What to Avoid in the Love, Marriage, and Relationships Area:

• Art that represents single people or evokes emotions of sadness or loneliness

• Too much of the color black, representing the Water element which douses fire

                                                                                                                                                Representation of hearts

 Remember that the choices are endless. Enjoy discovering them and be creative!

                              

Flowers Uplift Your Ch'i in Times of Sadness

Helping set up for my dear mother-in law's funeral service, and selecting the perfect flowers to represent her, I reflected on the significance of flowers at memorials, funerals, celebrations of life, as well as the tradition of bringing flowers to people who are ill. 

It is no wonder that flowers are chosen for these occasions, because they are known to be the quintessential Ch’i enhancers. They provide us with the beauty and wonder of nature and help us stay connected and grounded to the natural world. They are said to have a spiritual significance, and have always been used to symbolize the life cycle from birth to death. They represent not only love, and sympathy but also eternity and immortality. A person’s life is symbolized by the fragility of a flower, where proper conditions are necessary for them to grow and blossom.

 

Flowers also create a background of warmth and beauty, adding to the dignity and consolation of the funeral service.

Losing a loved one is difficult. When you wish to provide comfort to those who are grieving, sending flowers can help brighten this somber time and let them know they are not alone. It is a means of expression. Since it can be difficult for those in mourning to put their feelings into words, flowers can act as an expression of love, comfort, sympathy, and respect.

Just like everything in Feng Shui flowers can uplift the Ch’i if beautiful and healthy. My mother-in-law loved the color purple; therefore, the family chose flowers we knew she would love.  They used the beauty of nature to paint a palette of colorful enhancements for her transition.

When she was ill, friends and family filled her room with vibrant flowers, which are used to help activate good health. 

Working with flowers over the years I have felt the calming, peaceful effect they have on the nervous system.  Surround yourself, and your loved one with flowers and you’ll soon  feel the positive, uplifting effect. 

The pictures here are all the beautiful arrangements at my mother-in-law's funeral, with the exception of the last one which I had sent to my uncle's funeral in Italy. (He also liked the color purple.) 

Learn to Enhance Your Life Through Everyday Feng Shui Columns

 

I have been writing newspaper columns since 2011. Each of these can be found on my website.  Thirteen years of valuable Feng Shui information at your fingertips, as well as in this blog.                All These can be found on my website www.fengshuibymaria.com  click on “Articles”

They are listed under a table of contents under the following headings:

Feng Shui Basics

• Inner Feng Shui
• Gratitude
• Creating a Stress Free Home
• Colors
• Vision Boards
• Common Cures
• The Bagua
• Anchoring Missing Areas
• Decluttering
• The Five Feng Shui Elements
• Water
• Wood
• Fire
• Earth
• Metal

The 9 Bagua Areas

• Career
• Knowledge and Cultivation
• Health, Family, Friends
• Wealth and Prosperity
• Fame and Reputation
• Love and Relationships
• Children and Creativity
• Helpful People and Travel
• Center and Grounding
  
  

Feng Shui in the Home

• Art Placement
• Bathrooms
• Bedrooms
• Entrances
• Dining Rooms
• Garages
• Gardens
• Holiday Decorating and Gift Giving
• Kitchens
• Offices
• Selling, Buying, Energizing Homes
  
                            
  
  And also, by date

Feel free to browse and download any that will help you enhance your home to benefit your life.

You can also purchase my latest book, “Empower Your Life Through Feng Shui – An Easy Eight Step Guide to Achieving Your Goals” directly on the site.

A wealth of information at your fingertips!

Blessings

Don’t Miss an Opportunity to get Your “Feng Shui Consultation in a Book.”

Are you looking to realize your goals? Feng Shui creates an environment that radiates positive energy and nurtures your life. With easy Feng Shui enhancements, you achieve your life goals. My book, Empower Your Life Through Feng Shui, in its workbook format, is designed to lead you to success in eight easy steps. With over a decade of experience as a Feng Shui consultant, I have witnessed the power of Feng Shui to dramatically transform people's lives. The goal is to go slow and take it one step at a time, which is why I created this workbook in a reflective step-by-step format. You will be led through eight easy steps, that can be followed over and over for each area of need, each goal in your life. I call it your Personal Feng Shui consultation in a book because with this reflective guide you will be able to begin enhancing your home yourself. By the end of this workbook you will have:

1. An understanding of the Feng Shui principles
2. A guide to easy Feng Shui enhancements
3. A map of your home using the Feng Shui Bagua
4. An evaluation of your greatest needs and life goals
5. Ideas for creating vision boards and affirmations
6. Learned how to use the Five Feng Shui elements to balance your home and your life
7. Gained an opportunity to journal your goals, needs, reflections, and successes

Whether your goals are love, health, prosperity, career, creativity, travel, or personal development, the strategies in this workbook will empower you to achieve them. I believe in empowerment through environment.

 

Get it immediately through my publisher Book Baby:

 

https://store.bookbaby.com/book/empower-your-life-through-feng-shui 

Or, pre-order through Amazon - release date on May 8.

https://www.amazon.com/Empower-Your-Life-Through-Feng/dp/B0CY3DLZN2

I will also be having a book signing at:
Bookshop Benicia, 636 1st Steet, Benicia
Sunday, May 19 – 5:30
Let’s meet and get your book signed!

Feng Shui Teaches How Clutter Can Affect Your Health

 

If you, or a family member, is having health issues, see a doctor and follow what’s prescribed, but also look at your home, to see if your environment is contributing to your illness.

Feng Shui, which has been practiced for over 3,000 years in China, is the enhancement of health, prosperity, and happiness. The belief is that that your vitality, resources, and loving connections flourish and grow best in harmonious, uncluttered environments.

 On the other hand, clutter is a typical daily issue, often leading to feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and disorganized. Whether it's a messy desk, a cluttered closet, or a chaotic living space, clutter can significantly impact your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Clutter makes it difficult to focus and stay productive. It also contributes to anxiety, depression, and dissatisfaction with your surroundings, all of which contribute to health issues.

Research has shown that a cluttered environment increases negative emotions like confusion, irritability, frustration, and depression.  This can affect you mentally and physically, hindering productivity, increasing stress and anxiety levels, and lowering mood and well-being.

Clutter can also impact physical health by creating hazards and increasing the risk of accidents or falls. Additionally, clutter can make it harder to maintain good hygiene by creating an environment that is difficult to clean. And being in dusty rooms can trigger allergies or cause sickness.  

A cluttered home can also affect your sleep. A cluttered space can be overstimulating, making it difficult to relax and prepare for sleep.

Clutter is visually overwhelming and affects your ability to make decisions. It creates a distracting, disorganized, and stressful environment that can make it difficult to focus, find information, and feel in control.

There is often a correlation between excessive clutter and problems that occur in one’s life. For example, a cluttered desk or closet in the Wealth and Prosperity area can lead to feeling stuck with finances. This is especially important on the Health, Family and Friends Area. (middle left area of your home) This is a Wood Element area and responds well to the colors blue, green, vibrant plants, and anything floral. If health is an issue, ensure that this area of your home is organized first. Slowly begin decluttering and enhancing with healthy plants, vibrant floral arrangements, and art.  Look at your home with Feng Shui eyes. What are you holding on to that is keeping you feeling ill?

A clean and organized environment can improve your mood and increase calmness, happiness and most importantly your health.

                               

Feng Shui is About Surrounding Yourself with Beauty

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art that allows us to create harmony and balance through our environment. This harmony and balance lend support to our lives. When our lives are supported through our environment it’s much easier to achieve the things we want such as good health, well-being, love, and happiness.

It is about arranging our environment, our homes, and our businesses to let in the life force energy, called ‘Ch’i,” and lead us to prosperity and success. The peacefulness of our homes leads us to help us achieve peace, health, and joy.

                                                                                                                  

Feng Shui doesn’t have many hard and fast rules, but rather recommendations to help enhance your life. 

The first is to ensure your safety and comfort. It is advised to avoid hard angles, but rather surround yourself with curved flowing lines, like curved paths and rounded furniture.  Another recommendation is to avoid placing your desk or furniture with your back to the door, which acts to disempower you. Placing your desk facing the door of the room puts you in the power position.

     

The second is to keep your home orderly but be sure you express yourself. Surround yourself with pictures of family and friends, art that you love, and places for your hobbies.  You want your home to be your sanctuary and comfort zone.

     

The third, and the one I feel is the most important, is to live with what you love. Surround yourself with beauty which will enhance and uplift your wellbeing.  Whether in art, furniture, plants and flowers, or a captivating view, surrounding yourself with beauty is one of the most important aspects of Feng Shui.

When a client of mine is stuck, or has an area in their home which they don’t like, I often advise them to place something of beauty which they love in that space, such as a beautiful flower arrangement, a stunning vase, a vibrant cloth, or an interesting piece of art. That begins the active life force energy, the Ch’i circulating, and leads them to more creative energy.

                                                   

I love surrounding myself with beautiful fresh flower arrangements which I have created. I enjoy looking at my father’s art, evoking numerous memories, as well as pictures of my daughter, grandchildren, and soulmate. I feel that vibrant colors and bold shapes uplift me.

            

Find what you love in your home and surround yourself with beauty. Your Feng Shui journey will have begun.