Feng Shui Naturally
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FENG SHUI FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Diets are so trendy – every few years there is a new one guaranteed to take the weight off. Not very long ago Feng Shui was touted as a trendy way to aid in the battle against the pounds – there was a New York Times bestseller, magazines weighed in and so many Feng Shui practitioners got into the action by blogging and lecturing on the subject. I read the books, articles and even attended some of these courses.
But I shied away from the talk. True, I could appreciate the basic message –distilling it down to the basics is: keep the house and refrigerator clean and clutter free and hope the kitchen is not the first thing you see when you enter the house. Well, my fridge is clean but that doesn’t mean it isn’t filled with Hershey’s Kisses.
And you know I prefer Feng Shui cures to tips and thought, although there is a kernel of truth in this it can’t be all there is. And it isn’t.
Feng Shui really can help with weight loss.
Of course, nutrition and exercise are key components and anyone with weight issues should explore this. Still, the experts are telling us that stress –be it from work or home – and lack of sleep play a major role in weight problems. And stress and good sleep are essential areas that your Feng Shui practitioner should be addressing.
When we do an assessment of your home we are looking for the element relationships that clash, cause the stress. By adding the cure – be it the elements metal, water, earth, fire, or wood –qi flow issues, or balancing a yin/yang imbalance we change the way the energy interacts and manifests, thus taking away the stress which in turn takes the stress away from you. Less stress – less need for the comfort food.
Minimizing the stress will aid your sleep patterns. Beyond just this, Feng Shui looks at many other things that can manifest based on how/ where you sleep such as:
how your bedroom is designed,
how the bed is aligned
and how the direction you are sleeping in impacts you.
Yes, we all have personal directions that impact our lives in many areas and how we sleep and what that direction means to us is tantamount to understanding what is going on in your life.
So when considering weight loss, consider Feng Shui as another tool in your arsenal.
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FENG SHUI TIPS AND CURES
Image courtesy of Dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
It is so easy to give Feng Sui tips – it is not easy to tell someone, without doing a complete home analysis, how to administer a Feng Shui cure.
Because there is a big difference between A Feng Shui tip and a Feng Shui cure.
Feng Shui tips are generic; often they feel as if mom was telling you to clean your house and dad was telling you to take care of the seasonal maintenance. Realtors often have “to do” lists for their clients that Feng Shui practitioners envy and housekeeping magazines have articles that offer clutter-clearing advice for the overwhelmed. So you may wonder, why do you need a Feng Shui analysis?
Well, tips are tips – they are meant to be generic for everyone. A Feng Shui cure is specific to a situation and is determined by the year the house was built and its orientation. We look at the Flying Stars, at time and space. A tip cannot cover that.
Here is an example – I may tell everyone to keep their front entrance clear, make sure it is well lit, not overgrown with shrubbery or crowded with boots, bikes and whatever. Everyone should do this and you can go the extra mile by adding beautiful plants, specialty lighting, fun sculptures or whatever makes you happy. This is a tip – and it is important for many reasons – one and perhaps most importantly, it makes the home welcoming.
But this does not go into depth of the greater impact and without knowing your home’s Flying Stars the Feng Shui expert cannot be specific. For instance – your entrance may be in a sector that has a 2-5 combination. This brings accidents, illness and depression. We can “cure” or remedy it and that is what we do. And the 2-5 will have a much different effect on a person than a very positive 8-8 combination would have. So you may not know your Flying Stars but it is pretty clear that if you are under the influence of a critical star combination it may not feel as bad if it is clean and clear as it would a dark, depressing entrance. Here the clearing is not the cure but it sure can help. And once you identify the stars and add the remedy it can work so much quicker and be more effective in a nice clear area!
BEGINNING FENG SHUI, STATIC AND NO TIMING
Image courtesy of Carlos Porto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
Nothing in life is static and this includes Feng Shui. Beginning practitioners may look at a home, compare it against a Bagua and use it as a static rigid map but we know that maps of today may not reflect the changes in the real world. The rigid bagua map is one dimensional and does not include the aspect of time. We are not static creatures, life is not static and our Feng Shui is not static.
What needs to be factored in here is time.
In advanced Feng Shui we talk about Flying Stars and how that has the strongest effect on our lives – in terms of Feng Shui, of course. This school factors in the time element – the stars of today do not have the same meaning as they did 100 years ago, 60 years ago or even 20 years ago. Like everything in life, they go through cycles. Cycles of growth and decay, of beneficial influence, of challenging influence. It takes an advanced practitioner to read and interpret these stars.
Right now we all love the power of the number 8 – we are in period 8 and therefore 8 is the powerful, wang number. So to have an 8 at our front in either the mountain or the water dragon side is quite nice. But in 10 years (2024) we may all be wishing for a 9 at the front door. If you have a permanent 8 now, you will still have a permanent 8 then but the meaning will be different. You moved on, the stars moved on. But since we know it, we can prepare for it and find the appropriate cures and remedies to accommodate the change.
Feng Shui and Fine China
I usually shy away from commenting about Feng Shui and the Christmas holiday season because in truth there is really no difference between Feng Shui for everyday living and for the holidays. Still, there are things we do around the holidays that may impact our Feng Shui or rather, make our Feng Shui felt more intensely. So, in the next few blogs I will answer the most frequent questions about good and bad Feng Shui during the holiday season. The first is, paper or china?
Along with holiday joy comes holiday stress and from the questions I get, it would appear that one of the biggest stresses for the host/hostess is – do I use the best china, my everyday dishes or can I go with paper?
I get it. I was raised in a family that brought out its best china for special guests, Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter. It was tradition – the china was loving unwrapped and then just as loving, re-wrapped to be put away to make an appearance at the next special event. Because it was special. After all, the china was handed down from mother to daughter. It may have been a special wedding present or pieces may have been bought a few pieces at a time until a whole set was complete. But however acquired, and however much love and reverence went into displaying the holiday dishes there was a level of stress around it.
What if a piece was broken, or lost? How young is too young to use the good china. Will I offend if the adult table gets the china, but the teenagers don’t, is it okay not use it for the younger kids?
Some questions are laced with more stress based problems- what if my family gets into a fight again, why should I use it if they don’t care – it’s hurry up and eat and get to the TV to watch football. Will this be appreciated or who cares?
I know many a hostess who can tell you just when a piece got lost or cracked – and this may be years after the event. It somehow takes away from the richness of the holidays. And here is where I think Feng Shui superstition gets intertwines with true Feng Shui.
Using fine china does not equate to good Feng Shui – it does not stimulate any wealth star or wealth energy, it does not draw money luck to you. This is a myth from the “pop schools” of Feng Shui. However, it is not without merit – and strong merit at that. Using the very best you have can make you feel abundant and wealthy. It may be a symbol to you and others. But not using good china (and in truth many couples and singles do not have what they call “good china”) will not negatively affect your home’s Feng Shui. So don’t stress about it!
Feng Shui is an earth based science. The Flying Stars that rule our homes and businesses are determined by the orientation of the structure and the age of construction. Land forms, environmental factors, color schemes, element use and remedies, furniture placement and qi flow make up most of the rest. But Feng Shui comes from a country rich in folklore and superstition and these superstitions have been woven into the fabric of Feng Shui teaching leaving us to think that Feng Shui is a superstition. It is not. Having a Fu dog outside your gates will not change your Feng Shui; but it will give a psychological boost to those who believe in Fu dog protection. Using fine china at the holidays is one of our myths – so deep within us that we don’t even acknowledge that it is a myth.
So when you need to decide how to set your table, follow this one rule –
Do what works for you and your lifestyle.
FENG SHUI AND THE CREEP FACTOR
When I was a child not a Halloween went by without the neighborhood kids talking about the “creepy” house down the street where you did not want to go “trick or treating.” Things don’t change that much – I still hear kids talking about the scary, creepy house but of course now I would say that the house has bad Feng Shui .
And it got me thinking – and this is a leap – that I am still hearing people talk about creepy houses or rather, creepy parts of their own homes. Not always in those words. Rather I hear that there is a part of the house that feels uncomfortable to them; an area that they just do not feel settled or able to concentrate, an area that the family just tends to avoid.
Some reasons are so obvious – rooms that are used for storage, basements and attics that are cluttered, dark, dirty and filled with spider webs, and that cold, drafty part of the house that hasn’t been renovated or insulated. But sometimes there is something about the energy is just not right.
I had that experience in my home in Austin. The room did not meet any of the creepy criteria. In fact, the room was visually my favorite – I loved the way the light filtered in, I loved the colors, the view out the window, it was large and a good shape – but I could not do anything in it. I tried to make it an exercise room, a home office, a hobby room, a TV room. But I found I could not spend time in it. I felt restless and the need to just move and get out of that room. Eventually my dog, Jack, took it over and he was very happy. And, later when I learned more about Feng Shui, my reaction to this room made perfect sense to me.
There are many things to consider when a Feng Shui analysis is done. Some practitioners use the East / West Theory which (to over simplify) says that there are four directions in your house that are beneficial to you based on your birthdate and four areas that are not at all compatible with a person. This room was in my least compatible direction.
An analysis will also focus on the Flying Stars to read the energy code in each sector of the home. This room had a negative star combination that could make the occupant feel oppressed and stressed. With my current knowledge of Feng Shui I know of many ways I could have remedied the room but back then I just knew how I felt.
Without a proper Feng Shui analysis it is impossible to be able to tell what is wrong and how to remedy these rooms. On a generic advice level it is advisable to keep these spaces as clean and clutter free as possible. Perhaps most importantly, if possible, honor your feelings about this space- if it does not feel right, don’t use it. This may be your best Feng Shui advice after all!
The Truth About Feng Shui and Love
Although spring takes most of the credit, social scientists say that it is really in the autumn that a young man’s – and everyone else’s – fancy turn to love. Perhaps it is because the idea of the long, cold nights spent alone is so unappealing – or the prospect of a lonely holiday season spent by yourself saddens you or, scarier even, facing the relatives and endless gatherings without the support of a loved one. So now is the time to seek out new relationships or turn attention to nurturing the ones we already have. After all, basking in the love brings the sparkle into the season – and our lives. But, what do you do if the love seems to be eroding or is just not there?
Love is hard to define just as is the qi energy of Feng Shui but even if we don’t know how to define it, we do know the effects. And the Feng Shui in our homes does have a powerful effect on our love life.
It is easy to go on line or pick up a Western Feng Shui style book and read about the mandarin ducks, the placement of symbols of your love, crystals, candles, matching night stands and pictures of your lover in the room. And adding and using these objects and wishes may work – for a short time – because you put intention behind it and intention is a powerful thing. But they are also very generic and the problem with generic remedies is that they are so, well, generic and we and our relationships are not. Our situations are all different and so are our homes. In fact, there are 216 different house combinations with many more relationship qi energy combinations.
To find the love qi in our homes we need to do a compass based Feng Shui Flying Star audit. To do this we need a floor plan, a compass, a determination of the sitting and facing direction of the house, and the construction date of the house. Then we map out the qi energy or “fly the stars.” Complicated? Yes, a bit, but then, so are our relationships. Specific? Yes, an analysis can be very specific. For instance, an analysis can tell you if you are sleeping in your “Lonely Pillow” direction (which means you will be sleeping alone) or if the stars in your bedroom or main entrance are the cheating stars. There is a combination that defines a specific unequal relationship – when a woman is dominating the hen-pecked husband – and this cannot be remedied by making sure the night stands are equal! Feng Shui can tell you so much more about your love and relationships but it is something that cannot just be seen by looking around the room; it is the unseen qi analysis that will reveal all.
It is difficult for a trained compass based Feng Shui practitioner to give out generic advice because of the specificity that we can reach. Still, I agree with the Western Feng Shui practitioners that it is important to keep the bedroom and front entrance clutter free and to find symbols that will honor your love. But more important than this, is to take the time to love yourself and your loved ones. Simple acts of love and kindness can brighten your day and that of those you love. And when you are ready, give me a call and we can find out what is really going on in your love life.
SEASONAL QI – THE NATURE OF AUTUMN
Feng Shui affects everyone – it can be very specific as in a home, office and a personal Feng Shui reading. And it is also universal, touching everybody in much the same way. Perhaps the most universal of the Feng Shui affects is what we call “seasonal qi”, being in tune with nature and how the changing seasons affect us.
We all live in the natural world and are ruled by nature. After all, we are a part of nature – every culture stems from people that were heavily affected by what was happening in the natural world – temperature, winds, rains, times for planting, harvesting and resting. Despite our technical, industrial societies that seem to be separate from the elements we are still profoundly tuned into nature. Nature has her cycles and since we are part of nature, we, too, have our cycles.
We are deep into autumn now. In most of the United States we celebrate with the pumpkins, gourds, outings to see the changing leaves and enjoying the coolness in the air. But we also have the internal cycles that we recognize as seasonal qi. It has a powerful effect on our lives even if we are not consciously aware of it.
Feng Shui consultants often make a big deal of the seasonal changes but seldom explain the why of it. It is not to decorate your home, although that is the fun part of it. It is to acknowledge and honor our connection to nature. To understand the seasonal qi helps us to live a life in tune with the natural cycles.
Autumn represents the turning inwards – a more yin season that follows the high energy, yang summer. We tend to slow down our activities and busy thoughts; we begin to start nesting for the winter. We begin to nurture more, catch up on our sleep (as shown in “fall back”), think more about taking care of our health, eat heartier fare, and prepare the gardens and home for winter. We are more reflective. It is natural, cyclical and part of our internal calendar. This effect is not only personal; in the business world you will find that many companies are finishing up their budgets – not planning new expansions until after the turn of the year (winter seasonal retail exempted) while planning on completing projects that have already been implemented.
We are in the autumn phase. Its “home” is in the west and northwest. It is represented by the metal element. Beyond the psychological influences mentioned above, the organs and parts of the body that are represented by the metal element – the lungs, the head, and chest – are dominant. This is the start of allergy, cold and flu season so extra care should be taken to strengthen the metal parts of the body in order to protect oneself from these illnesses. Teeth and jaws are also taxed so make sure you follow up with that dental appointment you tend to put off. It is only natural that we tend to go inwards and become more aware of our physical needs; it is nature’s way of strengthening us.
As is common in Feng Shui there are myths associated with seasonal qi. Some of them may be cultural, superstitious, fun and harmless. And some can have a negative effect on your Feng Shui. Enjoy autumn – it is a beautiful season. And be aware of these Feng Shui myths.
MYTH : Since metal is the element representing autumn, it is wise to add metal elements to the west and northwest.
FACT: Although metal makes its home in the west and northwest, this usually has a shadow effect on the Feng Shui of your home and office. The element that needs to be represented in these areas is determined by the construction date, orientation and Flying Stars of the house. Do not arbitrarily add metal in these areas. It will not bring business or financial success or enhance your creativity UNLESS all the requirements are met. And, if it is not an area that needs a metal remedy and metal is added it can cause quite a disruption.
Feng Shui Fall
There’s something about autumn we all love. Even before the hot days are over and the calendar tells us we are now in fall, we seem to crave the brilliant colors and harvest that autumn brings. According to retailers and interior designers, fall decorating is second only to Christmas and is not far behind! This decorating can be the artificial flowers and leaves or the fresh mums, pumpkins and gourds from the garden. It is beautiful, inspiring, happy making and joyful – but is it Feng Shui?
Certainly the beautiful decorations impact your emotions and psychological well-being and this can play a role in your mental outlook. When something makes us smile, makes us happy the impact can be quite transforming and boosts our inner spirit. And people who understand the power of attraction and intention can use this feeling to jump start their day and moods. This can be quite powerful – but it is not Feng Shui. Rather I would call it part of environmental (or interior design) psychology.
Feng Shui is the balancing of the energies that are inherent in your house based on the orientation of the sitting and facing directions and the year the house was built. Qi flow from the inside and outside environment is also a factor in determining the energy balance and the needed remedies. Holiday and seasonal decorating does not have the power to change the essential Feng Shui of your house. Despite this fact seasonal decorating plays a large role in much of the western Feng Shui practices.
I myself love to decorate for fall – I am a sucker for the Indian corn, the gourds, fall leaves and Halloween ghosts and witches. I love it all – and it makes me happy, brightens all the grey days and gets me pumped up before winter. But I know it does not change the inherent Feng Shui of my house. And, I also know that the “rules” given for fall decorating by some Western Feng Shui schools can be ignored. Let’s explore and destroy some of these myths so you can decorate without fear of bad Feng Shui.
Myth 1 : To enhance family relationships fall decorations should be placed in the east.
Truth is, it does not matter where you put your decorations. In some Western schools, the bagua is broken into 9 life aspects; the east being the family relationship. In the classic, traditional Feng Shui schools we do not look at the sectors (guas) this simply. Each one has an energy determined by the permanent stars so every one of the nine sectors affects the family, wealth, health etc. Every house has its own specific Feng Shui – it is not generic enough that we would say east is the family. Just think about it – if the laundry room was in the east would you only place your beautiful decorations there?
Myth 2: All reds and orange decorations should be placed in the south.
True, in all schools the south is represented by the color red. But this does not mean that red objects should only be placed in the south. In fact, this could be quite explosive when the fire element is over represented in this area – or in any area that does not call for fire. How do you know? By finding the permanent energy codes in your house through a classic Feng Shui reading.
However, do not fear placing your red and orange leaves in the southern part of your home if that is where you desire it. I have never seen a home with so much red in their fall decorations that it would negatively affect the fire element. (Christmas red is another story.)
Myth 3: Dried corn stalks and flowers represent death and should not be used.
Most Western Feng Shui schools perpetuate this myth while classical Feng Shui has no taboo against this. I see it as a personal preference. Dried flower arrangements, hay bales and dried leaves can be beautifully arranged and do not bring in the specter of death and decay. After all, we use dried herbs in our cooking and this is pretty life sustaining.
So, please enjoy the fall without worrying about your Feng Shui decorating. I wish you long walks in the falling leaves and crisp mornings to start your day.
Feng Shui, Home Purchasing and Foreclosure
If you are thinking about buying a house now think of this – your best friend may be your Feng Shui consultant. A Feng Shui reading can give you a heads up on the permanent and upcoming energies of that house you have your eye on.
We know that every house is unique; and based on the age of the home, the direction it is sitting and facing and internal and external architectural details; the experiences and potentials of what will happen in the house can be predicted. And that’s a good thing. A Feng Shui practitioner can tell you what house type the home is: is it a wang shui – wang shui, reversed, double sitting or double facing? Is it going into a money lock or a people lock phase? What are the effects that any missing piece or extension going to have on the new homeowners?
And more important than the questions are the answers. A classically trained compass based practitioner can point out the possibilities and advise you how to cure, remedy or enhance the qi flow and pattern as necessary.
This may be the best time in decades for people wanting to get into the real estate market. Interest rates are low, prices of houses are the lowest in decades and there is an abundant supply of houses on the market. For those who quality, it may not get better than this. There are deals to be had out there – but, are they all real deals?
The question I get most frequently from people looking to buy a home is about some of these deals – the money may sound right but is there a consequence to buying a foreclosure or a house from owners needing to do a short sale.
Great question – And to answer that we have a few things to consider. Perhaps the biggest issue here is why the house went into foreclosure. Was it the individual circumstances of the owner or was it a neighborhood trend? If it is the case of individual owners falling upon hard times another family will not necessarily have the same experiences IF any of the negative, unbalanced Feng Shui elements of the house are remedied. However, if the neighborhood itself is experiencing a negative cycle it may be advisable to avoid this purchase and look for another house. Please make sure you do the following:
- CHECK OUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD-
Although the house itself may have good Feng Shui or may easily be remedied, the neighborhood around it will have a powerful influence. Do your research and check with your realtor: Are there jobs available in the area, can the industry support the population of the neighborhood, are the schools satisfactory, is the water supply clean the air quality good, is there an electric grid in your backyard? What are the crime statistics and neighborhood amenities?
- GET A FENG SHUI READING ON THE HOUSE
A Feng Shui reading can give you a lot of information about the home’s potential as well as giving you insight on how to tailor the house to your specific needs – and to make sure they match up. Some energy combinations work well for the more active lifestyle, the social individual while there are element combinations that will guarantee a more mellow energy for a person wanting a quieter environment. People and house types are unique. It’s best when they flow in the same direction.
So when you are thinking of buying a new home check with your two best friends – your Feng Shui expert and a knowledgeable real estate agent and happy house hunting.
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