Feng Shui Your Home

Feng Shui is the ancient art of placement. According to this ancient and effective practice, moving certain objects in your environment affects you very directly positively or negatively.

Here are two opportunities to give this incredible philosophical and practical process a try.

First opportunity: Many people--too many--are incredibly unhappy in their careers and jobs. To gain clarity and ignite the fires of positive change, let's concentrate on our career corner. Many careers are tied to our ultimate purpose during our lives. When combined, work CAN be play, and life is enjoyable and livable; not just bearable. We will use the word "career" which will include profession, purpose and life's work. Now, let's give this a go.

Check our reliable bagua, and find your career area (you can easily find a sample bagua/map which clearly shows you areas in words). As in any other area, you can have multiple career spaces. For example, you can have one in your office space and another in your home as a whole or within one of your rooms. As with your other areas you can have your career area in a small space like a desk. I will continue to emphasize that the point is the intent and energy you use within that space is what matters. You can usually find your career area on the center "north" geographically speaking or your personal lower area-in reference to your body, that is the middle/center spot of any of your spaces.

Once you have identified your career area, you can create and make adjustments that work for you. I cannot say it enough but the more creative you are and fun you have, the more enjoyable and effective it will be.

You can place objects and use colors which are of various deep tones such as deep blue, black, in this space. The color white can indeed also be used as well as metal as a secondary element.

Items that symbolize what YOU identify as professional success and happiness which are balanced with the rest of your life are strongly recommended. Try to use what is for your highest and greater good and what is truly meant for you. Symbols like fish, seascapes can be placed here. Also, conditions and ideals that are of personal significance can be used. For instance, you can put on a piece of paper pictures or written words of ideal salary, working conditions, schedule style, travel or lack of it, etc. Use general descriptions of qualities you want as well as values.

The element for this space is WATER. You can use a small water fountain or clear/white bowl of water in your corner too.

Second Opportunity: Whether you need outside help for your career, love life, health issues, social calendar, or something more personal, adjusting your helpful people corner will provide you with the energy shift you desire. As usual this works best when you stick with general requests not specific persons because sometimes we don't know who is best for our highest good. Let the universe take care of that part of things. Remember the helpful person(s) can take various forms so keep your eyes and mind open. Now let's proceed.

Again, check the reliable bagua, and find your helpful people area. We will continue to emphasize that the point is the intent and energy you use within that space is what matters. You can usually find your helpful people area on the "northwest" corner geographically speaking or your personal lower right hand spot of any of your spaces. You can begin to create and make adjustments that work for you.

Let's review examples of what we can use in your helpful people area. You can place objects and use white, grey tones and black colors, in this space.

Items that symbolize the qualities you want in a helpful person and are balanced with the rest of your life are strongly recommended. Try to use what is for your highest and greater good and what is truly meant for you.

Symbols like wind chimes, fresh flowers, paintings and pictures with spiritual significance like angels, Christ, Buddha, teachers, mentors, wise elders can be placed here. Also, conditions and ideals that are of personal significance can be used. For instance, you can put on a piece of paper pictures or written words of ideal type of assistance you need, etc. Use general descriptions of qualities you want as well as values.

The element for this space is METAL. You can anything made of metal and place it in this corner (stay away from knives or other sharp cutting objects. Have fun and be creative.

As always remember not to let the North, South, East, West directions confuse you. You simply go by the bagua and the space you are in. Not the outside world. So for instance when you enter a room or are looking at a specific space, see yourself in the center of the map. In front is Recognition, reputation and fame, to your right in the upper corner is romantic relationship, to you right/center is family, right lower corner helpful people, etc.

Do you feel as if all the bad stuff just seems to head for your door?

Is everything coming in the mail bills or final demands?

Don't you just feel that maybe it's time you had a break?

These are some of the common reasons that I am asked to carry out a Feng Shui survey. Now, here's a little trick. Next time you are out and making your way home I want you to imagine that you are a stranger to the area. As you turn into your street, whether driving, walking or cycling, just think what it would look like to a stranger. When you arrive at your house, what is the first thing a stranger would notice?

Is it easy to get through the gate? Or does it stick; need lifting out of the catch or pushing because it's stuck? Does it squeal with indignation when you do open it?

If you have a garden at the front of your house is it weed free, bright and welcoming? Or litter strewn and unkempt?

Would a visitor have to step around bins or brush past overgrown shrubs to make their way to your door? Are there leaves on the path just waiting to get wet and trip up your visitors.

And what would your visitor see when they got to the front door? Clean, bright paintwork? Shiny, clear glass? A clean door mat? Or maybe peeling paintwork, a ‘Beware Dog' sticker and the door knocker so dirty they would worry about touching it with their bare hands?

Would they be able to see the name or number of the house to check that they are in the right place? If not, would they be encouraged to knock anyway?

The same applies if you live in an apartment. Is your name there at the entrance so your visitor knows which bell to push?

Or if you're a business. Does your website and literature show exactly how to find you? Do you have a sign outside your building and do visitors know exactly where reception is?

Ramshackle houseStand outside your house, apartment or business and be honest with yourself. Would Lady Luck really want to visit someone who lives or works in a place like yours?

You see Lady Luck is otherwise known as energy. And if you want good energy flowing to you then make it easy. Make the energy want to come to you. Make it feel welcomed.

In Feng Shui consultations we look at classic form, or how the building fits into the landscape. We also look at compass school, or the orientation of the building, as well as building and people astrology, or the relationship between place and time, people and buildings.

However, when a Feng Shui consultant comes to visit, the simplest things need addressing before we get into the deeper layers.

So, if you feel that you're getting a bad deal at the moment, go outside and try to see why Lady Luck might just be passing you by.

So how does Feng Shui affect home energy, business life and office reply time?

Well, the principle of Feng Shui operates on the basic principle of Yin and Yang: harmony between the dark and the light. In order to have true harmony, practitioners of Feng Shui try to arrange things around them in such a way that they can manipulate the energy to a balance.

The most recognizable symbol of Feng Shui is the octagon. The octagon or Ba Gua represents the eight directions of chi that must be balanced in order for you to have good fortune. Recently, it has been discovered that octagonal houses are actually more energy efficient.

Quite a coincidence, wouldn't you agree?

Feng Shui influences home energy because of the theory that placing the different parts of a house such as the stairs, the furniture and the door can influence the flow of chi energy through your home. This would lead to different effects.

In Feng Shui, it is believed that blockage to the chi can cause pretty big problems concerning business. In this world today, many people are learning how to respect each other's beliefs on what affects business. We live in a global community. Hence, we all should know how to do business with each other.

Right now, many westerners are researching Feng Shui because of the simple fact that many Asian businessmen would stop a deal if they feel that something is not right with the energy of the environment.

Thus, Feng Shui influences business life by allowing people to relate to each other in the terms of business. When you observe the proper Feng Shui of a place, you show people that you have a respect for every tradition. This would put you in the forefront of your business community.

But how does Feng Shui affect office reply time?

We all know that in order for an office to function properly, communications must always be in order. This means that people should be able to talk to others within the office itself. Thus, office reply time is very crucial to every person working inside the office.

As mentioned before, Feng Shui has a lot to do with the placement of objects within the area. When designing a place, you not only consider the time factor but the Feng Shui as well. In many cases, these two are often conflicted.

Some Feng Shui experts, when noting building plans, often have stairways change places or even have steps added in order to have harmony. This means that your plans for speedy office reply time may be put on hold in favor of Feng Shui.Have you ever walked into a place and right away get a bad feeling? Some practitioners say that it is one manifestation of a place having bad Feng Shui.

Placement of objects is not the only factor that influences Feng Shui. The colors and materials used for certain objects also influences the way chi energy moves around the house. For example, wood furniture can enhance chi in the south, while ceramic or clay calms it.
Chi energy flows everywhere. However, you can actually make certain modifications in order to gather more chi and promote good fortune.

Water promotes chi, that's why you'll see that in every Chinese restaurant they always have an aquarium. Certain types of fish, like a koi, actually helps promote good fortune.

The concept of Feng shui affecting home energy, business life and office reply time may seem to be pretty fat-fetched to the westerner.

However, you need to understand that some Asians take this stuff pretty seriously, and if you intend to have harmonious business relations with Asians, you may want to brush up on the different concepts of Feng Shui.

Here's a final word: many things happen without any explanations. Feng Shui is one of those things that have neither been proven nor disproved. Thus, a person must properly respect another's beliefs in order for them to maintain a harmonious relationship.

After all, you do not want to be judged as you judge other people, do you?