Feng Shui Definitions of your Life’s Clutter
Using the Feng Shui compass and Ba-Gua, you can map out the different areas of your home as well as their symbolic meanings such as family and health, wealth and abundance and career and recognition. There are quite a few of these meanings mapped out within your home that likely strike a chord with you subconsciously. However, if you have a lot of clutter and general disarray, then the very areas that should be promoting a positive flow of energy could end up causing bad Chi.
Clutter in certain areas in your home will translate into negative energy in other aspects of life. Read on for a brief interpretation of life’s clutter, based on Feng Shui:
1. Kitchen disarray and clutter hinders your ability to nurture and feed yourself and others in your household, on a variety of levels. Clearing up the clutter opens your space which in turn opens your life to many possibilities including abundance in your life, whether it is love, money, health or happiness.
2. Junked up hallways can block the flow of energy. Just liken hallways to that of blood vessels in your body. If those blood vessels are clogged, that could damage your heart and health. Well, the same principle applies to hallways as well. If you allow clutter to accumulate, you are disrupting the flow of good Chi which in turn affects how you deal with your family and other aspects of your life.
3. Messy dining and living areas can hinder your relationship with friends and family. These two rooms are where you associate and hang out with family and friends, so you want to ensure good Chi. In order to promote that, the clutter needs to be gone. With clutter, you tend to not want to invite people to visit and your family won’t want to go in there either. These are two things which could lead to isolation and general negativity.
4. Banish the bathroom mess. The bathroom is the one room in the whole house where you actually look yourself in the mirror to prepare yourself for bed or the day ahead. If your bathroom is messy and full of clutter, that disorganization tends to leak onto other areas of life and cause self-doubt and loss of personal confidence. Transform your bathroom into a clean, functional and peaceful sanctuary from the rest of the household. If you take care of yourself in the bathroom first, then that positive Chi will navigate its way to other areas of your life and home as well.
5. Cluttered closets may seem like no big deal, but what if you left the door open so that it faced out into your living room or bedroom. That disarray is now a part of that room. Closets, in Feng Shui terms, represent the things in life that you do not know or that are kept hidden. By keeping a messy, disorganized closet, you are stifling your ability to form insightful and intuitive thoughts. Think of the closet as your subconscious – you’re aware that it is there but you don’t focus solely on it until it becomes a larger than life problem.
6. Kick out bedroom clutter. Your bedroom should be viewed as a place of rest, relaxation and intimacy. Basically, you recharge those internal batteries every day in the bedroom and clutter only hinders that process. The disarray in this most personal of spaces affects sleep patterns and keeps stress in the room.
As you can see, clutter can make a huge impact on Feng Shui. Make a pact with yourself to schedule clutter-busting rituals as part of your daily routine. Just a few minutes a day and you will be well on your way to a good Feng Shui way of life.
From FENG SHUI - As a way of life.
More than furniture placement!
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Feng Shui Storage Solutions You Can Live With
Feng Shui principles cannot be successfully carried out in your home or work environment unless you get a handle on clutter. Just imagine clutter as scattered negative energy, always getting in the way of the positive Chi. Clutter is the reason why professional organizers have jobs. For the most part, not utilizing the storage space you have, in addition to pack rat tendencies, contributed the most to clutter. So it stands to reason that if you tackle your storage issues, you will be well on your way to good Feng Shui.
In order to create a positive Chi, you have to understand that some of the storage solutions that professional organizers utilize are actually bad Feng Shui practices. Their goal is to not let any unused corners, backs of doors and such go to waste. However, practicing good Feng Shui means that you should leave some storage space unused to project a more open look, which allows for positive flow of Chi.
Because some practices will conflict, here are a few guidelines to help you not only tackle your storage and clutter dilemmas but also keep on the good side of Feng Shui:
1. Storage spaces like book cases, closets and even filing cabinets that are packed full of stuff leave no room for the flow of energy or chi in the room. According to Feng Shui, you should leave some space in any storage solution you may have as this will always allow for new growth in your life.
For instance, a packed bedroom closet leaves no room for romantic growth in your relationships.
A full bookcase indicates that you will have a hard time accepting new information and possibilities.
2. Avoid storage solutions that hand from the ceiling. According to Feng Shui principles, this creates a repressive, negative energy that presses down on whatever is below. In addition, storage units that linger overhead simulate “clouds” of depression and can cause anxiety and fatigue.
3. Under the bed storage is generally discouraged in Feng Shui as it can cause problems with sleep and restlessness. If you must use the storage space beneath a bed, avoid any sharp or hard objects as this can compound sleep problems.
4. Too much fu-fu is bad Feng Shui. If you have a collection of memorabilia and pictures you wish to display, rotate them out every so often and store the extras in drawers and cabinets. An overabundance of knickknacks gives the allusion of clutter which promotes negative energy.
5. Nix any ideas of installing shelving on the wall by your bedside, desk area or even around the doorway. This storage solution causes similar repressive qualities like the overhead storage. Headaches, fatigue and slight confusion or disorientation are common side effects to this storage solution.
6. Unsightly storage solutions such as peg boards and vinyl wire shelving units are great organizers behind closed doors. So limit these solutions to the garage and closets, two places which do not affect the overall Chi as much in your environment.
7. Aesthetic functionality is crucial to Feng Shui décor. Choose storage solutions for jewelry and toiletry items that are attractive and blend well with your surroundings. When you use something cheap-looking like a plastic ashtray to hold loose change or earrings that just drags down the mood of the room. Invest in some color-coordinating plastic storage solutions or other inexpensive, yet attractive alternatives.
8. Use hooks wisely in your home. They are appropriate for the backs of closet or bathroom doors. However, do not load them down with clothing or other items. This will only lead to oppressive feelings in the room. Absolutely do not use storage hooks on bedroom doors or even the main entry and exit doors to your home.
There are plenty of other Feng Shui ideas for storage solutions that will definitely help with maintaining a good positive Chi throughout your home and living space. Use the ideas listed above wisely and walk through your home and think of some other creative ways to keep everything in its proper place while still promoting good Feng Shui.
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More than furniture placement!
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Finding Direction with the Feng Shui Compass
One of the most important tools in the Feng Shui arsenal is the Feng Shui compass also known as the Lo-Pan. The Lo-Pan does several things which help you in the design process. For instance, the Feng Shui compass helps you access more in-depth information about a building or site location. The compass will help you identify the best parts as well as the more unfavorable parts.
The Lo-Pan also helps interprets particular areas of a building or location in relation to how it interweaves into specific areas in your own life. In addition, the Feng Shui compass helps you ferret out which of the five elements rings true and fits into your life and home environment for an overall favorable outlook and positive Chi.
When looking at the compass, you will notice the different bands of concentric rings which are set around a magnetic needle (much like a traditional compass). This Feng Shui compass can have as many as forty or more rings of information. The traditional name of this compass, Lo-Pan, can be loosely translated into “everything” for Lo and “bowl” for Pan. This interpretation of Lo-Pan can mean that the compass is a receptacle for mysteries in the universe, which is essentially your own world like you home, office or land area.
For the most part, the Lo-Pan has a square base and is usually a red color. And in interpretation of the color red in Feng Shui colors, it represents good fortune or a favorable outcome. Red also symbolizes protection and in fact helps keep the energy around the compass from becoming clouded with negative energy.
In terms of how you read the Feng Shui compass, you will want your first reading to be done while you are inside your home while looking out. Start by positioning yourself inside your main entry way facing the main door to the outdoors. You will want to take several readings from the Lo-Pan as there will be some electromagnetic interference.
Next, move away from the main door or toward it, taking another reading from both inside the house as well as outside the home with your back facing the main entryway. Compare the readings from the Feng Shui compass from both areas to look for minor deviations. The presence of metal, either on you in the form of jewelry or around the entry (think hardware) could affect the readings.
The average reading from your Feng Shui compass as you are facing the door is needed so that you know which way your home faces. This will help later in determining where your particular life centers are in the home. Plus, this reading will help with your home’s floor plan and in locating the true heart of your home.
The next step is outlining your Feng Shui energy map also known as the Ba-Gua. This map uses the readings from the Lo-Pan in order to delineate which of the five elements applies to each life center. In addition, the colors, textures and other decorative components are determined so that the life centers will be reflected in a positive light. For example, if you have determined through the Feng Shui compass and Ba-Gua that the family areas lie in the North part of your home, then it would be known that components of the water element should be used in the space for optimal results. This could mean employing the color blue with some accompanying colors from the earth or wood elements.
Basically, each tool of Feng Shui inter-connects with one another to create various design concepts which would be most beneficial to your home and environment. While you could have some good Feng Shui without one of the tools, it is not advised to try. The Lo-Pan is a great step in the right Feng Shui direction for overall positive Chi in your home and environment.
From FENG SHUI - As a way of life.
More than furniture placement!
http://CdMediaPro.com/fengshui/
This article may be republished with the above credit.
Finding Direction with the Feng Shui Compass
One of the most important tools in the Feng Shui arsenal is the Feng Shui compass also known as the Lo-Pan. The Lo-Pan does several things which help you in the design process. For instance, the Feng Shui compass helps you access more in-depth information about a building or site location. The compass will help you identify the best parts as well as the more unfavorable parts.
The Lo-Pan also helps interprets particular areas of a building or location in relation to how it interweaves into specific areas in your own life. In addition, the Feng Shui compass helps you ferret out which of the five elements rings true and fits into your life and home environment for an overall favorable outlook and positive Chi.
When looking at the compass, you will notice the different bands of concentric rings which are set around a magnetic needle (much like a traditional compass). This Feng Shui compass can have as many as forty or more rings of information. The traditional name of this compass, Lo-Pan, can be loosely translated into “everything” for Lo and “bowl” for Pan. This interpretation of Lo-Pan can mean that the compass is a receptacle for mysteries in the universe, which is essentially your own world like you home, office or land area.
For the most part, the Lo-Pan has a square base and is usually a red color. And in interpretation of the color red in Feng Shui colors, it represents good fortune or a favorable outcome. Red also symbolizes protection and in fact helps keep the energy around the compass from becoming clouded with negative energy.
In terms of how you read the Feng Shui compass, you will want your first reading to be done while you are inside your home while looking out. Start by positioning yourself inside your main entry way facing the main door to the outdoors. You will want to take several readings from the Lo-Pan as there will be some electromagnetic interference.
Next, move away from the main door or toward it, taking another reading from both inside the house as well as outside the home with your back facing the main entryway. Compare the readings from the Feng Shui compass from both areas to look for minor deviations. The presence of metal, either on you in the form of jewelry or around the entry (think hardware) could affect the readings.
The average reading from your Feng Shui compass as you are facing the door is needed so that you know which way your home faces. This will help later in determining where your particular life centers are in the home. Plus, this reading will help with your home’s floor plan and in locating the true heart of your home.
The next step is outlining your Feng Shui energy map also known as the Ba-Gua. This map uses the readings from the Lo-Pan in order to delineate which of the five elements applies to each life center. In addition, the colors, textures and other decorative components are determined so that the life centers will be reflected in a positive light. For example, if you have determined through the Feng Shui compass and Ba-Gua that the family areas lie in the North part of your home, then it would be known that components of the water element should be used in the space for optimal results. This could mean employing the color blue with some accompanying colors from the earth or wood elements.
Basically, each tool of Feng Shui inter-connects with one another to create various design concepts which would be most beneficial to your home and environment. While you could have some good Feng Shui without one of the tools, it is not advised to try. The Lo-Pan is a great step in the right Feng Shui direction for overall positive Chi in your home and environment.
From FENG SHUI - As a way of life.
More than furniture placement!
http://CdMediaPro.com/fengshui/
This article may be republished with the above credit.
Tick Tock – Is It Bad Feng Shui to Have a Clock?
A rumor seems to persist in the land of newbie Feng Shui practitioners that clocks create bad Chi and are therefore bad Feng Shui. As with other components of this ancient Chinese practice, there is a right and wrong way to display clocks in your home.
Showing off clocks in your home is not bad Feng Shui. We all need clocks to keep us focused on maintaining our schedules. It’s a regular part of life. It is important to keep in mind though that there are some places in the home where clocks will not interfere with positive Chi forces just as there are some places where having a clock would not be beneficial to maintaining a positive Chi.
There are some great places in the home where it is considered good Feng Shui to display your clocks. The heart of the home, known as the kitchen is one positive place to display a clock. After all, cooking sometimes needs to be timed right? Also, because it is the most used room in the home, it is totally acceptable to have a clock to keep time in there so that all members of the household can keep to schedules.
The living room, family room and home office are all appropriate places to display clocks as well. In other words, some places where you can expect to spend your waking hours are acceptable areas for clocks. It all ties back into needing to know the time so that you can meet your obligations in a timely manner.
In addition, having a clock in your child’s room and even your own bedroom is a necessity. For kids, having a clock teaches them about what time means and how important it is to wake up on time and meet obligations. Of course, an adult cannot usually live without an alarm clock either. However, there are a few Feng Shui rules when it comes to clocks in the bedroom.
If at all possible, use a battery-powered alarm clock for the bedroom as it does not emit EMF fields, unlike the electric alarm clocks. These EMF fields can be detrimental to your health and cause negative Chi in your bedroom. If you must have an electric alarm clock, place it as far away from your bedside as possible. The same applies to your child’s bedroom as well.
According to Feng Shui, you should not hang any large display clocks in your bedroom; much less display several different ones. The bedroom is your sanctuary, a place to relax and unwind. It should be a place where you are only governed by your internal clock rather than a mechanical one.
If you are a collector of different kinds of clocks, there are places in the home where a display might be more appropriate. The living room is one such place to hang your special clocks or display them on graduated shelves or the mantle. A large collection might be better served displayed in a prominent hallway.
It is also important to note the places where you should not display clocks as well, besides the particular bedroom Feng Shui rules mentioned above. For instance, do not display clock in the entry way of the home. You do not want a clock to be the first thing that people see when they come to visit. It infers a time limit on the visit. And while clocks are totally acceptable in the living and family rooms, do not display clocks made of metal. It hinders the health and happiness of the family.
As you can see, clocks are not evil nor do they conspire against Feng Shui principles. It is all about how they are displayed. Because time has several connotations, it is important that you are always cognizant in how you choose to use them in the home and still maintain a positive Chi.
From FENG SHUI - As a way of life.
More than furniture placement!
http://CdMediaPro.com/fengshui/
This article may be republished with the above credit.