Feng Shui Basics

Feng Shui Basics

Feng Shui centers around three core issues in life: family, health and good fortune. It’s about making subtle changes within your environment that will offer you long-term benefits. Since small details can make a big difference, it’s useful to keep in mind the following:

1. Take comfort:

• Monitor for fluctuations or extremes in temperatures, or the lack of proper circulation.
• Toss any item that doesn’t function, that isn’t reliable, or that is physically falling apart
  (The Law of Attraction contends, "broken" energy attracts things that don’t work.)
• Be mindful of furniture and other items that can sabotage you and your efforts. This would include such things as: rugs, runners, or mats that trip you; corners of tables that bruise you; chairs that don’t offer adequate support; improper lighting, or cramped quarters that don’t offer freedom or comfort of mobility. (A cramped work area also symbolizes the "limited growth" of a business.)
• Physical clutter can also cause you to feel unmotivated and stuck in life. If you feel like you’ve been in a "holding pattern"—waiting for new clients, income, or opportunities to come in—chances are the energy that surrounds and supports you is blocked and not flowing. There’s a saying in Feng Shui, "If you continue to do what you’ve done in the past, you’ll continue to get the same (results) in the future." So shake things up!
  

2. Health & well-being:

Check for sources of (high levels of) electromagnetic radiation which can have an adverse effect on your immune system and sleep patterns. Sitting behind a computer for extended periods of time can cause you to feel fatigued and mentally depleted. Take short breaks to stretch and enjoy the outdoors which will instantly replenish your inner Ch’i (energy). At home, be mindful of how close your bed is to walls that contain internal wiring, wall outlets, or electronic equipment such as electric blankets, heating pads, water beds, even clock radios. Avoid positioning your bed (head) against a wall where a bathroom/commode or meter box shares the opposite side of the same wall. At work, check your proximity to computer wires and cables under your desk and do not use your CPU as a foot rest. To reduce the effects of electromagnetic radiation, simply create a safe distance of 18 inches to 3 feet between you and the source of the electromagnetic fields.

3. Create cohesion and balance:

Your home and office should offer you the ability to effortlessly juggle privacy and social-ability, productivity (work) and creativity (play), renewal and activity. You can accomplish this by having designated areas designed to suit your specific needs. It’s okay to have rooms serve dual-roles, just make sure that they are similar in nature. For instance, a master bedroom can also serve as a quiet retreat to read, write or contemplate since bedrooms are intended for rest and renewal. (Yin) They should not, however, double as a home office or work out room. Home offices are best sited in the East, Southeast, South, or Southwest sectors of the house since these areas contain a more vital, active (Yang) energy based on the cycle of nature and the seasons.

Kathryn Holt, Feng Shui Resource, 858.492.8506

Feng Shui Resource