DecoratingPhilly.com  

Feng Shui (pronounced Fung Shway) is the skill of organizing your home or workplace to further improve your health, wealth and joy. Its underlying principle is to live in a harmonious relationship with your surroundings so the energy (chi – pronounced: “chee”) surrounding you – works for you personally, rather than in opposition to you. It affects every aspect of life and the way it is utilized could be either advantageous or detrimental to how you live. This is a 4,000 years old tradition. Westerners are only beginning to reap the advantages of this particular historic art and science.

Important Advantages

• Enhance your own health, prosperity & joy
• Reduce the harmful energy that adversely affects you
• Create stability, harmony & positive energy in your surroundings
• Develop and sustain great relationships

What must I know regarding Feng Shui?

If you wish to realize your own goals and get a great balance for yourself as well as your loved ones, you must understand and follow its traditional concepts. This could improve your own occupation, create and sustain good relationships, take care of issues, overcome problems and achieve peace and tranquility. Why wouldn’t you want to try it? It is not determined by any religion or superstition. These days, Feng Shui is widely practiced by Chinese businessmen in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore as well as Malaysia. Celebrities are arriving at the fore praising it’s benefits. They regarded this as a vital part of everyday life.

The Geomancer will use observation, repeatable calculations as well as techniques based on the study of environmental effects on people. Feng Shui requires no guesswork. It is not a moving fad. It is often a way to build a person’s prosperity and well-being for over four thousand years. It’s revival in acceptance could be caused by ‘the times’- as people need some order in this fast-paced planet, they head out home to be ‘grounded’ once again. This scientific discipline continues to be squarely grounded in architectural mastery, astronomy, physics as well as design.

Feng Shui, a mystical belief or simply a natural scientific discipline?

This is really a body of information which has developed and expanded for thousands of years. Originally, it was the exclusive knowledge of the Court Meteorologists of Imperial China, until, over time, it was leaked to support the regular people, and it is now used by enlightened people worldwide. This is not based on any religion, mysticism or even superstition. It’s a numerical discipline and is based on four elements:

1.Creating
2.Environment
3.Individuals
4.Precious time

Feng Shui can be shown to be both a science and an art. The particular ‘science’ is the detailed analysis of the particular 4 aspects making use of statistical calculations. The ‘art’ is the experience of the best way to apply the remedies. Today, regrettably, there is a lot of hearsay, superstition as well as nonsense concerning Feng Shui, but this tradition makes total sense and is based on logic and scientific concepts.

The Pa Kua (or Ba Gua)

A single important Feng Shui formula concerns the eight primary life Aspirations, related to the four cardinal Directions and the four inter-cardinal Directions regarding the compass (Lo Pan). Each one of these Aspirations is represented in the octagonal shaped Pa Kua, one of the most basic of these tools, which identifies the location where the particular Aspirational areas lie in your house or workplace, allowing you to energize them as necessary. This could induce good chi flow and build good Feng Shui for you.

Yogafit has a lot of very informative advice in all aspects of feng shui and especially yoga poses, training, and everything else. She also has a number of yoga conference meetups several times a year and is known yoga guru and mogul around the world.

If you’re wanting to introduce metal into a given area of the home or business your traditional version is to use one of the following objects; six metal coins or wu lu (also known as the calabash). However, particularly in the western world there are people that these objects hold no aesthetic appeal and so prefer another option.

In this circumstance, what you need to consider is the associations that are made with the element of metal. The basic components that make up the metal element are the numbers six or seven, round shapes, the color white, gold, silver, bronze. Therefore you could introduce items that incorporate one or a number of these associations. As an example, instead of using your traditional Feng Shui cure you could use a combination of six round metal plates (of various sizes) hanging on a wall in the required area.

Alternatively, if you want to introduce the element of fire into a given sector of your home or business, the traditional preference is to use either a red lamp or the simpler version of red paper. However, there is little appreciation for these options in western culture. So, given that the fire element is associated with the number nine, the triangular shape, the colors of red, pink, purple, then it would be just as effective to use a red runner, cushions, rug or mat in the appropriate area. Another alternative is to use nine red votive candle holders.

It is well known that Feng Shui cures can help you attract the best quality Feng Shui energy available to you in your home or business. For me, the best cures are ones that blend into the overall interior decoration of the home as I believe that it is entirely possible to combine an appropriate and effective Feng Shui cure with good aesthetic appeal. However, what is sometimes forgotten is….that whatever Feng Shui cure you are using, whether it is traditional or a modern version, it needs to be placed in the correct position of your home or business.

To discover authentic Feng Shui Cures from renowned Feng Shui expert and author, Juliana Abram, visit http://www.fengshuicures.org

8 Easy Steps for arranging your desk

1. Clear away clutter: If it’s paper, file it, scan it, or trash it. If it’s something that needs to be taken care of, do it now. Edit your essential desk-top items- do you really need 15 pens in your pen holder? Your desk is valuable real estate, and should be as clear and clean as possible.

2. Sit so you can clearly see the door. No one likes to be surprised when they are concentrating on their work. If you have a clear view of the door, you can see what’s coming, literally and figuratively.

3. If you have a blank white wall behind your computer screen, it can cause eye strain and fatigue. If the wall is large enough, add artwork. Preferably something beautiful, inspiring, or action oriented (a sail boat race, a waterfall, running horses…just make sure it’s an image that has a positive meaning to you. Do NOT display artwork of sinking ships, a battlefield, or dead or decaying items, all which elicit negative feelings)

4. Add a healthy living plant to the left corner of your desk. This is symbolically the wealth area of your desk, and you should nurture and care for a healthy growing plant in this area (You are symbolically nurturing and caring for your thriving career when you care for this plant, so be mindful of it). My favorite plants for this area are lucky bamboo (easy to keep alive), a jade plant (one of the favorites in the Asian culture because it’s leaves are the shape of coins), or a plant that is in bloom (orchids are beautiful and are in bloom for quite a long time). DO NOT LET THIS PLANT DIE AT YOUR DESK…as soon as it starts to deteriorate, get a new healthy plant to replace it.

5. Add two personal photos to the right side of your desk, in nice frames. This is the relationship/love area of your desk, so chose your photos carefully. I suggest a happy photo of you with your loved one(s), and a second photo of either your children, your pet, or something that you love. If you love to travel, you can use a photo of a favorite destination, or somewhere you long to visit.

6. Add a table-top fountain in the north part of your office. Keep it small and classy. And yes, it should be as close to the northern compass point in your office as possible. (If you have an I-phone, you can download a free compass application that can easily tell you where north is.) A fountain in the north keeps the vital “chi” energy flowing in your office space. Make sure you keep this fountain turned on 24/7, even on the weekends, and when you are out of the office. If you turn the fountain on and off, you are turning on and off the energy of prosperity…which will start & stop your forward career movement. I love to add a few drops of peppermint essential oil to my fountain, which creates a subtle but fresh fragrance throughout the day, and has the added benefit of helping to keep you alert.

7. Add a candy or treat dish to your desk, and keep it filled with a popular treat that doesn’t melt. Encourage quick visits from your office co-workers. A smile and a happy greeting from your co-workers will lift your spirits, keep you engaged, and bring a constant flow of energy to your work-space.

8. Keep positive affirmations close at hand. You can accomplish this in several ways; Famous quotes that inspire you posted on the wall/ the computer/or wherever you can see them; Books that inspire, or instruct you in career advancement; a screen-saver for your computer that has positive or motivational messages. Or add something personal to your desk or office that symbolizes success to you.

Of course there are many Feng Shui techniques that will apply to your specific office layout, but these are a few common tips that anyone can incorporate to make a positive change today!

Please visit my website at http://www.SouthcoastFengShui.com or find me at facebook at http://facebook.com/southcoastfengshui
Thanks!
Tamara

For thousands of years, the Chinese have used Feng Shui masters to consult on whether or not a particular space is auspicious or not recommended for a specific use. In fact, Feng Shui is not some esoteric woo-woo kind of soft science. According to this ancient culture, Feng Shui is a way of life and ingrained in their values. They would not even consider breaking ground on a new project without a Feng Shui master’s blessing. For the Chinese Feng Shui has traditionally been a way of life. It is both an art and a science that has helped determine the creation of cities, cemeteries, and even commercial complexes.

Feng Shui is not a matter of luck and is more than an amusing party trick to entertain. In the west, we consider it bad luck to walk under a ladder or to break a mirror. In the east, they consider it bad luck to plant a tree right outside your front door. The good news is that with any imbalance there is a correction that counteracts the negative effects.

So, what is Feng Shui? Quite literally Feng Shui means “wind and water.” The Chinese believe these are the main forces of nature that influence everything and affect the delicate balance between yin and yang- masculine and feminine energies. Feng Shui is about balancing complementary factors to bring about harmony in an environment. It is believed that when a space has good Feng Shui, or good energy, it will advantageously impact all major areas of our lives- health, relationships, romance, family, work, finances, creativity, fame and reputation, travel, being surrounded by supportive, helpful people, education and learning new information. As with any credible science, experimenting to prove its validity determines whether or not it is something useful in our everyday life.

There are many books and Feng Shui consultants out there that can help show us the basics. If they are experienced and well trained, they will start by asking you questions about your life to find out where the imbalances may be. Then they will assess your living or work space to discover what is in your environment that may be contributing to such imbalances. The good news is that there is always a cure. There is always a way to fix or counteract a negative influence so that it can have a positive effect on the area of your life in question.

In addition to consulting a Feng Shui master there are countless books on the subject that an avid reader could learn some basics from. Like any art or science, it requires studying and practice in order to see preferred results. Educate yourself and then experiment with your own life, home or office to find what will work best for you. Remember it is all about the flow of energy to bring about harmony and balance in your environment and life. Colors, the placement of furniture, plants, lighting, windows and doors can have a dramatic effect on your finances, reputation at work or whether or not that handsome co-worker two cubicles down from you will ever ask you out for a drink after work. Experiment and have fun practicing this ancient art and science of bringing about balance and harmony in your home, office and life! Now it’s time to move some furniture!

Deborah Brightstar-The Doggie Diva, owns and operates, Doggie Diva Pet Care, LLC, a licensed, bonded and insured, pet sitting business in Tucson, AZ. She customizes her service with a, “We take care of your pets and home as if they were our own!” approach, providing the highest quality of care and service to all of her clients. Deborah’s intention is to exceed her clients’ expectations by tending to thoughful extra details to show she cares. She shares her active, creative and fun-filled life and heart full of love with her two rescued greyhounds Kali and Dora and the love-of-her-life, Pepper, her English Springer Spaniel and Pet Therapy partner. In her spare time, she enjoys writing about pet related topics as well as a variety of other subjects. For more information, visit her website at http://www.doggiedivapetcare.com or follow her at http://www.twitter.com/doggiedivaDeb.

Chinese science begins not while using “big bang” principle, but with the division with the Fantastic Absolute into yin and yang. Both this and the Western way of considering the beginning with the Universe are equally symbolic representations of what really occurred, which can be past human comprehension. The Chinese division of anything into either yin or yang has a fast practical use that no quantity of ingenuity can give to the Western physicists’ “big bang”.

For your Chinese, “yang” is usually a word that includes every thing overt, bright, active, and masculine, while “yin” conveys the secret, dark, passive, feminine side from the universe. This notion is usually applied to virtually almost everything: day and night, bright and dark, active and passive, masculine and feminine. In case you think about these pairs, you will be able to see that they may be applied similarly on the decoration from the household, the preparation of food, or the delineation of moods.

When we speak of the room needing to get yang, it can be instantly evident that it needs for being decorated and furnished making use of hot, optimistic colours, such as reds, yellows, and oranges. In a yin room such as bedroom, cool, passives colours like blue are required. Chinese metaphysics continues by displaying that each of the things that make up our existence consist of several combinations of yin and yang, just as each of the hues know to man are built up from the mixture of major yin or yang colors.

As we know, Feng Shui is all about balance, so having the balance of yin and yang suitable is usually a significant component in the exercise of Feng Shui. The dynamic balance of yin and yang encourages the effective flow of chi – the subtle “nutrient” that outcomes our lives. It really is this chi that may be manipulated by successful Feng Shui, through the right interior decoration, and this manipulation is facilitated by knowing of yin and yang. Yin is symbolized by the broken line, whilst yang is symbolized by the unbroken line. These broken and unbroken lines are combined to create the building blocks of Feng Shui.

To find out more, join Eithan’s FREE FENG SHUI COURSE and get E-BOOK GUIDE on Feng Shui.

Eithan has been practicing Feng Shui in his own home for long time and now shares with his readers and subscribers his knowlege about Feng Shui and how it can help you to improve your private spaces.

LIGHT AND COLOUR

Luminous, tidy pages will convey benevolent chi. Darkly coloured pages, or (even worse) pages with begrimed coloration combination’s, are unfit. Bold use of color is beneficial, and stimulates the flow of ch’i. White and blue, representing air and water, are good coloration’s, although whatever inventive use of bold color should be positive. Meaningless flakes of color, or wishy-washy color com-poundings, will not be effective. Graphics should be clear and distinct. The messy dithering of colors that happens with JPEG compaction is awful feng shui.

LIFE AND MOVEMENT

Life and motion may be employed to fill out stagnant areas or break apart lengthy, straight lines. In interior design terms this could imply arranging flora* in the corners of rooms, or fish tanks against boring walls. On the internet, this could mean the addition of a few beautiful, natural-looking graphics. It doesn’t mean that you must add some genuinely annoying animated GIFs that repeat their sequence eternally. Take it from me, that’s unfavorable ch’i. More sites should include pages that have flowers growing on them, which adds a soothing contemplation of the natural world, and absorbs attention away from the inevitably angular nature of a web browser screen. Favorable ch’i just streams round those pages.

STILLNESS

Having said that, ch’i can course too quick, and you want areas of hush, or a focus which can lift the area. On the internet, these can be in the shape of a logo area which comes along on every page and which includes a navigational element.

SIMPLICITY

Load up your website with dozens of multimedia doodads and you will bear a ch’i tornado, which are good-for-nothing altogether. Mere, calming devices are a great deal better.

STRAIGHT LINES

The internet holds far too many straight lines. Ch’i does not stream smoothly around these pages, and the user’s reaction to their unvarying appearance causes them to become all the more stagnant.

NAVIGATION

The user must feel that it’s easy and intuitive to get about your website. If they find that they’ve reached a ‘dead end’, and have to utilize the ‘back’ button to escape, you’ve got a fatal stagnation of ch’i. If the user can float well through your pages to progress to wherever they’d like to be, that’s outstanding ch’i.

OTHER WAYS TO IMPROVE THE FENG SHUI OF YOUR WEBSITE

* Make certain it’s a appealing entrance area.

* Avert employing a hosting service supplier which has got a defective history – for instance, one which has hosted many broke down sites. This would produce defective feng shui even though, to ‘logical’ eyes, the hosting service provider isn’t in any case responsible for these failures.

* Do not align all elements against the sides of the screen.

* Ch’i flourishes in harmonious and enjoyable surroundingses. Contriving websites which simply appear ‘businesslike’ won’t give pleasure and a healthy circulation of ch’i.

* Simply have a small amount of carefully-selected hyperlinks. Abundant listings of links are dead in the visual aspect of things, and the ch’i rapidly escapes through them.

Hello the name’s Antonio Downy I am 20 years old and I currently work part time as a webmaster. I also study at the Academy of Art University. My blog has many other useful articles and tips on how to improve your home with Feng Shui. As well as improve your knowledge on the whole subject in general. The link is below, there is also a contact form on the blog if you have any questions.

http://fengshuiheaven.net/

One of the best parts of working at home is being able to control your work environment. With some feng shui knowledge, you can turn your work space into a place of productivity and ease instead of the place where you just log your hours. And all it takes is moving a few things around. In less than an hour you can start to feel better and work better. You may even end up making more money.

The Best Rooms for an Office

To make the most of feng shui energy, your home office should be in the East, South-East, South or North-West part of your house. An office in the East part of a house is good for a new venture. There is a lot of strong, active, focused energy here. The South-East is very similar, but it is a little more gentle. If your business requires better communication and working with others, the South-East is better than the East. If you want a lot of attention and recognition, put your office in the South part of the house. If you want a more respected, established reputation, or are seeking to be a leader or a manager, then the North-West corner of the house is ideal.

It is especially important that the office not be in your bedroom. In feng shui, we want to keep conflicting energies separate, and the relaxing, passive energy of a bedroom does not work well with the active, focused energy required by an office. If you have to put your office somewhere, and you just do not have a spare room, then put it in a corner of the living room.

Decorating Your Office

Because there is so much electrical equipment in modern offices, and because that generates negative chi in feng shui, you’ll want to add a bunch of leafy plants to soak up the electro-magnetic waves. Plants that have round leaves also represent money, and that’s certainly a good charm to have in an office.

Avoid sharp corners of desks, file cabinets and anything else. This usually means that cheaper metal furniture is going to end up costing you in the end, as it will make working in your space harder and more frustrating. If you can not get around a few sharp corners, try covering them with cloth or draping a plant vine over them.

Good light is essential. Avoid fluorescents whenever possible, even if it means putting in a skylight or moving your desk a bit so you do not have to squint from light that is too dark or too bright. Remember — a lot of feng shui seems mystical, but really what matters most is that you feel relaxed and comfortable.

As you probably know, the biggest “sin” in feng shui is clutter, and this applies to offices as much as any other part of your house. To control the clutter make sure you have plenty of storage space, which includes enclosed bookshelves, roomy file cabinets, and well-organized office supplies containers. Having plenty of extra room is very important — you need to leave space for your new clients and new projects to come to you.

Cecilia Montrose is an office designer. She advocates using a wood filing cabinet instead of sharp metal cabinets in offices, and loves the wood file cabinet she uses in her home office.

Have you ever noticed how clutter attracts more clutter? Our homes seem to be magnets for stuff – stuff we really don’t need and often make no use of. We seem to live in a society that loves to collect things – knickknacks, kitchen gadgets, magazines, tools, exercise equipment – you name it, someone has it! For some of us, this does not present a problem. For others, these items can take over a home.

Surely you are familiar with the “Law Of Attraction” by now. Basically it says that like attracts like, so would you agree it only makes sense that it works with “stuff” as well? And as that clutter creeps in, it creates a level of stress in our lives. It may be just a low level of stress, but it is one that is telling us we are not quite in control of something in our lives.

And it gets even worse. Are you aware that by accumulating all that clutter in your home or workspace, you can even curb your financial, business and spiritual growth? Feng Shui specialists tell us that if your house and the items in it prevent a clear path to allow the movement of good qi (chi) to flow, you will struggle in almost all aspects of your life – personal relationships, spiritual, business and financial.

Qi, or chi, is the Chinese word for energy. The intention of feng shui practitioners is to arrange your home to attract good energy and to sweep out all negative energy. They will be the first to tell you that clutter keeps negative energy hanging around, and prevents the entry and movement of good chi. If you wish to have the benefits of good feng shui in your home, then clutter has got to go!

Almost all organizational experts will echo this idea. They have noticed that along with the benefits of decluttering your house, clients have realized a new level of productivity at work, attracted new clients, lost excess body weight and even alleviated depression.

I have to agree. Recently, we decided to do some long overdue ‘clearing out’ of our basement storage area and garage. Once we had taken trunk-loads of stuff we never used to our local recycling depot, given away boxes of books to a neighbor who loves to read, and donated collected craft supplies I no longer use to local artists, I found that ten pounds that have been hanging on for years have vanished!

Coincidence? Probably. But it certainly gave me the kick in the pants I needed to continue cleaning and organizing my home. And to continue my journey to achieving my ideal weight.

Are you ready to give it a try?

Nicki Goff is an experienced coach who wants to help you to reduce clutter in your home. Learn more about how you can reduce clutter and take control of your home and your life. Get a free 10 part newsletter and other helpful resources.

If you are interested in increasing your prosperity and financial growth through the art of Feng Shui, then you may already know how to arrange your living and work spaces to help you achieve that goal. But, did you know that adding a money tree, in the proper place, will boost your chances and build your chi that much more?

The technical name for the Feng Shui money tree is Pachira. There are many online vendors who sell these trees, assuming you can not find them at your local nursery. If you are worried that you do not really have a green thumb, rest assured that your money tree would not be that difficult to care for. As long as it gets plenty of sunlight, and you remember to water it, your Feng Shui money tree should thrive. Be aware, money trees have been known to grow rather large, some reaching seven feet in height, and over three feet in width. This could be a problem if you have space issues in your home. However, if you do not place your money tree in the proper place in your home, it could actually negatively affect your chi, so you must first do your homework on Feng Shui money tree placement.

If you have your own business, you should try to place your Feng Shui money tree nearest to your cash, such as nearby the cash register or even the office safe. To find the best spot for your Feng Shui money tree in your home, you need to consult your Bagua chart. If you do not already have this chart, you can find them for free online.

By placing the Bagua map over your room layout map, you will find that the Southeast corner of your home is the best place for your money tree to be placed, if you are seeking financial gain. There are other areas in the home that the money tree could also be placed, using your Bagua map as your guide. Often the Northwest corner of your home is also a good spot, again, depending on your own personal goals.

If you have an outdoor garden, or adequate lawn space, Feng Shui money trees can also be placed outside the home, again, after determining the proper placement.

Other plants can also be placed inside the home to increase your chi. For years, the Jade plant has been known as a symbol of prosperity in Chinese history, and fruit trees have also been linked to money in the past, so these could be great additions to your Feng Shui home as well, if your ultimate goal is prosperity.

Learn what is Feng Shui today and download our free report on how to clear your life’s clutter with Feng Shui. Learn valuable Feng Shui tips to improve your Feng Shui Home now.

Wind chimes are attributed to the Chinese, who over three thousand years ago made them to generate melodic sounds for their religious services. Such chimes are also used in Feng Shui and are often made of wood and bamboo.

Available Types

The number of cylinders that a wind chime has is what decides its purpose. Six to eight cylinders are said to bring good luck. Five tubes are often used to protect against bad luck. Not only are they considered to bring luck but wind chimes made of eight cylinders, hollowed and connected to a ship can bring wealth to the owner. The ship must be modeled after an ancient Chinese ship used for trading. Usually, they are made from bamboo or rosewood.

Although people tend to hang them everywhere, placing them in a position where they face a certain star is considered the best place. This is because stars are fire elements and by facing them, wind chimes made of wood receive sustenance that in turn makes good luck stream into your home and in turn into your life. Feng Shui wind chimes have long been considered to bring luck into the home in which they hang. On the other hand, metal versions are not recommended because they can release bad luck. Rather than receiving the sustenance from the stars, they resist it.

Bamboo version

Presently, bamboo chimes are the most popular for Feng Shui practices. Natural healing powers are said to be one of their when they are hung in your doorways and windows. To experience the mind healing powers, you need to stop and listen to the music that is generated by the breeze playing with them.

in case you do not realize, most bamboo wind chimes are hand cut before being tuned to produce wonderful sounds. Almost nothing else in the world is as soothing as they are. Depending on the thickness of the wood, different sounds are made. A thinner wood produces a tinkling sound whereas a thicker one makes a bong sound. Either way the sounds produced by them is said to have great results on clearing your mind and relieving stress.

Feng Shui wind chimes have become more popular over the last few years as people search for ways to improve their life. A large part of this ancient practice is the belief in it so if you believe that the placement of wind chimes will enhance your life, they may do just that.

Thinking of having Feng Shui interior design for your home or office? It can be easily done with Feng Shui Office tips which you can find at our comprehensive Feng Shui site.