After what seems to have been a long brutal winter, spring is finally upon us. If you are like me, you are beginning to feel infused with renewed energy. The cold, dark, passive Yin energy of winter is giving way to the bright, active, expanding Yang energy of spring bringing with it a renewed sense of optimism and enthusiasm. In Feng Shui spring is associated with the direction East, the Trigram Thunder (Chen), the element of Wood and the Family Gua. It is a time of renewal, rebirth, growth, manifestation and lets not forget, Love.
With replenished energy levels, this is an outstanding time to take advantage of longer daylight and warmer temperatures, and tackle that omnipresent spring cleaning. Combining spring cleaning with Feng Shui is a marvelous way to introduce fresh energy into your environment. When performing mundane chores from cleaning the corners to washing the windows, impart positive energy and intentions into your work. Positive thoughts and intentions bring positive change thus, if you clean with a smile, your entire environment will feel the effect. So, grab that rag, mop, broom or duster and visualize what you’d like to create in the coming year and throughout your life. The more vivid the image, the better. Feng Shui also advises to open all doors and windows in the house while cleaning. This allows old stagnant energy to be replaced with fresh clean energy.
Now is also a perfect time to de-clutter. By removing unnecessary, unwanted, unused items from your environment you allow new, fresh and invigorating energy to arrive. Start slowly however! Pick one area to focus your attention such as a medicine cabinet or the cupboard under the sink and allow yourself to finish before moving on to another area. This way, you will never feel overwhelmed or discouraged. Once you are comfortable with the process, allow yourself to tackle more. But, always remember not to over do it lest you burn out for future projects.
Spring is associated with the Family Gua in Feng Shui. This is the center left Gua of the Bagua. Spend some time freshining up this area of your home, office or yard. Bring in fresh flowers, utilize the colors blue and green and add wood elements. Spring is also the time of love. Taking a look at the partnership Gua or the upper right Gua of the Bagua can revivie existing relationships or help to develop new ones. Be sure these areas are clean, clutter free and joyful.
Finally, take a good look at your front enterance. Is it a little beaten from a harsh winter? Freshen up your front door with a new coat of paint, a spring wreath or fresh flowers. This will encourage Chi to enter and infuse your home with all the abundance spring has to offer.
Did you miss POSH-FengShui on the radio in February discussing the connection between the Chinese New Year, Feng Shui and Clutter with easy solutions to the 10 most common New Years Resolutions?
If you did or you’d like to hear the recording again,
click here to listen to the Podcast.
Thursday, the 17th of February was the first full moon of the Chinese New Year and marks the end of the 2 week New Year celebrations. Just as the Chinese New Year was a time to re-energize resolutions set on January 1st, the end of the Chinese New Year is a great time to reinforce what you want to attract to you this year and how. Feng Shui uses your surroundings to attract what you desire most, be it health, prosperity, love or growth and can help you keep your resolutions by looking at your surroundings and paying attention to what is going on.
Feng Shui accomplishes this by applying the Bagua to your physical space. The Bagua is a grid with 9 sections that reveals how different areas of your space relate to specific aspects of your life. The 9 areas of the Bagua are: Knowledge/Spirituality, Career, Helpful People/Travel, Family/Community, Health/Center, Children & Joy, Wealth/Abundance, Fame, Partnership/Love/Relationships. To see a visual depiction of the bagua, click here.
To succeed at keeping a New Years resolution, you need a good plan and support to provide accountability. The condition of your home or office affects your ability to succeed. If your home or office is out of control, that will affect how you feel and how you behave. Feng Shui can help you keep your New Years resolutions by ensuring your physical space provides the support you need to succeed.
Below is an outline of the 10 most common New Years resolutions and how they correlate to the 9 areas of the Bagua. Additionally, with each resolution are some suggested changes to enhance that area.
To create a space that supports your intentions, start by removing all clutter and unwanted items. Clutter in a space decreases the energy, it causes energy to become stagnant and is known as sha-chi, negative energy. Other examples of sha-chi are broken, neglected or annoying items. By clearing the clutter you “open” up an area, provide room for air to move and circulate and promote the health and well being of the room. For example, clutter in the career gua can make life feel like an uphill battle or the career you have may not be fulfilling. Clutter in the knowledge gua may make it difficult to make decisions or you may have challenges learning.
1. Spend more time with Family and friends - Family, Partnership and Helpful People Guas – cures: Green energy in Family Gua, up growing plants, pictures of family and friends, art depicting family/friend gatherings; pairs of things in the Partnership Gua, pictures of people you want to surround yourself with in the Helpful People Gua. Take a look at family and living rooms despite their Gua location.
2. Get in shape/Get healthy/Decrease Stress - Family and Health (center) Guas - Cures: Healthy/up growing plants, healing color of green in the Family Gua, earthen objects (pottery, sculpture, plants, large pots) to the Center/Health Gua, the colors yellow, orange, brown or tan in the Center/Health Gua. Take a look at the dining room despite it’s Gua location.
3. Quite smoking/Quite drinking - Family, Health (center) and Knowledge (self-improvement) Guas – Cures: same cures as #2 as well as adding a bright light to the Knowledge Gua, promote inner growth with a crystal over your bed, check condition and placement of mirrors. Take a look at the dining room despite it’s Gua location.
4. Get out of debt/Save more - Wealth and Helpful People Guas - Cures: Moving water in both Guas, fix any leaking water in the home, wind chimes. Take a look at the kitchen despite it’s Gua location.
5. Finding a partner/mate - Partnership Gua - Cures: pairs of things in Partnership Gua; the color pink, add pink sheets/blankets to your bed. Take a look at your bedroom despite it’s Gua location.
6. Volunteer more - Career (life’s purpose), Knowledge and Wealth Guas - Cures: water elements, glass objects, in the career Gua, bright lighting, crystals and mirrors in the Knowledge Gua and objects/are depiction abundance in the Wealth Gua (what you give comes back tenfold)
7. Learn something new - Knowledge Gua - Cures: wind chime to awaken intellectual power, brighten your mind with bright lighting, activate your mind with moving objects, color blue.
8. Enjoy life more - Children and Knowledge Guas - Cures: whites and pastels, metal objects, art depicting joyful scenes, whimsical items
9. Find a new/better job - Career, Helpful People and Fame Guas - Cures: display awards, diplomas etc in Fame Gua, quotes or affirmations pertaining to your reputation, pictures of mentors in Helpful People Gua, water features in the Career Gua, career images and symbols. Take a look at the study/home office despite it’s Gua location.
10. Get Organized - Health (center) and Knowledge Guas - Cures: earthen objects, crystals to maintain clarity
This information was shared on The Center for Feng Shui and Intuitive Arts blog talk radio show on Feb 6th. To listen to the recording, click here.
Today is the first day of the Chinese lunar new year. This year is the year of the Yin Metal Rabbit, also known as the White Rabbit. According to Marina Lighthouse, the rabbit is known for its refined, sensitive and gentle demeanor. As the rabbit is quite clever and hard working, this year is a wonderful year for negotiations and collaborating with others. The New Year celebration lasts for two weeks and ends on February 17th with the Chinese Lantern Festival.
HH Grandmaster Lin Yun Rinpoche always said “When the Dog meets the Rabbit the path to wealth becomes apparent.” During the year of the rabbit, Chinese folklore recommends wearing or carrying a dog charm to attract happiness, richness and abundance this year.
To celebrate the New Year, it is believed that what happens at the start of the New Year sets the stage for the rest of the year. It is advised to celebrate, be social and overly abundant to bring those qualities to you. Plan a New Year’s get together with friends and family. Have a lot of food with leftovers to symbolize an abundance of wealth, play games with children and focus on fun filled activities. Clean your home or office thoroughly, clear out your clutter, to remove any traces of bad luck and ensure positive energy flow.
It is advisable to replace any blown lightbulbs. Other things you can do to promote the new year include decorating your home or office with plants and fresh cut flowers, such as narcissus, orchids, chrysanthemum and bamboo; Refrain from swearing as this can affect your luck; Play music; Avoid getting cut or stuck with pins and surround yourself with lots of fresh fruit, such as oranges, apples and pineapples. As the word for red in Chinese is the same as the word for prosperous, it is considered an auspicious color and associated with joy, virtue, truth and sincerity. Wearing something new, especially if it is red, symbolizes new beginnings.
Happy New Year. May you be blessed with good fortune.
Heather and I are thrilled to welcome you to our latest brainchild, Posh-Feng Shui. We have launched this venture as an effort to combine our passion for Feng Shui and Professional Organizing. We are excited to begin this venture at the start of the Chinese New Year. This year is the year of the Yin Metal Rabbit.
This is our way of sharing our knowledge and expertise with you. Tell us what you want to know, share with us your thoughts and embrace the New You in the New Year.
Wishing you good Feng Shui and a Happy New Year.
Wan Shi Ru Yi!
(May everything go as you wish!)
