Feng Shui in the home

The Feng Shui masters have provided you with the technical know-how for evaluating your home. Implementing the Feng Shui Design and cures in your home has a profound effect on your life. Based on the ancient knowledge and practices, Feng Shui is a spiritual way of life that helps you to imbibe the positive forces of the universe. All the spiritual principles of the Feng Shui also have a strong scientific foundation underlying it.

When you first start looking around spaces in your home you would not be in a position to decide what changes to make, or there can be many areas that you might wish to change; especially if you live in a larger house. But when you let Feng Shui in the home it only tells you where to start, it also tells you the significance of doing so. Bringing Feng Shui in the home design is just not about making physical changes, it is about giving significance to each and every object in your home so that it has positive effect (or positive Chi as it is called in Feng Shui) that particular space, your home and off course your life.

A Feng Shui house is a house where all the objects are in perfect harmony to each other whether we talk about the Feng Shui Elements contained in them or the particular colors that have been used to enhance the space. The Feng Shui is about balancing energies, of animate with inanimate and that of the soul with that of the universe, so that you get the positive energies of the universe flowing through the entire spaces in your house.

Believe it or not, every single household or decorative object in your home is just as imbued with life energy as the natural wonders beyond your front door and it has a scientific basis for it.

Bringing Feng Shui in the home does not ask you to throw out all your furniture, renovate your home, or move to new living quarters as you may have perceived the Feng Shui would lead you to. In quintessence to The Spiritual Feng Shui such upheaval could actually create turmoil rather than correcting imbalanced energies. Similarly trying to fix everything at once is a recipe for confusion and chaos, because in that case you will be throwing the relationships between objects out of whack.

Remember, Feng Shui is all about the connections and energy flow between objects and people, so proceed gradually, in stages, testing out how each small change influences the Chi of the space. Before practicing Feng Shui in your home try to understand its principles, its essence and most importantly its spiritual nature; then and only then you can envision and bring about the specific changes in the objects, environment and quality of life that you desire.

Each area of your life (health, reputation, family, travel, and so on) is strongly associated with various parts of your home. These associations may be determined using the bagua map.

The beauty of Feng Shui is that it suddenly makes visible to us all these things in our home or home design that we have been living with for years, and that have gone unnoticed. We tend to get tunnel vision, so that we are accustomed to our way of life and don't see how it could be any different. But when we view our homes through the lens of Feng Shui, we begin to see the ways in which our surroundings, different objects or the clutter in our house are placing a burden on our spirits. The Feng Shui helps us to be able to identify and pinpoint specific areas in our home that have been letting us down. The spiritual Feng Shui opens our spirit to the whole universe and we learn to recognize elements that have remained invisible to us for so long.

A Feng Shui house is a house where any change that you make, any cure you introduce into your home or home design is a conscious and deliberate (and well thought out) action that you have taken specifically with the intent of improving your life. It is important know that Feng Shui in home works only when the practitioner puts full mindfulness into each task along the way. A careful Feng Shui Study.

Before making any changes in the home design the Feng Shui beginners have to first know about the various Feng Shui Elements, Feng Shui Color and then start practicing Feng Shui in the home design.

When you get the insight into what is Feng Shui you are able to balance the negative energies of the elements that may be present in the objects of your home with using Feng Shui in home design. Similarly practicing Feng Shui in home using color and other enhancement allows the positive Chi to flow through your home and let you have a better and happier life.

The author Andrew Jones is an expert author on Feng Shui related topics. For Details visit:Feng Shui in the home

Feng Shui Your Workspace with Natural Rattan Furniture

Did you know that rattan furniture for your office can help you increase your fortune and build up positive energy? Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese belief that your environment has a direct effect on your inner self. By harmoninizing the areas that you spend the most time in you can become more focused, more effective, and more successful. Rattan furniture is a powerful way to apply the principles of Feng Shui to your workplace, one of the places where you surely spend a lot of time. Tropical office furniture exemplifies the principles of beauty and simplicity and represents one of the five elements used in Feng Shui - wood.

Feng Shui maintains that an area has the most positive energy when all five of the elements are present: wood, fire, wind, water, and metal. Rattan furniture is a natural way to include the wood element in your workspace. Wood is a particularly important element for your workplace in the art of Feng Shui, because it is the element of creativity, innovation, strength, and flexibility, which are all vital characteristics for business. If island rattan computer armoires or woven wicker office chairs can infuse your workspace with these values, think of how much more you will be able to accomplish!

If you are not already a believer in the concept of Feng Shui, you might be skeptical that rattan furniture can have such a large effect on your job. However, think of your mental state when you are surrounded by pristine beauty. Even imagining lying back on an island rattan recliner, surrounded by white sands and whispering waves can focus your mind and lower your stress levels. Tropical office furniture can evoke these emotions every time you look at them.

The principles of Feng Shui also say that ch'i - positive energy - can be blocked by disorder and clutter. Even if you don't believe that positive energy is flowing all around you, think about how you feel when you are surrounded by clutter. It is difficult to focus on the priorities at hand, you often need to stop to find what you are looking for, and you probably feel smothered and overwhelmed. You can counteract these negative feelings by inviting the wood element into your workspace through rattan furniture. Enclose your peripherals in an attractive-looking island rattan printer cabinet to keep those cables tidy and to replace the unharmonic look of your printers and scanners with the soothing properties of the wood element. Use wicker computer armoires to enhance your entire workspace with the lovely and relaxing look of tropical office furniture.

Using rattan furniture to Feng Shui your workspace allows you to increase your productivity and create a more pleasant and efficient way to work. Find out more today.

Lee Rubenstein, owner of the #1 ranked Tropical Furniture website, can help you surround yourself with a tropical setting at your workplace. To view these tropical office furniture pieces please visit http://www.dlgallerygifts.com.

Correcting Wrong Feng Shui Advice

Feng Shui is an amazing science and the number of masters, disciples, practitioners are growing at an amazing rate. As it gets more commercialized, many of us encounter a lot of conflicting advice and the correct usage of items gets lost through marketing hype. We start seeing items being described as being able to increase wealth, health, prosperity, fame, and solving world hunger at the same time. There is NO item or remedy that will do this. Learn about the common "advice" given and how they are wrong. Many sources of Feng Shui will claim to be "authentic", but hopefully this article will allow you to see through them. You dedicate your resources to this beautiful art and you have every right to know when a source is pretending to be "traditional" for the sake of a sale.

WRONG: Southeast is your Wealth Corner to enhance
RIGHT: Find your Wealth/Success corner by getting your Kua number
Most people's personal Wealth/Success corner will differ, and don't allow broad generalizations to tell you what is right. We were all born unique, and real Feng Shui knows this. For those whose Kua number is 8 or females with a Kua of 5, Southeast is actually your Total Loss Direction (the most inauspicious direction). If we were to follow the numbers/ratio calculation, 1 out of 2 people will have Southeast as a bad direction (e.g. Mishaps, Five Ghosts, Six Killings, Total Loss) that should not be stimulated. Placing a windchime in the Southeast will actually do more harm than good for you. Yes, following the Later Heaven Sequence, Southeast can be considered to be a Wealth corner, but it's not meant for individuals or normal households.

WRONG: Enhance your way to wealth and happiness first
RIGHT: Identify and remedy the bad sources of Feng Shui first, then only enhance
Proper traditional Feng Shui Masters from Asia will agree on one thing: you work on defence and remedies for your life/home first, and then only think about enhancing. Though in this day age, it's perfectly fine to want to enhance, you should keep in mind the best way to start is by going for remedies that can play dual roles (protective and enhancing). Crystals are great enhancers and in small quantities will benefit the user. I've met a client who was a big fan of Feng Shui and crystals, through her passion she placed many crystals in her NorthWest sector of home and this triggered and amplified the Illness Star in her home bring about sickness to her whole family. Items like Kuan Kong, Chung Kwei, Fuk Luk Sau are great items for protection that will play a secondary role in bringing in benefits to your home.

WRONG: Red is the color of Wealth to always use
RIGHT: Red is to amplify and signifies the Fire element. Use in moderate amounts
Red is an amplifier and should be used in moderation as well as careful consideration. They are also great for enhancing or activating metallic items, but again, they are used in small quantities. I've had a client who was told red was wealth, and thus painted her entire home office red. Unfortunately, this was her Mishaps direction and for that year, the Conflict Star was in that section. By having too much red in one area, will upset the 5 Wu Xing Element cycle, and when there is no balance, there is bad Feng Shui. The only times a lot of red will do good is for the first few days of events that welcome a new beginning. This could come in the form of a store opening, Lunar New Year and marriages.

WRONG: No clutter and a super mess-free/clean home is good Feng Shui
RIGHT: Organized and well kept is good Feng Shui, but your home must have character.
While having a clean and clutter free home is good Feng Shui, don't overdo it. Yes, you want chi to be able to flow freely in your home. Yes, keeping things clean and in good order is good Feng Shui. But you SHOULD have some forms 'clutter' to make it your home. Many of us will have a dislike for many reasons, but part of it is because it's so sterile, clean and to a point 'faceless' that we cannot relate to it or see it as an inviting place. You want your home to be 'lived in' and yours. Many so called Feng Shui Masters will say to keep your home as clean as possible, but having your baby daughter's soft toys on the sofa and her bedroom lying about is actually very good Feng Shui. It's HER home and her place of comfort and happiness. Many will consider her toys as 'clutter', but it's actually nice to have them around. The house is happy and alive with good vibes from her and her items, and this will make the flowing chi around your house the same. Organized and well kept is good. Too clean is bad.

WRONG: Brand new and polished items are best
RIGHT: Earth buried items are more potent because they have more knowledge
In traditional Feng Shui in China, items that have 'matured' are considered to be much more potent compared to the 'shiny and new' items. This is why that many items have been purposely buried in earth/soil so that they are given time to mature and absorb the energies before serving the owner. This is why you will find many earth buried items (ranging from coins to brass figurines) to be a bit more pricier compared to newer versions. Many of us have seen the famous I Ching Coins or Imperial Coins which look new/nice and go for more affordable prices. But if you want them to have more effectiveness, go for earth buried versions of them.

Of course there are many more misconceptions, but this is a good start by identifying the biggest offenders. Though almost everyone is guilty to a certain extent of adding a marketing spin to their products and services, remember to always take it with a grain of salt. Behind each rule and application in Feng Shui, there is always a solid explanation behind it. Learn the logic behind it and empower yourself with this knowledge. Next time you read or hear a source saying they are offering "traditional" or "authentic" Feng Shui, you'll know better.

For more information on remedies, don't forget to visit our website at: www.smilingbamboo.com! :)

Ken Toh is the co-founder of Smiling Bamboo (www.smilingbamboo.com) and strives to preserve the true traditions of Feng Shui amidst all the marketing hype of today. Having spent his life surrounded by Feng Shui and living in both Eastern/Western cultures has given him a firm understanding of bridging the gap of this beautiful science.

Feng Shui tips for offices

What is Office Feng Shui? How can designing and decorating spaces in office with Feng Shui can produce a positive and productive environment? How Feng Shui can work for offices to have better prosperit?. Feng Shui Meaning "wind" and "water," is the ancient art of living in harmony with the natural world. Though the spaces that you live or work in differ the principles of Feng Shui remain the same. Feng Shui in fact is a traditional art of living with its philosophy strongly rooted in spirituality. Feng Shui for offices Money to you may seem like a material thing, but it has many spiritual and energetic repercussions that affect all aspects of your life. Money flows in and out of your life like the wind, touching everything as it passes by. It is important to make sure that this wind is a healing and strengthening force, not a destructive power that causes harm. It is equally important to ensure that the wind blows constantly, at least as a breeze, and that there is never stagnant, foul air (which symbolizes stagnant finances). Feng Shui for offices not only provides the guide lines for living harmoniously in your work environment it also tells you to how you can manage office spaces to yield prosperity.

There are some time tested office Feng Shui practices which can be used for enhancing your workplace. Practicing the following Feng Shui Tips can make office Feng Shui work for you and you would start noticing the changes.

Feng Shui tips for offices Remove clutter

Your office must be organized and arranged efficiently. Clutter according to Feng Shui stimulates negative Chi (energy) and should be kept to a minimum. Remove whatever extraneous materials are lying in your office. By clearing away the physical clutter that you have been confronting on a daily basis, you free up your mental, emotional burden and feel light, cheerful and optimistic in your reinvigorated working space.

Position of the desk

Keep your desk in the commanding position. The commanding position means a position of power, where you have a direct view of the door, a pleasant view out the window and a wall behind you for stability. This position of the desk according to the Feng Shui office offers you the maximum control.

Shape of your desk

Shape of your desk can affect your mood and level of productivity in the workplace. Rounded curves are flowing, encouraging the flow of creativity. A kidney-shaped desk follows the natural curves of the human body and is said to give you a subconscious feeling of inner alignment.

Placing the plants

Place plants in your work and help you stay connected to the natural world. Since the green color spurs creativity and new ideas it helps you to have creative element in the office. In Feng Shui practice keeping plants helps to have positive Chi flow in corners which other wise are neglected spaces devoid of any energy. Green plants also act as a filtering system, reducing toxins and circulating stagnant air.

Choosing the correct light

The best light is natural daylight, so move your desk close to a window but never have your desk directly in front of window or fluorescent lights which cast a glare, causing eyestrain and exhaustion. You may improve your mood and energy dramatically by replacing fluorescent lights with warm lights that don't cast a glare.

Use of Feng Shui colors

Making use of Feng Shui Colors can help you achieve balance in your office. Different colors have different properties some colors can help people feel grounded and secure. Blues, purples or reds are supposed to enhance the wealth and prosperity area of your office. Office Feng Shui and bagua

A Bagua map can help you to make your office a "Feng Shui-friendly" environment. Bagua can help you in placing objects or placement of furniture in your office in areas which in Feng Shui are said to stimulate your discipline, prosperity and creativity. Once you determine the connections between various spaces in your office and 8 different guas of the bagua map, you start to develop a much stronger sense of purpose and focus about the changes you would like to implement in your life. You can make use of Feng Shui Elements for creating a balance between yin and yang energies.

According to Feng Shui for offices you can have: * Your desk and computer in the "career" area * Reference books in the "knowledge" and "self-cultivation" areas * A crystal bowl in "wealth and prosperity" * You can have reception, phone systems/communication system in area marked for helpful people. * You can have a picture of your father or other relatives in the family area if you have an inherited business. Feng Shui and home office The tips mentioned above can also be applied to your home office. But if not possible you can at least take care to change your home office to a Feng Shui office.

For example if your home office is full of creative and dream-inducing objects, get rid of some of them and introduce more logical, work-oriented elements that will help you get right down to business.

Or if your home office is like the other rooms of your office it is having beige or white curtains can be dramatically improved--and the energy invigorated--by using the guide lines of Feng Shui for offices. Something as simple as adding a tall red vase on the floor or atop a table or windowsill can help you have more yin energy. An impersonal office space can become suddenly personalized and imbued with character when you hang a print of your favorite painting on the wall. A stale room will be immediately freshened when you light a scented candle in an aroma you find particularly pleasing.

Adding a sturdy brown desk to the home office where bills are paid promotes practicality in a person who used to be a spendthrift. These are just an introduction to some of the Feng Shui practices. You can have a number of Feng Shui design ideas for your office or home office to increase the balance and harmony.

Discover the secret to happier living by knowing yourself better! Read the e-book on Feng Shui to get in-depth Feng Shui information and practical guide to lead a meaningful life.

Mike Z. Wang is an expert author on feng shui related topics and eminent feng shui consultant

Home Office Feng Shui: A Crash Course In Arrangement

Feng shui has gained much popularity - even in the United States.

Feng shui is the ancient art of arrangement and color usage that is presumed to promote balance and the flow of energy in a given space.

Even if you don?t believe in the philosophy of feng shui, applying some of the basic principles of this practice to your home office can help you operate your virtual corporation more efficiently?and may make it a pleasant place to spend the better part of your day.

Following are some quick feng shui tips tailored to the home office space, but you can apply these techniques to any office.

Location
Situate your home office as close to the front door of your house as possible. If you can avoid it, do not locate your office in the basement?the first floor or higher is preferable, because energy flows upward. Basement offices can be painted white, with bright lighting and a fan installed to promote energy flow (or just to make you feel happier).

Desk placement
Position your desk so that you are facing the entrance to the room, with your back toward the wall or a corner. Even outside of feng shui considerations, sitting with your back to the door is disruptive because you won?t know who is coming in to the room. If there are windows in your office room, try to place your desk so the window is to your left if you?re right-handed, and to your right if you?re left-handed. Never position your desk in the center of the room.

Color scheme
Feng shui recommendations for color in the home office vary according to your company?s goals. If your business relies on selling or making deals, the aggressive red is a good choice. Yellow promotes discipline and stimulates mental activity and clarity of thought?a solid color scheme for any home office. Warm colors such as orange and tan represent collaboration and cooperation. This is an excellent option for offices with more than one team member. For writing and other creative business endeavors, consider blue-green, which is soothing and promotes creativity.

You can find out more on to acquire the mindset and behavior of the rich (with or without feng shui), copy exactly what they are doing to achieve financial success, and stay wealthy all your life on Rene Graeber?s website at http://www.smart-ways-to-make-money.com

Feng Shui careers

"Deal with things in their state of not-yet-being put them in order before they have got into confusion" The secret of Feng Shui Tao Te Ching, Ch 64

The craft of Feng Shui being multi-faceted affords great scope career-wise. But it also subjects one to the rigours associated with the Martial Arts, and the timeline of a medic. Ultimately, it should have 10 stages of progress, each increasingly more difficult, yet bestowing wider responsibility and wisdom with each accomplished step, paralleling the progress of the sorcerer's apprentice.

The Feng Shui training program: initially, some form of yoga, T'ai Chi and meditation to gain physical discipline, concentration, sensitization and insight. Next, a lifetime study of the I Ching, the quintessence of Chinese wisdom and Jin-Shu, the biographies of famous Feng Shui masters.

After which Kanya, the study of heaven and earth, the combined study of geography and astrology in relationship to man. Following which, mastering the Compass School -, the use of the Ba Gua diagram and the Lo P'an compass featuring the 'twenty-four directions' or 15 degree zones of the magnetic circle to help determine the Feng Shui of the situation, and the use of astrological charts and numerology to measure the auspiciousness of a dwelling.

Following this a study of the tenets of the Form school such as Dimai, the dynamics of mountain ridges, valleys, and rivers, and of the arteries of the earth - the 'Dragon Veins'. The examination of the Classics detailing the interrelationship between water, mountains, dwellings and agriculture such as the Water Dragon, which relates the optimum landscape-water interaction e.g. an ideal site, should nestle among watercourses, or the Shui Jing delineating the waterways of China, giving a wealth of information regarding harmony between buildings and landscapes. A general course in human and colour psychology, then perhaps specialization in the use of the I Ching for divination, or Chinese alchemy.

Thus equipped one should be able to offer one's services as follows.

Siting a home

Auspicious siting Banishing sha qi - negative energy Diverting water lines and neutralising other forms of geopathic energy Dowsing and harmonising the dragon veins Diverting 'spirits'

Harmonising the home

Apply the Ba Gua diagram for orientation purposes Interior d?cor and the optimum psychological colour combinations Choosing the best fabrics, and materials Advice on water devices, wind-chimes, crystals, aromatic oils and incenses Avoiding angles, enhancing the circular Placement of fish and plants etc.

Harmonising relationships

Individual and synastric (relational) astrological analysis Yin-yang profiling Taoist philosophy.

Individual destiny

Using western and Chinese astrology, its stems and branches, and numerology to delineate destiny and life paths. Finding the best burial place

General counselling

Using the I Ching and the Lo P'an compass for divination and advice.

One could pursue this occupation on a freelance basis, professionally or corporately. It would be advisable, at regular intervals, to take refresher courses, degree courses, or specialize in order to become a consultant, or councillor. Your level of remuneration would depend upon which one of the 3 employment tracks above you followed. Alternatively, if you were part of a Chinese medical consortia or astrological consultancy, your income would rise proportionally.

The Unique Relationship Between Wind Chimes And Feng Shui

There is a harmonious marriage shared by wind chimes and the natural forces of nature. As air current moves against the striker or clapper of the wind chimes, it knocks against the tuned pipes, which in turn sends waves of a reverberating ?song,? carried along by the wind. The resulting delicate balance of peace, grace, and harmony isn?t as hard to achieve as one might think. Although there are many different schools of thought, the basic philosophies of balance behind Feng Shui, and recognized forces of nature, remain the same.

For centuries the Chinese have believed that there is a logical way to organize their living and discipline their thoughts, to better achieve harmony and live peaceably within the forces of nature. That same attitude has become increasingly popular in the Western culture. Feng Shui isn?t as much a religion as it is a state of mind.

Good, as well as bad, happens to everybody. But, it is the way in which we handle negative or bad experiences that will determine whether or not our souls are at peace and our lives happy. We can choose to live unhappily, in discord with the rest of the world. Or, we can seek happiness by accepting the bad with the good, while at the same time seeking to create a more perfect balance. What does this philosophy have to do with wind chimes?

Irritating background noise filters into our lives daily, causing distractions and stress that are incompatible with harmonic living. By incorporating an atmosphere of peace and tranquility with the use of a wind chime, we also add interest to our home d?cor or garden yard d?cor.

The greater benefit realized, however, is the inviting sense of calm that permeates our very being as positive energy flows. Many people even feel a sense of awe as they listen to the fluid music created as elements of nature connect.

Wind chimes are beneficial for covering over negative background noises such as traffic, barking dogs, and other unwanted sounds that filter into our living space from others less harmonious minded. They are as eye appealing a compliment to our landscape and home d?cor as they are stirring to our souls, providing a sense of well-being.

Wind chimes also make meaningful anniversary gifts, and make perfect gifts for Mother?s Day. Why? Because a wind chime is symbolic of peace and harmony. They are symbolic of the feng shui attitude of compatibility: working with the forces of nature to create a positive, tangible energy flow.

It doesn?t matter if your living space can be described as Southwest d?cor or a more unique home d?cor hard to define using conventional home decorating terms. There are so many sizes and styles of wind chimes, one is sure to enhance and compliment your home or garden yard d?cor.

Use wind chimes to increase your privacy by blocking out unwanted sounds, while inviting a positive atmosphere of peace and calm; one good way to bring the benefit of feng shui in your home.

Stephen Betzen is a loving husband/supporter/and friend to his wife Rachel Betzen. Rachel and Stephen are dedicated to socially and ethically responsible business practices. Lovers of gardening and simple living. Buy your wind chimes online.

Feng Shui for a small apartment

Striving for harmony is in a human nature. And while European tradition pays more attention to help one find himself, gain harmony of thoughts, wishes and actions, the East worked out thorough rules of a human's co-existence with outward things, which it perpetuated in a very popular now Feng Shui doctrine.

Believe or not It's you to decide whether believe Feng Shui postulates or not. But before you blame this doctrine in incapacity, it will be useful to remember that in China it has already exists for more than 4 thousands years and holds its positions till now. Moreover, it gains popularity among educated and cynical Europeans, who are pretty tired of sparseness and chaotic state of modern world.

May be, our stresses, diseases and other troubles really come from wrong arrangement in space and careless treatment of energy of "live Earth"? Anyway, we always have choice. When you feel everything goes wrong in your life, you may give way to despair and stay in this state endlessly, and you also may try to change something and why not starting this process with your own home?

Fight with reality Kind intention to change your home, taking into account correct redistribution of energy, usually faces impossibility to observe all necessary conditions thoroughly. And enthusiasts often leave the road right on this stage. They do want to do everything right way, but constrained conditions don't allow taking into account surrounding landscape.

Of course, you cannot interfere in the process of laying of foundation, change arrangement of lavatory, remove sky-scrapers, towering nearby, but surely you still can do something. Firstly -

Down with rubbish Cleanness and absence of rubbish - is one of Feng Shui principles, necessary for normal circulation of Ch'i energy (energy of life). Start your changes with general cleaning. Pay attention to each corner, sort out each wardrobe, arrange cleaning of stockroom. Get rid of unnecessary things, broken cups, vases and tights cruelly. Don't keep old slippers and completely broken fridge.

Present unclaimed things to your friends, poor people or bring to church. Rules of good form state - if something is still untouched in your wardrobe for more than a year, this mean it is useless for you and you can bravely pass it to "good" hands.

But before you arrange grandiose cleaning, look in lunar calendar. This event should be planned on waning moon. And you should not dust the floor towards front door (you will sweep out money), but towards kitchen.

Fumigation After all old dust is removed, and excess rubbish finds its shelter in a garbage can, pass to next stage of energy cleaning of room - fumigation. You can do this process with help of a candle, aromatic sticks or a tuft of herbs. You can replace fumigation by douching with holy water.

During the process of cleaning you should move from threshold clockwise, stopping in each corner (negative energy is accumulated there). After cleaning take a shower. While you were fighting for "clearness of environment", the whole bad energy accumulated on you. The best of all would be using cold water, of course, if your health slows you.

To fix a result of energy cleaning, use amulets. They can be traditionally eastern: statues of elephants, dogs or flying dragons (they stand guard over front door). Bunches of onions, garlic, herbs or special Feng Shui amulets will be ok too.

In small scales After you clean the whole apartment, it is right time to think about its correct d?cor. Here you will have to reveal great keenness of wit and inventiveness. First of all, you should determine parts of the world, using compass, and decide, which zones (of wealth, health, carrier, family etc.) you would like to accentuate this moment.

Choose necessary parts of apartment, according to your priorities. You can do it with help of different wall-papers, "multi-layer" lightning or furniture. For example, to activate a zone of knowledge, it will be god to put book shelves there, zone of family will be accentuated with additional lightning, and in a zone of glory you can put "witnesses" of your achievements (medals, diplomas, cups).

Center of apartment brings a special loading. From it energy disperses in all other sectors. That is why it is so important to stir up this zone correctly. The simplest way is to put a rug or crystal bright chandelier in it.

Behind a screen Bunk requires special attention. While we are sleeping, our body fills with power and health. So you should not put a bed near window or home plants (they take energy away), and also near "achievements of progress" (computer, TV-set, CD-recorder), which evolve bad energy.

And you should not also hang any shelves above your bed. Apart from the fact that conglomerations above a bed prevent energy from circulating, they are also rather dangerous.

In small apartments a bed also plays a role of a sofa too. Of course, Feng Shui does not like furniture-transformers, but what should we do. A screen will help you to correct this situation. In the night it will enclose your bunk, in the afternoon - writing-table.

Useful space In small apartments each meter is important. In Feng Shui too. You should not miss attendant rooms: kitchen, bathroom, toilet, pantry and balcony.

In kitchen you need to separate elements of fire and water. If your gas-stove is situated too close to a sink, separate these zones with something made of wood, for example with a cutting board.

Bathroom and toilet "wash out" energy. To avoid this, you need to shut doors to these rooms carefully. As well as a lid of lavatory pan. In combined lavatories you should separate main parts (bath - lavatory pan) with a screen from each other. If sanitary arrangements turned out to be in a health or wealth zone, due to an unhappy planning, try to bring a negative effect of this situation to minimum. For this you just have to place mirror doors to these rooms, this way they will "disappear".

As for pantries, you should not create a storehouse for unnecessary things of it. Some things, necessary in your everyday life should be kept there: vacuum cleaner, fan, ironing-board.

You should also clear balcony off various rags, bottles and broken skis. As for a form of a balcony, it is better, if corners of your "verandah" will be round or splay (form of trapezium).

After you change your apartment, making it comfortable and attractive, wait a little, look what you will get. Your life will start changing, following your home. If good events will come, then this means you did everything correctly. If no, you still have something to work with.

Yana Mikheeva is the creator of All about women site, it is an on-line resource for women and about women. Here you can find articles on various subjects, such as: diets, receipts, health, cellulite, figure, aromatherapy, wholesome food, psychology of relationships, pregnancy, parenting, fashion and many others. She also has Blog for women

Feng Shui tips

The first step in applying Feng Shui to your home is orientation, using the Ba-Gua scheme as a template. To make the Ba-Gua template, cut a piece of cardboard 3x3 inches square, divide it into 9 equal parts, and label it thus:

4 Prosperity 9 Fame 2 Relationships
3 Family 5 health 7 Children
8 Knowledge 1 Career 6 Patrons

Note 1 Career, should point north. These 9 areas relate to specific aspects of your life. By applying the diagram to your home or workplace, you can establish which rooms correspond to which areas of your life. Make changes in the designated area and it will change the corresponding area of your life.
Number 1, Career, tells you about yourself, your life path and how you value yourself.
Number 2, Relationships, includes those you have with your partner, business partner, and neighbours. If there is clutter here, or if plants placed there refuse to thrive, you must work on your relationships to effect corresponding changes.
Number 3, Family, relates to your roots, ancestors, family, and the relationship you have with your parents.
Number 4, Prosperity, indicates how easy or otherwise it is for you to create, and retain wealth, both tangible, and intangible or spiritual.
Number 5, T?ai Ji, is the centre of health, and well-being. Essentially, this is the most crucial area in which to control the flow, and circulation of Qi.
Number 6, Patrons, designated as the domain of spirits, and gods, this area represents all those who offer protection, support, and help in needful times.
Number 7, Children, denotes creativity, and activity. If you?re feeling stagnant in this zone, change something to encourage the flow.
Number 8, Knowledge, refers to education, and intuition, and shows how readily you cope with change.
Number 9, Fame, represents your public standing, the way others perceive you. This depends on inner maturity, and strength of character.

Place appropriate mementos in each designated area. Remember, the overriding principle is to encourage the flow, and circulation of Qi. Avoid clutter, and mess, which prevents the flow. More importantly, it will encourage the opposite of Qi, Sha Qi, or negative energy to accumulate, bringing depression, and tiredness. Qi flows out of windows, long straight passages, and especially through doors opposite windows, so site plants, lamps, and other items of furniture to encourage Qi to circulate in your home, and delay its swift passage.

Place plants in front of all sharp edges to block them, and use mirrors to strengthen Qi or diminish Sha Qi energy. Use crack-free mirrors to maximise the flow, and reflection. Watch the flow of smoking joss or incense sticks to determine what you need to change to channel, meander or circularise the flow.

Water must be flowing, not stagnant. Place natural objects such as pieces of wood, crystals or quartz stones in openly visible parts of the room, at different levels. Plants also represent a natural source of the peaceful, relaxing effect produced by the colour green.