Feng Shui for Your Health and Vitality

How many of us wake up in the morning feeling refreshed, happy and full of energy? How many of us, after a few hours in the office, still feel full of energy? Why certain environments uplift our spirits and make us breathe deeper, while others drain our energy? We seem to have forgotten how deeply connected we are with the space we live in and how important is for our well being to live in a balanced environment.

As our lives are certainly not getting easier, the need to create a healthy and vibrant home environment cannot be overestimated. We have to have a safe, peaceful and energetically balanced space where our bodies can let down the daylong protective shield and focus on regenerating and self-healing.

Feng Shui is an ancient art and science that has been used for over 5,000 years to heal, balance and enrich people’s lives. It is a very complex body of knowledge that reveals how humans are connected to their environment and shows numerous ways to change specific aspects of one’s life by changing the living or working space.

Being aware of this deep connection and its influence on all aspects of your life, it would be wise to employ feng shui knowledge in your home (and business!) to improve your health, vitality, and general well-being.

One of the main theories of Feng Shui is the theory of Five Elements, which are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. The elements are the five manifestations of Chi, or universal energy, and are represented in your environment by colors, shapes, textures, smells, taste, etc. They interact with each other in certain ways, the basic cycles being Constructive (where each element supports the other) or Destructive (where one element destroys the other). Understanding this theory and its applications in your life can be a very powerful tool indeed. In order to experience high vitality levels and an increased level of well-being, feng shui masters recommend living in a place that supports and nourishes your birth element.

Each of us has a predominant element, which is calculated by the year of birth. (You can find out your own element from specific tables in many feng shui books or by visiting our website) Once you know your own element, look around your place and see which element is predominant in it. Yes, any specific environment also has its own predominant element. For example, if your living room has purple curtains, art with predominant red-orange colors, lots of candles, a fireplace, objects in triangular, pointed shapes etc; the energy in the room is predominantly Fire.

If your birth element is Wood, and you live in a Fire environment you will tend to experience headaches, inability to relax, have constant arguments with you family, often feel “burnt out.” As Fire burns the Wood, you need to focus on reducing the element of Fire in your environment, thus improve your well being. To remedy this situation, you may want to bring some of your own element (Wood) and/or the element of Water (which puts down the Fire.)

Wood element can be brought into your environment by colors brown and green, plants (green bamboo is especially powerful!) objects in rectangular shapes, actual wooden objects and other. Water can be represented by actual water (a fountain) or images of water – oceans, lakes, rivers; as well as mirrors, wavy and curved shapes, colors black or deep blue, etc. The scenario described above will also be true for a person whose birth element is Metal, as Fire melts the Metal. However, an Earth or Water person will feel very good in that environment, and you can easily guess why. Both of these elements are not overpowered by the Fire energy.

An old Chinese proverb states that feng shui consultants double as doctors. And for a good reason. The art and science of Feng Shui has a wealth of recommendations, cures, solutions for every person and virtually every space, be it home, business, garden, etc. Just like your body has a specific anatomy, the space you inhabit also has its own anatomy, with its own “do’s” and “don’ts.” Specific areas of your life, as well as specific body organs relate to specific areas of your home. For example, East is the area “responsible” for Family and Health. The element of East is Wood; therefore it is wise to avoid the placement of objects representing either Fire or Metal in this area of your home/business. If you suffer from certain body ailments, you can choose to place in the East area a picture, or any other representation of a medicine plant particularly healing for you (for example dandelion for liver problems)

Here are some feng shui remedies to improve your Health and increase Vitality:

• Keep the center of your House clean, clutter free and open. This is considered the Heart of the House and is a sacred area in many old cultures. No heavy objects should be placed here. The center of your space is a very good place for a fountain, some crystals, bells/chimes with a harmonious sound, happy pictures of your loved ones, or any other items that speak to your heart.
• Reduce or eliminate metal objects from your Bedroom, as metal conducts electricity. Work on reducing the electromagnetic fields in your bedroom. Provide an ideal space for your body to regenerate, replenish and heal itself during sleep. Do not sleep under beams or sloped ceiling. Do not sleep with your feet in line with the door. Have a good, supportive headboard. Choose a natural mattress.

• Become aware of the quality of air in your space. Aerate your home often and use essential oils like lavender, chamomile, sage, frankincense, bergamot, etc to purify the space, uplift the spirits and improve your sense of well being. Consider using an air ionizer should this be necessary. Have specific plants that purify the air, such as peace lily, boston fern, spider plant, etc. Color green is very healing.
• Have a pleasing welcoming entrance. It should be well lit, spacious and have uplifting energy. If you face a wall or stairs, apply specific feng shui cures or your life could be stuck in unnecessary struggles.
• Surround yourself with objects you love and people that uplift your spirits. Try to spend some time in nature at least once a day. Make your home a healing refuge from the stress you encounter during the day by applying various feng shui cures and reducing the internal pollutants present in most homes.

By following these simple, basic feng shui recommendations you can greatly improve your sense of well being. You can bring healing beauty and harmony into your life and create an environment that is fully supportive of you and your loved ones.

Rodika Tchi, MSc, is a professional feng shui consultant. Her Vancouver-based company offers feng shui information, services and products. She can be reached at www.TchiConsulting.com

RODIKA Tchi, MSc, has been a researcher and practitioner of the field of feng shui for over 8 years. She has several feng shui certifications from the International Institute for Feng Shui and Geobiology based in Germany and happy clients in many countries. Raised in Europe and educated in the US, Rodika lives in Vancouver, British Columbia and consults internationally. She can be reached at www.tchiconsulting.com

The Curse of the Feng Shui Money Frog!?!

ARe Feng Shui Money Frogs classed as cursed objects or are they possessed of more friendly and positive forms of powers and qi (chi)?

Let me first start off by saying that there is no such thing as the curse of the Feng Shui Money Frog but I had you going, didn't I? I just thought that would make a catchy title for my article about Feng Shui and the Feng Shui Money Frog. Of course I also think it would make a good title for a big budget Hollywood blockbuster, perhaps starring Jackie Chan, and I am of course open to any cash offers of this sort. First we will start off by briefly looking at what is Feng Shui and some of its origin and history. Then we will look at the Feng Shui Money Frog and how to take advantage of its power. Once again though, there is NO such thing as the Curse of the Feng Shui Money Frog, in fact, rather the reverse is true because the power of the Feng Shui Money Frog is used to attract wealth into your life, home and business!

What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui, also known as Kanyu is chinese and means "wind and water". These are the two containers for the Qi(Chi). Since life exists within either air or water, Qi(Chi) is said to be the life energy that flows within these two environments. Qi(Chi) is a very important force in nature and has major influences on many oriental disciplines including Buddhism and most martial arts philosophies. It is the goal of Feng Shui to orient one's dwellings, one's possessions, and one's land and landscaping, so that it is in harmony with the flow of Qi(Chi). Feng Shui considers all cultural and social issues to be influenced by natural, metaphysical and cosmological factors. To understand Feng Shui one needs understanding of magnetic fields and how they influence people, astronomy, Chinese astrology, the weathering process of building materials, and of how the forces of nature act on buildings and their surroundings.

Feng Shui has influence not only on placement of items with a structure but also on how the structure is built and even on the site on which it is built. Most of the Feng Shui influences on site location can be attributed to common sense. In ancient China a city was planned using a system concentric rectangles fortified by walls and surrounded by hills, valleys, gardens, courtyards, lakes and parks. The ancient Chinese tried to ensure that both the natural and building environments were planned to enhance positive (Qi or Chi) energy flow. Taoist ideas of opposites (Yin and Yang, solid and void, earth and water) were used to landscape the area. The left of the buildings represented Yang or male force and was connected to the forces of heaven. The right side of the building represented Yin or the female force and was connected with the energies of the earth. Buildings, even the Palaces of the Emperors were constructed in such a way as to promote harmony in family and harmony with nature.

Many think of Feng Shui as a style of decoration but it is more of a discipline for arranging everything in one's life so that it is harmony with the environment otherwise know as the flow of qi. For instance sharp corners of a structure and geometrically straight line lines should not point to where the people are in a room. Clutter is to be avoided. Stairs should never face the front entrance. Some objects are believe to have the power to gather wealth, love, and luck in one's life while others are believe to have the power of reflecting or shifting negative and evil energy from a space. The latter would include certain crystal forms, wind chimes, mirrors and of course fountains and pools of water. A perfect example of the former would be the Feng Shui Money Frog.

The practice of Feng Shui began in the either the late Qin or early Han dynasty. This period dates from about birth of Christ to sometime around the early third century BC. The early Chinese, like the early Egyptians were obsessed with ancestor worship. Feng Shui was originally intended for ideal placement of gravesites so that people could gain the most benefit from their ancestors. As time progressed Feng Shui evolved to include harmony for the living. Feng Shui is believed to have evolved from the even more ancient practice of Vastu which itself stems from the ancient Vedic tradition of the early Hindus. None of this is being offensive to practitioners Feng Shui however because evolution is itself in harmony with nature.

Early Feng Shui was mostly handed down through the centuries through oral tradition. This is due to an effort to burn all written Feng Shui materials during the Qin dynasty. The order of Chinese dynasties is: Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Lio, Jin, Yuan, Ming, Qing and had their beginning around 3000 years ago. The Jin Dynasty is famous for the War of Eight Princes and The Battle of Fei. It was during this time that the Burial Book by Guo Pu was written and is considered to be a good work based on the early oral traditions. Many consider the most authoritative book on Feng Shui is generally considered to be the "Qing Nang Jing" by Huang Shi Gong written in the Qin Dynasty. And inspiring the Feng Shui burnings which occurred soon after. There are other's who view the books of Yang Yun Song and his followers to be the most authoritative works. These books are hard to read and don't translate well because they are cryptic in nature and believed to be similar to the Bible in that they are a written form of an oral tradition handed down through centuries. They were written during the Tang Dynasty.

Today we are blessed(?) with several popular schools of Feng Shui most of which contradict each other and more books have been written on this subject than anyone could ever possibly read. Today's schools are based on the San-yuan(Three Periods) School founded around 1150 years ago and features the "Flying Stars System" to chart the flow of energy in buildings. The San-ho School (Three Combinations) is about 150 years younger and is focused on the energy flow between mountains and waterways. This is the school, which uses a Feng Shui compass that has been specifically developed for the classification of land and building sites. The Hsuan-kung School (Mysterious Subtleties) is about 200 years younger yet and was originally designed to compliment the San-ho by expanding its tradition into the building construction area. The Pa-chai School is the baby of the traditional Chinese Feng Shui schools yet it is itself about 300 years old. Many modern Feng Shui are trained in at least two of these schools and do their best to reconcile the many contradictions that can be found between there various teachings of the various schools.

Now that we have finished our time traveling we will discuss the wealth, relationship, and luck aspects of Feng Shui and from there we will finally meet the accursed(;) Feng Shui Money Frog. Once the building is built certain objects made from certain materials are placed conspicuously in pre-determined areas around the home or place of business to ward off evil influences and to attract positive energy (Qi or Chi). These objects can include Buddhas (including female Buddhas also known as Qin Juans), Dragons and other Guardians. These Feng Shui objects are placed at appropriate compass points and facing directions, which can themselves, vary depending on the use, time of day, month and year, and also on the school of belief used. The subject is far too varied to go into detail in a mere article however we will delve a bit into the uses and placement of the Feng Shui Money Frog and finally on where traditional Feng Shui Money Frogs may be obtained.

The Traditional Feng Shui Money Frog is usually sculpted to hold a Ching Dynasty coin (or at least a Chinese coin) in its mouth and is usually depicted sitting on lots of gold ingots, coins and wealth. Making the symbol even more powerful, the Feng Shui Money Frog will have a crown on its head to signify its authority for creating wealth. A bagua would also often be carved on its back to protect against loss of wealth. Strings of Chinese coins can be strung behind the back of the Feng Shui Money Frog to even further enhance its power. Another important factor to consider before purchasing a Money Frog is to ensure there are 7 dots of stars to represent 7 Great North Pole stars of the bagua, which fundamentally triggered the study of Feng Shui in ancient China. The Feng Shui Money Frog is sometimes called a Three Legged Toad or Frog or "Chan Chu") and it is the most significant symbol of wealth and prosperity in Feng Shui. Because of its association with wealth building and money gain the Feng Shui Money Frog is also linked to the moon.

Chinese legends have it that the Feng Shui Money Frog was the wife of one of the Eight Immortals and she was turned into a frog as a punishment for stealing a peach from the Tree of Heaven. And like most women she has cravings for wealth and money. For generations since ancient China, this mythical Feng Shui Money Frog is the most powerful of five Chinese holy creatures that attract wealth, power, good health and love and protect us from evil influences and misfortune.

The Feng Shui Money Frog can be placed in many places to both attract wealth, build prosperity and ward off the losing of both: 1) Place either one, three, six or nine randomly in your living room. If you have a garden they should also be placed randomly there too. They are placed randomly to signify them hopping as they bring lots of wealth and money scattering all over your home and your outside living area. Your Feng Shui Money Frogs will hop out during the afternoon to collect money, wealth and prosperity and return at night with it sticking to their feet. They do not need to be treated as deities so they may be placed low or on the ground. In fact they should not be placed too high or they may be afraid to jump off and go out to seek wealth for you. The Feng Shui Money Frog should be placed randomly in the living room, dining room, or any gather room or outside in your garden. But do not place Feng Shui Money Frogs in kitchens, bathrooms or bedrooms. A good concentration of them should be placed in your wealth corner. They can be placed diagonally facing your main door and some inward facing, but never facing straight out of the door the front door or they will leave and never return. 2) To double the income of your home you may consider placing two Feng Shui Money Frogs at the guardian positions directly inside the front entrance of your premises with their heads looking in. This invites constant cash flow and prevents your gained wealth from leaving. 3) Your wealth corner, which should be located in the southeast corner of either your living room or premises as a whole. Feng Shui Money Frogs should be placed in the wealth corner facing in the direction indicated by your personal Sheng Chi number which can be referencing the Feng Shui Sheng Chi page located at Ye Old Art Shoppe The placement location is also very important and is determined by where lucky stars numbers eight and nine are located. It is often said that at these points you will sometimes experience unexplained gusts of wind. 4) Feng Shui Money Frogs are a must for businessmen who want to succeed. In a place of business the Feng Shui Money Frog should be placed at or near your cash register and also should be placed just inside the door of your safe facing in to protect your acquired day's receipts. If you have an office a wealth corner should be set up in the southeast corner of your office as described in three. A Feng Shui Money frog may also be placed on your desk but not at a direct angle to the front entrance of your office. And not if you are sit with your back to a window or with your back to the door. 5) Finally for housewives and gamblers a Feng Shui money frog should be placed by you at the altar of the God of the Earth.

Where can you find the most powerful Feng Shui Money Frogs and a very powerful selection of Feng Shui Art and Feng Shui Sculpture objects? The author would suggest that you first try at Ye Old Art shoppe located at http://www.yeoldartshoppe.com for a powerful selection of hand sculpted Feng Shui Money Frogs created from bronze, quartz, agate and goldstone in various sizes and styles. Dragons, including turtle dragons sitting atop coins, Buddhas, including Quan Jin, and many other Feng Shui and oriental art objects are available. Ye Old Art Shoppe is your source for Oriental Art, Oriental Sculpture, Feng Shui Art and Feng Shui Sculpture. But no cheap junk! Searchers and Questers after cheap junk should look elsewhere for only individually handcrafted unique works of art may be found at Ye Old Art Shoppe!

Free Feng Shui Tips To Enhance Your Love, Career, And Wealth Luck

Build the life you always wanted! Make your living and working environment inviting, stimulating and comfortable!

Feng Shui is an age-old wisdom originated from ancient China some 3000 years ago. It is the culture of society and economics, the embodiment of culture stability pass down from generation to generation.

Feng Shui involves the study of landscape, air, space, location, time, sunshine and humidity. It is the knowledge of directing, balancing and harmonizing those forces called chi. It differs person to person and from place to place. Different people in different place will have different experience.

The Ba Gua or the eight trigrams is a set of symbols representing the universe. The formation and permutation of the Ba Gua is associated with the human affairs as well as the natural phenomenon. The Ba Gua is one of the most sacred symbols in the ancient Chinese culture. It symbolizes the relationship between Heaven, Earth & Man and the time. It penetrates into various studies of economics, politics, military science, philosophy, literature, medical science, the martial art and architecture.

Every one of us lives under the influence of two inseparable field of chi, above us is the immeasurable vastness of space and below us is the invariable power of earth. This is where we lives and raise our family. It is our home.

Here are some free Feng Shui tips for you:

Feng Shui Tip 1: The Effect of Electrical Appliances on Feng Shui

In Feng Shui, the auspicious areas of a house should be kept as spacious as possible so that the positive energy can be flow smoothly. There should not any obstruction to the flow of Chi (or Qi) in auspicious sectors. Thus, big or heavy furniture items should not be placed there. This is also an important concept in the practice of Vastu Shastra.

In Feng Shui, sound and electrical energy have the effect of activating Feng Shui stars (good or bad). Therefore, the placement of electrical appliances such as television, radio, fan or computer can affect the Feng Shui of a house. These electrical appliances

should be placed at the auspicious sectors. Furniture which can be placed at the inauspicious sectors includes sofa, cupboard, etc.

Generally speaking, the left side of a living room is the Green Dragon while the right side is the White Tiger. The Green Dragon is considered auspicious while the White Tiger is considered inauspicious. Electrical appliances should generally be placed at the left side of the living room while the big furniture like cupboard or sofa should be placed at the right side of the room.

Feng Shui Tip 2: Road That Curves Away From a House

In Feng Shui, roads are the modern version of water. Thus, the curvature of a road affects the Feng Shui of a house. A road that curves away from a house facing the entrance creates a strong and negative flow of energy called Shar Chi (Sha Qi) towards the house. Since water represents wealth in Feng Shui, the presence of such as a road will have a negative wealth effect on the inhabitants of the house.

To solve this problem, place a windscreen in front of the entrance to prevent the negative Shar Chi (Sha Qi) from "entering" the entrance directly.

Feng Shui Tip 3: A Long Straight Road That Creates Shar Chi (Sha Qi)

In Feng Shui, a long straight road facing a house can create Shar Chi (Sha Qi) to the house. The longer the road is, the stronger the Shar Chi (Sha Qi) that is created. Inhabitants of a house facing this Shar Chi (Sha Qi) will encounter problems like accidents or other "blood-shedding" incidents such as having to undergo a surgery or operation.

The easiest way to solve this problem is to place a windscreen in front of the door or entrance. This will prevent the Shar Chi (Sha Qi) from entering the house directly.

Feng Shui Tip 3 : A Door That Faces Another Door

In Feng Shui, a door facing another door can create Shar Chi (Sha Qi) between the two doors. There are four possible scenarios:

(a) Main door of a house facing main door of another house
In this scenario, the inhabitants of both houses are likely to be quick-tempered and quarrel frequently. To solve this problem, place a windscreen in front of the door.

(b) A room door facing a toilet door
This scenario takes place within a house. Besides problems of quick tempers and frequent quarrels, the inhabitants staying in the room might develop digestive and urinary diseases. To solve this problem, place a windscreen in front of the toilet door if the room is big enough. If there is not enough room for a windscreen, simply close the toilet door.

(c) A room door facing a kitchen entrance
This scenario is not as problematic as the first two scenarios. Nonetheless, inhabitants of the room will be prone to accidents and minor injuries and if the problem persists over time, inhabitants might encounter major accidents. To solve this problem, place a windscreen or hang a bead curtain in front of the kitchen entrance.

(d) A room door facing another room door
This scenario is the least harmful of the four. Tempers might erupt occasionally and if inhabitants are working in an office environment, office politics will occur frequently. To solve this problem, place a bead curtain in front of the room door.

Feng Shui Tip 4: Locating An Auspicious Main Door
The main door plays an important role in the Feng Shui of a house. Thus, it is important that the main door is located in an auspicious sector of a house. Generally speaking, the main door should be located in a position which enables positive Chi (Qi) to flow into the house.

If there is a pond or empty space in front of a house, the main door should be located at the centre of the house facing the pond or empty space.

If a road passes by the front of a house and slopes from left to right (or the left side of the road is longer than the right side as seen from the front of a house), the main door should be located at the right side of the house facing the road.

If a road passes by the front of a house and slopes from right to left (or the right side of the road is longer than the right side as seen from the front of a house), the main door should be located at the left side of the house facing the road.

A windscreen can be used to correct the location of an inauspicious main door.

Elaine Fung, Chinese Astrology Specialist