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

Use Feng Shui Coins To Increase Your Income

Feng shui coins can allow you, among other things, to increase your income. By keeping three coins tied with a read thread, you would protect your already existing income as well as increase it. According to Chinese traditions, three coins tied that way symbolize prosperity and income protection.

By carrying these three tied coins with yourself you could attract personal wealth, as well as by using these feng shui coins in your house would bring prosperity and wealth for all its occupants. Number three symbolizes heaven, man and earth united, and it is a lucky number as well.

Carrying them with you would also attract helpful people to you and receive help when you need it. You can also give feng shui coins to those you love as a present; it would be a symbolic, creative and helpful gift to give. You can combine the coins representation with different numbers symbolism, achieving this way, different desired effects.

According to feng shui specifications, the best house area for placing feng shui coins is the northwest. According to the bagua map, the northwest of any space corresponds to the prosperity life area, and therefore, placing feng shui coins there would be very helpful and beneficial. You can also use them in order to protect or increase the income at a business by placing these coins by the cash register or any other place containing money.

It is also important to know where your feng shui coins come from, since they would also contain energy of the place or people who had them before. The best place where to acquire these coins is at a very prosperous or wealthy place. This way, your feng shui coins benefits and their positive effect on you would be maximized.

You can also use feng shui coins according to its main element, metal. When any spot at your house or working space lacks of metal element, placing these Chinese coins in it would be a great way to add that element and create harmony at the same time than protecting the incomes and maximizing the good luck.

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.fengshuicrazy.com. Please visit his website and learn all the feng shui tips you'll ever need!

Designer Style Without The Price Tag Using Feng Shui

The ancient art of Feng Shui teaches you to correctly place items in a room to maximize it's aesthetic appeal, balance, and harmony.

The end result when you have applied simple Feng Shui rules is more often than not comparable to the finished product of custom interior design work. If you want to give your home a designer look without the designer price tag associated with a professional consulant or indeed if you feel you lack the 'creative flair' necessary, let Feng Shui help.

With a few simple and affordable changes to your home - it will look and feel as serene and pleasant as possible.

As Feng Shui is as much about the positioning of items as it is about what kinds of objects you have, it is easy to give your home a makeover without investing bucket-loads of cash on new pieces of furniture or other highly expensive items. Feng shui will help you make the most of what you already have for the maximum 'WoW' factor.

Your home will be more ordered, more balanced, and more beautiful due to your time and effort rather than the outside influence of an expensive designer. It just takes a little bit of creative thinking and you can make Feng Shui work just by imagining how you can use and place the items you have already.

There are items you can purchase to enhance the attraction of positive chi into your home-life, such as plants, mirrors, wind-chimes etc... but these are inexpensive on the whole which means you will not need to raid your savings nest egg to make a big difference.

There are some aesthetic problems Feng Shui cannot resolve.

This is because practical feng shui is primarily about the arrangement of items and furniture, whereas many design problem spots in a home are due to the underlying architecture. However, there are remedies at your disposal to help minimise any such architectural issues.

If you have a room that feels small and cramped due to architectural 'features' like low ceilings and/or tiny windows, Feng Shui can help create strong visual lines making the room feel lighter and airier. Feng shui can also teach you practical methods to install multidirectional light sources in the space - this will help lighten the area without feeling you are being interrogated!

No matter what built in problems the design of your room may have, Feng Shui can help you mitigate the resultant issues so your home will have the look and feel of the designer touch.designers.

Feng Shui provides inexpensive, pragmatic solutions to interior design.

Give yourself the the designer treatment - without the expensive price tag!

Tracy O'Brien is a long time student and practitioner of the ancient art of Feng Shui. She is also the founder of FengShuiAstrology.com For more Feng Shui Tips and a FREE Feng Shui Astrology Personality Profile, visit: www.fengshuiastrology.com

Understanding The Benefits Of Feng Shui

Many homeowners are toying with the idea of decorating their home in the Feng Shui style. They have basic misconceptions of the true Feng Shui style based on companies that were selling books, or a particular service.

The reality of Feng Shui is that is was used in all homes, poor and rich. Home decorators do not need to hire someone to create a true Feng Shui room. The first step to bringing the benefits of Feng Shui to your home is to understand exactly what it is.

Feng means "wind," and shui means "water" (pronounced fung-shway). In the Chinese culture, a gentle wind and smooth water is associated with having plenty and being healthy. As apposed to a harsh wind and stagnant water that are linked to famine and disease.

This is important to understand, because a few mistakes can actually cause you to create a negative atmosphere in a room. Good feng-shui means good livelihood and fortune. Bad feng-shui means hardship and misfortune.

However, from a pragmatic point of view, the colors and textures in the good style are relaxing and reduce stress. This is the most important benefit in our stressful culture. At least 80% of all our diseases are stress related, so the primary benefit of feng-shui is to reduce stress and promote health.

Feng-shui is not a superstitious set of decorating rules. It is the science of understanding the emotional impact the different forces of nature have on us, and using these to design houses and workplaces which create harmony instead of stress.

Feng-shui is loosely based in Chinese medicine.

There is a standardized body of knowledge that takes years of formal training to master. However, the home decorator can use this decorating style in their own home with success, because they are responding to their personal needs and emotions.

The master is trained to deal with different environments and people, the home decorator only needs to worry about their own environment.

Feng-shui is divided into two branches: the Landform (ti-li) branch and the Building Characteristics (chai-yun) branch.
The Landform Classification branch focuses on the flow of energy over, around, and through objects and the connection between that energy and nearby objects.

The Building Characteristics branch focuses on the flow of energy inside a building and how it affects people.

Before starting to decorate your home, it is wise to take the time to study both branches. But, it is also important to determine what you need from the room. Do you sleep too much? Do you need to be energized? Then you will use different elements than someone who needs to relax and detoxify their system of stress, anger, and aggression.

The best thing about Feng-shui is that it can be incorporated into the most sophisticated and elegant home decorating style as easily as it is utilized in an open concept, modern home. The only thing limiting the home is the decorator?s imagination and willingness to learn how to turn their home into a healthy environment.

Patricia Taylor advises on home furnishings and decor from her web site at http://www.diningroomsetshere.com. She invites you to get her FREE home decorating guide here http://www.wallfountainshere.com