Improve your Feng Shui: Understanding Chi

First, let's say it out loud: chee. (If you've been saying "chai," don't feel bad-most of us did at one point or another!)
Easy to say, harder to understand. Chi is one of those words that, like shalom in Hebrew, has many different meanings in modern English. It can mean energy, life force, or breath. It also means vapor, a nice metaphorical variation of its basic definition. That said, we instantly see why this concept is so very important to the study of feng shui.
But chi also has a larger meaning, one that is very much more than the sum of its parts. Chi is a "breath force" of energy-unseen but very much felt-that radiates life into and through all living things.
As Such, chi is a focal point not only of feng shui and other Asian disciplines, but of Chinese medicine as well. Whereas Western doctors typically treat a symptom, Chinese doctors seek to cure or realign the body as a whole in order to have the body perform at its peak and to eliminate one or more medical issues at any given time.
Anyone who has had acupuncture or shiatsu massage already knows about chi. These practices are both based on the existence of a network of meridians running throughout the body-meridians that must flow unblocked if chi is to function maximally and we are to feel our best.
While blood carries oxygen and nutrients, chi carries thoughts, ideas, emotions, and dreams. What you think-and the way that you think - has a great deal of influence on outcomes in our lives. This goes way beyond the rather hackneyed idea of the "power of positive thinking."
How is this so? Because chi is much more than a concept; it is actually an energy force that pervades both living things and inanimate objects. Thus, manipulating our chi has everything in the world to do with the success or failure, happiness or sadness, which we experience every single day of our lives.
What are the effects of disharmonized chi? Here are three prominent examples.
? Negative chi, caused by excessive light and artificial energy (such as air conditioning), can cause mental and physical exhaustion.
? Strong chi (like that produced by dampness and drafts) can result in two polarized attitudes, depending on the person: either excessive emotion and overexcitement, or depression and lack of direction.
? Fast-flowing chi (which you can feel on very windy days) can make one over talkative and paranoid, fearful of personal attack
Just as placement and position have everything to do with achieving the best flow of chi in our physical environments, so too does our physical countenance. How we dress and wear makeup, and even the food we eat, have a direct result or our chi.
And, why, precisely, is our chi so important? In Chinese medicine it is the unencumbered flow of chi that is seen as a prerequisite to good health. Unlike Western medicine, which treats individual health symptoms, Eastern medicine treats the body as a whole Thus, doing whatever necessary to unblock our chi is of prime concern to our physical and psychological health.
What does chi have to do with Feng Shui Chic? Almost everything, as it turns out. How we dress and wear makeup, and even the food we eat, have a direct result on our chi. To learn more about how to change your life with feng shui and to buy the book Feng Shui Chic visit
Carole Meltzer?s website.

Carole Swann Meltzer is a world-renowned Asian-trained feng shui master who is widely quoted in major consumer and trade magazines. She has appeared on national television shows such as The View. Visit her website at carolemeltzer.com to learn more about her products and services.

Real Estate and Feng Shui: Targeting to a Diverse Market for Real Estate Agents

With today's diverse market, learn how Real Estate Agents can use Feng Shui to help their listings get SOLD.

How can the ancient art of Feng Shui be helpful to Real Estate Agents?  With the diversity of the market, you will want to know what your clients may be looking for in their new homes and addressing these issues ahead of time will put you ahead of the competition.

A basic knowledge of Feng Shui is important for all real estate agents.  Feng Shui is a widely held belief of many cultures where potential homeowners will look to see if a home will ?support? them in all the areas of their lives.  For example, the front door is very important as many consider this area the ?Mouth of Chi,? a place where all good energy enters.  Checking to see that the pathway leading up to the front door is clean and unbroken as well as having an immaculate front door will help a sale right from the beginning.  In Black Sect Feng Shui, all doors are considered the ?voices? of the occupants.  They should all be able to open freely without squeaking or knocking into each other.

What other things will your clientele be likely to be looking into?  They are very aware of what we call ?missing pieces:?  When a home is not in a square shape, depending on where the area is, they will determine this is a missing piece and will affect a certain area of their life depending on where it is missing.  For real estate agents, having a simple understanding of The Bagua can help you to understand why they believe this.  Feng Shui consultants who are trained in Western method as well as some of the other forms can make all corrections simply and inexpensively; they never believe a home won?t support the new occupants.

New homeowners are also looking at the new home in relation to the street or outside energies that are surrounding it.  They are unfavorable to homes in Courts (where energy can sometimes pool) or T-Junctions where streets will cross-sect into their homes.  Again, using Western methods these are relatively simple issues to address.

The number ?Four? on a home is probably the least likely of all of the other areas that will deter a potential buyer.  For many, the number ?Four? sounds like ?death? much as like the number 13 is considered here to be unlucky.  This is a difficult area to address though some have suggested painting the house numbers in a circle to ?contain? this energy.

They may well want to know a history of the home and something about the previous owners, so you may want to prepare for that was well.  It is important for them to dispel the ?predecessor? energy of those that have lived there before.

These are just a few of the ideas you can arm yourself with when selling a home in today?s market.  It might be wise to enlist the aid of a Feng Shui consultant who is familiar with various methods of Feng Shui including Western methods to dispel their fears and help you, as their real estate agent, sell the homes, knowing that someone who practices from a positive perspective will not deter the sale of a home.

http://www.FengShuiLI.com

FengShuiLI@aol.com

Carole Provenzale has been a Certified Feng Shui Consultant since 1997 and provides Feng Shui Consultations for all of Long Island, New York City, Queens and Online for those at a distance.  Carole specializes in Homes, Businesses, Offices, Corporations, New Construction and working with Real Estate Agents to get those homes sold fast.  She is also a keynote speaker for large and small corporations and a published author.  Please visit her website for addtional information at http://www.FengShuiLI.com or email her directly at FengShuiLI.com