Increasing the Positive Energy of Your Home .... A Little Bit of Feng Shui

Every spring I do a Feng Shui re-assessment of my home and business.  I like to make sure that over the year I have not created any energy problems and I like to try to add in a few more things to bring an even more positive flow.

Feng Shui is a method for helping the energy of your space to flow in a most positive, balanced way.  There are some great books out there to help you understand Feng Shui and I really love this article from About.com, but here are a few notes I have made for myself to help me each year.

BAGUA AREAS

Feng Shui assigns an area of your life (bagua) to each area of your house with your front door being somewhere on bottom plane of the chart below.  

MONEY	REPUTATION	LOVE
FAMILY/HEALTH	CENTER	CHILDREN/CREATIVITY
PERSONAL GROWTH	CAREER	HELPFUL PEOPLE/BLESSINGS

ELEMENTS SUPPORTING BAGUA AREAS

Each of these areas is supported by an element .. earth, wood, water, fire or metal.  In the area, you want to give as much support to that element as you can.  You can do this by incorporating the colors and items that are related to that element.  You can also incorporate colors and items from the element that feeds the element in your area and you can remove colors and items from the element that destroys the element in your area.

MONEY Wood  (water+, metal-)	REPUTATION Fire (wood+, water-)	LOVE Earth (fire+, wood-)
FAMILY/HEALTH Wood (water+, metal-)	CENTER Earth  (fire+, wood-)	CHILDREN/CREATIVITY Metal (earth+, fire-)
PERSONAL GROWTH Earth  (fire+, wood-)	CAREER Water (metal+, earth-)	HELPFUL PEOPLE/BLESSINGS Metal (earth+, fire-)

Feeds

Water -->Wood--> Fire--> Earth--> Metal

Destroys

Wood -->Earth--> Water--> Fire--> Metal

COLORS AND ELEMENTS SUPPORTING ELEMENTS

The colors and items that support each element are as follows ....

Wood: Green/Brown/Purple'Gold, plants, wood items

Fire: Red/orange/purple/pink/yellow, candles, lighting, leather, animal items

Earth: light yellow/sand. crystals and rocks, pottery

Metal: white/gray, metal

Water: blue/black, water, mirrors, images of water, glass

INSPIRATIONAL ITEMS SUPPORTING BAGUA AREAS

You can also add in items that support the energy of the bagua areas by picking things that inspire you in that area of your life ... family photos in Family/Heath, a jar of pennies in Money, etc.  You can select items that speak to you are can search around for some of the traditional items that supports each section.  This article discusses some of the traditional elements.

CLUTTER

One of the most useful things to do to support the positive energy of your home is to remove the clutter!  Energy cannot flow if it is all blocked up by stacks of papers and piles of laundry.

STRUCTURAL ISSUES

Another big part of Feng Shui is looking at the flow of energy around the furniture and structural items, like windows, of your home.  This article talks about some of the most common energy flow problems.

While I am not an expert in Feng Shui, I have implemented a lot of these small tips and have found them to make a positive impact on the energy in my home.  

Space Clearing ... Uplifting the Energy in Your Home

I can remember "spring cleaning" as one of my earliest memories. Perhaps because it was a family affair whereas weekly cleaning was something my mom did while we were at school or outside playing. But since it is one of those special childhood memories, it is a tradition I have kept up with my own home and family. But I have added the tradition of space clearing.

Space clearing is basically revitalizing the energy of a space through a ritual.

I learned about space clearing in the book Sacred Space: Clearing and Enhancing the Energy of Your Home by Denise Linn. And from the book I developed my own ritual for space clearing my home after I have finished my spring cleaning.

I set an intention for the year for my home and those who dwell in it.

I assemble a tray of items I will use to clear the energy in each room ... salt (or a flower or herbs) for Earth, water mixed with essential oils for Water, candles (or incense) for Light and a bell for Air.

Then I move from room to room with my tray and in each room I leave a little glass of salt, light candle, mist the room and ring the bell. Then I ask for the energy of the room to be clean and positive.

A while later I blow out the candles. And a week or so later, I remove the salt.

The ritual is quite simple and when I have finished I have such a lovely feeling in my home! But I am a firm believer that you are free to create your own ritual, the important thing is that you are expressing your intention to have positive energy flowing through your home.

(I also repeat the ritual throughout the year if there has been significant negativity or illness in a particular room or the house.)

Discovering the Perfect Way to Spend the Day ... By Picturing It Is Your Last

I did an exercise where I imagined how I would like to spend my last day on earth.

I decided I would ...

- stay in my pajamas

- read books in bed to my kids

- drink champagne 

- snuggle on the couch with my kids and watch a movie

- cook something with my kids

- give something special of mine to each of my kids

-hug and kiss my kids

- look at old photos

- sew something

- eat sushi

- have a slumber party with my kids

The day looked perfect to me.  And I decided I should not save a perfect day for my last on earth.  So I have promised to have at least one of these days each year!  I can't wait for my first "last day"!

How to Eliminate Fear ... Realize that Every Moment is Perfect

I have been struggling with the concept of letting go of my need to control the outcome of things and trusting that all things are working together for my greater good.  

I discovered that I want to control things because I have a lot of fear of not knowing what is going to happen.   But deep down inside I know that I am controlling to eliminate fear but in reality trusting is what truly eliminates fear from out lives.  I can trust that every moment is perfect, exactly the joy I am meant to be feeling or the lesson I am meant to be learning.  I can pay close attention to that moment and get the most out of it.   I can create positive energy in my life.  Or I can fight against what is happening at this moment and try to change and control it and be afraid of what will happen if I can't have things my way and wallow in the negative energy this generates.

THE PATH TO POSITIVE ENERGY

I believe that everyone's purpose on this earth is to generate positive energy.  There are lots of ways to increase your positive energy but the main one is to continue to work towards fulfilling your soul purpose, the reason you are living this life.  Along with listening deeply to yourself, I believe that your astrology birth chart can show you where you are meant to go.

There is a path that leads to realizing your soul purpose.  There is a straight line that leads from birth that is easy to follow if you live in the moment and follow what you hear deeply inside yourself.  When you follow this path you generate enormous amounts of positive energy for yourself and others.  You feel great and look great and are happy.   (I think children are really good at following straight along this path because they are really great at listening to themselves... that is until they become used to listening to what we tell them!)  On this path you enjoy every moment as perfect, whether it is an opportunity or a lesson.  You know some people on this path.  They are the ones that handle what life throws at them, not matter how bad, with grace and acceptance.

CHOICES ALONG THE WAY

Along the path there are events that happen.  I believe that these events can be read in astrology. These events create a choice to continue straight on the path or to be led off the path.  Sometimes the events are little (order steak or fish for dinner?)  and sometimes they are big (go to college or travel for a few years?).  Usually one choice generates the most positive energy and keeps you on the path to realizing your soul purpose and one choice leads you away.  This moment of choice is perfect.  It is a moment of looking quietly inside yourself to see the answer.  

But for many this is a moment of fear.  What's going to happen if we choose the steak instead of the fish?  Am I going to be unhappy with my dinner?  Am I going to put on 2 pounds?  What about college versus traveling?  Am I going to feel trapped if I stay or will I fall behind if I go?  We are afraid of making the choice because we are trying to control the outcome by doing things, by figuring things out, instead of just listening to what our heart says. 

Most of us cannot hear so deeply inside ourselves at all times, or even some of the time, because we have so many blocks to our energy from past traumas.  Instead of being able to listen to ourselves tell us what we need to generate positive energy, we are busy trying to get that energy from outside ourselves or we are busy protecting what we already have.  So many times instead of listening deep within ourselves and choosing the option that feeds our heart and generates the positive energy, we listen to the outside and choose the options that feeds our ego or our need for logic and generates money, power or fame.  And these choices lead us off the path.

STRAYING FROM THE PATH

Many times in our lives we stray off the path.  Sometimes a little, sometimes really far.  And the universe will intervene to guide you back on the path by providing events (again, you can see these written in astrology) that cause you to stop and pay attention and realize you are off the path.  I am pretty sure the universe is sending these messages when we stray even a little from the path.  I think these come in the form of life's little frustrations like an annoying neighbor or a minor injury.   But I think most of us are so blocked that we can not see these little messages as hints that we need to make changes and we only pay attention when the message comes in loud and clear through a major illness or financial issue and relationship difficulty. 

This is a time that generates a lot of fear.  Because we want to control the outcome.  Badly.  

But the moment of these crisis, big or small, are perfect.  They are opportunities to learn.  To trust that the universe is guiding us through our lessons.  A time to say to ourselves..."This is what is meant to be happening.  What is it teaching me?  What is this discomfort pointing at that I need to heal.?" 

Many of us get the message at some point and work our way back towards the path by tuning in to ourselves and following our hearts.  We learn the lessons and heal some of the traumas that we have been carrying around.   We get back on the path, or closer to it, and begin generating more positive energy.  We feel better and look better and are happier. 

Sadly there are some people who do not learn the lessons and continue further away from the path while generating more and more negative energy.  I think that when we choose to fight against the universe and continue to stray, we are setting ourselves up to bring these unlearned lessons back in our next life.  

HOW TO STAY ON THE PATH

The first step is to trust that you have the answers to all of the little choices in your life if you listen deeply inside yourself.  That is much easier to do if you are not holding on to lots of negative energy.  And it is sometimes helpful to use things like meditation or a pendulum or tarot cards to help you listen more deeply.   If you have listened to your own voice, you will be fine.   Be in that perfect moment with yourself!

Now, if you stray from the path you need to trust the universe to get you back on.  When the crisis hits, you need to trust that this is just the universe getting you back on track.  And instead of trying to control what happens, you need to listen closely.  Remember that the moment is perfect.  You are where you are meant to be.  You can learn and heal.  You do not need to try to control.

 Always remember, this is where you are meant to be.   Every moment is perfect.

Working Through Life's Lessons

When something aggravates me, I remind myself  to learn from it and not to try to control it!

THIS IS A LESSON!

Every discomfort in life is a lesson you must learn.

Express gratitude for seeing the lesson and ask for guidance to learn from it.

WHAT AM I BEING LED TO RESOLVE?

What chakra is it affecting?  

Do I have physical symptoms?

Am I craving positive energy or protecting myself from loosing it?

What are the limiting beliefs I am holding on to?

Where do they come from?

Work to release and replace them.  Journal, herbs, tarot, crystals, astrology.

WHAT MY SOUL WANTS

Express my intention.

Do not try to control the path.  Trust the Universe to guide me to where I need to be.

Do not look to others to change or validate.  Communicate only to learn.

Imbalanced Chakras ... Craving or Protecting Positive Energy

I pay a lot of attention to my chakras and to trying to maintain balance.  So I love to find new clues to helping me identify imbalances and to resolve them.

I recently looked at my chakras as the generators of positive energy.

If I am generating positive energy from inside myself and sharing it freely with others, my chakras are balanced.  

If I am craving positive energy then my chakras are wide open trying to suck that energy in from people and experiences outside of myself.  I feel that people who are holding on to negative experiences where they were deprived of positive energy have this imbalance.

If I am trying to keep what little positive energy I have then my chakras are closed tight to keep any of my energy from being taken by outside influences.  I feel that people who are holding on to negative experiences where they were harmed by sharing their positive energy have this imbalance.

I have looked at the behaviors that come from these imbalances for each chakra.

OVERACTIVE	BALANCED	BLOCKED
Craving positive energy from outside	Generating positive energy from inside	Closed to sharing positive energy
	ROOT
I need more things. I am ready to fight.	What I have is just enough. I can try and do.	I deprive myself. I am ready to run away
	SACRAL
Look at me!!!!	I am true to myself and selfless.	Don't look at me.
	SOLAR PLEXUS
Tell me how great I am.	I am humble and have strong self worth.	I am worthless
	HEART
Please do it my way!.	I am compassionate and detached.	My way is best.
	THROAT
Listen to me.	I am honest.	I have nothing to say.
	BROW
I don't need to see reality.	I am insightful and trusting of the Universe.	I control my path.

Positive Communication .... Expressing Your Opinion or Expressing Your Intention

I keep finding myself giving my opinion about things.  Things that are really none of my business.  Things that I don't have a deep understanding of.  Things that are unimportant.  And I feel like that is generating a lot of negative energy around me.

So I spent some time thinking when an opinion is generating positive energy and when it is generating negative energy.  I found that I feel like there are times to express your opinion and times instead to express your intention and times when you are expressing your opinion when you should really be expressing your intention.

It is important to express my opinion when someone is asking me to share my expertise.

 Where I am an expert, because of my knowledge (as an experienced cake decorator, as a mother) or because of my familiarity with the subject (as a user of a product or service), I should express my opinion.

This is a time for talking. 

This is time for giving positive energy.

This is where I guide the path for others in the world by sharing experiences and lessons.

It is important to express my intention when I am a participant.

Where I am a participant (the parent of a student), I should express my intention.  And I should ask the expert in that area to express their opinion.  

This is a time for listening .. to myself, to the expert, to the universe.

This is a time for receiving positive energy.

This is where I trust to be guided on the path to my intention through experiences and lessons.

When I am a participant and I am expressing my opinion, I am trying to control the path or the outcome.

This is a time when I am talking (usually complaining or trying to illicit a particular answer to validate myself) and should instead be listening.

This is a time when I am generating negative energy.

Think about it like being the parent of a child who struggles in math.  In this situation you are the participant and the teacher is the expert.  

A positive communication would be to reach out to the teacher and express your intention "I would really like my daughter to improve her math grades."  And then you listen to the teacher describe the issues your child is having and you listen to the suggestion that she has to help your daughter improve.  Perhaps the teacher will ask you to share your opinion as the expert of how your child is handling their math homework.  

A negative communication would be to reach out to the teacher and express your opinion that the math curriculum is too challenging for your child and the the teacher needs to spend more time working with your child.   

Which do you think will manifest the more positive result for your child?

The next time I am having a discussion I am going to try to remember if I am the expert or the participant and see if I can't engage in more positive communication.