Tag Archives: water

Achieve A Balance – Feng Shui All The Way

By Tim Lapkovski

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese belief that involves studying natural and the built environments. The arrangements of these objects affect the yin and the yang, as well as the energy of a room. Feng Shui has developed into many different versions based on religion, geography, symbolism and culture. One commonality of all Feng Shui practitioners, Of course, is the belief in energy. Different schools of Feng Shui have progressed into seven different forms.

1. The Compass School

The first school of thought is the Compass school. The compass school uses 8 trigrams of the I-Ching. These 8 trigrams are known collectively as Pa Kua, that is based on the eight main directions of a compass. Each of these directions is associated with a specific chi. A southern direction, for example, is vibrant energy and is associated with the middle of the summer.

2. Eight Mansion School

Another school is the Eight Mansion School, also known as the Eight House Feng Shui. This school of thought is based on the individual number of a person. The number of the man living in the home is used to bring harmony and balance to the home. Furthermore, people using this system have both lucky and unlucky numbers, with the west numbers being 2, 6, 7, and 8 and the east numbers being 1, 3, 4, and 9.

3. Form School

The Form school of thought is based on the landscapes shape and uses four symbolic animals. These animals are used to identify the type of landscape. The Form school is easy to use along with the Compass school to increase chi both in and out of the home.

4. Black Hat Sect

The Black Hat Sect is another school of thought. The Black Hat Sect used a fixed entry point for determination of the life areas. It is similar in philosophy to the Compass school, but the areas are different. In addition, the Black Hat Sect mixes psychology, Buddhism and basic design principles, as well.

5. Nine Star Key School

Another school is the Nine Star Key School. This form used stars to help identify lucky and unlucky days. Using complicated math formulas, this school can pinpoint when a person will get married and the astrological sign of the person to be married to. This form is very inflexible and is based purely on science. The Nine Star Key will also tell the practitioner what house he lives in and makes suggestions on how to live based on the house.

6. Flying Star School

The Flying Star philosophy is the most common Asian form of Feng Shui and is based on astrology and numerology. This form is difficult to understand and to learn. It, too, is based on mathematical principals and is used to determine a persons fate.

7. Four Pillars School

The final school of thought is the Four Pillars. This form is not very common and is based on astrology according to the persons date of birth, right down to the minutes. This form is also used to determine a persons fate.

8. The Five Elements

After determining that school of thought is best for an individual, it is important to also understand each element. These five elements are: Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, and Wood. The elements are capable of destroying each others energies and forming a continual cycle. Through the use of these elements, balance and harmony can be created in a home. If these elements are used incorrectly, Of course, the energy can be destroyed or lessened.

Each of the five elements is also associated with a color, direction, and number.

Earth (Brown/Beige) – 2,5,8 – Southwest

Fire (Red/Purple)

How to Decorate Using Feng Shui

Leave a reply

By Alycia Hartzell

These words in Chinese translate to ‘wind-water’. Feng shui or wind-water is a system of placement believed to use the laws of both heaven and earth to help improve life by receiving positive energy flow. Feng shui aka wind-water was widely used to orient buildings, spiritually significant structures like tombs, as well as dwellings. The goal of feng shui as practiced today is to situate the human built environment on spots with good qi. or “perfect spot”.

Presently, and mostly in US – western practices, we use feng shui as formula in which we design our interior spaces. Meaning, the placement of our furnishings in a space is based on what will create the best energy flow for the room. Why would one want to create this? Well is it not obvious? Even if you do not welcome eastern or Asian traditions, isn’t peaceful energy flow in your home or office space better than negative energy flow?

Here are some ideas on how to feng shui your home or office:

1 – Begin with clearing out the clutter. Remove or dispose of any unnecessary objects that are taking up space. If you have things out that you are not needing to access on a daily basis, put them in a different place. It is a good idea to start with your storage units; closets, cabinets, shelving – dispose all things you do not need and then organize these areas, creating room for things you do actually need. The idea is that a room should be a room – even if we are talking about a kitchen or office, all things should have a place and there should be minimal visible clutter upon entering the room or space.

2 – Good air quality and light are also key for good energy or chi – universal energy (energy inside your body and the energy around you externally). To achieve this, you must open up the windows as much as possible to let fresh air in. In colder climates, an air purifier and/or air purifying plants are great for this. Allow as much natural light as possible into your home. Purchasing full-spectrum lights is good too.

3 – Decorate in colors that support good energy and mood. Choose colors that represent the kind of energy you are trying to achieve in your space. Examples of energy/mood are; calm, energetic, minimalistic, or clean. Color plays a huge part in the energy one feels upon entering a space. Balance light and dark colors along with smooth and rough textures.

4 – Furniture placement is a large part of practicing feng shui in your home or office. It is important not to block or interfere with the chi aka energy flow of the room. Never force furniture or accessories into a tight space. Less is always more when it comes to feng shui-ing a space. Keep it minimal and keep it simple. Position the furniture so it has a good view of the entryways. For example, in a bedroom, always have a wall at the head of your bed. This supports your mind. Make sure that when laying in your bed, your body (feet) are facing the entryway and that it is visible. A good view of the entry way is also key for couches, desks, sinks, chairs, and stoves. If this is not possible, hang a mirror so that you are able to see the entryway. There should be at least 3 feet of space between the furniture in a room. Pay special attention the space between night stands, couches and tables. Always keep in mind, coziness, comfort, and good conversation, these are all things you definitely want to have in a room. Also arranging furniture toward the main focal point of the room or space is a good idea too. Example, in a living room, the focal point could be a fireplace or hearth. Regarding decorative accessories, place them at eye level and if there is a large piece of furniture along side a wall, place the accessory for example, a painting, above the large furniture. Always aim to create harmony in a room.

Feng Shui is a way to maximize our living and working environments. It creates positive energy flow, giving us the best possible comfort in the spaces we spend a majority of our time in.

About the Author: Alycia Hartzell is a seasoned design professional with experience in both residential and commercial interior design. She writes for ContemporaryRugMall.com – a leading retailer of contemporary rugs. Learn more at: http://www.contemporaryrugmall.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=614826&ca=Home+Management

Read the rest here: How to Decorate Using Feng Shui

How to Use Feng Shui in Your Office

Leave a reply

By Brenda Walker

Location, plants and color schemes all have an impression on Feng Shui. Use the following hints to better understand Feng Shui rationales and how these principles can be used to enhance your office decor.

There is a good reason that Feng Shui is often called the Chinese art of placement. Feng Shui rationales maintain that our success in life (or our ultimate loss) is not determined by the work that we do but instead by unexplained forces. How workplaces and homes are laid out impact the outcome of human endeavor, more than the enterprise itself can. Feng Shui principles hold that particular spots are luckier than other and that being in the right place at the right time can make us successful. Although numerous aspects of Feng Shui look to be nonsensical, what if they are not? Virtually all folks can use all the good fortune they can get. Let’s look at some tips for adding Feng Shui into your office to make you the most successful you can be:

Locate in promising places. One idyllic position according to Feng Shui is an office situated in a tall building that commands shorter, adjacent buildings. Also being in a building which is at the intersection of several roads, but which is not directly in front of two intersecting roads resembling the tip of an arrowhead – a deadly place to be situated. Another promising location for an office is one that has a direct view of water. To the Chinese this is so strategic that the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank in Hong Kong went to grand lengths to ensure that it had a clear view of Victoria Harbor, lobbying powerfully with the Chinese government to construct a park and low-level garage simply so it could have this perfect view.

Avoid unfavorable places. Meat cleaver-shaped constructions such as the Sears Tower are not ideal places to have an office. This is also accurate of offices that might be bordered by enormous skyscrapers, or that are near a funeral parlor or graveyard. Because strong winds are thought in Feng Shui to diffuse a person’s chi or life force, it is not advisable to have an office on the top floor of a statuesque building.

Buildings with large entryways are ideal. Other matters to remember about a building’s entryway is that it should not have columns that obstruct the view and that it is not facing a tree line The Chinese believe that ch’i enters through doors. For this reason, constructions that are built with the rules of Feng Shui in mind frequently have slanted entryways; this increases their entryway size and therefore, the amount of life force that can come in. Observe how Macao’s casino doors are angled.

Water is perpetually a good thing when it comes to Feng Shui precepts. That’s why fish tanks are often found in Chinese eateries. If you do not have access to water in your office, then installing a fountain is the next advisable alternative. And because water must be kept clean under Feng Shui rules, it is critical that you take special care to change the water frequently in wall vases and plants in your office.

About the Author: Brenda Walker writes for WallDecorandHomeAccents.com where she provides detailed instructions for cheap wall decor and wall candle holders .

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=505821&ca=Home+Management

The Basics of Feng-Shui

Leave a reply

By Roberto Sedycias

Feng-Shui is an art that was developed over 3000 years ago. It is based on strategic beliefs over how a building or space is set up. It was developed because it is believed that wind and water is connected to good health and that land and nature are alive and full of energy. With this in mind, a chart was invented listing all of the major elements and their corresponding colors that represent good health and happiness. It is used around the world and is especially popular for businesses that are setting up their office spaces and for home use.

When people are styling their homes they often have a few methods for doing so. They can arrange furniture and items in a way that they feel looks nice and work for the space or they can hire a decorator who will map out a precise color plan and arrange the room accordingly. And people can use Feng-Shui to organize their home and space. In this belief, there are certain colors and items and the placing of furniture that will bring good luck and happiness into the home. Some decorators even base some of their planning based on these methods.

There are two main components of Feng-Shui elements; they are the compass and the Ba-Gua. The Ba-Gua is based on an octagonal grid and the compass is used to assess deep meaning inside a room, space or building.

There are five elements to Feng-Shui. They are; wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Each of these elements has a corresponding color attached to them. Wood is associated with green and brown. Fire is together with red, yellow, orange, purple and pink. Earth goes with light yellow and sandy tones, light brown. Metal is a part of white and gray, and water is with blue and black tones. It is believed that color can be used to make a space stronger and more balanced. Creating a happy space is something that everyone desires when decorating an office or home space.

There are things to consider before adding Feng-Shui elements to a space. The first thing that needs to be done is de-cluttering your space. There is no point in applying the principals and beliefs if your space is cluttered and messy. Feng-Shui is all about balance and harmony, something that cannot be achieved with a cluttered kitchen counter or a bathroom with towels all over the floor. Providing good air quality is also important. There needs to be access to fresh air or an air cleaner to ensure that the air flow is good. And the lighting in the room needs to be appropriate, natural light works best for allowing Feng-Shui properties to run through them.

There are lots of decorating beliefs with Feng-Shui, to name a few, there are colors that have been known to add or take away certain emotions or elements. Dark blue can affect a person`s thinking, white is considered a color of death in Chinese belief, light greens are warm and welcoming, and red is good luck. In the bedroom it is advised that things be put in pairs to aid in marital bliss, it is also recommended that the bed always face the door to keep a good idea on the main entrance way of your room while you are sleeping. And in the office it is imperative that the desk or desks be facing a door to see who is coming and going. In the kitchen it is advised that your stove be in front of a door way or a mirror and that someone shouldn`t cook if he is in a bad mood.

About the Author: You can have access to articles about self help in Portuguese language from page Self_Help Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for Polomercantil

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=480441&ca=Self+Help

More here: The Basics of Feng-Shui

Facts on Feng Shui Everyone Should Know

Leave a reply

By Lynn Lee

There are some facts on Feng Shui that everyone should know. Feng Shui is the study of the positioning of objects so that harmony with the environment can be achieved. It is believed that everything contains some sort of energy.

Basically, there are 2 types of energy, one being the positive energy (Qi) and another one being the negative energy (Sha Qi). Therefore, the flow of Qi is one important aspect of Feng Shui.

Another essential aspect of Feng Shui is the balancing of the 5 key elements of fire, earth, metal, water and wood. Some of these elements go well with each other while some of these elements clash with each other. For that reason, it is important to know the nature of the elements to avoid clashes and to reap benefits from it.

The flow of Qi

Basically, the flow of Qi in an area is determined by geomagnetism, astronomy, space and weather. Common examples such as placing an object outside your door, having a dirty kitchen sink or even the colors of the objects around you can affect the Feng Shui.

Practitioners of Feng Shui believe that in order to strike a balance and harmony with the environment, the flow of Qi must be smooth in that area. If there is some sort of blockage of the flow of Qi, it represents a bad omen and it is recommended to clear this blockage of Qi as soon as possible.

If you encounter any problems with the flow of Qi, do not worry, as we will be sharing with you a few methods to improve the flow of Qi in an area. Water symbolizes wealth and prosperity. Having a waterfall crystal will help you to ventilate the flow of Qi in your area. It is also believed to bring you wealth.

Another way to improve the flow of Qi is to hang a bamboo wind chime near the window. If it happens that negative energy (Sha Qi) is flowing in from the window, the wind chime will help to deflect the Sha Qi away.

Now that we know how Qi works, let us now look at how the 5 elements work.

The 5 key elements

The 5 key elements consist of the earth, wind, water, wood and metal. Colors and shapes in the surrounding can also represent the 5 elements. Different colors are believed to emit different emotions while different shapes of object could affect the flow of Qi in an area in many different ways. Some of the elements clash with each other. Examples will be water clashing with fire and fire clashing with wood.

Knowing how these elements work, here are some tips for you to avoid the clashes of the elements. The kitchen is the place where clashes between elements will most likely occur. For example, your fire stove should not be facing the water basin or refrigerator directly as a clash between the fire and water elements will occur.

Also, do not put any machine near the door of the house. When the machine operates, it will cause the Qi around it to become hot. As it gets hotter, the Qi will escape away from the house much faster than desired, causing an irregular flow of Qi in the house.

The basic of the flow of Qi and the 5 key elements are the facts on Feng Shui everyone should know. Now that you’ve discovered these facts on Feng Shui, you can now avoid ignorant mistakes you made in the past and enjoy better luck from now on.

About the Author: Click Here to get Free Tips on how to improve your life with Feng Shui Decorating. Lynn Lee is a celebrated authority on Feng Shui providing valuable advice at http://www.whatisfengshui.net.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=299433&ca=Home+Management