Feng Shui for the Dining Room

Feng Shui can be applied to any room of your home. Often, the dining room is one of the most neglected rooms in the house. It's either a formal space that's rarely used, or it's notoriously used for dumping papers, doing projects and accumulating clutter. According to Feng Shui principles, every room of your home should be beautiful, well-organized and clutter-free.

Ideal placement for the dining table is in the center of the room. Try to have equal space on all sides. An oval or round table with no sharp-edged corners is great Feng Shui. Round tables inspire conversation and also encourage equality. The chairs should be comfortable and also have a back. It's good to avoid oversized furniture in a small room. From a decorating standpoint, heavy, dark furniture squeezed into a small space creates a heavy, dark feeling. The host should sit facing a door to feel more comfortable.

Lighting is an important component in creating a good dining environment. A well-lit chandelier over the center of your table will help to balance chi in the room. Using candles, lower wattage bulbs or a dimmer switch will bring the energy level down for a more romantic and peaceful setting.

If your meals often feel rushed, make sure there aren't any clocks in view. You'll enjoy a calmer dining experience by doing this and it will also help lighten your mood. Who wants to focus on time while you're eating anyway?

The colors in your dining room should be appetizing. But be sure to choose colors that you love. Reds and yellows are perfect for stimulating the appetite and good for digestion. In general, light and bright colors are pleasing to the palate.

Do you use your best silverware and beautiful table linens in your dining room? If not, you should start. A fun idea would be to plan a special formal dinner with your family or partner one night a month. By making this a regular event, it reinforces how special your loved ones are to you. Rather than using placements, using a tablecloth encourages closeness among you and your family members.

Before eating remember to take a moment to give thanks for the abundance on your table and for the family and friends who are sharing the meal with you. Expressing gratitude before the meal fills the dining room with the energy of appreciation and love.

Having experienced the power of Feng Shui in her own life, Sheri Ruston's mission is to empower you to consciously create your best life yet. If you enjoyed this article, you'll love the F*R*E*E* Energy In Motion Ezine and F*R*E*E Special Report: "50 Simple Feng Shui Tips That Will Immediately Improve Your Life." For a limited time only YOU can have access to this information and get started at once making positive changes in your home.

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Feng Shui for Beginners Part III - Your Bedroom and Getting Ready for the Chinese New Year

SO you think you are having a good New Year? Well, luckily, the Chinese New Year starts on February 7th of this year. And after researching a variety of resources, I have come up with a list of things we all should do prior to the New Year. Some of them I found very interesting as I was unaware of certain rituals people follow and lo and behold, they do make a lot of sense in ensuring a good and prosperous year ahead.

The Chinese and other followers of Feng Shui practices do a lot to prepare for the New Year. There is so much information out there I almost didn't know where to start. In my last article, I mention the amazing properties of Sea Salt and the article prior to that talked about incense - if you are interested, here is some very affordable incense I use for purification purposes: Morning Star Sandalwood Incense (50 Sticks)

Today I will help list things one ought to do PRIOR to the Chinese New Year.

By attacking some of these chores, as they will be for some, starting this process now will help ensure you have completed them by February 7th. So do yourself a favor and get out your calendar. Mark down the calendar when the Chinese New Year will be. Oddly enough, I have found several dates for the Chinese New Year - and I know they celebrate all week, so it was confusing to me as well. I have read it starts on the 4th, the 5th, the 7th and 8th. What gives with that? Maybe they wish to start celebrating early or making sure we have all completed the tasks at hand prior to the Chinese New Year.

What I have read has consistently mentioned the importance of completing these task prior to the start of the Chinese New year since you don't wish to bring any of the "bad luck" you may have had with you forward to the New Year - so here goes anything and everything....

Use your calendar to help mark down the necessary tasks I am about to mention will help you keep on track of this project - and hey who doesn't enjoy a calm and organized living space?

Clearing up the Clutter

Yes, I know I discussed this before, but it really is the most important task of all. And why bother you may ask? But getting rid of things that are no longer needed in your home will allow for new things to come into your home this includes most importantly good chi. As of today, we really have only three more weeks along with a couple of days to get these task completed, hey please do not think I have it all together either - I too must do a lot of work. Writing this article I am sure is cathartic for me in reminding me what I actually will need to accomplish for me to also ensure good luck for the coming Chinese New Year.

While you start these tasks, remind yourself frequently you are removing any unwanted negative energies and wash your hands frequently. You will see it will get easier as you go along through the piles of debris. In fact you will be amazed as to what you have collected over time.

You are going to need the following items:

• garbage bags
• incense - burning
• nice happy music you enjoy
• lights turned on
• cleaning products, to wash your windows, dust your furniture, vacuum/mop to clean the floors -especially the dust bunnies under the bed!

Bedroom:

Starting with this room might be the easiest, since when you start with the other rooms, you will have created a serene place to relax once you are finished and it will help start the process to have all the other rooms in your home clutter free. Get out garbage bags. One bag is for donating items. The other(s) for trash. Hey, you have seen enough of those TV shows that help people who are totally disorganized. And you can see what they go through, usually they never go back to their tired and disorganized ways. And hey, how many times have you bought something only to realize you had a duplicate already? It's a waste of money - and who wants that? No one.

Starting in the closet:

1. Donate any clothes you simply have not worn for a year.
2. Throw out any that are stained, torn, ripped, faded, etc. It is auspicious to only wear clothes that are clean, unstained and in good shape. Wearing torn and ripped clothes only brings in ripped and torn energy - you want that?!? Exactly what I thought, no, of course not.
3. Look at those shoes too. Do any need to be repaired - well get them repaired! Toss any so old, they are screaming to be let free of their burden. Are any too small, hurt your feet - off they go for donation.
4. Put back that you wish to keep in an organized fashion - you will now know where to find anything you need in your bedroom closet.

Windows and walls

1. Wash windows inside and outside (if you can) - as this will allow the light to come in more freely - it's scary to see the amount of dirt which accumulates within the year. Vacuum/sweep the walls for any cobwebs or dust bunnies and do not forget the corners and behind any doors.

Furniture and Bed

1. Clean thoroughly all furniture with polish, dust that TV, etc.
2. Organize any wires hanging around the TV and equipment.
3. Get under that bed and get any dust bunnies from underneath it. If you use under the bed for storage, now is a good time to look through those boxes, and remove/toss and donate any unnecessary items.
4. Lastly, move around the furniture just a bit. Even an inch one way or another will help stimulate chi and assist in refreshing the chi in your sacred bedroom.

Good practices for your bedroom

1. Do not have any mirrors facing the bed as this promotes outsides influences (infidelity) in one's relationship
2. Do not have the bed where your feet hang out facing the door out. This is very bad luck as it is thought to "send you to the other world"
3. Keep out any aquariums in your bedroom - again it soaks up any good chi.
4. Keeping a symbolic turtle and placing it on your dresser for example is said to being good luck this next Chinese New Year.
5. TV's are said to be like mirrors, and this is a tough one, since so many of us fall asleep with the TV on, but it is said, it should be covered up when one goes to sleep since it reflects - much like a mirror - see number 1 above.
6. Hanging crystals in the windows helps bring in good luck as the multi colors reflected from the sun help new and good chi to come into your bedroom.
7. Open the windows wide at least once a week, to not only allow fresh air into the room, but it also helps any stagnate chi get the heck out of your bedroom.
8. Selecting the right kind of art is very important to Feng Shui practitioners, make sure any art on the walls especially of your bedroom, are happy and joyful looking. In other words, a picture of a horse reared with a grimacing face of fear would not at all be auspicious nor would it bring any good luck.
9. If you are single - try and not make it too feminine, and by the way having room in your closet and drawers will actually help bring in the room for your new partners clothes. If they are stuffed to the gill, where the heck will you have room in your life for a partner?
10. And lastly remember to keep this place serene. This is your night sanctuary. A place where you should have only good things happen it.

I have already attacked most of my bedroom, though I do still need to go through the storage boxes but this have to wait for later today. As always, stay tuned, my next article will discuss the living rooms and hallways.

Feng Shui For Beginners Part II - Sea Salt

Today's Subject: Sea Salt and Attracting Wealth Tips

Hello there once again! I hope you enjoyed yesterday's posting that mentioned a few ideas to help bring in prosperity and more love into your life. I actually went out yesterday and purchased sea salt to help clean my crystals and add good luck to my home. I will share more about the ideas of Sea Salt and its purifying abilities among with sharing even more ideas in bringing wealth into your life.

So what's the big deal about sea salt, and won't any kind of salt help? Nope. Sorry to inform you, but it has to be sea salt. It has to do with the negative ions from the moving sea that will help stimulate negative chi to move on and help attract the good kind of chi these exercises are determined to offer you. Table salt simply does not have these purifying properties.

So where do we start today? Let's first start with getting you some sea salt. Click here for the lowest prices I found on the web: Sea Salt, 2 lb. Sea salt is an all important tool in applying Feng Shui exercises and tasks to your rituals in help healing and clearing while cleaning chi around you and your home. You can find sea salt at your local grocery store, and do yourself a favor, do not try and get around by using table salt or even kosher salt - both of which I love using in my cooking - but this is for Feng Shui use. Of course, by all means, if you are buying the sea salt, use it freely in your cooking. I prefer to use the course sea salt as with all the types of salts I may use.

So you have now got your Sea Salt, what next? Here are a few tips on how Feng Shui practitioners recommend their clients to use in helping bring their clients luck and wealth.

1. Place a teaspoon of sea salt and wrap it in plastic and place in your wallet in a secret compartment. Replace every ten days to ensure its potency. This is said to bring the owner of the wallet wealth...
2. Place sea salt on the center and back side of your entrance door, this is said to also bring luck and wealth to all those who enter - and yes the changing it every ten days rule also applies here as well in ensuring its potency of bringing wealth luck and good chi.
3. Also if you really are in a jam, placing sea salt in all the corners of your house - simply use little plastic containers - say the ones you may get when you ask for salad dressing on the side at a restaurant. Place the sea salt in them, cover them if you can, then place them in every corner wherever two walls meet. You may need an extra box of sea salt for this - but since sea salt is relatively inexpensive and you are in need of attracting wealth, this really helps absorb any negative energy you house may be harboring. Again, change every ten days.

The best time to do any or all of these tasks is on the start of the new moon. Since energy grows as the new moons grows into a full moon, where as energy dies down after the full moon.

There are many other uses for sea salt besides making your dishes taste great while helping bring wealth luck to you and into your home. Remember that yesterday I discussed the importance of cleaning up and removing any and all clutter from your home just prior to the Chinese New Year. This is also the best time to take any crystals, quartz and stones you may use to bring good energy into your home.

Wash them with soap, then, place in a bowl of salted water made from sea salt. If you can, even better is to let them soak overnight under the light of the full moon. The next day, you should also allow at least four hours in the sun to finish the cleansing process. This is said to remove last year's energies and replenish to good chi in your crystals and stones you have placed in your home.

The use of sun catchers also work great as do crystals that reflect all the colors of the rainbow. By hanging these in your windows where the sun shines in, the multi-faceted colors help keep and bring good chi into your home. This is especially important in your home office and bedroom along with your kitchen areas of your home.

As of this month's new moon, I did several of the rituals I have already mentioned here. I placed a dark blue mug and filled it to the brim with sea salt and placed it in my kitchen in a dry area which is said to bring happiness to couples. I also grabbed a little sea salt and placed it in plastic and placed it in my wallet. I also marked on my calendar when the ten days will be up so that I can recall to change the sea salt. I also did a few other rituals which I have been doing for months and that is going around on Fridays with burning incense to each of the rooms in my place and blessing each room and all who enters with health, happiness and harmony along with prosperity.

Any effect so far? Well, yes! I am pleased I was finally able to purchase today some very needed domain names prior to them being picked up by others. Some of these will be very important to me in the coming months as I have several projects I am now organizing and the need for these domain names in setting up these works online is extremely important. My outlook is very good and confidence high. I also noticed that my fellow and love of my life was suggesting new and interesting dinner ideas to help spruce up our dinners at home last night. Our relationship is smoother than ever and I am more confident with every day passing that I am in a "right and good" relationship that is healthy and harmonious. And hey, who doesn't want that in their life?

As for now, I am off to prepare fo

Today's Subject: Sea Salt and Attracting Wealth Tips

Hello there once again! I hope you enjoyed yesterday's posting that mentioned a few ideas to help bring in prosperity and more love into your life. I actually went out yesterday and purchased sea salt to help clean my crystals and add good luck to my home. I will share more about the ideas of Sea Salt and its purifying abilities among with sharing even more ideas in bringing wealth into your life.

So what's the big deal about sea salt, and won't any kind of salt help? Nope. Sorry to inform you, but it has to be sea salt. It has to do with the negative ions from the moving sea that will help stimulate negative chi to move on and help attract the good kind of chi these exercises are determined to offer you. Table salt simply does not have these purifying properties.

So where do we start today? Let's first start with getting you some sea salt. Click here for the lowest prices I found on the web: Sea Salt, 2 lb. Sea salt is an all important tool in applying Feng Shui exercises and tasks to your rituals in help healing and clearing while cleaning chi around you and your home. You can find sea salt at your local grocery store, and do yourself a favor, do not try and get around by using table salt or even kosher salt - both of which I love using in my cooking - but this is for Feng Shui use. Of course, by all means, if you are buying the sea salt, use it freely in your cooking. I prefer to use the course sea salt as with all the types of salts I may use.

So you have now got your Sea Salt, what next? Here are a few tips on how Feng Shui practitioners recommend their clients to use in helping bring their clients luck and wealth.

1. Place a teaspoon of sea salt and wrap it in plastic and place in your wallet in a secret compartment. Replace every ten days to ensure its potency. This is said to bring the owner of the wallet wealth...
2. Place sea salt on the center and back side of your entrance door, this is said to also bring luck and wealth to all those who enter - and yes the changing it every ten days rule also applies here as well in ensuring its potency of bringing wealth luck and good chi.
3. Also if you really are in a jam, placing sea salt in all the corners of your house - simply use little plastic containers - say the ones you may get when you ask for salad dressing on the side at a restaurant. Place the sea salt in them, cover them if you can, then place them in every corner wherever two walls meet. You may need an extra box of sea salt for this - but since sea salt is relatively inexpensive and you are in need of attracting wealth, this really helps absorb any negative energy you house may be harboring. Again, change every ten days.

The best time to do any or all of these tasks is on the start of the new moon. Since energy grows as the new moons grows into a full moon, where as energy dies down after the full moon.

There are many other uses for sea salt besides making your dishes taste great while helping bring wealth luck to you and into your home. Remember that yesterday I discussed the importance of cleaning up and removing any and all clutter from your home just prior to the Chinese New Year. This is also the best time to take any crystals, quartz and stones you may use to bring good energy into your home.

Wash them with soap, then, place in a bowl of salted water made from sea salt. If you can, even better is to let them soak overnight under the light of the full moon. The next day, you should also allow at least four hours in the sun to finish the cleansing process. This is said to remove last year's energies and replenish to good chi in your crystals and stones you have placed in your home.

The use of sun catchers also work great as do crystals that reflect all the colors of the rainbow. By hanging these in your windows where the sun shines in, the multi-faceted colors help keep and bring good chi into your home. This is especially important in your home office and bedroom along with your kitchen areas of your home.

As of this month's new moon, I did several of the rituals I have already mentioned here. I placed a dark blue mug and filled it to the brim with sea salt and placed it in my kitchen in a dry area which is said to bring happiness to couples. I also grabbed a little sea salt and placed it in plastic and placed it in my wallet. I also marked on my calendar when the ten days will be up so that I can recall to change the sea salt. I also did a few other rituals which I have been doing for months and that is going around on Fridays with burning incense to each of the rooms in my place and blessing each room and all who enters with health, happiness and harmony along with prosperity.

Any effect so far? Well, yes! I am pleased I was finally able to purchase today some very needed domain names prior to them being picked up by others. Some of these will be very important to me in the coming months as I have several projects I am now organizing and the need for these domain names in setting up these works online is extremely important. My outlook is very good and confidence high. I also noticed that my fellow and love of my life was suggesting new and interesting dinner ideas to help spruce up our dinners at home last night. Our relationship is smoother than ever and I am more confident with every day passing that I am in a "right and good" relationship that is healthy and harmonious. And hey, who doesn't want that in their life?

As for now, I am off to prepare for his returning home today as we are off to Pennsylvania tomorrow and look forward to having a weekend away (our first serious road trip) with another couple we enjoy spending time with. I am sure we are all to have fun! I'll need to pack some of my sea salt as my boyfriend and I are planning in taking purifying baths together...ahh the delight of a bathtub and the cleansing properties of sea salt! More to follow next week and as I always say...stay tuned...

Divaliscious Feng Shui Tips

Feng Shui For Beginners Part I

Today's comment is not a rant at all, but in fact a rave. A rave on Feng Shui practices and behaviors. I have been applying Feng Shui practices to my business and to my home and personal well being for over three years and can say it does work. It definitely does work and does wonders for one's personal spirit.

But that means you must be at one with yourself. So many of us are too tired to apply anymore energy into anything but the essential tasks at hand from getting the kids to school then running off to work, to dealing with the late report that was due a few days ago to a grumbling boss only to come home to a house that you thought you cleaned only a few days ago, and somehow a tornado has hit the inside of the house.

Well just reading and typing that last paragraph, I know I hit home with several of you, maybe you are experiencing more debt than you would like, a broken relationship, etc. I have found a variety of useful websites so that you can get your Fen Shui on the fly and not be bothered with spending the extra dollars and time that we barely have to expend ourselves with to help assist you with your Feng Shui well being.

I promise you will at least enjoy doing some of the so called exercises in and around your home, and will share where I got this information from so that you too can get the books I have found so useful and this article will probably be at least a three parter. You simply cannot begin to get all the details one needs to have a more zen-filled life that brings more harmony, health and prosperity into your life in one simple article, let alone let people understand the workings of ying and yang that I am sure people have done several dissertations on.

Some of these suggestions are going to be so obvious, you may think why bother? But everything is interconnected - and hey you learned that one in your Freshman year in college! - So here goes anything...and well everything.

Before you start - some pointers on Feng Shui

Feng Shui can be practiced by anyone and everyone. In most cases, it does not cost a thing or can cost very little investment. You can do a lot of the interesting practices to help bring a better balance to your life. I would certainly assure you that your attitude will certainly have a lot to do with the success as you practice some of these interesting 'chores'. Hey who doesn't need more health, harmony and happiness in their lives as we live in these trying times?

I will also note that some of these practices or 'rituals' is what they really are, are going to sound quite silly. But if it's to promote all things good into your life, why not give it a shot and a good try? What have you got to lose? Nothing!

1) For starters, as you start these tasks of clearing away the clutter in your home, wash your hands often, as you attack a pile of papers that need to be addressed or any other task suggested here, remind yourself you are ridding your home of stagnant chi and you are creating a harmonious energy flowing home environment. This will only help your momentum keep going.

2) I would also suggest to put on all the lights in your home while you do this. Brighten up your world. This also helps see what you are doing, to locate those dust bunnies that just have to go while literally enlightening your home environment. Isn't is amazing for whens it's raining outside how just putting on the lights makes you feel safer more lively in your home? This applies very well when you are clearing your home for a better energy of chi to flow smoothly throughout your home which is the whole point of this exercise.

3) Open your windows. Let the fresh air flow throughout your home. Use of a fan may help for those that only have windows on one side say like in an apartment. The idea here is to have the air circulate and be refreshed. This brings in fresh chi into your home, which is essential as you move things about.

4) I would also burn incense as well while doing these chores, use something like sandlewood that helps to purify the surroundings.

Chine New Year will start on February 5th of this year.
While researching this article, I learned a few things that people do and not do as the New Year approaches, and since some of us are behind in our tasks, I mention them here now in January so that we can get ahead on them slightly since some of the tasks at hand will take more time than you anticipated. But I assure you, as you start to do some of these things around your house, you will notice subtle differences in your attitude (it will become more loving and generous) the energy of your home will greatly change (happier and livelier energy creating a harmonious environment for all to enjoy) and lastly all this work will get easier as you progress.

Many people who follow Feng Shui practices, will do a complete clean up of their home from top to bottom for when the Chinese New Year hits. This includes moving even is so very slightly the furniture that hasn't been moved at all for a year. The main idea is to move the stagnant energy that might be lingering in your home from the previous year. And even moving them literally once inch one way or another will help change the energy.

Here are just a few of my fave Fen Shui Rituals to get the fen shui ball rolling for this New Year...


1) Your Entry into Your Home/Apartment:
This space should be free of clutter. This helps good chi enter the home. This means no stacked piles of papers that need to be recycled, no pile of shoes littering the floor. In fact, haven't you noticed at least in the movies how people take off their shoes when entering an Asian house. You do not wish to bring in any "bad luck" or bad chi that came from the outside into your home. So start wearing slippers and shoes that are only used inside the house. The good part of this is that your floors will stay cleaner - that I am sure of.
The other reason besides helping keep your house cleaner, having the entry way into your home being clutter free is to help the good chi roam around this area. You will see this issue being pointed out again and again when it comes to applying feng shui practices in your home and in your office areas.
Now, some of us have kids and the entry way is where we leave all sorts of things that are needed for school, do your best to create bins for them to leave their school bags in or a sitting bench that has storage, etc.

2) Creating a Loving Bedroom Space
This one is interesting and is quite simple. Mind you I will be sharing many more tips about the bedroom and for each room in your house, I simply wanted to list a few tips here to help get you started. Make sure any mirrors in your bedroom do not directly face your bed. Now what you do with watching yourself and your partner on your own time is one thing. But when you are not doing "it" in this way (which is none of my feng shui business quite frankly) make sure you face the mirrors away from looking at your bed. This helps keep matrimonial faithfulness. Or in other words, having a mirror facing your bed can actually bring outside energies into entering your relationship.

Trust me, this one works. As I have experienced the mirror issue vs. marriage faithfulness personally. Hence, why I am mentioning it here first.

Also keep the bedroom clutter free. This is to be a restful space. Sweep under that bed and get all those cobwebs out from under it and just watch the change in your love life!

3) Keeping that Kitchen Clean and Clutter Free
We spend so much time in our kitchens, this is essential place to start allowing good chi to roam free around your living space. As this will help affect everything. Attack that fridge, I do this every week actually, and I really dislike doing the dishes, but as I look at the pile, I always remind myself of its positive energies if its clutter free and clean.

Always throw out old food that has gone bad, by keeping them in your fridge you are only helping stagnant chi remain and grow like the mold on that cheese that's been sitting there on the back top shelf of your refrigerator.

Do your best to create a space where all papers go and come. This would not be in the kitchen if you could handle it, my feng shui suggestion. Its amazing how we collect paper in our world. So create a place in your home where these will stay so that you have only one place to attack your paper pile - and cleaning this pile should be done weekly if not everyday.

4) Attracting more wealth into your life and career
There are so many rituals to help bring wealth into your life, but I will only mention a few here as I will list many more in the next part of this article.

1) I love this one: Take some incense, light it, and using a figure eight or rather an infinity sign on its side, go from one room to the next letting the smoke hit every corner of every room. As you go about the rooms in a clockwise direction you are to say a mantra for the things you wish to materialize. You are to do this seven times, and yes its going to be silly, but I tell you this works. It's been amazing when I needed more clients and had a cash flow problem, I would do this ritual and literally within hours I had results, in some cases, I had results in minutes as the clients would be calling me for orders....

The mantra can be something like this, and I quote: "I bless this house with loving energy for all that enters, and who live here, including (list occupants and don't forget the pets). I bless myself, and ..... with prosperity, health and happiness. The happiness, healthiness and prosperity comes to me now."

And as I mentioned, circle the inside of every room clockwise with the lit incense while saying this mantra. Remember the mantra can be anything (positive) that you would like in your life, say a new job, a better job, a happier home environment, etc. just make sure you know its possible, have faith, yes, faith regardless of your religion or lack of in knowing all is possible if you simply ask for it with the right attitude. Help yourself and you will receive help.

2) Another is using Sea Salt filled in a black or dark navy blue ceramic mug and placing it in your kitchen. Change this every ten days and start this on the new moon. This practice is to help kill any bad luck you may be having and is said to help seriously bring happiness to couples.

3) Lastly, and I love this one, get some dirt yes earth dirt from someone who is wealthy - or a pebble could work too, and place this in a little plastic baggy and keep it in your wallet. This is said to help bring you wealth like this wealthy person has. But you must make sure you have their permission - otherwise it is like stealing - and well, that's doesn't go over well with Buddha.

Well what else can I say? But, Good Luck! And let me know if you tried any of these rituals and their workings on your life and career.

Feng Shui Your Emails

With so many of us having computers and laptops both in our places of work and at home, we can easily let emails, photos and unused files and programs add 'clutter' to our life. And so many of us have more than one email due to our own preferences, work, and hobbies. And when you wish to increase your chances of bringing in more wealth into your life, your computer and laptop should not be forgotten.

The importance of having a clean and organized work area both at the office and in your home should be mandatory. One's own mind can think much easier when things are organized and neat. Personally I have more than enough email accounts due to my various websites and blogs that I can easily forget about them only to allow the emails including spam emails to pile up.

It is an amazing feeling when you actually declutter your email in-box. "You got to be kidding me right?" - You must be thinking! But when was the last time you actually had only ten emails in your in-box? Believe you me, when I opened up my email programs today, it was easy to get right to the point, answer those emails I needed to and move on to my next working task. I wasn't reminded and those deleted emails are now long forgotten.

It can take some time to go through all of them, especially if you let them pile up. To make things easier for you, you may want to create new folders for certain emails you need to save such as 'school', 'receipts', 'pets', 'friends', etc. Once these folders have been created, any read emails you need to save can be moved over to these newly created folders. I do my best to do this once a week.

The entire point of this office feng shui exercise it to have a barely empty in-box so you can see only those emails that need immediate attention from you. But do not stop there, regularly once a week empty your spam folder and trash folders to keep them clean as well.

Just last night, I went through and saved what I needed for future reference such as online receipt notices for tax purposes into my tax folder, and other web-related work emails into another folder, thereby leaving me with only a few emails for me to actually take action on. It took me only five minutes to do this, but thought how funny it was that I had been spending 'negative energy' for several weeks looking at the fact I had over 200 emails in my email box of which 70 were not read yet. Who needs that sort of anxiety facing you? Not me!

Like many of you, I too have signed up on enough sites, blogs and services that some of them email me what seem like every day. By clicking on the 'from' bar at the top of your mail program, you can easily alphabetize your list of emails, making it easier for you to select those you want to immediately remove and delete from your computer. In fact, since I did this last night, I will go back to those sites that email me most often and update how often they may email me, I might even remove them permanently since all they seem to do is fill up my in-box.

The whole point is really about creating a smooth positive energy surrounding your work area. This helps you to ensure the right channels of your universe are helping you, not hindering you. And since our email programs and constant bombardment of emails from various sources can easily get out of hand, with regular cleaning, deleting and organizing, a lot can come your way by opening up the right channels of solid work production from you and bring good Qi into your work environment.

Attracting Money Into Your Feng Shui Home

I will discuss how to utilize two Feng Shui cures that will help attract more money into your home and, simultaneously, slow down the amount of money that is flowing out of your home.

In order to achieve this goal, we will take a look at two well known Feng Shui symbols: The Feng Shui frog and the Feng Shui turtle. These symbols have to do with Feng Shui wealth and are associated with the Feng Shui money aspect of your living environment.

Frogs symbolize the leaping effect of money coming into your life and, in this case, your home. Ideally, Feng Shui frogs should be placed outside of your home. A Feng Shui home will usually have frogs located somewhere in front of the house or apartment. I like to place 3 frogs on the front lawn, several feet apart.

The most important aspect to placing these powerful Feng Shui cures and Feng Shui symbols is to make sure the frogs are leaping towards the house. The backs of Feng Shui frogs should face the street and the heads of the frogs should face the front of the house. In addition, one of the three frogs should wind up facing the front door. Simply make sure the third frog has its back to the curb and its head is facing your homes' front door. The arrangement of the frogs symbolizes Feng Shui wealth leaping in through the front door and into your home. If we decide to add a water feature to our arrangement of frogs, we will multiply the Feng Shui effect and create a very positive and powerful flow of Chi towards the house.

The Feng Shui symbol of the turtle represents the slow moving energy of wealth leaving the household. Since turtles move slowly and frogs leap fast, the connection is easy to make. I know some of you are probably thinking, "Hmm... Maybe I can use frogs and turtles to get my needs met in other areas of my life, such as a Feng Shui relationship or faster or slower Feng Shui sex?" Well...at least I have you thinking about Feng Shui symbols and how they relate to your everyday life. Unfortunately, these particular symbols work best for attracting and maintaining wealth.

O.K. now that I have you back in focus and on the task at hand, let's discuss how and where to utilize Feng Shui wealth symbol number two: The Turtle.

All turtles should be placed in the rear of the house or apartment. Patios, decks or yards are totally acceptable places for your team of turtles. Try placing three turtles with their backs facing the house. The heads of the turtles should be facing away from the house the eyes should not be looking at the house, deck, patio or yard. Also, if you want to boost the effectiveness of the turtles, paint four small red dots on the back of each turtle. Red is a powerful Feng Shui wealth color.

If you go to a garden shop you will find frogs and turtles that can withstand various weather conditions in your area.

Namaste,

San Dan Yi and The Car Shui Team

Please visit http://www.carshui.com if you would like additional information regarding the ancient art of Feng Shui.

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Feng Shui - A Few Good Stars

Feng Shui - A Few Good Stars
By Alvin Yap

In Chinese Metaphysics, there are many types of systems and formulas. One of them is known as Flying Stars systems of Feng Shui. In this system, there are nine types of stars which are given numeral of 1 - 9. These stars are actually bodies of energy (also known as Qi) that moves within a property. In Feng Shui, a property is divided into nine equal sectors based on compass direction of North, South, East, West, Northeast, Southeast, Northwest and Southwest. The sector without any compass direction is the center. The distribution of Qi over these sectors demarcates the good and bad sectors therein and formed an energy pattern within a property. The energy pattern in a property will change from month to month and year to year as the stars fly from one sector to the other.

In Flying Stars Feng Shui, a property belonged to a period of time based on its facing direction. There are altogether nine periods and each period has 20 years based on the Chinese Solar Calendar. We are currently in period 8 which started in February 2004 and will last until February 2023. In each period, the nine flying stars are categorizes into good and bad stars. The good stars are deemed timely and will bring prosperity to residents of a property whereas the bad ones are considered untimely and become portents of misfortune. For this period, the few good stars are 8, 9 and 1. Star 8 is the current prosperity star whereas star 9 and 1 are future and distant prosperity stars respectively.

Star 8 is considered very auspicious as it is the ruling star of the period. It brings wealth, financial success, career advancement and prosperity to the residents when it flies into a given sector of a property. For example, star 8 occupies the East sector in the year 2008. A house with the main entrance in the East sector or a room in the East sector will be able to tap into the positive energy of this star and the residents will enjoy good luck in their endeavors.

Star 9 is deemed auspicious as it is the ruling star for the next period which will start from Feb 2023 onwards. This star brings future prosperity to the residents. In year 2008, this star flies into the Southeast sector of a property. A door or room where this star is located will allow the residents therein to enjoy good luck such as long term investments, promotion and business opportunities.

Star 1 is also auspicious as it is the distant ruling star and belonged to period 1 which will start from Feb 2043 onwards. This star brings wisdom, academic luck, recognition and fame. In year 2008, this star flies into the center of a property. A door or room with this star residing in it will be bring scholarly luck for students or those in the literary, artistic or creative fields.

The other usable stars are star 6 and 4. Both stars are deemed to be untimely but nevertheless have their positive qualities when combined with favorable stars of the current period. Star 6 is suitable for power and status whereas star 4 can be used for romance and academic pursuits. Star 6 and star 4 resides in the North and Northeast respectively in year 2008.

For more of such articles and free Feng Shui tips, you can visit http://www.proactive-qi.com/Fengshui.html

Alvin Yap is the founder and owner of the website http://www.proactive-qi.com which offers free horoscope readings based on the Chinese Astrology known as the Four Pillars of Destiny and free consultation on the Chinese Metaphysical Science of Feng Shui. Visit us for free download of E-Books, tips, articles etc. Get Empowered, Get Energized and Get a Life!

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Feng Shui Power of Realization To Decluttering Easily

Feng Shui Power of Realization To Decluttering Easily by Leah Quinn

We could always use a little more effort when it comes to realizations. What's that you ask? In this case when I refer to realizations, it is simply the act of thinking about an outcome so much that it becomes a reality. Feng Shui techniques apply this practice as well, whether through meditating or simply thinking positive thoughts through out your day and night.

Feng Shui is not simply about ensuring your home is clutter free (not all clutter is bad) but this 'good clutter' should be items you use throughout your week. I am in constant effort to declutter my home. It is super easy to allow papers to pile, new items come in without taking out old items no longer needed. I usually use Fridays and weekends to really bring back my home to being the sanctuary I want it to be. Feel free to refer to my article on Feng Shui Fridays for quick tasks you can do to get started.

But it is so easy to avoid any of the cleaning when you are so busy at work. For me, it is an extra challenge since I work from home. It is very easy to hit the 'stumble upon' button and get distracted from my own writing articles to checking out what my friends may have shared on facebook for example. I can easily use my writing and blogging as its own distraction from me cleaning up my art room. But I have several tricks that I use to get myself re-motivated and back on track.

To help one get back I share these easy tips and tricks that I use to keep myself on track with my realizations, visualizations and harmonious thoughts to assist me in empowering myself to declutter. Approaching decluttering with positive realizations seriously get the positive Qi to come into your home that much quicker which in turns has you and your family receiving its many benefits that much faster!

Gratitude:
Number one and foremost, one must be grateful for all they have, for in turn the more you are sincerely grateful, that much more you will be grateful for.

As soon as you wake up, some of your first thoughts should be to be grateful you are alive and well. Be grateful you have a new day in front of you and be grateful you are blessed with the energy and strength besides conviction to charge forward and take action.

Throughout your day, remind yourself all that you are grateful for, it may sound silly, but look around you and of your possessions, your friends and family, etc. Be thankful for all of it. Say it to yourself or out loud.

And when it comes to turning in for the night, list in your head all those things you are grateful for. Feel all the blessings you received through out your day, and be grateful for them. If you are looking for a job for example, even be grateful for that! "I am so grateful I am seeking a new job that I know will come to me immediately" - for example.

Become one with your home:
Now this may sound silly, but go around your home, room to room (or corner to corner should you live in one of those studios in NYC for example) and really look around. Feel the energy your items are 'putting out'. As you become more aware, physically, you will easily be able to tell which corners and areas need 'adjusting' and frankly reorganizing. Some may be so obvious than it can be daunting, but do check out my next suggestion.

As you look around, mark down on a pad, not just in your head, what you would like to do with that particular area of your home. You may in fact realize this a so called 'chore' will take an obvious several weekends of free time to complete, but remind yourself, really remind yourself that with every effort, more goodness will come into your life. (It really will) By removing unused items, you are making room for good energy to flow through your home and into your mind, making it easier to keep positive thoughts growing and not become stagnated.

Bread Down Decluttering Chores:
I say this time and time again. When one looks at one's office for example or the over stocked garage full of items, it is super easy to misplace important papers and items treasured by you and your family such as Granny Kay's afghans and handmade lace packed away behind the croquette set you never used but bought on a whim.

I like to use the 30 (or less) minute timer rule. Take your kitchen timer, literally take it off the fridge door and set it for 30 minutes. Once set, attack one area or one box you have decided to work on. Clean it out completely, throwing away and donating items that need to go. I suggest once a bag or box has been sorted, remove those garbage bags out of the house immediately. Said removal of the unwanted and no longer needed items really will make a difference in how you feel instantly! And within those 30 minutes, you will sense the achievement of accomplishment; of which 30 minutes before you were simply dreading doing anything to do with cleaning.

To help avoid the dreading of actually decluttering and taking action, I suggest the following: once your timer is set, think to yourself and through the thirty minutes that you are doing these things to remove stagnated Qi (chi) and replacing it with good Qi.

A room and home that has refreshed and renewed Qi is a home that is full of positive feelings, more love and happiness and in turn also brings in more growing wealth opportunities.

The other most important task is to really follow up and take those bags and now organized for donation boxes off to where they need to be. Do not let them simply sit despite them being organized into garbage bags....out they go now! Once these items are out of the actual room and house, you will immediately feel a difference of energy in the room - I promise you!

Continue to keep a vision board or list:
I often review my vision board and list every month. In fact, I have one list of things that I wished to have (a new camera, kitchen-aid mixer, etc.) that I created back in January. Now that it is August, I looked back on that list, and was happy to see that I have checked off many of the items that I wanted. These items came to me in their own good time, such as the barely used new kitchen aid mixer I purchased for $65.00 at a tag sale! I must use this item at least once if not twice in any week. And there was no way that I could afford a brand new one during those months. But still, I knew it was possible, so I put it on the list.

By having this list visually available to me when I enter certain rooms, I am sending out energies that assist me in receiving what I have asked for in a most positive manner.

I keep several lists posted to my board and walls which help to remind me what I am made up of, to what I may want out of life to come into my life and most importantly why I am constantly removing any unwanted items from my house, and here I share one saying so that you too can put this up in the room or where you may think you need reminding in helping you to keep positive while you do all this decluttering work:

"I am getting rid of no longer used items and doing all this work to create a bountiful, peaceful creative existence which is filled with true love, true friendship and true prosperity"

I have this quote placed in several areas of my home. Feel free to write this down and place it in those areas you may need to work on, such as your office. And of course tweak the words a bit to reflect that for which you may want more of in your life.

If some of these practices sound a bit like 'The Secret', it is no coincidence. First of all, it takes time, to really believe positive thinking can bring positive results. But I assure you the more faith you have and the more you practice positive and grateful thinking, you will be assaulted with good vibes and good things happening to you at every turn. It will become easier to declutter your home, so start small, and receive big rewards!

And remember to realize what your home will be like and feel like during your decluttering process. Realize how close you already are to where you want to be, realize you are more than half way there, in fact, believe you are strong enough, believe it is already here and that you are simply following up.

And in fact, if you do 30 minute tasks like this for several weeks when you can fit it in, you will find yourself starting to get on a roll, you will find yourself more energized and will be organizing things you haven't touched for years. That is neatest of the things I have found most positive about using realization techniques while decluttering my house. You will find you are more ready than ever to accept more good into your life and in fact you and your home will be open for just that to happen. And you will have an easily accomplished uncluttered beautiful home to boot!

Zen Peace to You!

Why Not Using Feng Shui in the Home to Live Your Life Happier and Comfortably?

If you're in the right place facing the right direction doing the right thing at the right time, you're in tune with the universe. Are you? The basic principle of Feng Shui is to live in harmony with your environment so that the energy surrounding you works for you rather than against you. Feng Shui is all about the associations and energy flow between people and objects. Would you like to know if all the objects in your home are in perfect harmony to each other or not? When your home is balanced and comfortable, the harmonious flows of Chi (the circulating life force whose existence and properties are the basis of much Chinese philosophy and medicine) will be significant benefit to obstacles and problems will be more easily conquer.

Don't you know that your home should be planned to best possible good Feng Shui for all your family members? There are different kinds of Feng Shui general rules for positioning rooms with different functions - bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, and bathrooms. Also it's valuable to know that the design of doors, hallways, corners, split-levels, and staircases, and their relationship to one another.

*Main doors should open into bright, spacious rooms that stimulate happy and comfortable feelings. When you open your main door, you should be able to see as much of the interior of the house as possible. Main doors should not open into narrow space or having a low ceiling. Often it causes sickness to the residents of the home. Actually using a mirror or having overhead lights can help ease this issue.

*Spiral staircases are not really recommended but if there is one, it/s better to be located in the corner of a house because it's less harmful.

*You should not locate bathrooms in the middle of the house because it spreads bad vibrations out from the center to the building. In exchange, bathrooms should be sited along the sides of the house. And the toilet should be hidden from obvious view. Wall or some form of barrier to screen toilet from rest of room is recommended. Also you should keep the toilet seat closed.

*The entrance to the kitchen should not be blocked.

*The dried flowers in the house are causes of possible bad luck.

Is it possible to extent your good luck using Feng Shui principles? Yes! Energizing different aspects of your life, as a result of that improving your life. For instance, if wealth is what you want, there are specific corners of your home that you can activate by using Feng Shui enhancers. You can start with good lighting effects, decorative objects and healthy green plants. Energizing the parts of your home possibly increases your income, enhances your career opportunities, attracts helpful people into your life, improves your love life, enhances your marriage possibilities, or attracts romance into your life.

*If there is bright light in the southern area of your home, you will enjoy extremely good Feng Shui fortune, particularly if you are in show business or politics business.

*Silk flowers are great Feng Shui anywhere in the home. They look happy, and they never die. However you do need to keep them clean without out any dust.

*Mirrors are great to place in the dining room, but dressing mirror in bedroom should be away from the bed.

*The fish is an extremely good symbol of success. It should be placed around entrance of your home/apartment to signify achievement.

*Using water is a popular method of stimulating the wealth sector. Fish swimming in an aquarium will further give support good Chi flows.

*Crystals are excellent energizers, and they should be displayed in the northeast, southwest, or center of the home or room.

*Round tables do not give off bad Shar Chi, so they're great for your home. Round shapes symbolize the luck from heaven.

Bad luck Feng Shui is generally cause by the bad placement of doors and by the inauspicious location of rooms and doors. This results in poison arrows often creating Shar Chi (killing breath). Sharp pointed objects and threatening structures pointing at your place of work, particularly at its main entrance, can cause all kinds of misfortunes and difficulties. Feng Shui offers solutions for blocking poison arrows; as a matter of face, much of Feng Shui practice has to do with diffusing the harmful effects of poison arrows.

*The Eiffel Tower in Paris is an imposing structure, but if your home/apartment faces such a building, or if you have a large window directly facing one, the Chi created will be too strong and the Feng Shui will not be prosperous. If you have to stay, the best solution would be trying to block it off visually. If yours is an apartment facing it, try to have thick curtains or keep the windows closed. If your house is facing it, change the direction of your front door, or, having a few leafy trees to block the view. The killing breath of poison arrows always goes in a straight line. So you just need to block it before it reaches your house, and then dissolves it.

Please visit http://www.superdealsexpress.com/fengshui_inthehome/index.html to learn more about Feng Shui in the home. If you follow the guidance, you will receive a lot of fortune!

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Can Feng Shui Make You Happy?

Can Feng Shui Make You Happy?
By Fay Chapple

Get Happy With Feng Shui!

Many people believe that in order to be happy the must first completely change their environment. Redecorate, renovate, buy expensive furnishings, after all Happiness is always someplace else and just around the corner.

It is often believed that happiness cannot be achieved because the house your currently in is a bad Feng Shui house.

There is no bad Feng Shui house. Generally you are in the house or home you are in at this time for a reason. When you do a complete Feng Shui Audit of your home - you often see that the most challenging part of your home is also an area in which you will benefit from learning the growth and wisdom that comes with trying to re balance that area.

Do you want to be happy in your current home?

First, look around and be grateful. No matter what shape your home is in, how it is decorated or where it is located, be grateful that their is a roof over your head that offers shelter, warmth and comfort for you and your family. Be grateful and acknowledge that their are millions of people around the world that are not as fortunate as you. Thank your home for offering you this small respite of serenity and be happy for all its wonderful qualities and its quirky challenges.

Second, much of the feelings of happiness come from a place of clarity and balance. When you don't feel rushed, pegged in, or stuck you feel happier. That feeling of lightness, space and freedom does not come from square footage , but from a place that is clean, clear, clutterfree. Your home should allow as much sun shine, lights, and air in as possible. Keep your home clutter free in order to encourage positive fresh energy which in turn will make you feel lighter and happier. Have beautiful calming scents and music fill you space and encourage joy!

Third, Feng Shui for the soul is the same as Feng Shui for your home. It is equally as important to clear your emotional space as it is to clear you physical space. What is keeping you from being happy? You may need a shift in focus. Surround yourself with positive, energetic friends that put a smile on your face and rid yourself of people that pull you down or make you feel undeserving.

Remember happiness is a choice, choose to be happy now in the moment, don't wait for happiness, it is already all around you!

©2008 Fay Chapple

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fay Chapple is an International Feng Shui Expert, award winning Interior Decorator and Life Coach, and is Principal of the award winning Home & Life Design Firm Blue Avalon.

Blue Avalon specializes in Interior Decorating, Feng Shui and Abundant Living. Blue Avalon is the publisher of The Blue Avalon Journal, a monthly e-zine packed with ideas, tips and insider secrets! To subscribe log on to our site at http://www.blueavalon.com and you'll receive a bonus book, The Number One Feng Shui Secret That Will Transform Your Life!

Blue Avalon - "Harmony for your home... Balance for your life!" http://www.blueavalon.com

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Taking Care of You - A Feng Shui Priority

Taking Care of You - A Feng Shui Priority
By Pat Heydlauff

A successful independent business person named Sue is in the field of sales and also a client. She recently told me, "Without surrounding myself with Feng Shui principles, I'd never reach the end of my day meeting my self-defined sales quotas without being totally exhausted. Fortunately the Feng Shui principle of taking care of self helps to ensure that I have enough energy left at days end to shop, go out to dinner or spend quality time with my family or friends."

It is not uncommon for people in our busy, fast paced multi-tasking world to simply run out of energy well before the end of any given normal day. Not only are we constantly multi-tasking and being bombarded with over 60,000 visual and audible images every day but our days are crammed full of things we must do, those things we do for others and things we should do for self. It seems like the last thing on our list always is "taking care of self."

Are You at the Top of Your List?

In the world of Feng Shui, "taking care of self" should be on the top of your daily "will do" list, not the very last thing you tend to and then only if there is time and energy left to do so. Only when you take care of you first will you be able to perform well at work, properly care for children, nurture a spouse, have rewarding equal relationships or be a good volunteer.

Caring for self is not the same as being selfish but rather a new way of looking at living your life. Making a priority out of "Caring for self" provides you a more energized way of living and thinking. "Caring for self" as a priority develops new positive energy habits that will reward you with productivity and efficiency during the day and with enough energy left at the end of the day to do necessary household tasks, enjoy your family and social commitments. "Caring for self" as a priority also creates an environment with much less stress.

While there are no magic cures when it comes to reducing stress in our lives and energizing self, there are a few simple steps you can follow that will help energize you while reducing some of that stress in your world.

The "energy boost" Plan

Step One is always "unclutter your world." There is no exception to this step. When Sue finds herself unmotivated or in a real selling slump - she gets busy organizing and getting rid of "stuff" which helps her clear her mind - the result - improved focus and productivity. Go through your home room by room and get rid of everything that does not fit, is broken, doesn't look right in your current home or is simply stacks of "stuff" that you really do not need.

The more uncluttering you do the simpler your life becomes and the easier it is to take care of what is left. In fact, the things that are left should be only things you really love because those are the things that provide you the best positive energy.

Do you really need dozens of magazines you will never read, stacks of books you have read and will never read again or hundreds of pictures of glowing sunsets you never look at and enjoy? Will you ever again wear half of the clothes in your closet that are either a size too small or went out of style three years ago? Get rid of all of that stuff. The rule of thumb for clothing is "if it doesn't fit, is out of style or you don't feel great in it, get rid of it."

Whether you have a home office, your work is your home or you work outside of the home, follow the same procedure for uncluttering your workplace.

Next, learn to work with daily lists of things to do. Call it a "Will Do List" since that shows action and present tense. At the very top of your list place at least one thing you will do to take better care of yourself. It can be something as simple as quietly sitting in the sun by yourself for 10 minutes just relaxing; or, listening to soothing music and allowing your mind to go completely blank for 20 minutes. Only when you allow your mind to go completely blank can you remove stressful thoughts and be filled with new positive energy and new ideas.

On the remainder of the list place the things you have to do and the things you want to do. Number them in order of importance and begin with No. 1 so you always get the most important things done first but only after you've done at least one thing for you to energize you. This step alone will remove much unnecessary stress from your life.

And third, be sure to unclutter your mind not just your external surroundings and personal environment. The mind stores forever all of the negative things that have happened to you over your lifetime unless you clean them out. Most people never remember all of the wonderful and good things that have happened to them - but always manage to hold onto a misinterpreted five word phrase someone said 10 years ago or all of the hurts un-intentional and intentional as well as painful experiences. Holding onto the negative energy of misconstrued statements, arguments, painful emotions and misspoken words only keeps you in negative energy space rather than creating uplifting caring for yourself energy.

The more negative thoughts you hold onto the more negative energy you carry with you on a daily basis. If you are holding onto all of this negative energy, this may be a big reason why you may not have enough energy left at the end of the day.

The easiest way to get rid of negative thinking it to simply say to yourself, "I no longer need to hold onto _______ (your specific negative thought); I have learned all I need to learn from that experience and now I send it away forever." The more you follow this simple procedure the more positive energy you will have left at the end of the day.

If you need an energy boost, remember to unclutter your surroundings, make a daily "Will Do List" placing "caring for self" at the top of the list and unclutter your mind - get rid of all of those negative thoughts.

These few changes in your lifestyle will lower stress, help you to be more efficient and productive and provide you lots more positive energy.

© Pat Heydlauff, all rights reserved 2008

Pat Heydlauff, President of Energy-by-Design ( http://www.energy-by-design.com) and Feng Shui expert, is a consultant, speaker, columnist and award-winning artist. She has been consulting with individuals, families, and companies since the early 1990's, with clients ranging from California to Florida. In addition, she speaks at corporate and organizational functions, and gives seminars to enhance productivity. Pat Heydlauff can be reached at [mailto:balancingenergy@energy-by-design.com]balancingenergy@energy-by-design.com

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Fantastic Feng Shui Plants

Fantastic Feng Shui Plants
By Linda Binns

So you're looking into moving the concepts and principles of feng shui outside of your home and into your garden. This is a fabulous idea - after all, the energy you create outside your home directly affects the energy that is created within your home.

One of the best ways to create balanced, positive feng shui in your outdoor living space is to use plants to create positive energy. But do you choose just any plants? Are there certain plants and flowers that create better feng shui than others?

Although most all plants create positive energy for your household, there are some that clearly stand out as fine selections for generating vibrant, renewing, comfortable energy. Here are a few examples:

· Jade (Crassula Ovata) - this plant is wonderful for creating abundance and prosperity. You can use this plant near your front door (your career area) to invite abundance-producing energy into your home. You can also use this plant in your "fame" area at the rear of your home, as well as the "wealth and p[prosperity" area at the left rear section of your home, to help provide opportunities for notoriety, publicity, and personal wealth.

· Peony (Paeonia) - this flower symbolizes love and affection. If you have adequate sunlight, you can plant this flower in the right rear corner of your home (the "love and relationships" area) to promote harmonious family relationships. This is also a good choice for planting in or near the "creativity and children" section, in the central right part of your home, to help foster acceptance and approval of a child's creative endeavors.

· Chrysanthemum - this flower is associated with ease of life, happiness, and joy. Yellow chrysanthemums are particularly good for creating joyful energy around your home. This is a fantastic choice for the "love and relationships" area located at the rear right corner of your home.

· Narcissus - this flowering bulb represents good fortune. This is another good flower to place at the front of your home, to attract abundance and good career opportunities.

· Money Plant (Philodendron Scandens) - a wonderful plant for shaded areas. Make sure you keep the leaves trimmed so they do not become too large. This is ordinarily placed at the front of the home; however, if the front of your home is very sunny, you may want to skip this plant, because not having a money plant at all is better than having a money plant with dead leaves.

· Lillies - these flowers help promote positive energy and good feng shui throughout the year. They also grow easily in just about any kind of soil, so they are a low-maintenance flower that you can count on year after year.

You can see that you have many choices when selecting plants for your feng shui garden. Just remember to intersperse these plants with metal sculptures and other objects that will help break up the dominating wood element of the plants and flowers. You can easily mix these elements to create a landscape that is both visually attractive and pleasing to the remainder of your senses (including the metaphysical ones) as well.

Linda Binns shows you how to be more successful in all areas of your life by working with your environment. Get FREE Feng Shui Success Secrets. These powerful and practical secrets can help you transform your life. Go to http://www.fengshuiexplained.com now.

Linda Binns is author of Feng Shui for Your Relationships: Changing Your Environment to Create Better Relationships. She has been a Feng Shui Practitioner, Author, Speaker and teacher for over 10 years. She has appeared internationally on television and radio and in local publications. Linda is also the founder of The Feng Shui Success Institute - which teaches in-depth Feng Shui training and practitioner certification.

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To Create Good Luck - Use Feng Shui

To Create Good Luck - Use Feng Shui
By Pat Heydlauff

Ancient Chinese Emperors used Feng Shui's positive energy principles to influence the good luck and good fortune not only for their lifetime but that of the next seven generations of their families." In an article appearing in Fortune Magazine, according to veteran home builder Bob Toll, "one of their (buyer's) main concerns is buying homes with facades that face east or south so that the house will have the best possible Feng Shui, or good luck brought by the spirits. One man's Feng Shui is another man's golf course. I think Feng Shui is worth a lot more."

Most people assume you are either born lucky or you must go through life doomed and have to fight for everything you need and want. Some people do indeed seem to be luckier than others ... or are they?

Is there a good fortune or good luck area in your home and office? Can the basic principles of Feng Shui be used to enhance the positive energy in those areas of your home or office so you can become one of the "lucky ones" by creating your own good fortune?

Can You Create Your Own Good Luck?

The answer is yes to all of the above. There is a specific area in your home and office that is dedicated to good luck and good fortune. And, you definitely can energize the good fortune sector of your home and office as did the ancient Chinese rulers.

If things never seem to turn out right in your life; if things always seem to go wrong at the worst possible moment; you never seem to get "the job", "get that raise or promotion", "buy the house you really wanted" or "be in the right place at the right time", it is time to take action and create a positive "good luck" energy shift in your world.

Your Good Luck Plan - Unclutter First

Find the south wall or south area of your living and/or family room, bedroom or office and begin there. Unclutter it first - make absolutely sure there is no clutter in this area or you will further energize the clutter and you will just get more clutter.

If you feel that you are often on the edge of a breakthrough with a relationship, finally feeling better after months and months of not feeling well or you are about to get a promotion but none of these ever quite happen, the odds are good that the good fortune area at home or in your office is cluttered with "stuff."

When you clear the "stuff" from this area do not simply shove it elsewhere - put it properly away or "get rid of it." Sort through it; appropriately store, hang or put it away; or file what you need to keep, take action on what needs follow up, delegate to others what you can and toss anything that is no longer relevant or important.

If you were to simply move all of this "stuff" you would create stagnant energy in some other area of your life, perhaps health, creativity or wealth. Do not transfer negative energy to some other area of your life; deal with it and remove it from your life.

Your Good Luck Plan - Step Two

The next step is to positively energize this area. Begin in your living/family room. Good fortune energy can be enhanced in a number of ways. It is symbolically represented by the color red, by fire energy, tall triangular shapes and the number 9. Some examples of "good luck" energy enhancements are:

• A wooden vase filled with a bouquet of tall red flowers like gladiolas - curly wooden willow branches or tall bamboo sticks also work well

• A variety of tall red candles in varying sizes and shapes in glass candlestick holders - 9 candles would be great if there is room - be sure to light them once to release the energy

• A picture of jagged mountains (triangles) reflecting the red of a sunrise or framed in red

• A predominantly red vertical piece of artwork

• A wooden number 9 painted red

You are limited only by your imagination when energizing the good fortune area of your life as long as you use the guidelines above. The elements not to use in the south are things made out of or that represent metal, water and earth such as a metal picture frame, artwork of the ocean or fields of barren land.

Follow this same procedure in your bedroom and in your office.

Your Good Luck Plan - Step Three

The last step is the easiest and least expensive. Change your thinking. You need to unclutter your mind just like you uncluttered your home and office. Anytime negative thinking creeps into your mind say to yourself, "I have shifted my energy to encourage good luck to enter my world; old rules and old thoughts no longer apply, be gone." The more often you do this the less your mind will remind you of negative thinking and the sooner you will change your thinking to attract good fortune to enter into your world.

Positive "good luck" energy works whether you believe in it or not. It is not simply mind over matter or a state of mind. For example air currents flow and wind blows but you cannot see this energy, only feel it. The same holds true for the heat from a campfire. You may not see the flame or even the embers glowing but you can still feel the energy of the fire.

Even though you cannot see it, "good luck" energy works the same way. Unclutter your good fortune areas, enhance them appropriately and then bring into alignment your thinking. Good fortune occurs when positive energy is focused on creating it. Actively create your own good fortune and experience the joy.

© Pat Heydlauff, all rights reserved 2008

Pat Heydlauff, President of Energy-by-Design (www.energy-by-design.com) and Feng Shui expert, is a consultant, speaker, columnist and award-winning artist. She has been consulting with individuals, families, and companies since the early 1990's, with clients ranging from California to Florida. In addition, she speaks at corporate and organizational functions, and gives seminars to enhance productivity.
Pat Heydlauff can be reached at balancingenergy@energy-by-design.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pat_Heydlauff http://EzineArticles.com/?To-Create-Good-Luck---Use-Feng-Shui&id=1321958

Feng Shui and Symbols - What You Have in Your House Says a Lot About You

Feng Shui and Symbols - What You Have in Your House Says a Lot About You
ByAmy Gray

What does a broken statue of a rooster have to do with Feng Shui? Feng Shui teaches us that everything in our house is a reflection of what is in our mind. Symbolically speaking, your house and the things in it reflects your thoughts, feelings, and spirit.

So let's get back to that rooster. One of my clients had recently separated from her husband. I noticed that a statue of a large bird was directly facing her bed, so it was probably the first thing she saw when getting up in the morning. Upon closer examination, I noticed two things; first, one of the legs had previously been broken and was wrapped in what appeared to be a cast. Second, I realized that it was not a chicken; it was a rooster. Unfortunately, the coxcomb on the top of the head had broken off, probably in the same fall that broke the leg of the statue.

I examined this unfortunate art piece for a moment and then said to my client, "Do you realize that the first thing you see in the morning is a broken cock?"

After I picked her up from the floor (she was laughing so much she just collapsed), she gasped out, "You have no idea of how perfect that observation is." Not wanting to really know much more, I suggested we send out the broken rooster for repair. We then talked about what she really wanted to see first thing in the morning; it was her flute and music and a picture of her daughter.

Another client was having a hard time keeping relationships with men going. Visiting her apartment was like seeing a shrine to her daughter. Everywhere was a mother/daughter photograph. It felt like she was already in a relationship and there was no room for any other one to grow.

Everything that you choose to surround yourself with has symbolic meaning and reflects something about your life. Whether intentional or not, all those objects, pictures, photographs, and pieces of furniture resonate with information about you. Take a look around at your house. What is the first thing you see when you enter your home? When you get up in the morning? When you sit down to eat? Do those objects support you in living your best life? Observe what you have around you and then experiment. See how you feel swapping out the images that surround you for other ones that are a better reflection of who you are and where you want to go. I've seen this simple action do amazing things to improve people's lives.

Interested in learning more about Feng Shui and ways to improve the energy in your home or office? Get great tips and motivating messages by subscribing to the Empty Your Nest newsletter at http://www.emptyyournest.com

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Feng Shui and Animals

Feng Shui and Animals
By Jiaying Lee

As we observe the animal world around us be they pets or animals in the wild we will see what becalms them and what agitates. The animal is especially open to the flow of chi in the universe because they do not use conscious thought. That is to say they do not have the ability to choose what comes to mind it is chosen for them by instinct and environment. The human on the other hand can direct thoughts they can deal with negative thoughts by choice if they are of healthy mind.

Some years ago our family had a pet cat and it was bonded particularly with my daughter. Whenever Helen was on the phone Sheba the cat would side up to her and complain in her ear. This pattern would continue until the phone was hung up. We would watch this antic of this little animal and its view of the world and in my mind I could sense that something was out of balance and out of harmony whenever this phone was answered.

Some years later Sheba was badly injured and I hurriedly took her to the vet. We had to wait for some hour because it was late at night and the vet had to make a special visit. During this time I held Sheba and began to calm the environment around us with a mantra. The little animal came becalmed and although the injuries were quite severe she recovered and lived again. For the animal the chi of the universe was being blocked by a phone call and being invoked and channelled through a mantra. This was no small event as the vet had said she could not live with such horrific injuries.

It interesting how household pets choose the high ground in the house. They get on pianos and tabletops and special places in the house where they are most comfortable. Is this not because they find the energy of chi most present in these spots. Energy, which meets their instincts and environmental needs from evolutionary times? The animal is drawn to what is beautiful and harmonious. The respond to even sacred objects, which are in the house. St Francis the patron Saint of animals is an appropriate choice of saintly shrine in the home They also love small plants and have great attraction to mirrors, which satisfy their curiosity and their sense of harmony for mirrors increase the chi in the environment.

In Friendship Jiaying Lee

Jiaying Lee uses her cultural background and her life coach training to teach practical Feng Shui. She is the author and owner of http://www.fengshuiriches.com/ site and for more free articles on Feng Shui strategies for fortune and life enrichment visit the site. Just click on the above.

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Energy Clearing For Your Home

Energy Clearing For Your Home

By Kristiana Jourgensen

The whole universe is made of energy. This is not some hippy ideal but a universal, scientific and metaphysical law. The interesting fact is that we usually only consider energy when we don't have it or when it is not working the way we want it to. Our electricity in our house can go out in a storm, we can get sick and loose or physical energy and then there is a less obvious form of energy that lives within spaces that can also "go bad". You may not notice this kind of energy directly but intuitively we know when we are around a person or place that doesn't sit well with our comfort level for whatever reason. Sometimes energy in a room just gets stagnant from not being used or sometimes it could be that a very negative person inhabited the space and turned the energy bad.

No matter what the reason is houses need energy cleaning just like they need vacuuming or dusting. Doing an energy cleaning or "clearing" to your home can have numerous benefits ranging from bringing physical energy back to its inhabitants, organization, a greater feeling of contentment/cheerfulness, to actually attracting good things to happen within the space. This is why people have 'housewarming parties" when they move in to instinctually create a more lived in atmosphere of a new place. This philosophy is also well documented and explored in Feng Shui, which is the more in depth philosophy that your home is a metaphor in which each room represents a certain aspect of your external life. The following practices are taken from studying energy clearing and some principles of Feng Shui. Give them a try when your home needs new life and more happiness!

1. Break The Energy Up
Use a drum, bells, whistle, or even bang on a pan with a kitchen spoon, but you must go around all the corners of your house and break up the stagnant energy that is looming. The sound waves and even the act of just walking around and doing this to parts of your house/rooms you rarely step in stirs the energy in the space. This is why pets are so great because having little kitties or a dog that does this naturally keeps energy moving.

2. Smoke Out The Bad
Sage wands (tightly wrapped together sage) are available at any health food store or incense shop and have been used since Native American times for their cleansing their properties. Smoke has been used throughout the ages to cleanse and even communicate with spirit worlds. You may also use your favorite incense. Once around go around to every corner and walk in a circle in every room spreading the cleansing smoke in every nook and cranny. Think of something that makes you happy or that you would like to happen there like friends gathering together as you are doing this.

3. Sun Charged Bowl Of Water
While you are doing your cleaning during the day take a large kitchen bowl and fill it with water and put it out in the sun to get charged by the solar energy. When you go to bed at night put the bowl of water in the center of room you are trying to clear and say out loud or imagine to yourself the bowl of water gathering up all the negative energy as you sleep. When you get up in the morning imagine all the bad energy now being captured by this sun charged bowl of water and throw the water outside somewhere. This sounds funny but some people have actually reported water being a darker color in the morning!

4. Clean Out All Closets!!!!!
There is nothing better you can do for yourself if are feeling scattered and restless than to clean out your closets! Closets are deep metaphors of the things we harbor for the better and worse in our lives. Get rid of those things you don't need anymore and discover some things you forgot you had and use them! Re-organize so you know what you own and give a way what you truly don't need. This invites new blessings to come into your life. After all the universe cannot fill a cup that it sees as already full!

5. Invite New Fresh Air In
Open all your windows for the whole day, turn your fans on and let the breeze blow out all the old stale energy. Buy some flowers or house plants to breathe new air into the room and finish off this process by buying a white candle that you burn for a good 2-3 hours. Say a prayer for your new positively energy charged room and imagine all the warm and good things that will happen in that space as you let the flame burn away any remaining negativity and welcome in the new comforting energy.

If you are interested in natural and small ways you can improve your health and wealth visit my web site: Financial Freedom= http://blessedbychocolatesuccess.com
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Kristiana Jourgensen is a professionally certified Massage Therapist and online entrepreneur who has been practicing massage and natural/alternative health methods to heal the body since 1997. She is also a survivor of Hodgkin's Lymphoma- a cancer of the lymph nodes at only age 20, a writer and traveler. Her passion is to always be learning and sharing knowledge and ideas that help others achieve health and happiness.
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