How do I know if the feng shui of my house is good?

A house with good feng shui means it has good energy. A house with good energy will support you in all aspects of your life—health, good relationships, prosperity and success in your work or career.

A good measurement of whether your house has good feng shui or not, is to look at the true reality of your daily life. If you have been living in the house for a period of time, and everything in your life is going well, then you must have a good feng shui house.

If on the other hand, after moving in the house, things start to go bad, either in health, relationships or business, you may want to look into a feng shui issue.

-- Change Your Luck Now --

Wu-Xing on a Small Scale

On a smaller scale, the Wu-Xing theory could be very useful in other ways, such as design. A good example would be the design of the McDonald’s logo. It is perfectly in tune with the Wu-Xing and Yin-Yang Theory. Let’s try to see if we can break it down and analyze the logo.
As a global company, the McDonald’s logo is seen throughout the world. Almost all of us can recognize their famous ‘golden arches’, which is the big yellow rounded letter ‘m’. The arches sit on top of a red rectangular box which has the word McDonald’s written in white letters. Let’s first look at the logo from a Yin-Yang point of view. The ‘m’ is dynamic, so it represents the yang element, while the rectangular box is static, representing the yin element. The yang rests on top of the yin which creates a good balance with correct positioning.
Next, let’s examine the logo from a Wu-Xing point of view. The combination of the color red (Fire) and the color yellow (Earth) has a cohesive relationship as Fire creates Earth. In addition to this, yellow resonates with appetite (stomach, Earth element), and red resonates with desire (heart, Fire element).

This means that with the combination of red and yellow, when people are hungry and see those golden arches they go to McDonald’s! How many of you thought that something as simple as that has helped to make McDonald’s into one of the most successful restaurants in the world! By the way, you may have noticed most restaurant logos or food court signs use red and yellow colors. This follows the Wu-Xing theory and is a good sign for increasing business.
But before we wrap up on the Wu-Xing theory, it is important to remember that in any analysis, one should apply the Yin-Yang theory first. If you have a good grasp of the Yin-Yang theory, you will have accomplished much in the understanding of feng shui and also in various aspects of design. On the other hand, the Wu-Xing theory is much more challenging as it mainly applies in dynamic situations.

So, don’t be discouraged if it takes a while to understand the concepts and be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to absorb the information. We all learn at different speeds.
I would like to emphasize, that both the Yin-Yang and Wu-Xing theories are the basis in guiding us with the most important and valuable knowledge throughout our entire lives. Remember, knowing or not, we all live under the influence of these principles.

-- Improve Your Luck Today --

What Are the Secret, or Sacred Feng Shui Cures?

Let's first look into the meaning of feng shui cures, as this is a widely misunderstood concept. "Feng shui cure" is a general term used for various ways to work with the Chi, or energy of your home to achieve a desired result.

For example, if your home needs more fire feng shui element energy, a red color in a specific room will be a feng shui cure; so is a mirror added in a Bagua area that needs more water energy. Many feng shui cures are really easy to use and apply, and you can explore the use of a variety of feng shui cures, such as mirrors, colors, feng shui crystals, fountains, and more.

Usually, you would use a physical object as a feng shui cure, such as a Buddha statue, for example, or a fountain, a mirror, or a lucky bamboo plant. Almost any decor item can serve as a feng shui cure if it represents the feng shui elements you need in your home.

However, some feng shui schools, such as the BTB School of Feng Shui, have feng shui cures that are more like meditations, mudras and blessings; a more subtle, even secret way to work with the energy. These cures are sometimes called secret, or sacred feng shui cures.

It is not that the feng shui cures are sacred, feng shui cures are just tools to deal with energy. What empowers them, though, is often a type of energy - let's call it your intent - that is more powerful when not revealed, especially to parties that will not understand, honor or accept the information.

The secrecy required with some feng shui cures is not because one is doing something that other people would judge as not being good.

The secrecy is there as protection and foundation for growth, just like you would protect a fragile young tree by giving it support and protecting for a while against strong outside elements.

Some examples of secret feng shui cures (as taught by BTB practitioners) are the Three Secrets Reinforcement, the Sun Moon Meditation, and others. Usually, an offering of red envelopes with some money in them is required when these secret cures are given to a client by the feng shui consultant. You can also find some secret feng shui cures in books written by BTB feng shui school practitioners.

Classical, or traditional feng shui schools have some secret cures, too. For example, the salt water cure, which is a very popular traditional feng shui cure, is considered a secret cure, and so is the feng shui wealth vase.

In conclusion, the secret behind all feng shui cures, either they are called secret or not, is the fact that you know, or are taught, how to empower them with your intent.

As for the meaning of sacred as applied to feng shui cures, everything in life is sacred; no one cure is more sacred than the other!

Ideally one would live life with a sacred attitude towards everything, be it a Buddha statue, a sunset or the drops of water trickling from your roof after a heavy rain.

Wu-Xing on a large scale

All things in the universe are always changing, and nothing stays the same. The Wu-Xing theory describes this process as the way and the mechanism of change. It is mostly applied in interpreting the dynamic processes and interactions caused by change. In Chinese medicine, we are able to see how the sophisticated use of the Wu-Xing theory helps in diagnosing and treating disease. Unfortunately, today most usage of the theory’s applications is limited to Chinese medicine. This is most unfortunate, as it could be a very powerful tool to help us understand and also provide guidance to all aspects of human endeavors and not just Chinese medicine. If more can understand how to apply the theory, the more we will all benefit.
Take for example, the 2001 tragic incident of 9-11 in the USA. Why did it happen? What was the best way to respond? At the time, there was no shortage of opinions, analysis or suggestions on the reasons for the incident to take place on how the U.S. should respond to the attack. But there was never a clear and wholesome picture of the devastation. Had our leaders in government been able to take a step back and see it from the laws of natural principles, from the Yin-Yang and Wu-Xing theory point of view, they could have better understood the cause of the incident, enabling them to come up with a more wholesome way to respond. This would have helped to obtain a good result. Unfortunately, they were unable to see it from that perspective. Therefore, today, eight years later, President Obama is still sending more troops to Afghanistan to deal with the Taliban.
When the ‘Mission-accomplished’ George Bush had issues with Saddam Hussein of Iraq, he ordered to attack and invade Iraq. Was that the best way to handle this issue? Through analysis based on the Wu-Xing theory, it was so clear that his decision was not the right approach to the situation and would thus lead to very negative consequences. In Blue Mountain Feng Shui classes, we had discussed this subject way before the invasion. We predicted the outcome and sure enough, it turned out to be exactly what we had expected. In today’s current events, how should the United States deal with Iran or North Korea? Could the Wu-Xing theory provide guidance? Yes. May be it’s time for President Obama to a take these classes!
Nowadays in China, except for those in the field of Chinese medicine, most people regard the Wu-Xing theory as a useless remnant of an ancient dinosaur. It’s unfortunate that modern Chinese society is unaware of the benefits it has to offer. In fact, the Wu-Xing is a very powerful tool for understanding the course of changing and transformation for all worldly events. On a large scale, this knowledge should be the required study for all world leaders, military commanders, the CEO of corporations, all people setting economic policies, education systems, etc. Oh, how it could benefit us all!

-- Use Feng Shui To Improve Your Life Now --

Feng Shui Desk Arrangement Tips

Feng Shui For Children's Rooms

Does your child have trouble sleeping or studying? Most children’s rooms need to serve the dual purpose of encouraging active play and nurturing restful sleep. A creative use of Feng Shui for children’s rooms can help support both rest and play.

Where to Place the Bed
The most important consideration in using Feng Shui for children’s rooms is where to place the bed. Feng Shui principles recommend locating the bed where your child can see the door, but not directly in line with it. This will encourage peaceful sleep. The least supportive location for a bed is directly across from the door because this position could make a child feel vulnerable.

If you can’t reposition your child’s bed, make sure he or she has a substantial headboard and footboard. Or, place furniture at the foot of the bed for protection, such as a small chest or bench. Also, you can hang a movement-sensitive object like bells on the door or doorknob to produce a sound when someone opens the door. This can help make a child feel more secure.

Tips For Arranging Bedrooms

Here are 10 more ideas for using Feng Shui for children’s rooms:

1. Add a desk or study area to the child’s room so he or she will study there instead in front of the TV. Children who have a place to study, will study! Position the desk so the child can see the door to the room.

2. Hang a bulletin board over the desk to display achievements and showcase awards and citations that your child receives. You can also hang up artwork, report cards, photos of friends, and great school papers. Help your child update this display frequently.

3. Add room decorations that encourage success. For example, maps ground a child, globes encourage curiosity, and charts of the stars and planets expand horizons. Also, a fish bowl, aquarium, or shell collection are symbols of educational success in Feng Shui, and maintaining the aquarium encourages responsibility.

4. Place family photos in the child’s room. Pictures of parents, grandparents, and happy family gatherings help communicate love and security to a child. Family photos of all sides of the family are especially important for children in blended households.

5. Paint the walls in warm pastels or skin tones like peach, butter cream, lavender, or cocoa. Avoid cool colors such as pure white, gray, cool blues or greens, which reduce the warmth and comfort of a room. If your child likes bright primary colors - such as fire engine red, cobalt blue, or bold yellow - use them as accents but not as the dominant color.

6. To encourage sleep, replace art and objects that show images of flying, falling, driving, or running with scenes that are tranquil and calm.

7. Avoid putting mirrors in the room, especially when your child isn’t sleeping well. If your child must have a mirror, hang it on the inside of the closet door and close the door when the child goes to sleep. Avoid placing a mirror across from the foot of the bed.

8. Since children’s interests change quickly, remove outgrown toys and clothes on a regular basis. Encourage responsibility in your children by encouraging them to select a least one outgrown toy to donate to charity.

9. It is best to avoid letting pets sleep in a children’s room. However, if your child must keep a pet in the room, make sure the tank or cage is always kept clean and the pet is healthy.

10. If your children share a room, give each a separate area in the space to call his or her own.

Using Feng Shui for children’s rooms can create a harmonious space that encourages study, learning, play, and relaxation, and that results in a happy and healthy child.

Feng Shui for Wealth: Fortunate Blessings

1. Activate all three lucks: Heaven, Earth and Human Transcendental: Welcoming the Wealth Gods Earthly and Mundane: Installing water feature Human: Putting money into your savings

2. Human Luck: · Education: classes on business, investing · Clear energy drains: people, situations, habits, thoughts, things, errands and especially those related to finances (unfiled taxes, unsorted receipts etc.) · Increase your chi (difficult to make money when you’re exhausted): visit Chinese Gardens , get enough sleep ·

Be careful who you surround yourself with · Increase your income streams/rivers · Do you have a prosperous mindset (inner Feng Shui) · Absorb wealthy chi and put your own chi in the field of prosperity: banks (nice bank, change money), hotels, spas, restaurants ·

Be full of integrity about financial transactions (karma): pay bills on time; pay back loans; checkbook balanced; don’t live beyond your means; tell the truth etc. · Cultivate Helpful People and Benefactors: Feng Shui consultant, organizer, accountant, financial advisor, virtual assistant · “One Good Deed” daily · Express gratitude: send thank you cards and notes; offerings at altars; write thank you on bills and mortgage payments; give red envelopes · Cultivate your spiritual growth

3. Earth Luck · Clearing stagnant chi: desk, bed, cash register, purse, wallet · Fix any leaking or clogged drains, faucets, sinks, toilets, pools, hot tubs, sprinklers, sewer pipes or clogged water · Keep your drains covered and toilet lids down so your cash doesn’t drain or leak away. · Create a luxurious-feeling environment in your home and office with rich paint colors, fresh plants and flowers, a water feature and personal symbols of wealth (wine, tea, art), scent · Place Feng Shui cures (water features, aquariums, crystal spheres, mirrors, etc.)

4. Have your Feng Shui consultant… · Check for design details affecting your circumstances (such as a missing wealth corner, bathroom in center of house, downward slope at back of house, inside stairs facing out front door, toilet over Mouth of Chi, exit door in wealth etc.) A tree in front of the front door · Work with you to help situations needing more income, such as bankruptcy, job security, losing your wallet, theft, gambling et al. · Increasing business cash flow, referrals, marketing etc. ·

Teach you the Secret Transcendental Cures such as The Great Wealth Accumulator; Welcoming the Gods of Wealth; Red Feet on Bed or Splattering Water at Midnight

Feng Shui Butterfly Symbol

In feng shui applications, the use of butterflies is in many ways similar to the feng shui use of birds symbol. Both birds and butterflies are flying free, which speaks to the deep human longing for a joyful and free life close to heavens/sky.

The most common feng shui use of the butterfly symbol is as a feng shui cure for love and romance, probably because love is the most transformative feeling that makes you feel like flying.

The additional element of using the feng shui symbol of butterflies as a love feng shui cure is the element of freedom to choose among a number of suitors. Butterfly symbol is one of the best feng shui love cures for single people (when used in the Love and Marriage area of the Bagua)

Of course, once you have found a suitable love partner and a ready to settle in, a better feng shui love cure would be one that speaks of lifelong commitment and devotion. Explore the feng shui symbology of birds to help you find the best feng shui love and marriage cure.

However, this is not to say that butterflies are only used as a feng shui love remedy for single people, not at all!

Another excellent feng shui use of the symbol of butterflies is in the Creativity and Children area of the Bagua; this will help energize the free flow of creative energy in your life.

You can also use the image of butterflies as a temporary feng shui cure for any area of your life that needs transformation. If you are currently experiencing difficulties in specific areas of your life, you can bring the energy of butterflies into the corresponding Bagua areas of your home or bedroom.

As butterflies know how to gracefully go through transformational stages in order to become the beauty they are, you will be guided to do the same with ease and grace in your life.

Be it with colorful art, photos, fabric, wallpaper, garden decor and more - there are many creative ways to incorporate the healing energy of butterflies into your home decor.

Wu-Xing Theory or commonly referred to in English as the Five-Element Theory

Recently, a Ukraine student asked me the following question. "Since tea is a Wood element and there are many different kinds of tea such as, green tea, black tea, Oolong tea, Pu-er tea, etc., can each tea be classified into different elements in the Five-Element theory?" It took a moment for me to absorb the question and then I did not know where to begin to address his question.

For years I have encountered many questions regarding the application of the Five-Element theory. Most people, who have asked questions regarding this theory, do not have a clear grasp of its principles. This is truly understandable, as many feng shui books that mention the Five-Element theory do so only as a window dressing for the book. It seems to be standard practice to mention some form of both the Yin-Yang and Five-Element theories; however, it is rare to find a book that discusses the relevance and application of these theories in real terms. No wonder there are many who are confused!

So what is the Wu-Xing theory? Let's try to break it down so we can have a better understanding of the principles behind the theory. In an earlier blog we talked about the Yin-Yang theory. The ancient Chinese used the Yin-Yang theory to describe the existence of all things and phenomena in the universe. From this we understand that there are four aspects of the Yin-Yang theory.
 

1. Yin and Yang unify and oppose
2. Yin and Yang entail each other
3. Yin and Yang increase and decrease
4. Yin and Yang transform into each other
 

Through these principles, we try to achieve balance and harmony.

So how does this relate to the Wu-Xing theory? To compliment this, they used the Wu-Xing theory to describe the dynamic transformation in the universe. Wu means five, Xing means passages. So, the Wu-Xing, or five-passages, represents a type of function that represents a form of change, a transformation of the characteristics that connect and interact with all thing in the world of time and space. So, the key word here is interaction. This is a very important point to remembered. These interactions are transformed through three fundamental processes which affect their relationships and energy. They are
 

1. enhancement
2. restriction
3. resonance
 

This differs from the Greek and Indian system as it relates more to the interactions between the elements as opposed to their individual characteristics.

In the Western world, Jesuits first rendered 'Wu-Xing' as 'Five-Elements', obviously having in mind the Four Elements of ancient Greek philosophers. This translation became very popular and is adopted by Needham in his renowned book 'Science and Civilization in China'. Unfortunately, that planted the seed of confusion and misunderstanding, causing people to associate the Five-Elements as just material elements. It left out the main point! As we discussed earlier, it is the interaction or relationship of the elements that should have been emphasized, not the motionless 'fundamental' substances. So, this belief has created many to stretch this misunderstanding in its application.
 

Nowadays we often come across a feng shui analysis of a table using the Five- Element theory. The following is an example of such a scenario. "This is a good table since it has all five elements; the form is square (Earth element), it is made of wood (Wood element), the color is red (Fire element) has metal legs (Metal element), and there is a wave-like (Water element) motif on the table…"

Not only is this kind of stretch rather comical, but there is no relevance with the quality of design either. However, today it is common to find many books using this type of stretch claiming they are following Wu-Xing principles. And they truly believe this is correct, because this is what they have been taught. 

So really it is no fault of theirs. However, it is a shame that the true theories are not fully understood. The Wu-Xing theory is not easy to grasp at one session. It takes time to absorb, digest and comprehend all the aspects of its principles. For those that have taken the Wu-Xing class at Blue Mountain institute and are not yet confident in its understanding, it is always good to go back over your notes and to once again come to class to build on your ever expanding knowledge.

How to Use Water in Feng Shui

How to Use Water in Feng Shui

Blue Mountain Feng Shui

The Ordinary Life

 

In life, often the most ordinary things are the most unordinary and the most familiar are the most unfamiliar. For example, every day of our lives, we sleep and we wake up. Have you ever thought about how we fall asleep at night? Or what part of the body wakes up first in the morning? Do we wake up from head to toe or is it from toe to head? Or does the whole body wake up all at the same time? Have any of these questions ever crossed your mind?

We all enjoy beautiful things, whether it is a scenic landscape, colorful foliages in autumn, new buds bursting out from a branch in early spring, or a garden in full bloom. We can all appreciate the beauty in each of these images. But, have you ever stopped to think about how you enjoy these beautiful things? 

Do you simply stare at them with your big eyes? Do you just look at them casually, not giving much thought? Have you ever tried to communicate with them? Have you ever noticed your breathing patterns when looking at beautiful images?

The universe is an open system. This means that the process of exchange between us and our immediate surroundings to the greater whole of nature is a process of exchange that never stops. This exchange includes information and energy from all matter. However, most people have never received the benefits of a full exchange. What happens is we end up depleting our own energy more than receiving from nature. For example, as we look at beautiful scenery or even a flower, we are giving it energy which means we are depleting our own energy.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could constantly replenish our energy from nature? Just imagine that after a stressful day at work, you could come home and recharge your energy to enjoy your free time! Wouldn't that be nice! Actually, this is possible. To gain this type of knowledge cannot be too difficult, or even complicated, as in nature, all things are easy and simple. We just complicate things on our own. 

Just imagine if schools stopped focusing on teaching only academic knowledge and instead taught useful living knowledge, it would open the minds of the youth. It would be wonderful if they taught how to receive energy from a flower, tree, mountain, ocean, moon or sun. I hope that those of you out there with such knowledge and wisdom will begin to write and share such valuable information.

Feng Shui Tips for Fame and Helpful People Areas

Hope you enjoying my Feng Shui tips and cures. Use them, tell

them to your friends and family, so we can all make our home
and life better and more satisfying. 

Below are two more great tips for you to use. 

- Each one of us needs help from someone or the other at
some point of time in our life. Hanging the images of winged
angels on your walls will help you in gaining positive
energies. You may even light six candles of white color for
encouraging their presence. Harmonizing and synchronizing
the "helpful people" area by using the images of angels will
help in promoting acts of philanthropy. In addition to it,
this kind of an approach helps you in making contacts with
genuine people who will certainly help you when you are in
need of their help.

- It has been suggested by the Feng Shui lore that birds
play a dominant role in enhancing your reputation as well as
bringing in good luck. The fortunes brought in by the
different birds differ from each other. For example, red
birds or cardinals, brings success in most of your endeavors.
Some birds even play a significant part in enhancing your
personal as well as professional life. The Feng Shui symbol
'The Hundred Birds' is said to bring in promotion,
recognition, widespread reputation, reward and honor for
those people who place it in their office or home. 

Life Changing Lesson #10

Discovering the Life-Changing Secrets of Feng Shui

The Mini-Course

Life Changing Lesson #10

The most important secret to feng shui success!

Well, it's hard to believe, but we've come to the final lesson of our 10-part mini-course on the life changing secrets of feng shui.

Naturally, I've saved what I consider the best secret for last. Not because I want to torture you, but because this is the one action that ties all the principles and practices together. And I can name it in a word: intention.

That's right! No matter what changes you're making in your home to improve your energy, no matter where you place that candle or those flowers, always remember one of the biggest factors in its success is your intention for it to work.

Here's the secret about applying feng shui. Decide on one goal. Sure, I know that you'd like to change everything all at once. But choose one. Now, be specific on what you results you'd like to see. If it's with wealth and prosperity, make sure to have a specific target. How much more money do you need a month to live comfortably. Now, as you make the required changes, keep this in mind.

Even after you've make the changes, keep your goal upper most in your mind. Use positive affirmations to reaffirm your desire. This helps to create that positive qi to change your financial situation.

Before you know it, you'll have realized that goal!

Then you can methodically go on to your next problem area!

May all your qi be positive!

And, oh, yes, here's your final life-changing feng shui tip:

Feng shui for better living tip #10: When you're searching to improve relations among family members go first to the far left wall of your house. This represents family. Do two things. Place any item colored green and black here. Next, place a living tree in this sector. A small rubber plant or palm tree will do fine. Now, sit back with a cup of hot tea. You'll notice that relations are already becoming more cordial.

Feng Shui Home Tips: How To Check the Flow of Chi

With all the emphasis on good Chi for good feng shui, it is really important to get into the habit of regularly checking the energy flow in your home. Be especially mindful about creating a good flow of Chi whenever you are redecorating, renovating, or just want to reposition the existing furniture for better feng shui.

One of the basic ways to check the energy flow in your home is to imagine Chi, or energy, as water. If water where to flow into your home from the main door, where would it stagnate?

Would the water harmoniously and smoothly flow to all areas of your space, gently refreshing them, or would it rush right out the back door?

Would it encounter blockages as soon as it enters your home, such as, for example, a wall or a closet facing (and in very close proximity to) the main door?

Other feng shui scenarios that can contribute to the leakage of Chi are:

• Main Door in Line with the Back Door (or Big Window)


• Mirror Facing the Main Door


• Stairs Facing the Main Door

(click on the links above for feng shui tips to improve the flow of chi)

Be sure to position your furniture in a way that allows for a smooth flow to all areas of your home and avoid any blockages and stagnant areas, such as stuffed closets, for example, that create bad feng shui energy, or si chi.

Learn how to use fountains, mirrors, art, wall murals, colors, and many other popular feng shui cures to improve the flow of Chi and benefit from a good, healthy energy in your home. 

Life Changing Lesson #9

Discovering the Life-Changing Secrets of Feng Shui

The Mini-Course

Life Changing Lesson #9

The feng shui secret to clearing bad qi from your home

This is lesson #9 in the mini-course on discovering the life-changing secret of feng shui. Today's secret concerns eliminating and keeping the bad qi from your house.

It's a sad fact of feng shui life, that even after you've placed every accessory properly and lit all the candles in the proper life sectors of your house, you still may attract now and then negative energy.

But there's a quick and easy way to help deal with that. The feng shui secret is to use sound. Indeed. 

Once you've arranged you house or your room according to the feng shui plan make noise. Yeah! Oh, if you want to get technical, you could ring a bell in each room of your house. But if you don't have any handy, just go into every room and clap your hands. This helps to break down the accumulation of any lingering negative energy.

To help keep that negative qi at bay, you'll want to place items that make sounds throughout your house, concentrating on specific areas you feel the most improvement. For example, if you want to make sure that you don't have any more bad luck with finances, place a noise maker in the wealth and prosperity corner of your house.

What kind of noisemaker? Objects that make ringing sounds are best. Bells are the traditional objects in feng shui practice. But, again, feng shui has a modern version of ringing sounds as well. Telephones, alarm clocks. Anything that rings can be used for this purpose!

And the best part is, they don't even have to ring to clear the bad qi! As long as they have the potential and the capability of ringing, you'll keep the negative energy out!

In our tenth and final lesson, you'll discover the final, ultimate feng shui secret to pulling all this information together - and ensuring a healthy, happy feng shui home!

Until then, here's another life-changing feng shui tip:

Feng shui for better living tip #9: An easy way to help bolster your prosperity is by placing anything green or purple in this corner of your house. Wealth and prosperity reside in the far left corner of your house as you stand at your front door facing in. Do this and the next thing you know, you'll have cash flow like you wouldn't believe!

Feng Shui Home Staging

Want to sell your home faster? Feng Shui home staging will increase the value, emotional appeal, and marketability of your home. Plus, a Feng Shui makeover can help solve the home’s design and structural challenges. And, Feng Shui home staging will build confidence with any potential buyers who are already Feng Shui-savvy.

Here are 10 tips for Feng Shui home staging that can help assure a quick sale.

1. Mark the Spot. Place the “For Sale” sign to the right of the house. People naturally look to the right when they approach a home so your sign will be the first thing they see. And be sure the sign is hung above eye level because looking up lifts the buyer’s energy, while looking down lowers it.

2. Welcome Buyers. Start welcoming potential buyers before they reach the front door by clearing away dead plants, shrubs, and branches that block the main pathway. You want to assure that your buyers have a clear route to the front door. Make sure that the house numbers are visible from the street.
3. Add a Greeter. Place two healthy plants in attractive planters on either side of the front door to act as a welcoming threshold to "greet" buyers. Avoid cactus or any plants that are thorny or sharp. Bright blue ceramic planters are a good choice because this color represents the flow of abundance to your door.

4. Clean and Refresh. Make sure your front door makes a good first impression. In Feng Shui the front door is called the “Mouth of Chi” because this is where all the good energy enters. Clean the door and repaint or stain if the finish is cracked, old, or faded. Don’t forget to add a fresh new doormat, in a size that is at least as wide as your door. Make sure that your doorbell works.

5. Make a Good Impression. Display the home’s marketing flyers inside, to the right of the front door if possible. Place materials standing upright in racks, rather than lying flat on a table. If you place brochures, flyers, or business cards horizontal on a table they are symbolically “lying down on the job” rather than working for you.
6. Go Clutter-Free. De-clutter the entire house. Pay special attention to the kitchen, the closets, and the garage. Get rid of piles of papers, magazines, and newspapers. Do your laundry more often so it doesn't pile up. Your goal is to show buyers that there is plenty of room for their possessions.

7. Help Buyers Visualize. De-personalize the home by removing your family photographs, trophies, college memorabilia, and all other personalized items. You want the buyer to quickly visualize how their own family items will fit in the house. Remember that buyers are there to buy your home, not your furniture, so remove pieces if your rooms feel crowded. Less is always more when it comes to furniture.

8. Deck the Walls. Make sure the artwork throughout the house has colorful, friendly, and positive images. Remove any art that is dark, sad, or lonely. No matter how valuable your art, if the theme isn’t upbeat it’s better to replace it with a piece that has a happier image, even if it's a well-framed poster.

9. Improve the View. Create a beautiful view by cleaning all of the windows until they sparkle. Don’t forget to dust all the doors and doorframes. Pull up the blinds or shades to let in light, and consider removing any heavy or dark drapes. If you have a lovely view from a window hang a mirror across from it to reflect the outside and expand the perspective of the room.

10. Get Ready to Go. Pack up five of your most treasured possessions and seal them in a moving box as a symbol you are ready, willing, and able to move!

Life Changing Lesson #8

Discovering the Life-Changing Secrets of Feng Shui

The Mini-Course

Life Changing Lesson #8

Using candles to make all your dreams come true!

Feng shui holds some pretty remarkable secrets. The ease with which it can change your life is amazing. It doesn't take much sometimes to chase out that bad qi and welcome in the good energy.

Feng shui, in fact, is probably one of the easiest ways to help you realize that long cherished dream that you tucked away in the corner of your mind. It's time to pull it out and turn it into a reality - right now.

You may not have realized it, but there's even a wall in your home dedicated to doing just this. It's disguised as the fame and reputation sector. Located directly across from the career wall, as you stand at your front door looking in, you can with little effort, re-ignite that old dream.

What better way to do this than is with some candles. Of course you see the symbolism here! Accessorize this wall with a few well chosen candles. And since the natural color of this area is red, use red candles if you can find them!

The modern equivalent of fire is electricity according to feng shui standards. So, if you want to substitute any appliance or device that runs on electricity in this area, it could only enhance the ability of you to achieve your dreams.

While you're at it, you just might want to add a few stars and perhaps an image of the sun in this area too! Stars are not only celestial objects, but they reflect our common language. You've heard someone say "he's a rising star in the company." And an older, but no less popular saying, "hitch your wagon to a star."

Now, that was easy enough, wasn't it? Before you know it all sorts of "coincidences" will occur in your life that will allow you to actually act on your dream! Good luck!

In our next lesson, we'll learn the secret weapon of feng shui to chase that bad qi out of your house for good!

Until next time, here's another life-changing feng shui tip:

Feng shui for better living tip #8: Are you and your spouse trying to have a child, but with little luck? Yes, feng shui even has a remedy for this. One way to improve chances of conceiving, according to this ancient art, is to place a photo - in a metal frame - along the right wall of your home. This wall is considered the "children and creativity" area of your house!

Life Changing Lesson #7

Discovering the Life-Changing Secrets of Feng Shui

The Mini-Course

Life Changing Lesson #7

Using feng shui to turbocharge your career!

Welcome to lesson #7 in your 10-week mini-course on the life-changing secrets of feng shui. As promised, you'll learn about that all-important "career wall" of your house (or of any room!). We'll learn how enhancing this wall by employing the proper feng shui secrets of life can jump start a stagnant or slow moving career.

So what are we waiting for?

The career wall as designated in feng shui is that wall which contains your front door. Remember that it's the entire wall of the front of your house, so it may contain more than one room. Keep in mind also that you can apply the principles used here to any room in your house. The career wall is any wall which contains the main entrance to the room.

Water is the essential element associated with your career. One of the first changes you'll want to make is to add a small waterfall or an aquarium in this area. If you can't physically place water here, then buy posters of the oceans or of a river. Do you have any photos of that trip you took to the beach last summer? I bet you have a gorgeous shot of the ocean you can put here! That certainly will get the positive career qi moving here!

And if don't have any of those, then try decorating with mirrors. That's right! A mirror is the symbolic representation of water according to feng shui principles. It'll start the flow of your career just as well as the water itself.

Those few small changes in your house should be enough to help jump start that career again - no matter what the state of the economy is!

In the next lesson, you'll discover the secret power of candles in feng shui can "make all your dreams come true!"

Until next time, here's a life-changing feng shui tip:

Feng shui for better living tip #7: Are you still looking for your soul mate? Take a good look at your bedroom. Does it shout ME, ME, ME! If it does, you're far less likely to attract the love of your life. Make room for the partner of your dreams -physically. Clear at least one-quarter of the room for another person. Yes, that means closet space too! Now, imagine another person sharing this intimate space with you. He should be knocking at the door any minute!

Feng Shui Tips

Hope you implemented some Feng Shui tips from the report and

previous email into your life and it is already much better.

Below are some more tips for you to use.

- If you trying to conceive a baby boy, there is a secret
to make your dream come true. Most of the traditions believe
that a bear symbolizes a man. The people of Asia opine that
if you keep a bear's image (crystal figurine is a better
option) in the 'Children' area of your home, your dream of
getting a healthy baby boy will come true. This belief has
survived for a long time, and is worth repeating.

- This tip will help you to create harmony in your home.
According to several Eastern traditions, the apples symbolize
prosperity and peace and moreover your dining table looks
wonderful with it, doesn't it? Next time if you wish
promoting peace for your entire family, make a harmonious
and happy space; just keep a big bowl containing fresh red
apples, in the middle of your dining table.

Hope you enjoy those tips.

Blue Mountain Feng Shui

Glass Floors

The Latvian feng shui group has a monthly discussion meeting that I join via Skype. This month, thank goodness, they have changed the meeting from the regular 1pm to 11am Latvian time. This makes it easier for me when connecting via Skype, as it is1:00 am in Seattle, which is still within my waking hours!

During our last meeting, one graduate mentioned a concern in a friend's house. The staircase that connects the first floor to the second floor was made of glass. Friends that have gone upstairs once will not re-visit the house again. She wondered if by covering the stairs with carpet was sufficient to take care of the problem.

I have seen glass floors in some restaurants and hotels in both the East and West. But used in a staircase? That's new to me. Some designers may find it sleek to use glass material for flooring. I often wonder what has run through the designer's mind. Some say it is to allow for more light or have they just simply exhausted their imagination and creativity? To argue if it is good design or not, all we need to do is watch how people respond to it.

Last week I was in Suzhou, China doing feng shui consultations. One consultation was with a Furniture Mall called Xinyue. It is the store front for many brand name furniture manufacturers in China. The mall has four floors with good design. However, on the top floor, the center portion of the wide walk space, which was half of the total width, was made of glass. With curiosity, I stopped at a corner to watch the pedestrians. During the ten minutes or so period, I did not see a single visitor walk on the glass floor. Everyone avoided stepping on top of the glass and instead walked on the carpet covered sides.

Why do people avoid it? The obvious reason is that most people do not feel it is safe to walk on a glass surface because of how we interpret the qualities of glass. We understand that it is breakable, not particularly strong enough to walk on and for women wearing a skirt over a glass surface, this could be an issue! That is the natural psychological response. There are also those who understand that the designers and engineers must have thoroughly considered the safety issues already, and thus it should be safe. However, even they are still uncomfortable to walk on glass. So there must be an additional reason other than the psychological factor. What is the other reason? Remember, everything has two reasons, one yin and the other yang. I am going to hold back my answer to for a while and challenge our feng shui friends, students and readers to ponder this question.

By the way, the answer to the original question of our Latvian feng shui practitioner is, "yes, the easy way to take care of the glass step issue is to cover it with carpet."

Life Changing Lesson #6

Life Changing Lesson #6

How yellow can boost your health!

Yellow. It's the color of sunshine. It's bright and energetic. So it's not surprising that it's the main color associated with the health area of your home, according to feng shui principles.

And in this lesson, you're going to learn that some judicious use of this color may help boost your health in some unexpected ways.

The health area of your home lies smack dab in the center, you'll recall. It's the only life area that touches on all the other eight areas. This is quite symbolic. You know the old saying, "If you don't have your health, you don't have anything!" Your good health - and that of the rest of your household - reflects on every other thing you do.

Want to improve your health? Need to turbocharge your energy? Then place something yellow in this area, right now. The essential element that symbolizes this area is the earth. Your most effective way of improving the flow of positive qi in this area is to choose some yellow flowers to place here. At the very least, find a nice photo of yellow daffodils to display on your wall.

If your bedroom falls in the health sector, then choose yellow bedding or yellow curtains for the motif. You may even want to place some yellow candles in this area.

If your health sector falls in your dining room, think yellow as part of the colors of your tablecloth. It would be perfect if you could place your dining room table in the center of this room, then it the placement would correspond with the center of the ba-gua map for the dining area - and would just double the effectiveness of the qi. Place live, yellow flowers as the center piece of your dining room table.

If your life area naturally falls in the kitchen, try using cups or plates with some type of yellow accent. You may even want to find curtains that are yellow. Or you may want to accessorize your kitchen with photos or other wall hangings that highlight this color.

The healthy possibilities are endless!

In the next lesson, you'll learn how to make that feng shui "career wall" work for you - and not against you!

Until next time, here's another life-changing feng shui tip:

Feng shui tip for better living #6: Been meaning to travel more, but just haven't had the time or the money? Where to you want to go? Place photos or other images of your desired destination spot in the travel corner of your house, the far right corner as you're standing at the front door looking inward. Then, start packing your luggage. Bon voyage!

Life Changing Lesson #5

Discovering the Life-Changing Secrets of Feng Shui

The Mini-Course

Life Changing Lesson #5

Re-igniting that love life with feng shui

Welcome back to lesson #5 of your 10-part mini-course on feng shui. So far in each lesson, we've discovered a new guiding principle of this ancient Chinese art. In this lesson, we're selecting one life sector and showing you how to improve that area using its associated element, colors and shapes. Are you ready? Then let's not waste any more time.

Let's talk romance. Whether you're single or married, feng shui has some subtle methods of spicing up that sagging relationship or helping you start a sizzling new one!

You'll recall no doubt that the relationship corner is in the far back corner of your house as you stand at your front door looking in. Or, you can apply these principles to the far right corner of any room.

The element associated with romance and relationship: earth. The colors of this area are pink, red and white.

If you're trying to attract the love of your life, begin accentuating this corner with these three colors. But don't stop there. Look at the walls. Do you have any photos of you standing alone? Or even of other people who are featured singly in the photo. Remove them right now. Take them to another part of the house.

Photos of individuals alone, according to the guiding principles of feng shui, only produces that result: you spending your time alone! Replace these images with those of people - or even birds - in pairs. Your aim is to convey the idea of couples - loving couples in fact! If you have no photos, even placing two of anything in this corner helps. If this corner of your house happens to be where your bedroom is, use two pillows to illustrate this point.

Now, you're well on your way to creating a new romantic relationship - or reviving the one you have! Just give that qi a little time to work and before you know it, the partner of your dreams will be knocking at your door!

In the next lesson, you'll learn how the color yellow may help boost your energy and increase your vitality - just by following a few basic feng shui principles.

Until next time, here's another life-changing feng shui suggestion:

Feng shui tip for better living #5: Want to attract a "mentor" to help you in your business or help guide you in creating goals for your long-cherished-but-never-realized dream. Then place a statue or an image of an angel in the lower right corner of your home (as you stand at your front door facing in). This is the corner that feng shui says encourages the meeting of helpful people.

Life Changing Lesson #4

Discovering the Life-Changing Secrets of Feng Shui

The Mini-Course

Life Changing Lesson #4:

Mapping Out Your House - the Feng Shui Way!

The ba-gua as you learned in the last session is the ultimate "map" of your home. Actually, it's an octagonal shaped that assigns each corner and wall of your home a vital life aspect. Here's specifically how it works (I'm using the contemporary version of the map, based on a "relative" placement of areas according to the location of your front door.

Stand at your front door looking toward the house. Now, the wall the front door is on is considered the career area. This is where you'll place objects, colors and symbols when you want to enhance your position at work.

The corner in the far left of your home along the career wall represents travel and the attraction of helpful people. The wall along the far right corresponds with children and creativity. The upper right hand corner of your home is the area you'll look to when you want to improve your marriage or attract romance.

The wall on the opposing the career wall is the family wall. Moving counter clockwise, the corner in the far left side of your home, as you're currently positioned, represents wealth and prosperity. The wall on the right of your home is family and the corner to your immediate right (see we've traveled the entire house) is knowledge.

And lying smack dab in the center of your home: the very important life sector of health! Notice that health is the only life sector that touches every other area! The symbolism of that couldn't be stronger now could it?

Now that you know the exact locations, you can use this same map to apply to any room of your house - your living room, your kitchen, your bedroom. Why you can even take this map and place it figuratively speaking over the top of your desk at work. Using the feng shui principles you can create an optimal feng shui qi-enhancing placement of objects on your desk as well.

In the next lesson, you'll learn more about applying the essential elements to the life sectors, so you can start amazing your family and friends with your feng shui knowledge.

Until then, here's another life-changing feng shui suggestion:

Feng shui tip for better living #4: Need encouragement about following your dreams? You'd just love to take that old childhood dream, dust it off and start working on it again. Okay, here's what you do. Take a south wall of your home - or of a room and paint it red. If you can't paint it red, place plenty of red accents on it. The south wall, or as you're entering your home, the wall that is directly opposite your front door, is that associated with respect and . . . cultivating dreams. And red will fire you up with some passion for that old goal. Try it!

Feng Shui Tips

Hope you enjoyed my "7 Feng Shui Secrets" report and already

making some changes in your home and life.

Below are two great tips for you to use.

- It is a known fact that in the recent times, the rate of
unemployment is increasing to a considerable extent. If you
are in search of a job, there's a cure that will help you.
Place an empty metal vase or bowl at your entrance. This
kind of an arrangement is believed to bring in fresh and new
opportunities. This is considered to be a private Feng Shui
cure and will certainly yield positive results.

- Very few of us devote some time in jotting down our goals
that we wish to achieve. Writing down your goals will
actually help you in achieving them. With the starting of
a new season, try to focus on your future endeavors. It will
help you to achieve your desired results. Write down any six
goals that you aim to attain on a paper. Use red ink for
this purpose. Now this paper should be placed under some
lamp in your house. Allow the paper to be in the same
position for twenty seven days. After the completion of
twenty seven days remove the paper and go through the goals
again. You would be surprised to find that many are already
achieved and some are in the process. Burn the paper and
blow away the ashes. This method will really give effective
results and make you feel light.

Life Changing Lesson #3

Discovering the Life-Changing Secrets of Feng Shui

The Mini-Course

Life Changing Lesson #3:

Introducing the Importance of Your Ba-Gua

If nothing else, learning about feng shui will provide you with a whole new vocabulary to use at work to improve co-workers, friends and family. First there was qi. And now we've got another one for you "ba-gua."

In feng shui terms, it's the ultimate map of your home. Feng shui divides every house, room or even office desk into nine equal parts - each part symbolizing some vital area of your life. The areas include, career, romance, family, knowledge and wisdom, wealth and prosperity, fame and reputation, children and creativity, health, travel and attracting helpful people,

What you place in these areas and - equally as importantly - what you don't place in some of them, determines your positive qi.

So what do you use to determine your placement? You guessed it, symbols, colors and objects from the five essential elements. Each of these nine portions of your house is associated with one of the five essential elements. When you get these two working together in harmony, then you're creating some beautiful, harmonious qi.

As a quick example, let's just take the children and creativity sector of your home. Here's one quick way, according to one branch of feng shui to determine its placement within your house. Stand at your front door looking into the home. The area that corresponds to children and creativity is located on the wall to the far right of the home.

The element associated with this life sector is metal. Want to ensure your children are doing well? Need to spark some creativity in your life? Or perhaps you're trying to conceive? What could possibly be more creative than that?

This is where you want to place some metal objects. Metal is the element associated with this life section. Photos of children encased in silver or gold picture frames would work.

That's the fundamental theory. It's just that simple and easy.

Can't wait until the next lesson to get more feng shui ideas? Then go to The Feng Shui Man to discover how you can start using the vital laws of this ancient art today.

In your next lesson, you'll learn how to apply the ba-gua to any room in your home.

Until then, here's another life-changing feng shui tip:

Feng shui tip for better living #3: Clutter in your home is the number impediment to the proper flow of qi. If you do nothing else but eliminate the clutter throughout the entire house, you'll undoubtedly feel an increase in positive qi! It's a tall order, but then, your luck hasn't been so great lately. (Yeah, that sprained ankle from tripping over that toy lying in the middle of the living room didn't help any, now did it?)

Blue Mountain Feng Shui

The Power of Visualization

A Latvian family, consisting of a mother, daughter and son, has published a very nice picture book for children. After reading my blog regarding selling your home, they wondered if there is a similar way to help sell their book. There is good news, the answer is yes.

Physical manifestation begins at the information level. First visualize children reading and enjoying the book. With the existence of this visualization, information could trickle down to create a real manifestation. The effectiveness will be based on how clear the image of visualization one can project. What is the criteria for this? One is the ability of the individual and two is the scale of the image. 

Visualizing the image on a smaller scale is easier than on a large scale. This is because if the scale is too large it becomes more difficult to focus on an image. For example, in this particular case, to imagine millions of children reading the book is not easy, creating only a vague image and idea. Due to the difficulty, it can be interpreted as wishful thinking, thus not creating the desired result. So, it is best to start on a smaller scale.

Visualization takes practice. One can begin by first looking at a static object, such as a flower, tree, or even a cup. Next, with your eyes closed, see how long and how clear an image you can hold. Once you feel confident that you are able to do this, then increase the image content. Finally, move on to practice dynamic images. The big secret to obtaining good visualization skills is practice, practice, practice.

The Feng Shui Mini-Course - Life Changing Lesson #2

Discovering the Life-Changing Secrets of Feng Shui

The Mini-Course

Life-Changing Lesson #2:

The Five Essential Elements of Feng Shui

Rock, scissors, paper. Remember that game you used to play as kids?

Well, maybe there was more truth in the game than you knew. Feng shui, in addition to utilizing the existing qi or available energy all around us, also uses five of the essential elements of nature to help you boost specific areas of your life.

These elements are . . . well, elemental to the workings of this ancient art. By placing symbols representing these five elements strategically around your home - or your office, or even just one room - you can help to attract that positive qi that's essential to a successful feng shui treatment.

So just what are these elements?

Earth, Wood, Fire, Metal and Water.

Each of these in the art of feng shui has a variety of objects which represent it. For example, the wood element is represented by living plants. Each element also is associated with specific colors and even shapes. One of the shapes which symbolize the fire element is the triangle. When you correctly place the designated feng shui element in the area of your concern (and you'll learn about that in an upcoming lesson, so just be patient!) you can, according to the feng shui masters, literally change your fortune.

The converse then is also true. For example, if you're experiencing a drain in your finances right now, it's more than likely because of poor placement of one of these five elements

In our next lesson, you'll learn about what the "ultimate" map of your home is! Armed with this knowledge, you'll be able to tackle specific areas of your life in order to start changing your fortune from bad to good - with only the slight change of an object or two of your house!

Until next time, here's another tip to help transform your life:

Feng Shui Tip for Better Living #2: Do you feel as if your finances are being sucked into some invisible black hole? Try this feng shui quick fix: Keep all of the drains in the sinks and tubs of your home blocked. That's right. Feng shui practice holds that drains without stoppers may allow your money to come into the house, only to be washed down the drain. And, of yeah, keep that toilet lid closed too! Now, sit back and watch your bank account grow!

The Feng Shui Mini-Course - Life Changing Lesson #1

Welcome to Your 10-Lesson Mini-Course

Discovering the Life-Changing Secrets of Feng Shui

Life-Changing Lesson #1:

Creating Qi Through Feng Shui

Hmm. Been running into a streak of bad luck lately? Has your love life lost its passion? Or is your head bouncing off that glass ceiling at work because you can't go any farther, but you just can't find any other job, either.

You know you need to take some type of action, but you just aren't sure what.

And then you stumbled upon feng shui. Why not feng shui? You asked. Why not indeed.

Feng Shui has been credited with the ability to do many things, from attracting the right lover into your life, to helping you find the perfect job to guiding you down the proper spiritual path. And you're naturally curious. How can you not be at least a little curious about a system whose proponents claim so much?

We can't promise that you'll find the love of your life using Feng Shui, we don't know if it can help you break through that glass ceiling (maybe that sledgehammer you have in your hand will help with that, though) but if you utilize its principles properly it may help you attract just a little bit more good luck in your life. And who among us would argue with that?

So what exactly is feng shui and how can it help you?

Feng shui works by manipulating an invisible energy field called "qi" and pronounced "chee". Though unseen, the affects of qi on our lives can be quite powerful - either in a negative or a positive way.

The theory that bolsters feng shui holds that by using colors - which symbolize essential natural elements - accessories and even furniture, you can banish the accumulation of the negative qi in your home and actually encourage the flow and accumulation of positive qi.

Qi enters your home through the front door -whether you actually use the door on a daily basis or not - and flows throughout the entire house. If it hits certain areas which block this natural flow, the results are seen through misfortunes in various areas of your life. Like that love life of yours that isn't going anywhere! Or those promotions you're just not being offered, despite your qualifications.

The beauty of feng shui is that you don't necessarily have to call in a "master" to revamp your entire home. Small changes can reap big rewards.

In the next lesson, you'll learn one of the fundamental principles of this ancient art. Master this and you're on the road to transforming your life for the better.

Until next time, here's a tip to help improve your life:

Feng Shui Tip For Better Living #1: Looking to attract that special someone in your life? Move the exercise equipment out of your bedroom. Exercise equipment symbolizes exertion and effort - not exactly the type of message you want to convey in a new romantic relationship.

Your 7 Feng Shui Secrets

You are on your way now to make your life better.

Below are more Feng Shui Tips that you can use today.

- If you are looking for love, this feng shui tip will
definitely increase your chances. Begin from the bedroom
door. Make sure that while stepping into the sleeping area,
you do not tumble over anything. In simple words, it is
necessary to clean any obstacles that are around your
bedroom entrance. This is important to allow love or Chi to
flow well and freely without any obstruction. Then move
towards the door's other side. It is advisable to take two
red cords, each having 18 inches. Next you need to entwine
them. They should be hanged as a single piece on the inner
handle of your bedroom's door. If you find that the door is
closed, then love is sure to come and if it is open you can
surely find your partner with the help of this Feng Shui
symbol.

- This feng shui cure will help you to soften any tension
that might be going on between going on between you and your
colleague/friend/family member. An innovative technique has
been introduced that helps in taking out the sting from an
angry relationship. For softening someone's nature write
his/her name with green color in a white paper strip. The
paper should be then placed inside a covered glass jar. Use
honey for covering the paper completely and then close the
jar tightly. A small white colored tea candle should be
placed on the top of the jar. Light this candle and watch it
burn all the way. This symbolizes the enmity that exists
between both of you and it will diminish gradually.
This jar should be kept in Friends/Family areas. Keep the
jar in the same position for twenty seven days and then
dispose it off. With time you will notice that the enmity
between both of you will not exist anymore.

Hope you enjoy those tips.