DEPARTMENT:

Living in Harmony with Feng Shui

Simply defined, feng shui is the practice of designing or arranging spaces and possessions so that they are in harmony and balance with their environment and the people who live within them. Some scholars believe feng shui originated 5,000 years ago in China, although the first written records of it didn’t appear until the Song dynasty (960 BC). Other schools of feng shui teach that it originated around 2600 BC in Africa, then spread to India and Tibet before reaching China.

Feng shui literally means “wind and water.” In ancient Chinese belief, light winds and gently flowing waters are associated with bountiful harvests and good health, while strong winds and stagnant waters bring famine, disease and destruction. Therefore, “good” feng shui is thought to bring happiness, prosperity and well-being, and “bad” feng shui has the potential to cause illness, suffering and misfortune.

A nature-based philosophy, feng shui incorporates movement, color and many disciplines—including architecture, physics, philosophy, geography, religion, math, aesthetics, astrology and astronomy—to promote the flow of positive energy and neutralize negative energy in your surroundings. Feng shui proponents believe that if positive energy is blocked or not flowing correctly, it can disrupt the balance in your life.

The purpose of feng shui is to enhance the places where you spend your time so that they support instead of drain you. It can be used as a tool to “manage” the energies in your environment. When this is achieved, you feel stronger and livelier, you’re more productive and you don’t have as many distractions.

Following are some simple feng shui concepts that you can put into practice immediately to improve your life and reach your full potential.

Energy Must Flow. Remove clutter even in rooms that are not in plain view. Clutter prohibits energy flow, which leads to fatigue and lack of motivation. Much of your energy is caught in the clutter of your environment, which weighs you down and compounds feelings of frustration. Enable the energy to move freely through your surroundings by getting rid of things that are no longer relevant or meaningful.

Have Only What You Love Around You. Everything in your environment holds an energy that either feeds and supports you or drains you. Examine what’s around you and remove items that you don’t absolutely love. Do this even with gifts, and what you have left will bring more harmony into your life.

Pay Attention to the Pictures on Your Wall. They continually “speak” to you; listen to what they are saying. Are there some that make you feel empty, lonely, tired and upset? Or do the images inspire happiness, vitality, peace and harmony? It’s important to display pictures in your environment that speak positively to you.

Lack of clutter, furniture without sharp corners and gently angled plants promote the flow of energy in Alice Inoue’s office.

Look at Your Entry. Imagine yourself as a visitor to your home or workplace. What impression do you get from the entrance? The door is the key point of these spaces, and it greatly affects what happens inside of us. Make sure the entrance is inviting, a welcoming transition from the outside. Remove anything that blocks a clear path. Add life forces in the form of plants by the door to attract energy.

Be in the Power Position. Have a “command view” of every room, especially from your bed and your desk. It’s important to face the door without sitting or lying directly in line with it. Because energy flows into a room through the door, it moves fastest and is the strongest in line with a doorway. By sitting or sleeping there, you would not be protected from this “hard-hitting” energy; repeated exposure can affect your health in a detrimental way. It also can bring challenges that require you to use a lot of your own precious energy to bring things back into balance.

The best place to be is outside, but facing, this “aisle” of energy so you can absorb but not be overwhelmed by it. If that’s not possible, place a mirror so that you can see the door. When we sit and sleep in a position where we can’t easily do this, we disempower ourselves on a subconscious level, which creates undesirable situations—for example, people may take advantage of us, we may have a hard time saying “no” or we’re not able to achieve our full potential.

By incorporating these five basic feng shui concepts, you’ll be well on your way to creating a new flow of positive energy for yourself, your family and your business.

Feng shui and astrology consultant Alice Inoue offers private consultations that help clients create optimal balance and maximize energy flow in their lives. You can reach her by calling 598-2655 or e-mailing alice@astrology-fengshui.com. Her Web site is www.astrology-fengshui.com.

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