A house that supports a healthful well-being.

The results of an introductory quiz given to the students who attended my Feng Shui class last month opened my eyes to what Midwesterners know about the Ancient Art of Placement. One question asked: "Which sort of house promotes a more healthful well-being?" A house made of bricks, a house built on a level lot, or a house built on a hilltop. How would YOU answer this question?

You might be interested to know that 70% chose "A house built on a hilltop". Perhaps those living in the flat lands find the view from a hilltop novel and appealing. Perhaps they are thinking in terms of a fortress. It does sound like a good idea, like a child's game "King of the mountain".

Over 5000 years ago, one king in China known as the Yellow Emperor, had the foresight to study the effects nature has upon us. His sage-scientists would record the effects over time in the fields, observe the astrology in the heavens and even how people were affected living in a particular house. They kept meticulous records over generations of time. This science of the effects of nature is called Feng Shui.

The oldest study of Feng Shui developed "Form School". By observing chi (life force energy), a better understanding of the effects physical space has on us was gained. The ideal position is to have support behind you, vast space in front of you and protection on either side. Originally Feng Shui was used to orient graves, as it was believed this would support future generations.

This theory also applies within a house, as when you are at your desk. So many today because of space restrictions and desk design put the desk up against the wall. This position leaves no space for beneficial life force energy to collect, gather and nurture you. It's much better to have your back to the wall giving you a sence of security and a vista in front of you opening you up to new possibilities.

Living on top of a mountain gains you a vista but it also positions you to lose much of the beneficial life force down the hill. My home in Carmel Valley, CA was like that, having lovely views of soft-topped mountains. Although I wasn't on top of a mountain I did have a drop off in the back yard just 20 feet from the house. Over the course of 22 years living in that house prosperity and relationship issues ensued. I did as much as I could to keep the chi or life force energy from flowing away. Built fences, gates and archways. Poured cement pads, put in ponds, planted lavender bushes and fruit trees. As remedies went in life improved but nothing seemed to completely remedy the drain. The forces of nature are strong. It's hard to argue with Mother Nature or "Form School" Feng Shui. The correct answer is "A house built on a level lot".

There are many contradictions found in the variety of Feng Shui styles used out there and many other considerations to take into account when positioning a house or designing a room. That is why it is best to seek the advice of a highly trained professional Classical Feng Shui Consultant whenever possible.

Thank you for your interest in Feng Shui! Please feel free to share this blog with others, as long as it is unaltered.

How may I be of service to you?

Best direction to sleep!

It has been fun and exciting to teach Classical Feng Shui in the Midwest this month. The results of an introductory quiz I gave to the students to find out what they already knew about this Ancient Art of Placement, was very interesting.

Half of the students already realized that having their head facing north is not necessarily the best direction for them to sleep, but then didn't know which direction was. During the class I explained to everyone how to calculate which of eight directions is best for each of them, in order to enjoy the most rejuvenating sleep. Then, I had the class do the calculation.

One student emailed "Thank you for a really nice presentation. I did switch my bed to head pointing north yesterday and enjoyed a restful sleep (waking up well before my alarm)." Frank discovered that north is the best direction for him since he is associated with the water element, number one.

Of course there are a lot of considerationa when positioning a bed. For example having ones feet heading out the door is considered bad luck in China since this is the direction they carry out their dead.

Many discovered that their best sleeping direction would put them at an uncomfortable angle in their room. But did you know that it is also not particularly good to have a bed across a corner if the space behind the bed is open? This promotes excess chi circulation, which would disrupt restful sleep.

If your room is large enough to handle this arrangement, Feng Shui would recommend blocking off this open space. A curtain could be hung floor to ceiling behind the headboard to prevent the negative influence. Others might choose to just sleep at an angle across the bed for their best nights sleep.

Another confusion might be if two people in the same bed were suppose to sleep different directions. The usual rule of thumb is that the main breadwinner of the family has priority. I like to choose a direction that will accommodate both whenever possible.

There are many contradictions found in the variety of Feng Shui styles used out there and many other considerations to take into account when designing a room. That is why it is best to seek the advice of a highly trained professional Classical Feng Shui Consultant when ever possible.

Thank you for your interest in Feng Shui! Please feel free to share this blog with others, as long as it is unaltered.

How may I be of service to you?

What is Feng Shui anyway?

     Some of you may be pondering this question.  Yet I bet most of you have heard Feng Shui referenced on TV, talked about in advertising and are aware that it is practiced by top international companies such as Trump, Walt Disney and Sony.  Feng Shui is often overlooked in this country as folklore and hocus-pocus when in fact the ruling Chinese have hidden this valuable secret from the lower class and the rest of the world for nearly 6000 years.  
     Feng Shui is actually a "Natural Science" that has been growing in popularity in the US since the early 1980's.  Literally it means "Wind and Water"; it has to do with how subtle energies affect us.  Feng Shui is the study of "how Qi (chi) travels on the wind but stops at the waters edge".  It is a system based on keen observation of the heavens (astrology or time) and the earth (interior and exterior spaces) forces and how the energy of each interacts.  Using Feng Shui principles one balances these forces to achieve better health, wealth and relationships.  The correct balance of all the elements opens the pathway to success.
     In a practical sense Feng Shui is a way to design the home from the inside out.  It provides solid reasoning when choosing a color family for particular areas of the house, a bed direction and the position when building a house.  It also determines what elements are needed to balance a space: such as a metal sculpture, plant or water feature.
      If you are still confused about what Feng Shui is and how it might be beneficial for you today, then I hope to inspire you to delve a little deeper.  I invite you to come back to this sight to see how you can make life more fulfilling, harmonious and stress-free.  I hope to support your search with helpful hints for creating harmonic spaces, space that allows the soul to speak to you, places where you get out of your own way so that the natural order of the universe supports you, to help you find the peace-filled and successful life that you seek, a happy healthy home.