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By IFSG Blog Team, on December 13th, 2011% The earth element is represented by the shape of the square, which symbolizes stability. Its archetype is the Peacemaker. If you are a thick, fleshy shape, powerfully built, a good listener and a steady friend, you are no doubt influenced by the earth element. In humans, challenges with earth include stodginess, stubbornness, being stuck or meddlesome. Positive aspects are being nurturing and supportive, considerate, relaxed, loyal, kind, thoughtful and stable. In your environmental spaces, then, if you are experiencing decreased ambition and motivation and you are mired down, you would want to dissipate the earth element. To do so, bring in the element of wood, which will “cut into” or “puncture” the earth element influence. Wood element is the rectangular shape, the color green, items made from wood, and live plants. However, if you need to bring in peace, stability and a supportive energy, you can encourage the earth element by bringing in the square shape and the colors of earth, such as tans, beiges, browns, yellows and rich, deep reds like terracotta or rust. Help bring in the element of earth with these objects: ~ Square tables and books ~ Square rugs in . . . → Read More: The Gifts of the Earth Element
By IFSG Blog Team, on November 22nd, 2011% One of my favorite fall rituals is to fill my trunk with an abundance of the multicolored, unusually shaped pumpkins and gourds that richly grace the Half Moon Bay, N. California coast side where I reside. I especially love the lime-green and tangerine ones with exotic curly handles. I throw in handfuls of dry, crackly autumn-colored corn and drive happily home where I arrange them artfully around a haystack on my front porch. Inside I arrange a bountiful ‘horn of plenty’ with the smaller multicolored gourds and mini-pumpkins along with the acorns, dry corn and colorful autumn leaves I have collected. This is my celebration into fall. I don’t really feel it has arrived until I greedily scoop up nature and feature it prominently in my home. The Chinese art of Feng Shui emphasizes the importance of bringing nature into our living space, which is called the Five Elements Theory. This teaching is so intuitive and simple, yet transformational. We experience it healing our soul and nurturing our spirit. Bringing nature into the home One powerful way to remedy winter blues is to work with balancing the elements that begin to diminish during the fall and winter . . . → Read More: Beat Holiday Blues with Feng Shui
By IFSG Blog Team, on November 8th, 2011% How do you bring a strong presence of the wood feng shui element when you need it? Express feng shui elements with visually pleasing and esthetically appropriate items that go well with your home or office decor. Below find suggestions of popular decor items /feng shui products that will best express the wood feng shui element energy. As a rule, wood is most welcomed in the feng shui bagua areas of East, Southeast and South, and its strong presence is best avoided in the Southwest, Center, North and Northeast areas. Healthy Lush Plants Choose beautiful indoor air purifying plants and enjoy clean air or go for an assortment of aromatic herbs in your kitchen. Wood Statues and Figurines There is an endless variety of wood statues and figurines; see what works best with your home decor. Wood statues can work especially well in areas where you cannot have too many plants, such as in your bedroom, for example. Creative Wood Element Wall Murals Wall murals are a great feng shui solution for any space – from water element murals to wood element ones. Wood Buddha Choose a Buddha sculpture in wood element colors or finishes . . . → Read More: How to Express the Wood Feng Shui Element in Your Home or Office
By IFSG Blog Team, on November 1st, 2011% The Wood element relates to green and brown colors. It is an element that represents growth. It is always restful and grounding to have wood in an environment. It has a lot of energy. It represents all living trees and plants. The areas in the home associated with the wood elements are family area and the wealth and prosperity area, according to the Bagua energy map. If you want to boost the family finances or want to promote the general well being of your family, place some wooden items, plants and fresh flowers in your environment. Also designing a room with shades of green reinforces the power of wood element and prevents family upsets and fights. In design, we often say: ” Bring the outside in” for more nature inside your home. Here are 10 ways to bring the wood element into your space: 1. Use rectangular shape furniture such as a rectangular wooden dining or coffee table. 2. Display wood carving statues or art pieces. 3. Paint your walls in green. 4. Choose fabrics with vertical stripes as these represent wood element. 5. Use green pattern rugs, pillows or shades. . . . → Read More: Feng Shui Basics – The Wood Element
By IFSG Blog Team, on October 20th, 2011% In light of the Japanese radiation leak situation, I’ve been seeing some news shows demonstrating how to seal yourself in a room to protect yourself against radiation particles. The downside is that they say after three hours, you have to open up the room to get some fresh air. I thought, what if you put some natural oxygen-makers in there with you? Fresh houseplants are good for both a healthier home and a well-feng-shuied one. (For gosh sakes, please don’t seal yourself in a room with some synthetic “plug-in,” synthetic oil burner or candle, or other chemical compound fragrance to breathe – lungs don’t like it one bit!) Interior plants are great assets to a home for two reasons: #1 They literally eat up indoor air pollution and re-oxygenate the air. #2 They soften the feel of the room – creating a more inviting, “yin” condition…especially if you have corners protruding into a space (typically called a poison arrow or “sha chi”) I’m not an authority on nuclear power plant pollution by any means, but I thought I’d take the time to give you all my ideas for the best typical house plants that not only warm . . . → Read More: Plants as a Cure – Here’s the Top Ten Air Cleaning Ones
By IFSG Blog Team, on August 16th, 2011% Moving Water Water represents vitality and life. Moving water is good feng shui. Stagnant water is not only poor feng shui, but it attracts insects and odors. So installing a waterfall, fountain or pond with fish enriches the garden space like no other element.
All the Senses Just imagine sitting out in your yard (or make believe you have one) with your morning cup of coffee or tea…hearing the sounds of either trickling water or a fuller volume. What an amazing way to start the day!
Water has an amazing quality to heal – the visual and soothing sounds. When Bailey (my dog) and I go for a walk, we pass this little waterfall (you could barely even call it that – but water does trickle!) and I just go into a zen space. I want that in my backyard! No, I NEED that in my backyard.
And did you know that negative ions are discharged into the air with moving water? Ions are electronically-charged particles in the air. So much of our environment is filled with positive ions, ironically, leading to illness due to the imbalance (also know as free radicals). So just like the ocean or a good . . . → Read More: The Luxury of Water in Your Garden
By IFSG Blog Team, on July 22nd, 2011% When thinking about Feng Shui’ing a home, most people know to include closets and other storage spaces. Have you ever considered the storage components in your kitchen – specifically the refrigerator? As the source of much of our sustenance and energy, this space is often forgotten but none-the-less very important.
When you open your refrigerator what you see is a collection of shelves and bins. Based on the human behavior we know choices are inherently difficult and what science has found is when it comes to choice inertia rules. The thing you see is the thing you are most likely to choose.
In Feng Shui where our eyes go that’s where our energy goes. So in practical terms that means that when you open the refrigerator if you see fruits and vegetables you are more likely to choose fruits and vegetables over leftover birthday cake. In fact, in an ideal world if there is leftover birthday cake then it’s in your refrigerator in the garage behind a pile of rusty tools, and marked with the big sign that says “beware of the doberman”.
The environment plays a huge role in your choices and decision-making. Out of sight out of mind. . . . → Read More: Feng Shui Your Diet and Lose 10 Pounds
By IFSG Blog Team, on May 3rd, 2011% The ancients developed the Bagua (energy map for enhancing life) in accordance with the universe and its energies. As a holistic 9 grid map to see and work on particular facets of our life, the Bagua can be superimposed over your space as a life blue print.
When we map out our life with the Bagua, we then correlate it to our space and anchor it there. This integral method is a powerful tool – it is our own unique expression and creation that works as a vibrational magnet to our energy. It is the law of the universe that we attract what we are vibrating though our space and intentions. The old saying “like attracts like” is true. We create our environment and our environment creates us. Each of the Bagua’s nine grids or “Gua’s” relates to the different facets of our life. The center grid is Unity and Health. This correlates to the center of person and place. We can look at our home, environment and universe as we look on the body, the heart being the center and unifying principle and form to all. It threads through our thoughts, words, action, and environment. The Hearth of . . . → Read More: Bagua and the Center Grid
By IFSG Blog Team, on April 12th, 2011% The energetic center of your body is called the hara. It is a deep rooted space from which our life force or chi emanates. It is similar in our homes or offices. The center of our space is a vital area. It holds the pulse or heartbeat and touches all aspects of our lives. The center of our space is about unification, health, vitality and well-being. Whatever goes on in the center of your space permeates throughout your entire space. It is also reflected in your life. When working with the feng shui bagua, the Center gua is the center of your space. Overlay a tic-tac-toe grid of 9 blocks over your floor plan, your office or any room, your land, or wherever you are. The middle block is the Center gua. Scan the center of your space. How does it look and feel? Is it spacious? Does chi or energy flow freely and easily? Is this space well maintained? Or is it cluttered with things you no longer use or need? Is anything broken or in disrepair? Does it feel tight or constricted? Sometimes the physical center of our home is a hallway or a small space . . . → Read More: The Heart of the Home
By IFSG Blog Team, on March 29th, 2011% In Feng Shui, we use many systems, and a primary one is the Bagua. This is a set of 8 Trigrams, and the central symbol of the Tai Chi, or Yin and Yang. In some forms, we lay this 9 square grid over a home or building, to evaluate the place, and define where to enhance certain aspects of life, or business. This month, we are discussing one of these Guas, or symbols. This is the Trigram Zhen. Loosely translated into the term Thunder, this has several other meanings, including ‘The Penetrating.’ Made of 1 unbroken Yang line, and 2 broken Yin lines, this Trigram shows a solid surface, where the penetrating lightning reaches down through the clouds. This Trigram has many attributes in Feng Shui. This is a partial list: Name: Thunder Direction: East Time: Early Morning Season: Spring Element: Wood Polarity: Yang Family Member: Eldest Son Number: 3 Organs: Liver Emotion: Anger Colors: Green, Gold, and Purple We associate this symbol with the eldest son, so it is about the perpetuation of the family. In Chinese tradition, the eldest son was to carry on the family name, inherit the home, lands and businesses of . . . → Read More: Zhen – The Gua of Health and Family
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