Good Garden Feng Shui – Elemental Harmonies

Whether you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor garden or simply have a windowbox or two, now’s the time to make the most of it as the summer comes on.

As in everything else, Feng Shui has a thing or two to say about gardens especially balancing Yin & Yang, enhancing the bagua, and creating harmony with the 5 Elements.

Five elements-wise, a garden is mostly focused on the Wood element (since it’s all about plants), but you’ll feel truly balanced in your garden when you bring in the rest of the elements.

Here’s how to do it: for Fire, use the color red and set up some good lighting.  Bring in Earth with clay pots or square decorative tiles, and Metal with white flowers, rounded shapes and metallic objects.  Curving shapes — or fountains, of course — enhance the Water element, symbolically nourishing the Wood plants, and bringing the elements full circle.

In future posts I’ll write about enhancing the garden’s bagua and balancing Yin & Yang.  Meanwhile have a great weekend and enjoy your garden, large or small!

Red columbine for Feng Shui Fire.

Feng Shui Myth-Busting: Under the Bed

Does Feng Shui really require you to keep the area under your bed completely clear?

This is one of the most common assumptions I run into, and it’s so firmly entrenched that it actually generates controversy from time to time!

Feng Shui only asks that “chi energy” circulate freely in your space. This means no clutter, doors and windows that open and close completely (to welcome and retain opportunities), and that you feel safe and comfortable, surrounded by things you love and use.

If you need the space under your bed for storage, as many of us do here in NYC, by all means use it. Only be careful to store things with Intention, making sure they’re energetically clear. Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts for under-bed storage:

Don’t store:

• souvenirs or memorabilia, like photos or old clothes
• shoes, whether worn or unworn
• off-season clothing
• “clutter,” meaning anything else you’re just not ready to deal with right now.

Do store (neatly!):

• bed linens
• blankets & pillows
• things you use for sleeping

Keep the area under your bed clean and tidy, whether you’re storing things there or not.  You’ll sleep more peacefully, guaranteed.

The drawers under my bed, storing blankets & quilts

American Flag Feng Shui

Wow — Memorial Day is here already! I guess that means summer is here? It’s really hot today so it definitely feels that way, although I’m happy that the weather’s supposed to mellow by Monday. (Don’t forget to water!)

This is the weekend when the American flag starts to appear in force, and in many places it stays up right through the summer. The symbolism of the flag is very powerful and auspicious in our culture, and in Feng Shui as well.

In Feng Shui the colors red, white & blue represent the elements of Fire (red, symbolizing reason, respect & principle), Metal (white, for confidence & focus) and Water (dark blue, for trust & clarity).

The star shapes bring in even more of the Fire element, while the horizontal stripes symbolize Earth, the element of stability and harmony.

The only missing element is that of Wood, the “vertical” element representing growth & vitality. But as soon as the flag goes up on a flagpole, Wood takes its place.

I guess it’s not surprising that our flag, and the way it’s most commonly displayed, represent the great balance that our country stands for in the world. I’m glad to think that our tradition of balance is intact, difficult as it sometimes is to maintain.

Happy Memorial Day!

Feng Shui on the Park Slope House Tour

On Sunday we went on the Park Slope (Brooklyn) House Tour, one of my favorite events of the year. It always happens on the Sunday after Mother’s Day, so I have this day planned out months ahead of time .

I love it because it’s enlightening and educational to go into so many homes in a single day, experiencing the variety of ways in which people live their lives. In this neighborhood, which is also where I live, it’s particularly interesting because most of the homes were built within a few years of each other, from about 1885 to 1895, and are mostly brownstones with floorplans that are identical (or close).

So it’s fascinating to walk into one and feel instantly at home, while others make me want to run away screaming because they’re so “chic” that they’re cold and inhospitable, or so overstuffed with Victoriana that I feel claustrophobic.

How do you know if a home has good Feng Shui? It’s a good sign when you walk in to discover a chair you want to sit down in right away to enjoy a good book or conversation.

Out of the nine homes we saw on Sunday there were only three with truly “good Feng Shui”. It seemed to me that there’s a lot of opportunity for enhancement, even in this most beautiful of neighborhoods.

Can’t wait for next year’s tour!

The Worst Name for a File

Can you find the papers you need when you need them? Here’s a quick tip for making sure you always can: NEVER use the word “Miscellaneous” to name a file!

Files with vague names like “Miscellaneous” cause file drawers to become overstuffed — which of course is a version of “stuck chi”. You may remember what’s in there right now, but in a couple of months it will become impossible to recall and that piece of paper will be lost forever.

Give your files specific names and save yourself time and aggravation down the line. It’s important that good chi energy is flowing in your file drawers just like anywhere else!

A happy file drawer