Looming over us at the bottom of the bed and impossible to get away from, this television had terrible Feng Shui.

Our huge hotel-room TV, “Before”

An EMF-emitting TV this close to your head or feet as you sleep can have damaging health effects so I try to blunt the impact whenever I can.

 I started by unplugging the TV from the wall.

Then, to soften its aggressive Chi energy and the visual impact of the black, hard-edged TV, I grabbed one of the guest towels and covered it up as we slept:

Whew, what a difference!

No blinking lights, no hard reflections, no looming black square to greet us when we awakened in the morning.

We slept a delicious deep sleep, waking up refreshed and ready for some vacation adventure. 

Happily, we stayed in this room for just one night. The TV just wasn’t an issue in the other places we stayed during our travels.

Would you try out this hotel-room Feng Shui adjustment when you’re on the road? Let me know!

In terms of Feng Shui we are entering the season of the Fire element.

It’s the culmination of the most Yang cycle of the year as he sun approaches its zenith during the summer solstice in just a few weeks.

There are lots of ways to connect this moment of the year to your interest in Feng Shui.

• For instance, did you know that the American flag has great Feng Shui? 
• Will you be traveling?  Here are my tips for good Feng Shui when you’re on vacation.
• And be sure to make appropriate summer changes to your diet, refreshing yourself with an abundance of fresh fruits and veggies!
• Maybe you’ll be going to a wedding, or getting married yourself?  Here are just a few of my Feng Shui wedding tips.
• Finally, don’t forget to honor the meaning of the day by taking a moment to remember and appreciate loved ones you’ve lost. Celebrating their memory brings a bit of quiet Yin into what’s traditionally a very Yang weekend.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday whatever you’re doing, and wherever you are!

courtesy of art.com

It’s time for a winter break, so I’ll be out of town next week, absorbing the sunny Chi energy in Key West, Florida. I’ll be returning to the office on Tuesday, February 21.

While I’m away be on the lookout for a few surprise guest posts from some of my favorite folks. I think you’ll enjoy them — be sure to let me know.

Until then, here’s to good Chi!

Please post your own thoughts about all this in the Comments!

* The science of environmental psychology is beginning to confirm some of Feng Shui’s most treasured concepts. For example, Jan Cisek explained, sitting with your back to the door releases the stress hormone cortisol, whereas sitting facing the door releases the “love” hormone, oxytocin.

This supports Feng Shui’s idea of placing your furniture in the Command Position.

* Thinking of adding an aquarium for good Chi in your space? Jan cited a survey of pet-owners, which found that folks who own fish were the happiest.

Goldfish in a Feng Shui aquarium

* What is Feng Shui?  The “gathering of Chi,” according to metaphysics researcher KB Lim, who came all the way from Singapore to speak.  “Good” Feng Shui occurs when Chi gathers easily and gracefully; “bad” Feng Shui when Chi opposes itself.
I love this new way of looking at Feng Shui.

*The Indian science of Vaastu (pronounced Wah-stew) has fewer parallels with Feng Shui than is commonly believed.  For example, Raymond Catchpole explained, it uses a Five Elements system, but the elements and their symbolism differ from those in Feng Shui.

* Foods grown organically have a much larger, smoother and more active energy field than those grown non-organically, as can be seen via the Kirlian photography shown us by scientist Harry Oldfield.

You can be sure I’ll be using only organically-grown oranges in my Space-Clearing ceremonies from now on.

* Finally, we gained insights into the history of the Luo Pan Feng Shui compass from earth-energy expert Richard Creightmore, and learned about Peach-Blossom Feng Shui from Vancouver Feng Shui consultant Jerry King.

A Luo Pan, the Feng Shui compass

It was a wonderful day of learning and information, wouldn’t you agree? Here’s to the lifelong learning that IS Feng Shui!

(Kirlian photo courtesy of Feed Your Imagination)

Here are the first of my top takeaways from a fantastic day, which I hope you will find useful as well

(You can go on to read London Feng Shui Conference – Part 2 here.)

* Every space, occupied or not, is packed with energy — the energy of past inhabitants and their experiences, the energy of the land underneath the property, and so on.

* The concepts of Yin & Yang have been applied throughout architectural history to create a sense of wholeness and balance in buildings.

You can see this in such iconic buildings as Chartres Cathedral, as shown by Feng Shui architect Christian Kyriacou.

Chartres Cathedral labyrinth: Yin & Yang.

* Why do some cities become so mighty? Feng Shui Master Sarah McAllister explained three powerful cities: Teheran, the “overheated” capital of Iran; Kyoto, the gentle former capital of Japan; and London, whose financial strength is due to its “gathering Chi:” gentle surrounding hills and nourishing river.

* Locate the best energy in a place by finding where the oldest churches were placed!

Chartres Cathedral: good Feng Shui!

* What are the two most important places in your life?  Your bed and your desk, because that’s where you’re likely to spend the majority of your time.

The conference was packed with these kinds of insights.

You can go on to read more about it in London Feng Shui Conference – Part 2.

Were you at this conference, or past Feng Shui Society conferences? Please leave your thoughts in the Comments!

I’m off to the fabulous city of London today to build my Knowledge & Self Cultivation at the annual conference of the Feng Shui Society.

The program looks fascinating, with international experts covering diverse topics from Dowsing to Vastu to the Feng Shui of Powerful Cities.

(I sure will be disappointed if NYC isn’t on that list )

I look forward to sharing all my new insights with you as soon as I return in the middle of next week.

And if you happen to be in London over the weekend please let me know — I would love to connect with you!

So — how can you create good Feng Shui in a hotel room, where the furniture can’t be moved and the windows may not even open?

The atmosphere and furnishings may be stale and outdated, but it’s still very possible to bring good Chi energy with you wherever you go.

Here are my five best tips for creating good Feng Shui in hotels and guest rooms.

Ahh, the glories of travel!

• Personalize your room with a “Feng Shui Travel Kit.” Mine contains a tea-light candle & holder, a small stuffed animal to keep me company, and a scarf with all 5 Elements colors in it to lift the Chi and remind me of home.
• A small water spray re-ionizes the air, creating a wonderfully fresh feeling in the room.
• Anchor yourself as you come and go by setting up a spot near the door for keys and other easy-to-lose essentials.
• For stays of longer than one night, consider changing the light bulbs in your room to brighten the space and bring in a better quality of Fire energy.
• Move the furniture around a bit.  Can you set up a chair in the Command Position, or otherwise improve the flow of the room?
• Air out the room: bring in fresh Chi by opening the windows (if it’s possible to do so.)
• Add Wood vitality with a small bunch of fresh flowers from the corner store.

What are your best Feng Shui travel secrets? Send them along to share them in the comments

Happy Trails!

In his case study about this beautiful addition to the London skyline, my esteemed London colleague Aroon Ajmera explains how the Eye embodies Feng Shui’s Five Elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water — in its shapes, materials and even the power required to run it.

Aroon also points out how the designers — wittingly or unwittingly! — created healthy Chi energy by taking full advantage of the Feng Shui’s Bagua Map. You can follow his analysis on your own Bagua if you like.

One point I would add is that the spectacular circular shape represents the symbol for Heaven on the Bagua, which is associated with the Travel/Helpful People sector.

Could there be a more perfect symbol for such a successful tourist attraction, that attracts visitors from all over the world, every day?

Here, the soaring Cathedral Woods inspired me with the vitality, dignity and flexibility of the Wood element.

For a nice soft example of the Fire element, I found brilliant red roses, fading in the afternoon sun at the end of a hot summer’s day:

As for Metal, just look at these beautiful round stones I was lucky enough to cozy up to one day!

We were surrounded by Water, as far as the eye could see.  Here was the scene during a storm: swirling waves, fog and mist, and not much of a view at all.

Water at its most dangerous -- and magnificent.

I was especially excited to come across what might be my dream Feng Shui house (from the outside at least )

Beautiful!

The house is nestled into a gentle slope with a great view of the water; the front path guides Chi energy around a few turns as it leads to the house; beautiful planters are welcoming to one and all.

Finally, just for fun — I spotted a Feng Shui license plate with much better Chi than the plate I saw last year!

How was your summer? Did you have any Feng Shui adventures you’d like to share?

I suspected this because Bath has been a popular spa going all the way back to AD 43, when the Romans harnessed its hot springs for bathing and celebrating the goddess of good health (“Aquae Sulis”.)

During the 18th century Bath saw the creation of some amazing and unique architecture, culminating in the Royal Crescent, whose welcoming design has been attracting the wealthiest of residents ever since.

Standing at the Crescent, I felt welcomed and enveloped by its warm presence.

Its outstretched semi-circular arms, beautiful yellow stone and symmetrical design add up to a feeling of peace and well-being.

The Crescent also has a large, open frontage facing south with a wonderful view of a river and hills in the distance.

In Feng Shui this situation is called a Ming Tang, or “bright hall,” whose function is to welcome positive Chi energy, giving it a chance to settle before it enters your home or office.

As soon as I got home I checked out the Ming Tang of my own entryway (!) clearing excess stuff and freshening up the artwork in the hallway.

Is there anything you can think of to do to “bring a little Bath” into your space?

photo from the air courtesy of Valerie Wills Interiors.