What do you think of this bedroom?

Let’s count the aspects of Bad Feng Shui:

• The platform. In and of itself this is not necessarily bad Feng Shui, but this platform contains books, LPs, and maybe even electronics – way too much activity underneath a bed!
• The bedside accessories. There appears to be a gigantic stereo/TV receiver right next to the bed, sending intense electromagnetic waves at the sleepers’ heads all through the night.
• The mirror. I don’t know why a mirror sits in that particular position, but just imagine how disturbing it must be to catch its off-center reflections during the night.
• A LOG appears to be falling down over the bed! Axe-like, this decorative feature could hardly be more threatening.

And there’s more: the metal rack, the lack of comfy rugs, the mysterious black shelves…..

What do you think? Is this bedroom salvageable?

(Photo credit: theplatformbed.com)

But setting up a home office with good Feng Shui that supports your success can be challenging.

Here’s a typical home office setup that does not meet Feng Shui requirements and is likely to dampen creativity and productivity:

Shoved into a corner with his (or her) back to the door and the desk facing out the window, this person is positioned exactly backwards from a Feng Shui perspective.

Far from being a quiet, serene place to work, the desk placement makes the person vulnerable to real distractions outside the window as well as potential ones in back of him, out of his line of vision.

I don’t see any task lighting on the desk, either, so actual working conditions here are far from ideal.

(At the very least I’d suggest adding a lamp and placing a mirror on the desk to reflect any action behind him.)

But here’s an example of a home office with wonderful Feng Shui:

Despite the tiny space, this person has designed her home office to demonstrate that she’s firmly in charge of her work life.

Her desk is “in command,” the space is organized to support her work, and the homemade mobiles activate Chi energy in what might otherwise be a dead end location in her home.

She also has good light sources, both natural and artificial, to support her work.

The only thing missing is a computer, but wireless connections, tablets and the like make that a non-issue in most offices today.

What do you think? Which home office would you prefer to work in?

(Photo credits: Dierken and Fernanda Mancini on Flickr.)

Dining rooms are important in Feng Shui because they mean so much to our health and well-being. 

Here’s an example of a dining room that I just love.  It’s serene and inviting, while also expressing abundance and good health.

It has good Feng Shui! Here’s why:

• The dining chairs are sturdy and have been carefully chosen for their curved edges that invite family and friends to sit down and share a meal.
• The chairs serve another important function, shielding diners from “sha chi” (poison arrows) of the sharp edges of the glass table. The table would be less threatening with a cloth that drapes over the edges.
• Big glass patio doors invite the abundance and healthful aspects of nature into the room.  It looks as though these are screen doors, so in nice weather the room would have a lovely indoor/outdoor feel.
• The artwork is nicely balanced and unique, adding an important personal feeling to the room.
• Most importantly, the large mirror plays a big part in creating good Feng Shui. It reflects the abundance of the meals that are served, while in between meals – as when this photo was taken – it acts as a window, reflecting the greenery outside and bringing nature into the room.

The Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water) can all be found here as well: Wood in the plantings; Fire in the lamp; Earth in the calming colors; Metal in the table legs and white accents; and Water in the mirror and glass table. (Find out more about the Five Elements here.)

What else about this dining room says “abundance” to you?

If you haven’t already, take a moment now to set up your dining room to have good Feng Shui for your holiday celebrations.

You’ll give the gift of positive Chi to all your visitors, whether they know what “Chi” is or not!

(Photo credit: chesapeakebaydiary)

Why? Check out the Feng Shui impact of mirrors in your bedroom.

Most mirrors are easy enough to remove to another place in your home, even if it’s simply to the hallway just outside your bedroom door.

But what is the Feng Shui impact when your bedroom closets have mirrored sliding doors? 

Mirrored doors are a vast surface of glass in your bedroom: hard, reflective Yang energy that can spoil the nurturing atmosphere you need for intimacy, relaxation, and a good night’s sleep.

If replacing the doors isn’t an option, you can still create good Feng Shui in your bedrroom.

1. Consider clever ways to disguise them by covering the glass surface, as in the photo below.

 These doors are covered with beautiful grass-cloth, which has the additional benefit of bringing a bit of nature into the room. However there is still an element of hardness to this solution, so I prefer idea #2,

2. Cover the doors with curtains you can close at night.

This photo shows the soft wall of texture that beautiful curtains can create, a big improvement over hard mirrors or doors.

Select a beautiful fabric that enhances your bedroom. Lightweight curtains you can easily open by day and which completely cover the mirrors when it’s time to relax at night are ideal.

The Feng Shui benefits of covering your mirrored closet doors will be immediately apparent in things like better sleep and enhanced intimacy with your partner.

Cover the doors to enhance your life immediately.

(Photos courtesy of houzz.com, dowithlove, and closets-organizer)

“If mirrors are a Feng Shui no-no in the bedroom, where is a good place to hang them?”

It’s true that Feng Shui frowns upon mirrors in bedrooms, especially if you suffer from insomnia or wish to make your bedroom into an intimate sanctuary.

But in just about every other part of your home, mirrors are one of Feng Shui’s main tools for creating positive energy.

• Mirrors add light – so they are wonderful Chi enhancers for dark rooms and hallways.
• Mirrors expand your space – so use them to enlarge a small room.
• Mirrors magnify what they reflect – so place them opposite a beautiful, abundant view — a view of nature or your abundant dining table, for instance.
• Mirrors reflect you – so hang mirrors that make you feel whole.
• Mirrors add depth – so use one to “fill in” a missing Bagua area.

How do you use mirrors to enhance your life? 

(photo by camil tulcan)

Here’s a brief review of key Feng Shui objects you need to know, the most appropriate adjustments you can place to anchor your Intention in every situation.

This elegant bamboo fountain brings a calming element to any room, soothing nerves and restoring the spirit. Available from our affiliate partner Serenity Health.

1. Water Features – As one of Feng Shui’s Five Elements, Water is always a welcome way to generate a sense of movement and flow. To keep your life moving in your desired direction, place a water feature near your front door, inside or out. To attract the most nourishing Chi, place your fountain so the water flows in towards your home, rather than away from it.

2. Mirrors – often called the “aspirin of Feng Shui,” mirrors bring light into a space, reflect the beauty around you, and create dimension, especially when a Bagua area is missing from your space. Here’s more about the proper use of mirrors in Feng Shui.

3. Lights– Lift the Chi of any area with good-quality lighting.  From candles to reading lamps, and from chandeliers to torchieres, lights attract attention and life, creating an attractive place for Chi energy to circulate.

4. Crystals – Crystals contain a power within them that cannot be duplicated with any other object.  Hang a clear faceted crystal in your window to attract the sparkle of the sun and its full color spectrum into your space. 

Crystals from the earth such as quartz or amethyst are an important source of Earth energy that bring a sense of groundedness to your life.

5. Sound Makers – Sound-makers such as wind chimes are a classic Feng Shui adjustment that stir up energy in areas that would otherwise feel lifeless.  Hung indoors they lift the Chi of your space, while outdoors they attract Chi to your door.  Here’s more on using wind chimes as a Feng Shui adjustment.

6. Objects with Movement – Mobiles, colorful flags and “wind-dancers” activate Chi energy in a beautiful, mesmerizing way.  Flags can also be placed strategically to complete the shape of your home’s Bagua map if it is missing a sector.  Here’s more on missing Bagua areas.

My winter windowsill.

7. Living Things – There’s a wide range of living things you can bring into your space to activate Chi. From live plants to well-loved pets, living things require your attention, which is a natural source of positive energy. 

If you can’t have living things in your space – lack of light, or perhaps your building doesn’t allow pets – representations of living things will do, such as high-quality artificial plants and pictures of animals.  For the best Chi energy results, be sure to keep your living things clean and fresh.

8. Artwork – Art is one of the most important of Feng Shui’s Chi adjustments because it is so universal, yet so personal.  Look around your home right now to make sure the art you’re living with makes you feel great every time you see it.

It’s always better to have no art at all than art that depresses your spirits. If something is dragging you down, remove it from your sight and see how much better you feel.

9. Solid and Heavy Objects – Heavy things anchor Chi energy.  When you have the sense that your life is directionless, or feel that your intentions need an extra boost, place a weighty object in the Bagua sector you are focusing on.  A heavy plant, a beautiful piece of heavy crystal, even an extra-heavy piece of furniture will do.

With every Feng Shui Chi adjustment, your Intention gives them their power. 

Place the objects with your intentions firmly in mind to do the best job of anchoring or activating the blessings of Chi energy in your life.

As I love to say, Feng Shui is a set of tools, NOT a set of rules.  Feng Shui offers so many wonderful tools including the Bagua Energy Map, the Five Elements, beneficial furniture arrangement ideas and more. Add these “Chi Adjustments” to your own Feng Shui toolkit to bring the best possible enhancements to your space.

Please let me know if you’d like some help figuring out the adjustments that are exactly right for you and your situation.

I’ve written many posts about finding love with Feng Shui. But Feng Shui for romance is sometimes more than looking at the Bagua, arranging furniture or choosing the right colors. 

Overall its goal is to help you achieve happiness and success in every part of your life, so sometimes we need to step back look at the “big picture” of Feng Shui. 

In terms of Feng Shui, the best thing to do when you’re looking for love is to Love Yourself.

Look at this sweet and innocent child, who sees himself in the mirror and isn’t at all shy about loving himself!

This kind of “true love” attracts smiles and love from every adult in his world — it’s a healthy self-regard that will eventually evolve into the vital ability to love others as well.

In fact this is one of the reasons that mirrors are so important and widely used in Feng Shui — they remind you of who you are, and to take the best possible care of yourself.

There are as many ways to love yourself as there are things you enjoy doing. 

• Satisfy your curiosity by taking classes, exploring new places, attending lectures and other events.
• Indulge in your favorite foods — in moderation, perhaps — and share them with friends.
• Awaken your inner child by making a nice long list of the things you loved to do when you were young.  Surprise yourself by doing some of them again!
• Appreciate the things you’re grateful for by keeping a Gratitude Journal — listing just five things you’re grateful for each day can be enough to keep you smiling and contented. 

A happy person attracts other happy people — one of whom could become that “special someone” in your life.

What are your favorite ways to treat yourself like the special person you are?

(Photo courtesy of Leslie Mann)

In this post we’ll examine Feng Shui adjustments to make inside your home to compensate for missing areas.

Missing Bagua areas matter because they signify a missing piece of your life.

Your goal is to create a complete shape for the Bagua map — and thus bring a sense of wholeness to your life.

Here is a floor plan with a few missing areas, and suggested ways to make adjustments that create positive Feng Shui.

• “Extend the view” from adjacent rooms, either by hanging a mirror on the wall that abuts the missing area, or by placing a super-shiny object there to attract light and energy to the missing space.

• Hang art with depth on adjacent walls. You can also extend a view by hanging artwork with visual depth on the wall adjacent to the missing area.  I’ve seen this work well with landscapes and abstract art, which attract the eye and take it into the distance.

• Activate the missing area’s energy in nearby Bagua areas.  For example, if your Career area is missing (as mine is in my apartment), compensate by placing that area’s enhancements near to where the area should be.  In my case, I’ve placed a water fountain (affiliate link) and small rug there to activate my Feng Shui career!

• Enhance the missing areas in individual rooms. It’s always important to enhance missing areas in the individual rooms of your home.  Stand in the doorway of key rooms like your living room and bedroom to identify the areas of the Bagua.  Now you can easily activate and anchor any areas that may be missing elsewhere in your home.

I receive many, many questions on this topic!  Please let me know yours!

In Feng Shui the entryway is extremely important because Chi energy enters here to begin its nourishing circuit around your space.

So the “right” art is essential here. It needs to attract good energy as well as set the tone for the experience you, your visitors, and Chi will have within the home.

A watercolor painting of river rocks.

The best Feng Shui art also serves as a guide in the entryway, indicating which way to move once inside: to the right, left, or straight ahead?

The Water element is always associated with the entry to a space because of the flow of energy through the front door.

This elegant bamboo fountain brings an elegant water element to any room, soothing nerves and restoring the spirit. Available from our affiliate partner Serenity Health.

So the best Feng Shui art for your front entry will be connected with water.  This gives you a lot of flexibility since the Water element is represented by undulating, sinous shapes, mirrors and glass, the color black, and of course water itself.

Here are a few specific ideas that will attract the best Feng Shui to your door:

• An undulating landscape or painting of a beautiful flowing river.
• Abstract art that includes sinuous shapes.
• A beautiful mirror.
• A welcoming carpet with dark colors or winding shapes within it.
• Any art that’s associated with water: a painting of river rocks, for example.
• A small water feature, such as a fountain.

Use your imagination and have fun selecting the “just right” piece of art for your entry.

Do you have something wonderful in your entryway?  Please share the love in the Comments!

Here are my top quick and easy tips for improving the Feng Shui of your home or office in almost the blink of an eye!

1. Refresh your entryway: Improve your Chi energy by clearing out the stuff that’s been sitting there for months, waiting for just this moment.
2. Attend to your mirrors: remove one from your bedroom and place it elsewhere, or hang a new one to reflect a beautiful view.
3. Organize one cluttered drawer: honestly — it just takes 10 minutes! Try it and see



4. Repot one plant: add new vitality to your space by giving it room to grow.
5. Move 27 things, focusing especially on the Bagua area you’re most concerned about in your life right now.
6. Hang a crystal in a sunny window to activate Chi energy throughout your home or office.
7. Give your kitchen counters a thorough cleaning and see how little stuff you really have to put back!
8. Hang up a recent “rave review” to get your innerChi energy moving. A note from a friend, a positive performance review — you’ll give yourself a boost when you look at it every day.
9. Put on your favorite song — and DANCE!

What are some of your favorite 10-minute tips? Please share them in the Comments!

(illustration courtesy of canstockphoto.com)