Law of Attraction and Manifesting Your Desires

A growing number of people across the nation are exploring the ancient art of Feng Shui as they design both interior and exterior spaces. This centuries-old practice involves using color, materials and object placement to enhance positive energy, or “Chi,” in homes and offices.

“People are often surprised at how incorporating Feng Shui into their design choices can have a positive impact on their lives,” says Linda Binns, executive director of the Feng Shui Success Institute and a certified Feng Shui practitioner. “By considering how various objects and colors affect the environment, we can direct energy to work for us in supporting our life goals.”

Binns notes that use of color is an important, but often overlooked, consideration in creating a space with plenty of positive energy. “There is a whole science that focuses on how color affects us. Certain colors are stimulating while other colors are calming,” she says. “We also have to bear in mind that the use of colors in one culture may be completely different in another.” For example, white is often a key color at weddings in Western cultures because it is symbolic of purity and new beginnings. However, in China white is associated with death and is worn at funerals. In India, red is the most prevalent wedding color.

Personal preference and cultural norms are important considerations when working with color in Feng Shui. Colors that have any sort of negative connotation for the building’s occupants should be avoided in decorating. However, some general rules do apply when choosing colors for various parts of a home.

There are several ways to think about color in Feng Shui. The first is in terms of color’s connection to the five elements - fire, earth, metal, wood and water. Feng Shui practitioners work to balance the presence of these elements in order to bring a sense of balance to a home, and each element is associated with specific colors. “We instinctively feel most comfortable when all elements are present in a room, often through a combination of using items that are composed of the elements themselves and using the colors that represent them,” Binns says.

The colors associated with each element are: red spectrum for fire; yellow, gold and earth tones for earth; white and pastels for metal; blue and green for wood; and black or very dark tones for water.

Binns advises her clients to make sure they do not overdo any one element in a particular space. For example, bathrooms, by their very nature, contain an abundance of water. Using black or very dark colors adds even more elemental water to the space, which can result in a sense of passive fluidity and lack of structure for the home’s occupants.

Another example is the overuse of wood. Many new homes feature hardwood floors, which create an overabundance of wood when paired with wooden furniture, predominantly blue or green furnishings and lots of plants. Feng Shui practitioners warn that too much wood in a home can cause the occupants to feel overwhelmed. “Creating a good balance with all five of the elements will not only help us to feel better, it can help us to be more successful in life as well,” Binns says.

Another way to use color in Feng Shui is to focus on enhancing specific life areas with the colors that represent those areas. For this, practitioners use a “Bagua,” which is an energy layout of a space that identifies specific areas that correspond to various parts of the occupants’ lives. (See illustration.)

Wealth & Prosperity Colors: purple, green, blue, red Fame & Reputation Red Love & Marriage Pink, white, red
Health & Family Blue, Green Unity Yellow, earth tones Creativity & Children White, pastel colors
Knowledge & Self-Cultivation Blue, green, black Career Black, very dark tones Helpful People & Travel Gray, black, white

ENTRANCE

Although each area of the Bagua corresponds to a complementary color, simply using one or more accents in the appropriate color may be enough to enhance the area and encourage the flow of Chi, Binns says. In fact, the best color choices often combine the personal favorites of the occupants with the colors used in Feng Shui.

When assessing spaces with Feng Shui in mind, it is also important to consider color choices in relation to a room’s primary purpose. For example, adults’ bedrooms are for rest and relaxation. Therefore, the best bedroom colors are calming, muted tones. Green and blue are good choices for children’s bedrooms because these colors encourage growth and development. However, hyperactive children often do better in rooms that use earth tones and muted yellows, which have a grounding effect.

Red is often considered to be the color of choice for a “Feng Shui-friendly” space. But Binns cautions against tossing around too many red throw pillows. “It is true that red is often used in Feng Shui as an ‘activating’ color,” she says. “It is a high energy and very auspicious color and therefore may be recommended. But it’s definitely not always the only option. For instance, you may have heard that it is good to have a red front door. This does not mean that you absolutely must have a red front door in order to create positive energy. Red may not be your favorite color and may not match the rest of the house.”

However, it is not a bad idea to have at least a splash of red by your main entrance. This can be achieved with red flowers, a welcome mat with red accents or a wreath with a red ribbon on the door. “Remember, the most important thing is personal preference when it comes to color - do not use a color that you do not like just because you think it would be ‘good Feng Shui’,” Binns says.

Tags: Bagua, Feng Shui, feng shui colors, feng shui practitioners, linda binns, positive energy, sense of balance

I remember one of the first things I learned about money was don’t count on it. Did you ever notice just when you thought you would actually not only meet all your bills but have a little left over to actually indulge yourself in something good, something happens that removes it before we’ve ever even seen it? The car will break down, the plumbing will leak and the list goes on.

In Feng Shui we designate certain areas of the Bagua to our money concerns and enhancing them will certainly help us hold onto it and even help us bring about prosperity into our lives. However, before we use the bagua to help utilize and create additional wealth, lets take a look at how we handle money.

For example, you’re online at the grocery store and there is a line, the cashier is impatient and you’re packing as fast as you can. Do you ever look at your change or take a minute to put your change away properly? Oftentimes it will just get pushed in our pockets without a thought except to get out of there. In Feng Shui Principles, this is actually disrespectful of your money. Try to step aside for a moment, put your money away properly and you can then also see at a glance about how much you have.

Keep an eye out that you’re only buying necessities. When times are a little difficult financially, try to remember the difference between what you really need and what you would like to have. Buy only the necessities during this time so you can have some left over for another necessity that will surely pop up before your next pay day. Doing without some of the little things for a time will benefit you in the long run and leave you less stressed.

Although you may not know because you don’t want to know, keep account of what you’re charging instead of just checking the statement at the end of the month. Knowing the state of your true financial affairs include those credit cards which can get out of hand without you’re even realizing it. Check on your balances periodically during the month by just calling the number on the back of the card to see your true balance that month of how you are doing financially.

Keep track of not only your “regular” bills but also the ones that come every six months or so, like car insurance. Being somewhat prepared for that extra money during certain months will help you to hopefully be mindful in trying to put away some money toward them so you will not feel strapped because you forgot they were due.

Of course there are many other ways to cut down even slightly on your spending. Remove services you can do without, invest in a lawnmower and do your own maintenance, think hard if you really need that expensive dinner out with friends or if you’d be just as happy to see them afterward for coffee or a drink. The list is long if you really think about it.
Now to Bagua your home in every sense of the word. Think of the Bagua as a layout that you can place over anything: an entire home or business including the property, a room or just a desk. You can use the Bagua in a very large space or a very small one.

Certain areas are dedicated to parts of the Bagua. For example, the center always represents health. Stand at the front of your home and the left back area will be your “money” area. This is the area, from an exterior that we want to enhance. If no money is coming in, you might want to use something that “moves” in that area to get your money moving in. Feng Shui colors for this area are Green (The Color of Money) and Purple as an accent color. So you might want to use something as simple as a Green Windsock, keeping your Intention that you would like money to start coming in by signifying movement and color. Intention creates the Energy behind it so be sure to have that in place.

You can do the same inside your house as well. Stand at the Front Door and look to your back left. Here you may want to use a fountain or green, lush plants. Remember to keep your intentions clear.

And at work or your office desk at home if you have one would require something of the same nature. Feng Shui uses a three-legged Frog to help bring in the money and this can be used on something as small as a desk. You can get a money envelope or make one yourself by coloring an envelope RED, infuse it with your intention and put three like coins in them. As always, keep your intentions clear as Feng Shui Principles dictate that our Intentions are 90% of the actual “cure.”

One thing to remember when you are using something moving: when the money does start to come in (and it will), you won’t want it moving right out again. Now is the time to replace a moving object to another area you might like to get moving and put something heavy (be it a rock or a paperweight) to stabilize your finances. You don’t want to keep the money flowing at this point as it will likely flow back out!

Making some simple changes in the way you look at money and the way you treat it and implement some easy changes around your home and business just might turn your finances around! Give it a try and you’ll be surprised what you can create.

Author: Carole Provenzale
Founder, Feng Shui Long Island, est. 1997
www.FengShuiLI.com
FengShuiLI@aol.com

Tags: Bagua, feng shui principles, financial affairs, prosperity