Feng Shui for Troubled Times

Authentic Feng Shui balances both visible and invisible energies. This is a critical difference from hobbyist or “do it yourself” Feng Shui that concentrates on changing what is visible about your environment — the arrangement of furniture, for example. In contrast, a professional practitioner of authentic Feng Shui also manages the powerful unseen energies in an environment and this is how it is possible to bring about almost miraculous results.

Still, with the economy pumping so much uncertainty and anxiety into the environment, it’s important to do all you can to create a supportive and protective environment. If you can’t immediately tap the expertise of a professional Feng Shui consultant, here are some common-sense ways to address — and improve — the visible energies in your home or office.

1. Create a clean and orderly environment. With all that’s going on in the outside world, it’s smart to make your interior world as stress-free as possible, and that starts by removing all visible signs of clutter, unfinished tasks, disorder and disrepair. There’s no need to put on white gloves and spend every spare moment cleaning. However, the cleaner and clearer your rooms, the better air currents — and energy — will flow. As a result, you will feel calmer, safer and more productive. The reason is that everything, from a piece of paper to a dirty pot in the sink, has an energetic vibration. When there are too many objects in a room, there is simply too much vibration. This makes it difficult for you to concentrate and can leave you feeling anxious, pressured and cranky.

2. Lighten your rooms — and your mood. With so much bad news coming at you from every direction, it’s easy to feel down and depressed. Did you know that spending too much time in dark rooms can actually contribute to depression, aching bones and other ailments? Let the sunshine in! Sunlight actually stimulates the optic nerve and tells the brain whether to produce serotonin (the wake-up, feel-good hormone) or melatonin (the time-to-sleep hormone). Sunlight is also a natural disinfectant that warms, brightens, and kills mold, mildew and germs. Light is a yang (vibrant) energy and in these tough times you want to bring in all the light you can to tip the balance away from living in an overly yin environment. Add a skylight if you can! If not, pull back the blinds, clean your windows, and turn up the lights. Full-spectrum light bulbs are wonderful since they reproduce the quality of natural sunlight and its positive effective on your body and mood.

3. Make peace with your décor! Conflicting colors and patterns not only conflict with each other — they can put you in conflict with your environment. Their warring vibrations constantly jar your eye, making you feel anxious and irritable. Plus, constantly looking at conflicting colors and patterns will strain your eyes (creating fatigue and headaches) and, over time, put pressure on your liver. Headaches, anxiety and health issues are the last things you need: make it a priority to surround yourself with colors and patterns that are in harmony with one another — and with you.

4. An eyesore is an eyesore. Anything that you see in your environment that bothers you will eventually depress your immune system. Get rid of those eye sores: chipped dishes, torn clothing, frayed or stained furniture, etc. And if you have an “eye sore view” from your window, immediately hang sheer curtains to block the view while still filling your room with beneficial light.

5. De-clutter your mind. A cluttered home or business creates a disorganized mind. And a disorganized mind usually does not handle stress well, nor can you think clearly. Clutter literally clogs your home with energy that may cause depression and an out-of-control feeling. Not being able to find your things can subconsciously send the message that you’re failing. Sometimes you allow clutter simply because you are just too exhausted to do anything about it. The irony is that it is often the clutter itself that is inciting this feeling of fatigue. Free yourself from clutter so things can begin to open up in your home — and in your life.

Remember, what’s visible in your environment is always a manifestation of what’s going on inside. The good news is that you can also use this principle in reverse! When you feel inner turbulence, use that anxious energy to transform your external environment: clean, clear away clutter, brighten, and beautify! You’ll be amazed at the immediate changes you begin to experience in how your environment looks and in how you feel.

(c) 2008 Rupal Mehta Turner