Feng Shui “my way” is art and science based on tradition, using feng shui tools supported by modern research to create environments that make you feel better in your place. There are many other “schools” of feng shui that employ spiritual cures and blessings and other superstitious elements that I ardently avoid for a multitude of reasons. My mission is to bring you the gorgeous good stuff- beautiful, artful and effective ways to change your space without any religious or “transcendental” connotations. The feng shui basics you find here will give you a greater sense of how you can personalize your environment to make it feel (and look!) even better! Feng Shui 101 will give you a good concept of feng shui terms like the bagua, yin and yang, the five elements and other “technical” feng shui terms so that you can understand and assimilate them in your life.
When things are static, stuck, not feeling or looking like “you”… you may be due for a little home upgrade. True: you may be due for a big upgrade, but if you are not quite ready to make the plunge into a big redecorating situation for whatever reason, small upgrades can do huge things for any space. Above, you can see the dramatic “repainted” effect a wall gets when you add some great art. You can make the art. You can find it at thrift stores. You can collect artists you love. But just adding this art is a huge upgrade that isn’t a major headache to accomplish. But… even the fabulous ikat pillow is a big upgrade that is small. Here are a few more easy but major upgrades you might find make a world of difference in your home! Continue Reading…
The office cubicle is a mind-numbing concept: no natural light, no real walls, no real defined space, noise flying everywhere…!!! I am not sure how anyone could think this leads to greater productivity? I was so excited today to see a newsletter from Carol Olmstead in my inbox, with an article full of tips on Office Cubicle Feng Shui…! Continue Reading…
In your bedroom, you want to eliminate as much bad juju as possible. While you can get away with less-than-awesome things happening in some other parts of your home, your bedroom is the room of rejuvenation and it requires nothing less than total awesomeness! The good news: every space can be improved. And most every space can be improved relatively easily!
A reader reached out with three options in mind to fix a poison arrow in his bedroom that was keeping him from sleeping well. What is a poison arrow? Sharp points, edges or other energetic “points” that impede the energy of a space. Sharp corners are a big culprit. Lets see what we can do here!
He writes:
” I’ve recently moved into a new place and have been trouble sleeping, which I’m assuming is because of the poison arrow that faces my bed. If you take a look at the attached pictures you’ll notice that my bed faces the window and is diagonal of the entry doorway (all good things I think), but close to the entry doorway is a poison arrow that is in line with my bed (it’s the sharp corner from a wall endpoint close to the doorway). I have a couple of options that I was thinking about in order to remedy this situation and wanted to gather your expert opinion.
1) Find a rounded/padded material that stretches the length of this poison arrow from floor to ceiling and place over the sharp edge
2) Place a 3 foot rod diagonally from the poison arrow to the wall aside from it, then hang a decorative piece of fabric that hides this area
3) Move my bed. This would entail switching places with my bed and dresser drawers, so that my headboard is now under the 2 hanging pictures. That way I’d be out of the line of the poison arrow, but I would no longer be able to see the entry doorway.
So I guess my dilemma is, move my bed but not able to see the entry doorway OR somehow hide the poison arrow.”
Feng shui my way is all about your personal experience of space. There are amazingly powerful tools and incredible amounts of awesome artistry and sensory goodness to fold into the mix, but these are the basic steps! Balance, as always, is where its at! xoxo Dana
Clutter. Its the by-product of life well spent or life frittered away- none of us are immune to its power. Its as though random stuff magnetizes itself to us, and then to each other, in our homes, our cars, office, phones, computers and even our bodies & minds. To de-clutter is not a one-shot deal, though one great big declutter can put you into a great clear space that is much easier to maintain.
How do you know if you need a declutter?
you cant get things finished even though you have plenty of time
you spend more time cleaning- or talking about having to clean- than you do most anything else in your home
headaches
overwhelm
a feeling like you want to avoid a part- or your entire- home or office
a mess (when the clutter is obvious)
financial or physical issues that are vexing and don’t seem to budge.
And many other reasons, but those are a good start!
I made you a little started guide to decluttering in a great big & comprehensive way. I hope you enjoy it!
Do you need to declutter? Need help or encouragement? Let me know! xoxo Dana
There are so many easy ways that you can shift a day, and its all subtle and simple!
Raising the energy of your home magnetizes your whole life. This many be simple, but its effective!
When I can’t write, think straight, or even feel anxious, this little routine clears the road and helps me get stuff done. It raises your elemental “metal” energy, allowing you to focus better and breathe a bit more easily. And, yes, feel free to make substitutions wherever applicable: feng shui my way is all about what works best for you! xoxo Dana
I was talking to a man in my building this weekend who was carting artwork into his SUV. ” I got run out of this building by a %^&* of a guy who lives upstairs from me, ” he said, distraught. I asked if he tried to work out his issue with the guy upstairs from him who was apparently renovating his apartment in the middle of the night, ever night. ”We had words.” I could tell those words were not nice ones. Now, he’s moved out. Neighbors can steer the course of your living situation and can affect your happy homestead. Continue Reading…
May 18, 2013 • 2 comments