Where Energy Flows

I received an e-mail recently that pointed out some interesting numerology for the beginning of 2008.

1/1/2008 breaks down to 1/1/1 (2+8=10 which is a 1 vibration).

1/11/2008 breaks down to 1/11/1.

The number one is often seen as a symbol of new beginnings and I’ve decided to use that symbolism to my advantage this year. am planning to spend the first 11 days of 2008 visualizing and setting my intentions for the next 11 years.

To add some ceremony to the process I will light 1 candle and spend 11 minutes in meditation/visualization of my future each day.

Would anyone like to join me? What would you bring to the ceremony?

© Copyright Ann Kucera, 2007. All rights reserved.

Traditionally this is an intense time of setting Resolutions for the year ahead. Wow! This always made me shudder. There were many years I sent the resolution to “Follow a recipe, exactly.”  Each year I failed and felt ‘bad’ about my self worth. But, my creative nature just wasn’t letting that happen. Me, the Earth person personified, loves to read cookbooks like novels. So I would find ideas, use them as the base element and just add from there.  So try as I did, it just wasn’t happening. I gave up on that and many other ‘Resolutions’ and just came to ignore the idea, which can be very difficult with everyone quizzing you as to your “list.”

Recently, through using the word so often in my Feng Shui work, I recognized that I resonate well with the idea of New Year’s Intentions. And I apply them to the Feng Shui bagua. I create an eight-sided star and fill in the bagua areas with the Intentions I hope to manifest in the coming year.

I have found that Intentions bring me freewill to grow in the directions of my choice. They are bendable, I can review and refresh my Intentions as the year progresses, with the many monthly and seasonal changes that unfold. Intentions don’t carry the guilt of Resolutions. They are softer and gentler.

And that is the goal of a Feng Shui holiday. Look for ways to open the door to Peace and Balance. Life is meant, especially this time of year, to be Softer and Gentler. It is the season of darkness, the season of hibernation, so keep that in mind and you plan a memorable season of Love, Laughter and Joy.

© Copyright Roberta Binder, 2007. All rights reserved.

Do you make an overall plan for the New Year? Most of us do.  Here is a simple guide for making plans that have great chances for success.

Your home acts as a mirror which reflects what is happening to you on an inner level. Whenever you make internal changes — or plan to, as in New Year Resolutions, it is a perfect time to scan your home and work environment to see how your home (or office) support those resolutions. 

Look to see if there is anything in your environment that might hold you back or sabotage your efforts to bring productive change in your life. You might find clutter, objects or photographs that have negative connotations, or energy blockages. Take steps to create a physical environment that matches where you want to go in life.

Add colors that are personally healing, forward looking and that support your progress. Use the bagua map to help you define and focus on goals. If improved diet or physical healing is your goal, start by checking the Health gua in your home. If abundance is your goal, check your Abundance gua. If finding your soul mate is your goal, check your Relationship gua and so on. 

Finally, to create plans for positive change that stick, write it down. When you write down goals and plans you act as witness to yourself. You can write it as a contract, as a commitment or as an affirmation. All of these steps will help you to create positive change and make lasting changes in your life.

Copyright Deborah Redfern, 2007. All rights reserved.

There are times when things (objects, projects) in our lives seem to fit the bill of clutter, but are hard to let go of. This is a time to be especially kind to yourself because there is usually a reason for holding on.

Sometimes, holding on to the past is a way of keeping the door open on a part of your life that is almost over. It is similar to being immersed in a book you really enjoy or strongly identify with. When the book ends, your experience of being a part of the story will end as well, and often there is a bit of reluctance to finish the story.

So, in your life, holding on to something may be needed in order to:

• give yourself permission to let go of a part of your identity that you’ve outgrown
• allow time to absorb changes in your life
• get closure on a part of your life that is over

So when is it clutter? It is individual. No one else can really tell you what clutter is. For me clutter is an awareness of the ‘mind chatter’ attached to the item in question. Examples of mind chatter are self-criticizing, admonishing, and energy-draining, unpleasant thoughts that do not feel good. If there is no mind chatter, it isn’t clutter.

If something you’ve been holding on to you begins to ‘talk back’, you will know that you are getting close to being ready to release it. When the time is right, you will be ready to come to completion – whether it is finishing the project or finally letting something go. Until then, trust your feelings!

Copyright Deborah Redfern, 2007. All rights reserved.

My children - My sweet children -They are terrors without doubt
The crazy ones that live with me - My hair? – I pull it out
It’s hard - It’s easy - I don’t know - They drive me crazy
All I want is sleep – yet I am sure I’m not too lazy

Oh exhaustion - I’m so tired - I’m so grouchy - I ‘m a mess
Something needs to change right now – there’s way, way too much stress
So I shall shift the energy - Creating what I focus on
I can get this right – I will - My mad, sad thoughts will all be gone

Balance – Beginners Mind – Patience – Good Thought Thinking
They’re only little once - They are a joy - I am not sinking
Wait – Cancel – Correct – I’m buoyant with so much love
That always surrounds me - From below and from above

Be gentle with myself - Who I am right now’s enough
Life is really good to me – It’s really not so tough
And if society pulls me down - I notice it – without a frown
As perfect parents don’t exist

I go outside – I make a list
Of all the good that’s in my life
And I let go of all the strife
Because – after all, Life is way too short - so why not have a ball.

 © Copyright Elise Rebmann, 2007. All rights reserved.

As I watched a new yoga student who knows nothing about yoga try to move with mindfulness for the first time it encouraged me ask myself the question: “what good is strength without flexibility?”  and “how does this relate to Feng Shui principles”?  Feng  Shui was developed way back when survival meant having a home that was protected from behind with mountains, a view of who was approaching in front as well as slow moving water without which life was not possible.    The strength of the mountain and flexibility of the water provided a balance between safety from severe weather or attack and the availability of food.

A home can have strong bones, strong colors, hold strong memories, have strong placement in the neighborhood or community, or a strong history.  These are all positive attributes.  A home can have flexible uses, flexible room arrangements, and flexible owners.

But what about our bodies?  The more strength we develop, if it is not balanced with flexibility, the more rigid we become.   We restrict our breathing, oxygen exchange, make our hearts work harder and limit our options to move in different ways and ultimately our ability to embrace change.  As our bodies become rigid do our minds follow or is it the other way around?

Can our homes reflect our rigid thinking and attitudes?  Look around your home.  Does that feeling of being comfortable cover a more basic feeling of being unwilling or unable to change?  Did your strength of ideas at some point become rigid and unyielding?  Small changes in the home can begin to open up many changes in our lives.  Encouraging  our bodies to be flexible and strong can help free us to embrace options and be prepared for when life throws us curves that force us to change whether we are ready for it or not.

So, to answer my own question “what good is strength without flexibility”  I would have to say that both qualities are important but without balance we may have trouble weathering a storm.

Copyright 2007.  Brenda Rosenberg  All rights reserved.

 

The things surrounding you in your home serve as subliminal reminders of who you are.  They will continue to direct you towards old patterns of behaviour.  Subconscious beliefs are generally so deep-seated that one is not aware of them.

Denise Linn, Feng Shui for the Soul