Where Energy Flows

How do you manifest your dreams and desires? Do you have a clear idea of where you are going in life? Is your life satisfying and fulfilling most of the time? If you answered ‘huh’ (laugh) to any of these questions and you’d like to change that for yourself, read on.

People often ask me why do feng shui. For me, feng shui is an important component and often-neglected aspect of holistic living. I say, “It’s like staying in your one room apartment when your family has grown to 4.” If your environment does not match your current life situation, the healthy practices you employ may not be as effective and can inhibit you from being your personal best.

Another reason to employ feng shui is that it assists you in manifesting your dreams and desires. By creating an environment that visually and energetically matches who you are and where you are going, the likelihood of sustaining or creating your vision increases substantially. In this post, we will explore just one way to use feng shui to support your goals.

What do you want to create in your life?

The first and most important aspect is identifying what you’d like to manifest. Really take the time to delve into this area. Find a place that allows for a short time of quiet and introspection and take notes. For example, is it your desire to be in a relationship, find a new job, start a family, or take better care of yourself? Not knowing where you are going in life is like driving a car in unfamiliar territory without a map. You’ll get to your destination a lot faster with a mapped out route.

Incorporate physical representations of your desires.

Once you’ve identified a dream or desire, create a physical symbol of it. One way to do this is to make a personal collage depicting words, ideas, photos, symbols, colors and attributes of your intention. (See posts by Donna Thompson collages) This process takes you from the idea stage to the concrete stage of moving toward your objective. It is not important how big or elaborate your collage may be, but rather how accurate is it. In this situation, size does not matter (laugh)!

Energize your goals in a specific location in your environment.

Find a ‘power’ spot or use the bagua in your environment to create a manifestation ‘altar.’  (Check out previous posts on altars ) Gather meaningful objects, spiritual symbols, photos, candles, etc., together with your collage for your altar. For example, if your desire is to take good physical care of yourself, you may create a collage that physically represents this vision. A health ‘altar’ may also hold a healthy plant, some natural beeswax candles, a bowl of fresh fruits and vegetables and be arranged on a beautiful natural textile and perhaps the power spot is the kitchen table. After you have done all this now what do you do?

Imagine your desires as if you’ve already created them.

Using the example of a ‘health’ altar on your kitchen table, sit at your altar each day and spend a few moments imagining yourself manifesting your dreams. Light the candles, relax, and see or sense your future self enjoying your ‘new’ life. Imagine how vibrant you feel and how easy it is to follow healthy routines and practices. ‘See’ your interaction with others, and include as much detail as possible in your visualization practice. Offer prayers of thanksgiving as if you’ve already created your desires and are experiencing your new future. Then…

Let it all go

You may wish to do this practice for a few days or even a few weeks. At some point you will sense it is time to stop and let ‘nature’ take its course. Surrender to your higher source of power and trust the perfect solution will take shape. Detach from the actual outcome and be open to many possibilities. This step is critical because trying too hard can actually repel from you that which you are trying to manifest. This step requires trust, patience and openness to accept results that you may not have been expected. It requires acceptance that whatever happens is perfect and for your highest good.

In summary, you may choose to use feng shui and your environment to consciously create what you deserve in life. Be clear and spend quality time with yourself to identify the goal. Once you are clear about your intention, create a physical representation of your desire. Use your intuition or the bagua to find a ‘power spot’ to showcase your objectives. Spend a few minutes each day at your ‘power spot’ and imagine the intended outcome with feelings, images, sensations and any other practice that works for you. When the time is right, let it all go.

Enjoy the process and experience the magic in manifesting your dreams and desires!

©Catherine Hilker, All Rights Reserved.

 ”The loss of my mare is not necessarily a bad thing. All will be shown for its true worth in time.” ~ from The Old Man of the Steppes Finds a Horse, Chinese teaching story

As a feng shui and space clearing practitioner and teacher I know I have touched many people’s lives, but it is not something I am comfortable talking about. This is at times difficult because many feng shui books are written from a ’success story’ point of view, and people love to hear success stories. They are fun and bring a sense of hope and wonder into the world. But I don’t focus on success stories  because the nature of energy is that we do not know what the final outcome will be. In my studies with Denise Linn, she shared an ancient teaching story about an old Chinese man and his horses. You may have heard it. The moral is “it isn’t good, it isn’t bad: we do not know the whole story.” Eckhart Tolle also shared a version of this story in The New Earth Webinar series.

Here is a story that illustrates this point. I often work with people who want to have a new romantic relationship in her life. This is a story about Sally. When I did a feng shui consultation for her, I saw that she had her desk set up in the relationship bagua area of her home (therefore on an energetic level, her relationship was with her work.) We moved the desk a few feet away into the reputation area, set up a beautiful altar dedicated to love and romance in the relationship area, as well as making several other enhancements and in addition to the manifesting work she was already doing.

A week later Sally called me very excited and happy because the energy shift happened almost immediately: not one, but several men were suddenly interested in seeing her and she had been going out on dates. It was an exciting and heady time for her, and she wanted to give me (and the feng shui) credit. It is tempting: It feels good to be thanked and to feel I have personally done something that has brought happiness, but in the back of my mind I heard those words “it isn’t good, it isn’t bad, you do not know the whole story.”

I didn’t hear from Sally for awhile but when she finally got in touch with me, it was to tell me she had began a serious relationship with one man, but some problems were coming up: the types of issues that often have to be worked through when two people begin to merge their separate lives together. Questions about roles and boundaries, and personal space. And now her gratitude for me has cooled because suddenly she has new and serious problems that she didn’t have before. As a feng shui practitioner, am I responsible for the problems? No, no more than I am responsible for the success, which is to say that my role is to help bring a change in the energy. No matter how strong my intention that the change be for the highest good of the client, I know only a small part of the story. The work may have brought up relationship issues that were there before, waiting for the opportunity to be healed. And I don’t know anything about the story and energy of other people involved in the story.

In my role as a feng shui practitioner, I don’t know how it is going to turn out, as none of us ever do. What I know is that each action we take changes life for another person — often many people. This is what feng shui teaches us: that everything in our universe is made up of constantly changing energy fields which have a type of consciousness (different levels depending on what it is.) We are a part of everything and everything we do touches and affect everything else. What happens is far too complex with so many levels and variables that it is clear that labelling is a problem. From where we stand there is such limited information available to us. All that we do simply is; not good and not bad.

© Deborah Redfern, 2008. All rights reserved.

Interior Alignment™ is a blending of many belief systems that provides a depth and wealth of knowledge.  As practitioners and teachers of Interior Alignment™ we are also trained to create Altars that bridge the seen and unseen worlds in which we work. I am asked quite often about front door altars. I thought I would share one of my favorites kind of altars, Kuan/Kwan Yin for the front door.

Front door altars from a Feng Shui perspective assists Chi to floor through the door as the altar invites Chi in and from a Space Clearing perspective, the front door altar can provide protection from unwanted energies coming to your home.  So Front door altars provide both a welcome and protection at the same time.

I recently found a book by Daniela Schenker called Kuan Yin, Assessing the Power of the Divine Feminine.  Ms. Schenker goes into great depth about Kuan Yin. I appreciated this depth and sharing as I have a fondness and connection to Kuan/Kwan Yin. I have to say that this book also held another surprise gift. The forward was written by my teacher, Denise Linn. I had no idea that Denise had written this forward where she called for Kuan Yin to come and help with the birthing of her friend’s baby.

Kuan/Kwan Yin is a bodhisattva known for her deep compassion for all sentient beings as she heard the cries of the world.  Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have attained the wisdom of Buddhas but have postponed their final “liberation” or ascension. Instead they provide compassionate support to sentient beings in this world until the sentient being can achieve their own ascension.  She is also known as the protector of women and children. What I did not know was that is 33 images of Kuan/Kwan Yin for contemplation.  So there are 33 different images of Kuan/Kwan Yin to select from for your front door altar. 

The front door altar would be considered a guardian altar as it will face the front door but not directly
across the front door. The best placement is off to one side across the front door. The image you choose of Kuan Yin will protect the entryway of your home.  She will welcome visitors at the same time she will conteract any lower vibrational energies such as negative thoughts from entering your home. As you select items to add to the altar be aware of the significance of the items and your intention for the altar. You may want to add a special candle, flowers, or incense.  A special addition would be peacock feathers. The peacock is known to be Kuan/Kwan Yin’s guardian and will protect us from accidents, other disasters and can absorb negative energies.

Possible images of Kuan/Kwan Yin for the front door altar are with her using a protective mudra which is arms lifted to her chest height and the palms of her hands are parallel and facing each other; or a fearlessness mudra which is the right hand is raised and the open plam faces forward. Images using these mudras are the Four-Armed Kuan/Kwan Yin and the Kuan/Kwan Yin with a Halo of Fire (Kuan/Kwan Yin of Complete Light).

May Kuan/Kwan Yin bless your home.

© Yvette Neshi Lokotz, 2008. All rights reserved. 

I sit at my desk, working at my computer, typing another draft letter for my supervisors to edit before final signatures.  My office space is a small cubicle on the third floor of a government building.  The building is grey cement with large windows on the exterior.  The interior of the third floor is grey blue.  All you hear in the office is the clicking of keyboards and some low voices in discussion.  The room is very quiet as people diligently work.

This is short description of my past workspace.  My cubicle was unlike most others as I had color in mine from well placed pictures and flowers.  My favorite place in my cubicle was just to the right of my computer screen.  I had a “special” place arranged with a picture of my husband and our dog, a small fairy figurine, a stone that I found on a walk, a special amethyst crystal and a small vase of flowers.  While most of my colleagues listened to music through headphones, I played my flute music CD’s at a very low volume. 

I had a fair amount of visitors to my cube.  If there was a short discussion on a project, informally, we met in my cubicle.  Friends would stop by on their break and spend a few minutes with me.  They always said that they felt so good in my space.  My cubicle was my Sacred Space.

Since I worked for a state government there were specific rules about religion.  So my “special” desk arrangement was not called an altar, but it was a work place altar and I knew what each item represented and the specific placement on my desk.  I knew the Feng Shui of my desk.  This was the Helpful People area of my desk according to the bagua.  My helpful people were my family, my canine spirit helpers, stones and crystals, the fairy and to honor all of them…flowers.

Most people have a way of placing items on their desk, such as family pictures, mementos, and “lucky” items.  I believe that arranging these types of items is natural and we do this arrangement by instinct or intuition.  When we begin to understand that every item we place has a special energetic meaning, then we step into the world of Spirit and we then consciously select those items and their placement. 

I am very grateful for my education through Interior Alignment as creating altars is integral in Space Clearing.  But even more important is that when we consciously create our own altars, our own “special” arrangements, we invite Spirit consciously into our lives.

© Yvette Neshi Lokotz, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Happy Chinese New Year!

For the next three days, the sprawling Warorot Market in Chiang Mai (Thailand) will be the center for much of the Chinese New Year celebrations.  Warorot is the old Chinese Market here, with many Thai-Chinese shop owners.

This morning my usual walk through the market was especially fun (and filled with lots of chances for great photos!).   Normally Warorot is a busy market, but today there was extra traffic as people were out buying supplies for their altars and family get-togethers.

Many shops were decorated with bright red paper lanterns.  Long strings of fireworks did their job of frightening off any evil spirits, and left plenty of red paper confetti littering the streets.  And the two Chinese temples located in the market were alive with people making offerings. 

I especially enjoyed peeking into each shop to admire the beautiful New Year altars.  Some altars took up almost the full interior of the shop.  Others were placed on the floor by the front door.  And, a few shop owners created a special table on the sidewalk. Each altar was richly loaded with trays of roasted ducks and chickens, tea, rice, fruit, red candles and plenty of incense. A few even offered a bottle of whiskey!

Most of all, there was a feeling of excitement and anticipation for good fortune in the year ahead.  I wish all of you a very happy and prosperous Year of the Rat!

Deb Swingholm,  Copyright 2008.  All rights reserved.

The traditions, practices, symbols and “magical” associations surrounding the art of weaving are some of my passions.  And, when it comes to creating Sacred Space, textiles can serve many purposes. 

I wear them during space clearing ceremonies or use them as the foundation for magnificent, colorful Altars.  I have some weavings that I use daily as a scarf or shawl.  I use exotic, tribal pieces as table runners.  I hang weavings on the wall (since after all, they are an art form) and I toss them over the back of a chair or sofa.  Handmade fabrics can instantly shift the energy and Feng Shui of a room.

Mostly, I find that hand-spun, hand-woven materials delight my senses and uplift my spirit and the energy of my home.  My heart sings when I look at them. 

Living in northern Thailand I am surrounded by an incredible wealth of textiles in a variety of fibers - silk, cotton and hemp.  The women of this region are famous for their intricate and beautiful weavings (a few lovely examples are pictured on my website: click here to see examples of beautiful hand woven textiles.

When I choose textiles, I consider the materials (silk, cotton, hemp), the texture, the color (muted or bright, earth tones, jewel tones), the type of dye (natural sources or chemical) and the energy and symbols they might have woven in.  Sometimes I choose a textile based on its history or who created it.

For example, recently I had the chance to visit Grandma Raza - a hemp cloth weaver.  Raza is Hmong and her tribal village is in the mountains north of Chiang Mai. 

She demonstrated the many steps of preparing, weaving and dyeing - it is difficult and time consuming work and truly a labor of love!  Weaving hemp is an all-female endeavor, handed down mother to daughter.  From Raza, I got a long, un-dyed hemp scarf that her own mother wove (Raza is 86, so the scarf is very old!).  It is plain and a bit worn, but it has a wonderful energy and a buttery texture.  It is a textile I will treasure and wear with great joy!

You can see my photo gallery of the trip, which includes some portraits of other women in the village at:   www.floweringmoon.com/hmonghemp.html

Copyright Deb Swingholm, 2007.  All rights reserved.