Feng shui, the ancient Chinese art of arranging living spaces, is based on many of the same principles as alternative medicine therapies such as acupuncture. The point of feng shui is to maximize the flow of "qi" (energy or life force) in the environment for utmost safety and productivity.

Being thoughtful about how you arrange and use your bedroom is especially important. It's where you sleep, and adequate amounts of quality shut-eye are vital to health and well-being. If you share your home with a spouse or partner, note that a bedroom with good feng shui is thought to strengthen the bond between a couple and attract love. So for the sake of better sleep and a boost to your relationship, consider these tips for improving the feng shui in your bedroom.

The ideal bed placement allows you to see the bedroom door while you're in bed without being directly in front of or in line with it. According to feng shui, having a view of the door from bed without being too close to it gives a sense of safety and is conducive to relaxation and sleep.

The foot of the bed shouldn't point toward the door either. This is known as the "coffin" position and putsthe bed in the main path of traffic. If this can't be avoided, a footboard, high bench, or table at the foot of the bed can act as a buffer as long as it doesn't block the view of the door.

The head of the bed should be against a wall, but not under a window which could allow qi to flow outside and cause restless sleep. It's best not to place a bed under a structural or decorative beam or ceiling fan either, as this is good for neither physical health nor relationships. If moving your bed isn't an option, feng shui practitioners sometimes recommend hanging a bamboo flute (a special feng shui device) from the beam or fan to offset the effects.

If there are two people sleeping in the bed, there should be equal space on both sides of it so each person can get into and out of bed easily.

Televisions, computers, exercise gear, or a workspace in the bedroom are thought to distract from rest, symbolize wakefulness, and take up energy. If you have no choice, hide such items as best you can: Place the TV in an armoire or neatly cover it with a cloth, for example, or set up a screen to block your view of that exercise bike or desk.

According to feng shui, clutter is more than a distracting eyesore: It can block the flow of qi, disturb sleep, and generally prevent things in your life from moving forward.

Neatness counts where you can't see it as well: Don't use the space under your bed for storage and keep the inside of your closet tidy and weed out clothes you don't wear periodically. Close the closet door at night. Keep the insides of drawers organized and don't pile books on top of your nightstand or dresser.

According to feng shui, if you aren't sleeping well, a mirror in your bedroom could be the culprit. Mirrors are thought to bounce energy around the bedroom, which may result in restlessness. They're also said to amplify worries.

It's especially important not to hang a mirror on the wall opposite your bed. Feng shui consultants say this can promote the intrusion of a third party into a couple's relationship and possibly encourage infidelity.

Any images you hang on your bedroom walls should be inspiring, uplighting, or relaxing. One of the best places to hang such an image is on the wall opposite your bed so that you see it first thing when youwake up and the last thing before you turn off the lights to go to sleep. Don't bring sad or upsetting images into your bedroom, or paintings or photographs that feature just one person: This symbolizes solitude. It's also best to avoid images in which a lake, waterfall, or river is the dominant theme. In other parts of the house, water symbolizes money but in the bedroom, it may promote financial or relationship losses.

In general, try tohave two of everything you can. Couples should have two (ideally) identical nightstands (one on each side of the bed), for example. Ovals and circles, whether it's the shape of your nightstand or the type of accessories you select, are better than furniture and accessories with sharp corners or edges.

According to feng shui, warm colors reminiscent of skin tones, such as cream, peach, beige, yellow, coral, tan or cocoa, are ideal on bedroom walls because they're thought to be soothing.

Light blues, greens, and lavenders are considered restful and conducive to sleep. But too many cool colors, such as grays, blues, or stark whites are believed to interfere with relaxation. Aim for a balance of 50 percent warm skin tones and 50 percent cool blues, greens, or lavenders.

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Feng Shui Bedroom Decoration Tips and Layout

Did you know your home has an energy map, called the feng shui bagua?

Most things have an exploration map, be it a country or a park. Your home has its own energy map, too. On a basic level, the feng shui map of your home functions just like any other map it shows where you are at the present moment and how to get to where you want to be. The brilliance of feng shui when applied in a healthy and intelligent way is that it clearly shows you the interconnectedness of all forms of energy around you.

When you start applying feng shui, you can actually see and understand how a cluttered closet promotes a chaotic behavior, or how a direct door alignment leaves the house with little energy to nourish you. Even though feng shui is so very, very complex (what else can you expect from a 5,000+ years body of knowledge?), the basic feng shui steps can always be explained and applied in a simple, clear and logical way.

To start seeing lasting results when working with feng shui, it is always recommended to define the feng shui map of your home. You certainly do not have to do that right away, as there are many great feng shui tips that can be applied with good results without knowing the feng shui map of your home. You can work with basic feng shui tips for your bedroom or the feng shui bathroom tips and see a considerable improvement in the energy of your home. However, just as a map clearly helps with any journey, so does the feng shui map of your home can help you achieve your goals quicker and with less effort.

So, what is this mystical, powerful and intriguing feng shui energy map? The energy map of your home is called the bagua. You can define the feng shui bagua of any given space, be it an office, a garden, and even a car, but lets focus on your home for now. Bagua (sometimes spelled as pakua), translated from Chinesemeans eight areas. The ancient feng shui masters not only defined the eight major life areas that are important for your happiness and well-being; they also mapped the connection between these life areas and the energy of your home or office.

According to this ancient and powerful body of knowledge, your house has a specific area that is connected to your love life, for example, and another one connected to your health, and yet another area connected to your career success, and so on. Below is the list of these eight major life areas defined by ancient feng shui masters; each one of these life areas is connected to a specific area of your house.

Health & Family

Money & Abundance

Fame & Reputation

Love & Marriage

Children & Creativity

Helpful People & Blessings

Career & Path in Life

Spiritual Cultivation & Personal Growth

Each of these eight areas needs specific care and attention in your home, meaning it needs best feng shui decor as defined by specific colors, shapes, images, etc. When a feng shui bagua area of your home is treated right, the area of your life that corresponds to this specificbaguaarea gets an energetic boost and is often considerably improved.

I know this might sound a bit strange, but I have been a feng shui consultant for over 18 years, I know for sure that this works. It does not matter if you live in a small studio or in a big mansion. When applied correctly, this feng shui energy map can accurately show the way to improve your life by working with the energy of your home. This does not mean that you have to have strange looking objects in your home. In fact, it is best to not go for any traditional feng shui cures like the money frog, the dragon turtle, the Fu dogs and others unless you really, really like them.

For each of the classical feng shui cures, there is at least one modern feng shui cure that can work very well in your home, you just have to know how to apply it. Excellent feng shui can be achieved with abeautiful and modern decor, there is no need to use items you do not like or understand the meaning of, as is the case with many traditional feng shui cures. Understand what makes good feng shui decorating and start applying it in your home.

So, there you have it, the basic info on what a feng shui energy map is similar to a map of your life as expressed in the language of your present home. Now, how do you actually define the energy map of your home? First, you have to decide on which bagua style to choose, as there are two different baguas used in feng shui.

Rodika Tchi is a feng shui expert, writer, and published author. Her company, Tchi Consulting, provides feng shui services internationally. Rodika's book "The Healing Power of Smudging: Cleansing Rituals To Purify Your Home" is published by Ulysses Press and available in all major bookstores.

Originally posted here:
Get To Know the Feng Shui Map of Your Home

Mid-September and we are completing the three ANNUAL titles everyone will find indispensable. These books help you negotiate the coming year of the BOAR you will find useful tips and excellent information on how to practice the Art of Placement in the most auspicious way ever!

Lillian Toos Feng Shui Almanac and Feng Shui Diary2019 are already on their way into the book shelves of the world and will be on sale at our dynamic and very active website http://www.fsmegamall.comby the end of next week. They should be on your desks very soon to ensure you can start planning for all your important events for the coming year! We have included everything important you need to take note of, with all the lucky and unlucky days summarized into easy-to-refer charts.

These are indispensable tools that enable you to tap into the auspicious energies in every month of the year. Things work out in the best possible way for you in love, career, business and relationships. Practicing Feng Shui becomes easy and instant when you have these tools of Feng Shui within easy reach. They give you instant access to all the secrets of time changes, the most vital aspect of this amazing Chinese practice. The idea is to make your life more meaningful, happier, richer and more successful.

How do these titles help you? The ALMANAC contains ALL the good dates and times for all your important activities when TIMING is vital to long term success, such as when you sign important contracts, when you buy or move into a new house, start a new business or start a new job.

It is always beneficial to be mindful of the lucky hours and lucky dates to engage in the major events that have long term consequences on your life. Thus when to get married, when to start a new job, when to relocate, whenever you need to make a good impression, present an important proposal, go for a vital interview you will always get better results when the energies of the time and day favour you!

We have encouraged so many thousands of our readers to pay attention to the magical wheel of time and this means choosing good dates and times for all the important events of their life. Many have done so with excellent results. Their lives move smoothly, they enjoy excellent relationships and they keep coming back each year to benefit from all the calculations and research we do each year to bring the ALMANAC and DIARY to you!!

You will discover that our FENG SHUI DIARY goes into great detail, with all information simplified and easy to use. For instance, the Diary has the Lo Shu number of each day and this unlocks the Lo Shu chart of good and bad sectors of each day for you. Just knowing the Lo Shu number of the day instantly gives you vital luck information for all the 12 signs, for all sectors of the home explain when excellent good fortune flies into your home!

Each day also has a Ruling Element and when you know your lucky elements, this instantly tells you how each day will play out for you. Use your personalized lucky element to identify your lucky element or if you know how to use the Paht Chee chart, you can go deeper in your astrology investigations. Over time, using our Diary will reveal a great many secrets about what brings you luck, all done through your own observations using our Diary.

Another way to find your lucky elements is to look at your personalized Paht Chee chart. In general, if your chart is very unbalanced, the elements that are missing from your chart will be lucky for you. A great many factors determine the effect of each of the 5 elements and the best way is to determine these are from your own observations! This is why this DIARY is such a fun way to record all the events of your life! It can be as interactive as you want it to be we provide the basic keys and you do the unlocking the luck of any important day for yourself. Record your observations, make notes of big things good and bad, and over the year, you will begin to see patterns emerge for you!

The FORTUNE & FENG SHUI 2019 astrology books examine the luck and feng shui highlights and placements for each of the 12 signs. These little gems offer a wealth of information for each sign to bring out the best of the BOAR YEAR energies for themselves. They tell each sign exactly what can be done to get the best of the years annual and monthly energies all the preparation, the placements and the analysis of combinations of cosmic numbers of each month! These books help you determine what to focus on each month, what goals you should go after, when to be mindful of your risk profile, and which other animal signs make for better relationships in the year. You will also learn how to neutralize astrological clashes and afflictions using Element Therapy and placement of cures and enhancers.

We closed one chapter when we decided to stop our print version of Feng Shui World magazine, which we so loved putting together for you each month, but since we converted it into an online version without the strict print deadlines each month, weve found it has given us far more time time which wereally needed to write these books more thoroughly, do more thorough research and counter-research, and for our products, to source better factories and manufacturers to get the absolute best quality at the best prices.

We are so proud to offer our 2019 publications hot off the press for you. They are now available for pre-order, and for early bird buyers, we have a special gift of a WOFS gold bar for our sets comprising your animal sign book, the Feng Shui Almanac and Feng Shui Diary 2019.

Use this gold bar to start building your 2019 Treasure Trove, and as the year progresses, continue to fill your trove with more gold bars, more jewels, more precious objects and also mementos of your special times like air tickets, boarding pass stubs, invitations to important events and occasions, souvenirs from your travels and money from different sources and in different currencies.

We wish you happy reading and more, we wish you love, happiness, good health and definitely more wealth for the coming year of the Earth Boar 2019!

Jennifer Too

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Getting ready for the EARTH BOAR YEAR of 2019! 3 ...

Use the info on lucky and unlucky feng shui directions wisely.

The info on lucky and unlucky feng shui directions is awesome and helpful but way too often taken the wrong way. While knowing your lucky feng shui directions is sure good, it is important to understand that feng shui is not a religion. You will not be damned if you have to face a feng shui direction that is not that lucky, or if you and your loved ones have different lucky directions.

As with most feng shui information, the lucky and unlucky feng shui directions info is there to help you, not to rule your life. Basically, your lucky feng shui directions allow you to tap into the best, most potent energy; while the unlucky feng shui directions obviously do the opposite. Now, knowing that you are the one in charge at all times, let me share with you the info on your lucky and unlucky feng shui directions. To find your lucky feng shui directions, first you have to know your Kua number. I have an easy chart for you to help find this info without the necessary calculations. Read: Heres Your Feng Shui Kua Number

Once you know your feng shui Kua number, you can easily find your lucky and unlucky feng shui directions, and do your best to use them at home and in the office.

Usually, this info is applied in areas where you tend to spend long periods of time, such as your bedroom and/or your office. If possible, position your bed so that the crown of your head is directed toward one of your lucky feng shui directions. The same applies to your office; see if you can position your desk to face a lucky feng shui direction.

As for your unlucky directions, I will not give you a chart because logically, the other four directions that are not listed for your Kua number as lucky directions are the ones that are considered unlucky. You might have seen these unlucky feng shui directions charts online with all sorts of dreadful names attached to your unlucky directions from endless ghosts to killing energy and other vampire-like wording. Do not give in to this fearful nonsense. If you develop an intelligent and logical approach to feng shui, I know you will really enjoy applying it and actually see good results.

As for the other approach to feng shui, the one driven by superstition or fear, know that it never works, so it is wise to forget about it. Stay empowered and smart, and use feng shui as needed. Experiment with facing your specific lucky directions and see if it makes a difference. I know it does for me.

Rodika Tchi is a feng shui expert, writer, and published author. Her company, Tchi Consulting, provides feng shui services internationally. Rodika's book "The Healing Power of Smudging: Cleansing Rituals To Purify Your Home" is published by Ulysses Press and available in all major bookstores.

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Your Lucky and Unlucky Feng Shui Directions - KnowFengShui.com

Use smart feng shui decorating to attract the energy of wealth into your space

Feng shui for wealth is one of the most popular applications of feng shui. The focus on attracting material wealth is actually one of the reasons feng shui became so popular in the West, since weve heard about many business tycoonsusing feng shui for more profits and stronger financial security. Of course, there is much more to feng shui than its wealth building appeal! You can use feng shui to create a better quality of life, improve your health, attract more harmony to your relationships, help build a successful career, etc.

In other words, you can use feng shui to create wealth in all its forms. Here, though, I want to focus on feng shui for financial wealth. Let me help you transform your home with these 10 wealth-building feng shui essentials.

When you see the homes ofwealthy people, the number one thing that you actually see is openspace. An abundance of open space. Strange, no? Rarely do you see wealthy houses full to the brim with all sorts of stuff. It is the luxury of open space and plenty of breathing room that attracts more wealth energy. In feng shui terms this basically means there is open space to allow more and to enjoy more. To create more, explore more and be more.

Yes, I know we can arguethat being wealthy allows you to buy bigger spaces, keep professional cleaners, etc; butlets avoid excuses or resistance mentality. There are plenty of small spaces that have the energy of wealth, too. Learn to welcome powerful energy into your home and not make it stale or block it with all sorts of stuff.

The more open space you have in your home, the more fresh energy can come in. Letsexplore powerful feng shui guidelines to help you attract the energy of financial wealth. The next 9 wealth feng shui essentials will help you do just that.

If youve been reading my articlesfor a while, you might get tired of me repeating no clutter, no clutter, no clutter. I have to keep doing it, though.Clutter is stuck energy, and the essence of cluttered spaces as well as the dominant energy of people who live in cluttered spaces is based on fear mixed with pessimism. Hardly a quality of energy that can help one attract wealth! Yes, of course, I know that clearing clutter is not easy, and yes, I know that it might take time to get rid of all your clutter. All you have to do, though, is commit to clearing it, and then follow an easy feng shui clutter clearing system.

Directly connected to the concept of a clutter clear space is clear organization. If you do not have an organized house, chances are you will start quickly accumulating clutter again. Each item in your home deserves a space of its own, no matter how small; this makes for a peaceful house with strong and clear energy. Think about it and look for the best organizational systems you can find; there is an abundance of them out there, from Ikea to California Closets and everything in between (Home Depot, Bed, Bath and Beyond, The Container Store, etc).

Rich people find everything quick; not only money and information but also whats needed in their own home. Why? Simply because wasting time on finding something is frustrating and detracts from other things and activities that bring wealth (both financial wealth, as well as the wealth of emotional and physical health).

Ok, lets move on to specific feng shui wealth essentials. The main feng shui wealth color is gold, gold, gold (of course!) In any decor items mirrors, frames, lamp bases, trays, coffee tables, etc whatever your house decor can feel harmonious andhappy with! Just be sure to actually love those golden beauties, do not bring something just for the sake of its look if you are not connected to it emotionally.

If youve ever had a chat with a real estate agent about dated house fixtures in tacky gold finish, they will tell you that these houses are much loved by most Asian buyers. Ive had clients who lived in such houses, and even though they hated the fixtures they feared changing thembecause that would be bad feng shui. The only bad feng shui was actually keeping those dated fixtures!

So, the point I am emphasizing here is that for anything you bring into your home to work as a feng shui wealth cure (or any other cure, for that matter), the item has to havea strong energy connection to you, and not to what other people say. If you do not like something, guess what it does not like you back! Hardly a good feng shui energy dynamic. Next feng shui wealth color is purple and, just like with gold color, you can bring it with a variety of decor items. From painting to pillows, rugs or big book covers see if this wealth feng shui color can be genuinely welcomed into your home. Use both colors tastefully and wisely, meaning create simple beauty and decorate with objects that you really like this is how they will start working for you as intended.

There is a specific money area in feng shui that needs to be treated right, and for this, you have to know the bagua, or the feng shui energy of your space. Here I am referring to the creation of a small altar/shrine/sacred space that you devote to the energy of wealth. It can be anywhere (except your bathroom, laundry or garage), and as big or as small as you like.Basically, you want to create anarea that has the task of collecting wealth energy.Decorate it with meaningful to you items of wealth (jewelry, specific photos, objects of value, etc), as well as good feng shui energy activators such as crystals and plants.

Nature is the ultimate manifestationof unlimited wealth and abundance, so replicating the lush energy of nature in your home will help you attract the same quality of energy.Money plant or not, lucky bamboo or not, know that decorating your home with lush, verdant happy plants in good looking, solid pots is an excellent feng shui wealth magnet. The East, the Southeast,and the South areas are the most greenery loving feng shui areas in your home.

The association of the energy of water with wealth is obvious, very ancient and present in all cultures. Fountains are the most popular feng shui for wealth cure, so if you love fountains, find one (or more) good quality fountainsand place them in the best feng shui areas of your home (either inside or outside). I adore this water bell fountain by Woodstock, a classic by now and absolutely the best feng shui fountain I ever experienced! Be sure not to place a fountain in your bedroom this is not good feng shui.

Crystals are the powerhouses of good feng shui energy; they bring the essence of abundance from deep within the earth. If you are new to crystals, start with clear quartz, preferably in a rough/natural shape. Along with the clear quartz, there are 3 more crystals that can help you attract the energy of wealth: pyrite, citrine and amethyst. Pyrite is excellent as a wealth feng shui magnet, and reasonably easy to find and well priced. Genuine citrine tends to bepricey and a bit hard to find;amethyst is easy to find, works very well on many levels, including purifying the energy in your home. If there are no crystal shops close to where you live, check our online selection of feng shui crystals (our store is powered by amazon.com).

Images can be very powerful, we all know that.They can be of great helpwith expressing a desired quality of energy when the real objects are not available, not suitable or cannot be placed wellin your home. For example, you might not want plants in your space for whatever reasons, but you can always go for images of lush energy no constant care needed, always fresh! The same principle applies to images of water. If fountains are not to your (or your homes) liking, you can use images of clear (and ideally moving) water as a wealth feng shui cure. High-quality wall murals work wonders in most spaces.

Mirrors are the absolute must-have feng shui wealth magnet for so many reasons! They bring more light, joy and the energy of the water feng shui element into any space. Mirrors also create beautifulpathways for new and joyfulopportunities, just be sure to go for the best mirrors you can find; the ones that your heart adores and your room looks good in. Golden framing is obviously the best choice for the use of a mirror as a wealth feng shui cure.

Last but not least, there is a variety of popular classical feng shui money cures that can work for you as wealth magnets (if you genuinely like them). You can buy most of these cures at our online feng shui store. The top 5 classical feng shui wealth cures are:

1. The Laughing Buddha

2. Arowana fish figurines (or real aquariums made to feng shui specifications)

3. The feng shui money frog

4. Various hangings and tassels made with Chinese coins

5. Thewealth vase.

Explore the links above to see what these 5 feng shui wealth cures are all about and decide if they will look and feel harmonious in your home. Above all, though, understand that the most successful feng shui applications are the ones that are highly personalized, meaning decorating your home only with thefeng shui cures that you have a strong personal connection to. Learn tocreate beautiful, fresh and potent energy and all the good things including financial abundance will inevitably follow.

Rodika Tchi is a feng shui expert, writer, and published author. Her company, Tchi Consulting, provides feng shui services internationally. Rodika's book "The Healing Power of Smudging: Cleansing Rituals To Purify Your Home" is published by Ulysses Press and available in all major bookstores.

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10 Wealth Feng Shui Essentials for Your Home

Have you ever slept a full eight-hours and still woke up feeling tired?

Feeling rested has a lot to do with the quality and quantity of your sleep.Aside from stress and other emotional factors that cause sleepless nights, there are many external factors, such as your bedroom feng shui, that can be interrupting how well you sleep and how fast you fall asleep.

In this post, you will find out how your bedroom feng shui is affecting your sleep. Meanwhile, you will get 33 bedroom feng shui tips that can help you fall asleep easier and stay asleep through the night.

Because sleeping habits differ from individuals, some of these tips may work wonders for some but not the others. Also,when you get to bed placement rules, you might find that your unique situation wont allow you to implement all those tips. In that case, refer to this article to learn which bed placement rules takes priority.

By back-end of the house, I mean the sections of the home thats close to the backyard (or at the opposite end from the street).

The main reason is that bedrooms at the back-end are usually much more quiet. Your sleep is less likely to be disrupted from the sound and movement of anything that roams in front of the house, which includes both human and automobile traffic. Because of this, you will also enjoy higher levels of privacy.

The back-end of the house is usually the area right next to the backyard.

When your bedroom is on top of a garage, you sleep can be disrupted by a variety of factors, including the smell of car exhaust, noise from garage door movements, insects that creeps into your bedroom, and warmer bedroom temperatures. If these four factors are non-existent, your bedrooms feng shui location should be fine. I wrote a full article about it, and you can read it here.

Active areas can include restrooms, entertainment rooms, or other areas where humans are active instead of sleeping peacefully. This usually does not apply to apartments and high-rises, because the bedroom is likely below another bedroom, and the flooring is usually thick and sound-proof.

However, single family homes are a different story. If your bedroom is right under a restroom, your sleep can be interrupted whenever someone flushes the toilet. Or, if you live right under a room of a teenager who has a different sleep schedule, their movements, music, or other activities can keep you awake all night.

Some say that sleeping above the kitchen stove brings bad energy that disturbs sleep and creates health issues. Though I do not disagree with them, what I do know is that your bedrooms temperature may be higher than normal, caused by the cooking activities and the heat given off from the back of the refrigerator. Because the optimal temperature for sleep is around 65 degrees Fahrenheit, you may be losing on some quality sleep.

Heres another potential issue: Do you know where the grease and smoke goes? The kitchen ventilation and exhaust hood use a tube to take the grease smoke out. The tube is filled with filth, and any sort of leaks or malfunction can definitely bring negative health consequences when youre sleeping right next to it.

If your bedroom is too large, you may wake up tired even if you get a full eight hours of sleep. From the people that Ive talked to, Ive learned that some people feel find it hard to fully relax in extremely large bedrooms.

You may find it harder to relax in large bedrooms.

This could be our survival instincts at play. We are most vulnerable when were sleeping, and with a larger space, we may feel less in control of our surroundings, causing us to sleep on high alert rather than fully relaxed.

Imagine yourself on a plane, seated in a window seat. If you had all the window seats to yourself, would you sleep with your head on the side of the walkway?

If you could lie down sleeping on a plane, would you sleep with your head on the side of the walkway? [image credit: businessinsider.com]

This is especially true if you live with someone else, like a significant other, family members, or even disrespectful roommates that have a different sleeping schedule than you.

Whenever the door opens while youre asleep, youre more likely to wake up on high alert, mainly because the sound and movement of the opening door is loud and sudden. Also, you will have to rise from your bed to see whos behind that door, instead of just raising your head if your bed is placed on the opposite side of the door.

The window is the gateway between your bedroom and the outside world. When you sleep with your head directly under a window, your sleep is more easily disrupted by the Qi coming from the outside, which includes wind, scent, noise, light, shadows, and movements of insects and animals.

Pigeons lurking by the bedroom window can disturb your sleep if your head is right next to that window.

When the sound, movement, or scent is unfamiliar, they will alert your survival instincts and completely wake you up, sometimes making it hard for you to fall asleep again.

Placing your bed this way gives you higher levels of comfort, security, and control.

As mentioned earlier, even when the door opens while youre asleep, all you have to do is to raise your head to see whos coming in from that door. You will feel less alarmed, making it easier for you to return to sleep. Just remember to avoid placing the bed directly in front of the door.

This is a little similar to having your bedroom right under a toilet. If your bed shares a wall with the toilet, you will be able to hear the flushing of the toilet and the water moving through the pipes. These water pipes are usually not limited for toilet use, as water faucets and showers may very well use the same water pipe.

An easy solution is to use a thick headboard for your bed, which can minimize these unwanted noises that disturbs your sleep. Here are some other useful tips from Dana Claudat.

This is a little similar to having your bedroom right above a kitchen stove. Some say the fire energy from the kitchen stove can cause insomnia and other health problems arising from lack of sleep. A more scientific explanation is that the wall transfers heat from the kitchen, which in turn reduces your sleep quality. Also, the sound of the refrigerator and water moving to the kitchen can all bring noise to your bedroom.

Further, kitchen is an area with high amounts of human activities. If you live with someone with a different sleep schedule, your sleep will be disrupted by the clinking sound of dishes, ovens, pots, as well as all other activities conducted in the kitchen.

How comfortable are you when youre in a room with very low-ceiling?

Low ceilings give an invisible pressure that makes most people feel uneasy.

The same is true with slanted or sloped ceilings. Though the feeling is very subtle, it does give you some sort of unease or feelings of being compressed (worse for claustrophobics), and those feelingscarry over whenever you go to bed. This is especially true if you sleep on the side with the lower ceiling. An easy solution is to use a canopy bed. The four pillars that surround you while you sleep have the tendency to make you feel more supported from the downward pressure of the ceiling.

Just like the sloped or slanted ceilings, sleeping under a beam can also give you a subtle feeling of unease. Beams give you discomfort because it is similar to having a sharp object pointed at you. Also, they can give you a feeling that your space is being chopped up, which can be highly distracting.

The size and shape of the beam, as well as the height of the ceiling, can all play a role on how much discomfort you feel. The easy cure to this is to use a canopy bed.

How do you feel when you stand right under a low-hanging chandelier thats the size of you?

Hanging furnitures can also give you subtle discomfort.

If you have anything hanging right above your bed, such as a chandelier, you will get that same feeling of discomfort because you may not feel 100% safe, and the effects are worse if it is hanging right above your head. The cure is to remove that furniture and place it somewhere else, like right above a dining table, where people will not reside right under it.

Some people like putting large bookshelves right by the bed. It provides easy access to books for those who enjoy reading right before going to sleep.

Small bookshelves are fine. However, if you have bookshelves that are more than six feet (180 cm) tall, then you are better off without the bookshelf. The reason is that the large furniture can give you that invisible pressure that makes you feel oppressed. Its similar to the feeling you get when you drive right next to a truck or when youre standing right under a monumental structure.

Work and sleep dont mix, so avoid work-related furniture and feng shui in the bedroom, such as a desk. If you have a desk in your bedroom, you may go to sleep thinking about work instead of relaxing. Worse, it may invoke work-related stress, which can significantly impact your sleep quality.

This applies mostly to adults and not students, because the adults are the ones who get more pressure from work due to the need to support the family and the kids. The easy cure to this is to remove the desk or other furnitures that remind you of work. Heres a tip I got from Hipster Feng Shui. If you live in a small space, you can trydividing your work area and your bed with a curtain.

Some modern furniture designs are very slick and appealing. Heres a bed frame that I think looks absolutely amazing.

This floating bed looks very appealing, but it lacks the feeling of support.

Though I love how it looks, Im not sure how comfortable I will be when sleeping on that frame. Having experienced wood cracking and furnitures breaking, I would feel anxious and scared of breaking that bed when I move or adjust on the bed to find a comfortable sleeping position. I suggest that you choose comfortability over design. And as for bed frames, choose the ones with proper support so that you can feel more relaxed.

Bright lights keep us awake and can disrupt our sleep pattern. It is true even with artificial lights and especially true for LED lights, which is known to create light pollution that causes sleepless nights(this is also the reason why its bad feng shui to sleep with your head under a window). Try to use dim lights with a soothing color, as it can provide the atmosphere and environment as you are getting ready for bed.

Even a little bit of lighting can disrupt your sleep, simply because light can penetrate our eyelids and influence our biological clock.

You are in complete control of the lights in your bedroom. However, you have little or no control of the lights outside of your home. That is why you need blinds and curtains that can completely block out the light from the outside. If your current blinds or curtains have light shining through the cracks at night, it may be worthy to invest in double layered curtains to improve your sleep sleep.

People today are so attached to their electronics and smartphones (I am guilty of it too).

Just looking at your phone before you go to sleep at night can be wrecking your sleep.

Electronics, such as your smartphone or alarm clock, are great human inventions. It tells you the current time and give you your friends Facebook status updates. However, most of us are addicted to our smartphones, and staring at this artificial light before bed is wrecking your sleep. Remove them from easy-access, and you can find your sleep quality improve.

We humans have survival instincts. Part of our evolutionary trait and how we survived till today is our ability to identify threats through our vision. Put another way, our eyes are very sensitive to movements.

If you have a mirror facing the bed, any type of movement reflected by the mirror will alarm you. Sometimes, you couldnt help noticing your own movements in the mirror, even from the corner of your eyes. Remove the mirror thats facing the bed to prevent it from distracting your sleep.

Plants have an evening complex where they grow taller at night. The vibrant growth energy gives off quite the opposite energy you want when youre asleep.

Contrary to popular belief, most plants release more carbon dioxide than oxygen at night. Carbon dioxide has the ability to affect your sleep quality, and is one of the reasons why plants should not be in your bedroom. Heres a post that talks exclusively about how plants affect our sleep, backed by scientific research.

Waters are great, but only when were awake. At night, we should be sleeping in as much serenity as possible.

Science has indicated that sound as minor as whispers have the ability to disrupt the quality of our sleep. The same goes to any other sound, including the water features in your bedroom. Though some find the sound of water flow soothing, it is likely that you will experience moments where it irritates you.

Avoid vibrant colors as the main theme of your bedroom. These colors include bright orange, pink, and yellow, and they are not suitable for your bed linens, curtains, and your bedroom walls.

Brighter colors tend to shout out at you, which can amplify your emotions and give you more energy. They also reflect more light, which is known to disrupt your biological clock and keep you awake. If you desire to use bright colors, you may need to dim down the bedroom lights to balance out the brightness. Another method is to use the bright colors as accents rather than the main theme.

Ive slept in a room with ancient masks from African tribes hanging on the wall. What ended up happening was that I just stared at them almost all night. On occasions, it felt like they were staring back at me too.

How would you feel if you have these masks as your bedrooms wall dcor?

Humans have an amazing ability to recognize faces and familiar patterns. It is suggested that you remove animal heads (hunting trophies), pictures of faces, and other odd decors from the bedroom, because they can keep you distracted and awake.

Being surrounded with unpleasant images, such as pictures depicting violence or sorrow, can invoke strong emotions that can keep you awake at night. Worse, these emotions can carry over to your dream, making you wake up tired the next day.

If you have any pictures that invokes strong emotions, remove them. Pictures that soothe and relax you are more suitable for the bedroom.

Also, closing the window can block unwanted scent from the outside. For instance, if you can smell cigarette smoke from your next door neighbor when they smoke on their balcony, you may want to keep your windows closed.

How would you feel if you have smokers right outside your bedroom window?

Closing the window also cancels out the noise from the outside, which is especially important if you live in the cities where you can hear the rumbles of automobile or noise from human chatter. As previously mentioned, the slightest noise can disrupt the quality of your sleep. If you happen to live in a noisy neighborhood or close to main streets, you might want to invest in double-paned windows.

Bathrooms are notorious for its bad feng shui because of its humidity and filth. For those that live in master bedrooms, you might want to keep those bad feng shui within the bathroom.

Leaving the bathroom door open will affect the air quality of your bedroom. For instance, if you just finished taking care of business, and you left the bathroom door open, the smell can easily travel to your bedroom, which can significantly affect how fast you fall asleep. Worse, if you have mold in your bathroom, your may be suffering from health problems such as muscle and joint pain, headaches, shortness of breathe, sinus problems, and more.

Closing the bedroom door increases your sense of privacy, especially if you live with family members. It can also provide you with a feeling of security, which can further relax your survival instincts to assist you with your sleep.

Closing the bedroom door also cancels out the noise from within your home. These sounds include the humming of the refrigerator or other home electronics, and the noise from your family members or roommates living with you.

Speaking from personal experience back inmy college days, there are many ways to hurt yourself if your bedroom is filled with clutter. You can trip on something. You can step on your own clutter. Worse, you can stub your toe. The pain associated with that can wake you fully and can completely disrupt your sleeping cycle. Maybe you can relate to thisfunny Vine video that shows how it really feels when you stub your pinky toe:

Imagine if that happens to you in the middle of the night. How would you feel? Though sometimes your kids or your pet may have created the clutter by your bed, make it a habit to keep your bedroom free of clutter. Further, a clean and organized bedroom is more visually relaxing and less likely to invoke frustration and agitation that lower your sleep quality.

Some say that TV has a similar effect as a mirror, which is mentioned earlier in #20. However, most of us use LCDs now, and I can hardly see any reflections from that. So I dont think the mirror-effect applies anymore.

Though some claim that TV helps them sleep, the light and sound from the TV are actually causing us to stay awake longer than needed. The light from the TV is a form of artificial light that has the tendency to keep us awake by delaying the release of sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin. Further, whatever show or movie that youre watching can also invoke strong emotions thatll keep you awake longer than usual.

Some experts also mentioned that electronics in the bedroom, such as TV,brings electromagnetic field that can potentially harm us. Im not sure how it affects our sleep, but I do know that strong electric currents creates strong electromagnetic fields that can cause many health consequences, which is why you shouldnt live close to power lines.

Even if you dont have a work desk in your bedroom, you need to keep your laptop, smartphone, and emails away as you prepare to sleep. Any of these can remind you of the work that needs to be done, which can easily increase your stress levels that will prevent you from relaxing.

For others, it can keep you awake because it stimulates your mind to work-mode. Even if youre already tucked in, you may be thinking about how to solve a certain problem at work or how to perform better. Sometimes, you may be more inclined to grab your nearby laptop or smartphone to write an idea down where you should be going to sleep instead.

After a full nights sleep, your bedroom is filled with your own carbon dioxide. To refresh the air quality in your bedroom, make it a habit to open the window right after you wake up. This way, your bedroom will feel more nurturing during the night.

Carbon dioxide is known to adversely affect the quality of your sleep. So even if you live in a region with extreme cold or hot weather, try to keep your window fully open for at least a couple of hours during the day to recycle your bedrooms air.

The feng shui of your bedroom is very important. It determines how well you sleep and how much energy you have during the day, all of whichdirectlyaffect your work performance, mood, and how you interact socially.

Further, chronic sleeplessness can cause inability to learn, headaches, weight gain, colds, depleted sex drive, depression, and many more horrible things. Maybe thats why feng shui places a special emphasis on the bedroom. After all, we spend about a third of our lives in our bedroom sleeping.

If you want feng shui to help you with other aspects of life, feng shui bedroom is not enough. But if youre only looking to better your sleep,these tips will helpyou feel rested and energetic to prepareyou fortomorrows challenges.

Do you have other bedroom feng shui tips that has helped you with your sleep? Has any of these worked for you in the past?

Let me know in the comments below. Im eager to hear your experiences!

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33 Bedroom Feng Shui Tips to Improve Your Sleep

Crowded, small, and often poorly designed smaller spaces like city apartments can make it hard for residents to feel healthy, happy, and at home in them.

Heres where the ancient Chinese art of feng shui promises to help. Feng shui, which isnt a religion though its linked to Taoism, translates to wind and water. Its a practice that helps people align their energies with their surroundings.

If you create a balanced representation in your home, it can reflect how youre reacting to outside experiences. It becomes a metaphor for everything in life, explains Laura Cerrano, of Feng Shui Manhattan.

Sure, it might sound kind of... strange. But theres some science behind it. Over-crowded living spaces have been shown to have an effect on our health, acting as a stressor. And research shows that spaces and our environments play a huge role in how we feel and perform. This logic is kind of what feng shui is all about.

Many feng shui practitioners are adamant that adopting a few simple tips to carve the right environment can improve nearly every aspect of life whether its improving your health, finding love, or making more money.

Feng shui is a set of principles to help align ones living space with who they are and what they want. The practice has been around for thousands of years, but its not stodgy or outdated. In fact, its seen quite the Western resurgence in recent years, with thousands of trained feng shui consultants currently offering services across the country. Oddly enough, even Donald Trump reportedly hired a feng shui consultant back in 1995.

You want to change your life? A simple way to do that is to change your environment, Laura Cerrano notes. An expert, who considers feng shui both an art and a science, shes currently collaborating on a book with scientists and researchers in the hopes of demystifying how feng shui actually works.

Its somewhat complex, but at the same time it can be very simple, she says.

Feng shui helps you make the most of your living space by harmonizing its energy flow. Feng shui splits the world into five elements:

Working to balance these five elements properly in your home can help their corresponding traits to thrive in your life.

Chinese feng shui masters also devised a tool called a Bagua map that lays out various life areas, or stations, including health, wealth, marriage, and fame, to name a few. These areas correlate with various parts of a building or living space.

You can line up the Bagua map with your floor plan to help determine the optimal placement of colors, artwork, objects, and more. If theres a certain aspect of your life that feels off, adding different touches or reshuffling your possessions in the corresponding life area might help.

Balancing yin and yang energies is also part of feng shui, and generally speaking, an apartment feels best when its got them both. Yin is feminine energy, associated with:

Yang is masculine, denoting:

You can change the feeling of your space by playing with these energies.

Because everyones living space is different, theres no one-size-fits-all approach to feng shui. If you need to entirely revamp a cramped, run-down apartment, it might be best to take a class or hire a consultant. But if youre curious about experimenting, heres what you can do.

Laura Cerranos biggest all-purpose feng shui suggestion is to kill the clutter in every part of your apartment. No matter if you're a millionaire or if youre dealing with unemployment, the pitfall everyone falls into is clutter, she says. Clutter isnt just about aesthetics its been proven to be detrimental to your mind, to the neurons in your brain. It creates stress.

This doesnt come as too much of a surprise, seeing as how Marie Kondos book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, made waves in homes and with journalists all around.

If youre trying to find love, feng shui would ask you to follow moms old adage of acting as if.

Cerrano explains, Look around your apartment and ask yourself, Is this space being prepared for the next person to check in? If you only have one towel, your soul is living a single life. So instead of having one towel, have two towels. Even though that person hasnt arrived physically yet, act like they're there already.

When it comes to moving past a failed relationship, your first order of business is cutting the cord to your last one. We use the word energy cord, Cerrano says. If you have all this stuff from [a past relationship] scattered through your home, its energetically creating a cord to that person. When you're done with a relationship, its recommended that, at your own pace, you release the things that arent beneficial anymore.

For improving productivity and boosting money flow, Cerrano suggests adding one or two plants near your desk, home office, or work area. Its related to the element of wood, which connects to networking, expansion, growth, growing wealth, and opportunities. Also, have your business card on display on your desk.

For financial prosperity, she advises getting a desk-sized lucky cat or lucky frog figurine (Google it! she says).

Dont turn to feng shui expecting a miracle. You can't bring anyone back from the dead, Cerrano notes. But beyond that, stay open, even if youre not completely convinced. According to Cerrano, theres not much feng shui cant help you with. She even says its helped clients conceive children and get rid of cancer!

To find a good feng shui consultant in your region, try the International Feng Shui Guild's consultant directory, but keep in mind that not every qualified expert may be listed there. Try asking consultants whether they focus on residential or office spaces and don't forget to ask for references.

If people even skeptical ones are willing to participate and test out the suggestions, feng shui is able to do almost everything, she says. Weve seen some amazing transformations.

Laura Barcella is an author and freelance writer currently based in Brooklyn. Shes written for the New York Times, RollingStone.com, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, The Week, VanityFair.com, and many others.

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Most Important Feng Shui Tips for Your Home and Life

Feng shui has been around for millennia among the Chinese, although now it is becoming more and more popular in western culture. While many Asian-inspired pieces of dcor are often labeled fengshui, that is not necessarily the case in other words, just because something is Chinese doesnt make it inherently part of the feng shui thought. So, then, what is feng shui? We will discuss what feng shui is, and what it isnt, in this article. But more than that, well look at how this ancient Chinese directive can, and does, apply beautifully and seamlessly to modern interiors.

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First of all, what, exactly, is feng shui? Translated, feng means wind; shui means water. Wind and water are considered opposites, but, in Chinese culture, both are important for good health. Wind and water are both large parts of the natural world, which is critical because the earth is considered to be alive and filled with energy, known as qi.

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Simply put, feng shui (pronounced fengshway) is, in Chinese thought, a system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy. Breaking that down, we learn that feng shui offers precise and specific recommendations to maximize ones space, both in look and feel, and to enhance positive energy.

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Another way to look at feng shui is this: it is both an art and a science, developed more than 3,000 years ago in China, and adhered to by many across the globe still today. Feng shui is complex in its teachings of energy balance, but it is simple in its goal, which is to assure good fortune for people inhabiting that space. Of course, good fortune doesnt look the same for everyone, everywhere.

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Some people desire better health, others wealth, some improved relationships, etc. The list goes on and is as unique as individuals are. This is partly why feng shui is so complex it addresses all these circumstances of fortune and has rules to enhance each aspect. Feng shui centers on five elements as one of its core and basic principles.

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The five elements of feng shui are: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Each of these elements is represented by a specific color, which is one of the easiest and most common ways to begin to incorporate feng shui into your interior.

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The color of wood element is green.

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The color of fire element is red.

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The color of earth element is brown.

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The color of metal element is white.

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The color of water element is blue.

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Although they each are represented by their own color, these five feng shui elements interact with each other complexly and necessarily. These interactions, or ways of relating to each other, can be divided up into cycles. The two main cycles are the productive cycle and the destructive cycle.

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In the productive cycle, each element supports another, which in turn supports another, until the cycle is complete. For example, wood supports the fire element, fire supports the earth element, earth supports the metal element, metal supports the water element, and water supports the wood elementand so it goes, in a cycle of creation that is, essentially, productive.

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Conversely, the destructive cycle is one where the elements break each other down. (Photo is not indicative of the destructive cycle.) For example, wood weakens the earth element, earth weakens the water element, water weakens (or completely destroys) the fire element, fire weakens/melts the metal element, and metal weakens/cuts the wood element. Bam. No more elements in the destructive cycle. You can see why this would have an adverse effect on a spaces positive qi.

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Knowing these five elements of feng shui, and how they can enhance or weaken each other, is key to being able to incorporate feng shui decorating techniques into any space. This is important, whether you know it or not, in modern interiors as much as it is in Chinese spaces.

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As weve discussed already in this article, decorating with feng shui rules in mind is a powerful technique to maximize the good feeling and aesthetic (well call this energy) in a space. While we need to keep all five feng shui elements in mind while decorating, ensuring that their relationship is productive and not destructive, well take a look at each of the elements alone to see how they work in modern interiors.

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There are specific places to use these elements in true feng shui decorating, although we will not be discussing the elements specific recommended placement here.

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The wood element in feng shui incorporates energy of vitality, expansion, and far-reaching vision. Pause for a minute and reflect on what these concepts mean to you and to your space. What does the energy of life, abundance, growth, steadiness, and survival look like to you?

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The wood element is green, although its brown, too. Wood element is progress, upward, joyful, growing, and grounded all at once. When you consider a healthy plant, youll recognize that its health is a result of deep roots, of the plants stretch in the air toward the sun and sky. Balancing the critical grounding role of the roots with the ever-expanding growth upward creates a really amazing and uplifting energy.

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That is the sort of energy that wood element can bring into your space when used in accordance with the productive feng shui principles.

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Wood feng shui element is an important decorating tool for positive energy when your vision is cloudy or doubtful, when energy is low or nonexistent, when you are feeling stagnant, when youre confused, or when you simply need a boost in health or abundance in life.

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When decorating with feng shui elements, such as wood element, in your modern interior, youll want to consider color, shape, and specific dcor. Wood element is incorporated beautifully via green and brown colors, rectangles, and healthy plant life. Consider a potted plant, green area rug, brown throw pillows, or artwork that incorporates forest-y images.

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While literal fire is part of the fire element in feng shui, it is not the only component. Realistically, the energy of the fire element actually stems from the energy of the bright sun. Does that change this element in your mind? Think happy sunshine, warm celebrations, and exhilarating achievements.

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Along with those celebratory, energetic moments, strong fire element also brings with it passion, romance, and sexual desire. Fire is warming, nourishing, and sustaining.

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Just as the sun makes it possible for life to exist on this earth, fire element makes it possible for positive energy to exist in a space. Without fire element, the bright, happy feng shui energy would simply not exist. Sit for a moment and reflect on what fire element means to you and your space.

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The success of incorporating this element depends on your ability to identify when and where to use it boldly, when and where to use it sparingly, and when and where to completely avoid it. Fire element is the warmth and cozy glow of a candle or a fire in the hearth. Yet it is also the heart-pumping siren of danger or stop.

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Fire feng shui element is an important decorating tool for positive energy when you need a creative or motivational boost, when you feel cold and/or alone, or when you crave attention and recognition. Basically, if youre feeling weak in certain areas, the fire element will surround you with strength to help you through.

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Fire feng shui element is represented by deep and bold colors red, orange, yellow, purple, magenta, pink. It is expressed best in pointy shapes, such as triangles and stars, and by using actual fire-related dcor items. Surprise, surprise. You might consider magenta candles, yellow lamps, artwork incorporating actual fire, red rugs or carpet, etc.

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Earth feng shui is critical in interior design. Of course, all five elements are important because they support each other and would tumble like dominoes if one were removed. But earth is particularly important for spaces that need positive energy in the areas of stability, support, trust, patience, and nourishment.

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Our lives and even the world as we know it have a tendency to pick up the pace, either instantaneously or gradually, and become a hectic whirlwind of lists and tasks and responsibilities and needs. In online efforts to connect, we can find ourselves becoming more and more disconnected and isolated. Earth element in feng shui is a very real decorating tool that combats this artificial life.

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Earth element, no pun intended, grounds us. We come back to ourselves in a calm and reassuring way. Our efforts, in all areas of life, are stabilized and supported within the scope of earth element. It is nurturing, protective, strong, sustaining, healing, and patient.

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Note: In feng shui, the earth element is supported (or produced) by the fire element. The connection between these two elements is strong, which means that where earth element is present in your home, fire element should be present as well, at least a little bit. What does earth element feel like to you, in your life and in your space? If you feel it deadening your outlook, you might need less earth element and more fire or water element.

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Earth feng shui element is an important decorating tool for when you need to feel centered and at peace, when you need support and steadiness in your creativity and responsibilities, and anyplace where steadiness and consistency will enhance your outlook. This could be in relationships, your work, or your health, which are important areas to identify so you can coordinate earth elements usage in appropriate spaces in your home.

Earth feng shui element is represented by brown, taupe, sand, and cream (and all the colors in between). Shapes are balanced, such as a square, or wavy, and objects that incorporate earth element include crystals, stones, and pottery. You could incorporate earthy landscapes into your artwork, although remember the focus is on earth and not water or trees. Earth element dcor could include pottery, taupe furniture, landscape art, and/or sandy area rugs.

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While the love of color in dcor is a very real (and necessary) thing, there is something about the color white that infuses a space with unmatchable calm, lightness, purity, freshness, and crispness. Metal element brings with it serenity and peace to a space and enhances that very energy along with it.

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But its not all touchy-feely, this metal feng shui element. It depicts efficiency, preciseness, clarity, and discipline just as much as purity. Ironically, despite its discipline, metal element is often misused in dcor. Either it is used too abundantly to create a cold, sterile (albeit pretty) space, or it is used too sparsely to create an energetic space that lacks structure or necessary visual white space.

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Sit with that thought for a minute. What does metal element look and feel like to you? What does it mean for your space? Are you inadvertently misusing the element, swinging too far to one side of the balance spectrum?

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Metal feng shui element is an important decorating tool for when you need crisp, dynamic energy or clarity of purpose and vision, when you are feeling overwhelmed, confused, or frustrated, when you find yourself battling lethargy and apathy, or when you need clarity of direction.

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Metal feng shui element is represented with white and grey, in a variety of finishes from matte to metallic. Shapes represented well with metal element are round, and many metal dcor pieces automatically incorporate metal element into a space to provide a fresh, strong, and cooling energy. Dcor might include pieces such as white pillows, grey wall dcor, metal objects, white rugs, etc.

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It is no surprise that water, along with its naturally gentle and graceful state, can be incredibly powerful. Water is actually one of the most powerful forces of nature, with two opposing outcomes powerful healing or merciless destruction and this is evident when the water element is integrated into a space.

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It is interesting to note that water is the only one out of feng shuis five elements that can (and does) exist in different states, whether liquid or solid (ice) or gas (vapor/steam). Not only that, but water can be present in a variety of places falling from the sky as rain, running or resting on the earth as rivers or lakes, and penetrating the depths of the globe as underground water sources. With such transformative powers, water element is mysterious and demands respect.

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Consider this for a moment. Feng shui (wind and water) requires this element just as life as we know it requires it. What does water element feel like to you? What does it feel like in your space?

Water feng shui element is an important decorating tool when you feel disconnected to life or your surroundings, when you need a flow of ideas or creativity, when you are sick or hurt in some tangible or intangible way, or when you lack direction or purpose.

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Water feng shui element is represented with blues of every hue and black. Shapes are wavy and curvy, which is no shocker because that mimics the movement of water itself. Mirrors and artwork that depict water bring in the water element to a space. Dcor ideas that incorporate the metal feng shui element include fountains, water images, blue pillows or rugs, etc.

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Most homes have some sort of transitional space between the exterior and the interior of the home, called the entryway, mudroom, or foyer. This space is important for two main reasons: (1) it forms ones first impression of the rest of the home, and (2) it facilitates, hopefully with care, a critical shift from outdoors to indoors. (Much of the information in the following section is based off of Cathleen McCandless book, Feng Shui that Makes Sense.)

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In feng shui spaces, safety equals comfort and relaxation. This is true of the entryway, which serves as a buffer against the hard world and our private happy place. Because of this, the ideal entryway for feng shui is one that is clearly defined and somewhat encased, such as with walls.

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To help define an entryway where one isnt defined, consider adding an area rug right inside the door and some sort of vertical features on either sides of the door, such as a bookshelf or plant or even a chair. Feng shui entryways are often painted in light colors to feel more spacious and inviting.

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Feng shui is practical if nothing else, and the entryway traditionally becomes a dumping ground of sorts if youre not careful. Be sure to make available organizational objects to help combat this a bench for storing shoes, for example, and hooks for hanging outdoor clothing or hats. Even a decorative box to hold keys, sunglasses, wallets, mail, etc. will do wonders for a more relaxed entryway.

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A note on mirrors in the entryway: They are better placed on the walls of the entryway rather than directly opposite the front door, as it is unnerving for someone entering the home to feel like someone is walking toward them.

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The living room, family room, and even great room all serve one universal purpose (although they may be divided up in different homes, depending on the space constraints), which is to be a room for gathering.

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While feng shui does have specific guidelines for furniture placement, ultimately the goal is to achieve a comfortable surrounding (which those guidelines tend to do), and this may look different in specific homes. A good rule of thumb is to place seating arrangements within eight feet of each other, to facilitate comfort and good conversation. Although its best to avoid placing two identically sized pieces of furniture (e.g., sofas and/or loveseats) directly across from each other, as it makes people feel exposed and vulnerable, which is bad feng shui.

Link:
Feng Shui: What it is, its Five Elements, and Basic ...

"Feng Shui Your Life is for anyone who wants a happier life. It brims with easy-to-understand skills to turn your home and work space into beautiful, comfortable, and optimally organized environments." - Mark Victor Hansen, #1 New York Times bestselling series, Chicken Soup for the Soul

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Feng Shui Your Life: Second Edition: Jayme Barrett, Jonn ...

Smell: I advise using essential oils in an ultrasonic diffuser or in a candle diffuser (most wax candles these days are packed with synthetic fragrances). Limit it to a few drops of oil in diluted in water, and don't leave them diffusing for more than an hour or two. They are potent! I love lavender and jasmine oils for a calming smell before bed. If I have a cough, I'll go with ravintsara or eucalyptus. Looking to amp up the sexual energy? Check out cinnamon, ylang-ylang, and best of all, winter savory.

Touch: In the bedroom, it's best to go with soft, inviting fabrics when possible. I'd recommend velvet, satin, and Egyptian cottons for all sheets, pillows, cushions, and curtains. Your bed sheets should feel particularly soft to the skin.

Sight: As I mentioned before, Earthy tones are really what you want to be seeing in the bedroom. Fiery tones (reds, pinks, and oranges) can also be nice in moderation. Again, these accents should always be presented in pairs. In my bedroom, you'll find a pair of small pink Mandarin ducksa traditional Chinese symbol. I love these because the story goes that the ducks were always faithful to each other. Find accents like this that speak to you.

Sound: I'd recommend a small white-noise machine to play soothing tunes.

Taste: While I do not bring food into my bedroom, I always make sure to keep a small jar of water next to the bed. Place some lemon in there and drink it in the morning for a quick boost.

You'll also want to consult a Bagua map to see what elements to pull into your space. Locate what Bagua your bedroom is located in relationship to the front door of your house, and add accessories accordingly. For example, if your bedroom falls in the Health and Family area, where the dominant element is wood, try to incorporate greens and blues in order to sustain that element.

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Feng Shui For Your Bedroom 101 - mindbodygreen