Creating Change 27 Feng Shui Design Projects to Boost the Energy in Your Home

Transcription

1 LAURA MORRIS

2 Creating Change 27 Feng Shui Design Projects to Boost the Energy in Your Home By Laura Morris ARE YOU FENG SHUI CURIOUS? When you think of Feng Shui what comes to mind? You might think of it as a mysterious, and ancient art form practiced in a far-away land. Or as a sophisticated method of organizing your home, your life, and your space, that takes years to learn and decades to master. But you don t have to be an expert to start using Feng Shui in your own life. In fact, the magic and insights involved in Feng Shui are more accessible than you might think. In her new book, Creating Change: 27 Feng Shui Design Projects to Boost the Energy in Your Home, Laura Morris unites modern interior design with ancient Feng Shui principles to create an easy-to-use handbook for bringing more energy into your home and life. GOOD FENG SHUI IS GOOD DESIGN When many people begin the process of bringing Feng Shui principles into their home or space, they often struggle with what should take precedence: aesthetics or good Feng Shui. But the reality is that using Feng Shui doesn t mean compromising on interior design. Good Feng Shui should be good design, and in Creating Change, Laura will show you how to make your space beautiful and inviting, both visually and energetically. LEARN BY DOING The goal of Creating Change is to introduce you to the basics of Feng Shui by helping you apply them immediately to your home, property, and life. The book is broken up into 27 easy-to-implement design project that will help you to balance the energy in your home, including: Resetting the scent of your home Planting an indoor energy boosting mini-garden Set your dining table for health Creating a wealth corner vignette Using a bowl of lemons, apples or pomegranates to enliven a stagnant space Dressing up your bathroom Styling your bookcase Using potted plants to improve the flow of your space Balancing your kitchen As you work on each of these projects, you ll internalize the foundational principles of Feng Shui and start to see them at work everywhere in your life.

3 A MASTERFUL GUIDE Laura Morris is a certified Feng Shui consultant, artist, and designer. Through her articles, workshops, videos, TV appearances and consultations, Laura has guided thousands of people to shift their ch i and revitalize their living spaces, increasing both energy flow and harmony. She believes that by combining mindfulness, Feng Shui and creativity you can transform both your space and your own personal energy. Laura practices Black Sect Tantric Buddhist Feng Shui in the lineage of Grandmaster Professor Lin Yun, a practice that not only focuses on transforming a space physically, but also emphasizes the importance of meditation, mindfulness and wisdom.

4 Introduction Creativity is merely a plus name for regular activity. Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or better. John Updike You have the power to take control of your destiny, and create positive changes in your life. What if I told that this power lies in your own creativity, intention, and Feng Shui. Yes, your creativity and Feng Shui. When you think of Feng Shui what comes to mind? You might think of it as a mysterious, and ancient art form practiced in a far-away land. Or perhaps as a sophisticated method of organizing your home, your life, and your space, that takes years to learn and decades to master. From a certain perspective, both are true. Feng Shui has been practiced for thousands of years in the East, and to become a master of the art form takes focused practice, training, and a lot of hard work. But you don t have to be an expert to start using Feng Shui in your own life. In fact, the magic and insights involved in Feng Shui are more accessible than you might think... My goal in this book is to give you the fast track into using Feng Shui in your life. I m a big believer in learn by doing and in this book, I ll be using 27 simple, creative, and easy-toimplement design projects that you can put into practice right away, and that will introduce you to the core concepts of Feng Shui. You ll bring energy, creativity, and intention into your space and learn Feng Shui while doing it. The projects in this book are laid out in an order that will take you from clearing your energy, to activating your life. Throughout this book, I have provided core Feng Shui principles, and background information, that supports each new phase of the projects. You will learn a new Feng Shui system, or tool, with each corresponding set of design projects. For example, in chapter six BALANCE, you will learn about the five element energy system as you explore projects, and learn how to correct energy imbalances in your home. With this book, you will be learning on the job. Creating Change will give you tools to adjust and activate your environment, and your life, using Feng Shui. The art of Feng Shui puts you in the driver s seat of life; and these projects will show you how to align your desires with the right energy. We can harness our will, and intention, by using our hands to create, and our chi to amplify. It s Up to You During my Feng Shui consultations, I would often hear myself telling clients to just make it like this, paint a painting of water, create your own. I would often get funny

5 looks and disbelieve. They were too kind, but I know they were thinking, Who does she think I am? I can t just whip up a painting of an ocean. Occasionally I would have a client who was up for the challenge, and took on the task with excitement. These clients were the ones who started making changes to their home the minute I walked out the door. They took control of their environment. Others would ask me What if I buy everything and you to do it all for me. Hang the mirror, paint the painting, pot the plant. My answer was: Sure, I could do that but it is much more powerful if you make these changes, and create these objects yourself so that you are in control of your intention and your own Feng Shui. The power of Feng Shui comes when you are making, doing, changing; investing yourself, your time and your energy. The purpose and intention of this book is to show you how to create change in your life using specific Feng Shui inspired projects and adjustments. These fun, simple projects will channel your creative energy through powerful Feng Shui principles and cures. Your creative will, and action, will create Feng Shui magic.

6 Chapter 1: Getting Started on Your Feng Shui Journey The projects in Creating Change were compiled and written to inspire you to make changes in your life using your hands, your chi and your spirit because I believe we all have the power in our own two hands to create change. This book will teach you that: Feng Shui can be fun Using your own hands is a powerful tool Simple changes in your home can make a big difference Your energy will shift when you focus on something creative Yes, you are a creative person! I wanted to share my unique approach to manifesting change using creativity and Feng Shui. The projects that I have pulled together in this book are ideas I have shared with my clients. I wanted to give more people access to these ideas and I wanted to change the way people thought about Feng Shui. Fundamentally, practicing Feng Shui is a connection with, and a sensitivity to, the world around you. It is about taking charge of the energy you create and put out in the world. Make no mistake Feng Shui is a 3000-year-old practice and can be highly technical, and methodical, but it can also be an accessible, everyday way to live your life. My approach is simple: to remember your creativity is your greatest Feng Shui tool. With these projects, you don t need a compass, birth chart, or floor plan all you need are your own two hands, and a commitment to creating change. Yes, it s true, we are all creative. When we think about being creative we imagine ourselves painting a landscape with oil paints, or taking a pottery class; these are excellent examples of the power of creativity but not the only ones. Creativity can be an everyday occurrence when we are tending, caring, fixing, moving and reshaping our home and the objects in it. In Dr. Carrie Barron s book the Creativity Cure she states Creativity starts with how you think and then becomes about what you do. Creativity is a capacity of mind that can lead to original expressions. Creating something can be as simple as a making a paper airplane, preparing a meal or writing a handwritten letter. The key is that you are using your own two hands to make something unique and functional. The Feng Shui design projects in this book are laid out in a specific order; starting with simple energy clearing methods, and then moving through to projects designed to align with your specific intentions. Starting with small, simple projects produces a momentum of energy and a desire to make additional changes in your life. The power of Feng Shui

7 Feng Shui is an ancient practice, early forms of this art are almost 4000 years old. The origins are based on the esoteric and shamanistic practices of ancient China. Over the centuries, Feng Shui has taken many forms and has been both lauded and vilified. Today there are three main schools of Feng Shui, this book will focus on one school, the Black Sect in the lineage of Grandmaster Professor Lin Yun. Black Sect Feng Shui examines the communication between the chi of an environment with the chi of an individual. It is a practice that not only focuses on transforming a space physically, but also emphasizes the importance of meditation, mindfulness and wisdom. The power of Feng Shui lies in its ability to let us see patterns. Patterns in your life, in your home and ultimately the vibrational patterns of the energy around you. There is a mindful awareness that is required to reveal energetic ruts and blockages. Feng Shui is about aligning your own energy with the chi that circulates in our spaces, homes and in nature. It is about correcting misalignments, and vibrational pulls on your own energy. Simply put, Feng Shui is about creating harmony. What type of Feng Shui book is Creating Change? In this book, we will touch on several Feng Shui principles such as the bagua and the five elements energy system. Full disclosure: this book is not your typical introduction to Feng Shui or a beginner s guide to Feng Shui. The purpose and intention of Creating Change is about learning Feng Shui through action. It is hands-on learning for Feng Shui; a tool to guide you through tactile projects that are rooted in the ancient tradition of Feng Shui. With each section I will introduce a new Feng Shui system or principle that supports the actions and projects you will be doing. These concepts and principles will flow with the projects as you move through the book, you will learn about them as you create and take action. This book is laid out to flow as a journey of learning and empowerment. The order is deliberate and intentional, from preparation to activation. Feng Shui, like any other transformational process, and requires you to invest yourself and to do the work. It is important that you prepare your home for the new energy. What is the point of summoning in new energy if it is going to be blocked, stifled or leak out of the home? Proceeding in order, and with the flow of the book, is key to shifting the energy and creating change. To help guide you further I give you 3 energy sequences to choose from. They are suggested project flows of varying intensity: The Quick Reset, The Focused Energy Shift and The Powerful Changes. Chapter 2 walks you through each pathway with instructions on how to access additional resources like worksheets and videos. The Five Factors of Life You must never forget that you are in the driver's seat, and you have a say in how your life unfolds. Your fate, or pre-determined destiny (where, and when you were born, and who

8 your parents are), may be out of your control, but this is only one part of what influences your path and success in life. In the tradition of the Feng Shui I practice it is firmly held that by using Feng Shui, good deeds, hard work, and education you can shift the balance. You can take control of your life through action, hard-work and compassion. The powerful combination of your creative energy and Feng Shui can shift the balance and manifest positive change. According to traditional Chinese thought our success and path in life is influenced by multiple factors. This concept is called the Five Forces or Factors of Life. These factors work together to shape your life. The first two factors are determined by the cosmos (the realm of heaven) and are out of our control but, good news the remaining three are within our control (the realms of earth and man). 1. Fate 2. Luck 3. Your environment 4. Virtue or karma 5. Self-improvement Fate: the cards you were dealt. You cannot control where or when you are born or who your parents are. You may not have been dealt a great hand in life perhaps you wished your parents had been rich and famous. You can wish all you want, but it is out of your control and is determined by the heavens. If you were born in a safe and secure country and have a roof over your head you did well in the destiny department. Luck is also out of our control; it can be random and unexpected. Sometimes you feel you just can t catch a break. In Chinese tradition using Four Pillars (Chinese Astrology) you can see how your luck may play out, but still you cannot change how things will unfold. Therefore, we use the other three factors to shift the balance. The three factors that we mere mortals can control are our environment, karma and selfimprovement. Environment is your ability to shape your surroundings and shift the energy. Karma and virtue are your selfless acts of kindness and the positive contributions you bring the world. Self-improvement is education, hard work and bettering yourself. This is the reason Feng Shui works, because it asks the best of you. It moves you to be a better person. Complaining, hoping and bitterness will not shift what the cosmos laid out for you, but by using the power of the universe through Feng Shui, and the strength of your actions you can at least level the playing field. You are in control. We may not be able to control our fate or luck but that still leaves environment, virtue and self-improvement. These are the factors of man and earth: what we can shape and correct.

9 They are a combination of actions, hard work, and good deeds. In this book, we are building on the ancient concept of the five factors and expanding the notion of what we can control to include our mindset, and our spirit. You will experience the power of Feng Shui through action and creativity This book is about making Feng Shui accessible, relevant and fun. It is about creating; using your hands to create something founded in an ancient and powerful tradition. By taking a tactile and creative approach we are amplifying the power of Feng Shui this produces a perfect storm of creative energy, action, will, commitment and intention. This perfect storm is our way of shifting the odds and improving our place on earth. The factors listed below are the power behind the projects contained in this book, making them more effective and relevant. We can use these factors to shift the energy, to tap into our potential and to manifest positive changes in our lives. Creative energy: the energy that is produced from using your hands to create something with purpose Action: a project, event, or good deed Will: the powerful desire to manifest change Commitment: our conscious decision for meaningful change Intention: our deliberate and focused mindset Practical, tactical and magical: take action Do you want to start over with a clean slate? Maybe you need to clear stagnant energy. Or you may want to enhance an aspect of your life that needs some attention. The projects are organized into six sections each with a different theme and purpose. You can pick and choose projects in each section. You can spend more time in one section than another if you feel you need more work clearing and repairing, but don t forget to continue exploring the later sections, that is where the magic happens! Some projects may come with a recommended prerequisite project or a companion action that will make it more powerful. The book and themes are laid out in a specific order that will take you from correcting and clearing to boosting and activating. You will see that the format for the projects is consistent and includes suggestions for preparation and intentions, as well as the Feng Shui principles and background. The projects themes and sections are: o Reset: Very simple methods to shift the existing energy in your space. Actions for cleaning, starting fresh. o Move: Correct and remove blockages and get the energy in your home flowing. o Invite: Bring more chi (energy) into your home by inviting it in.

10 o Balance: Create harmony by balancing the energy of the five elements. o Boost: Align your intention with the energy. Use the power of the bagua to activate areas in your life. o Magic: Use your powerful creativity. Kick your creativity into high gear.

11 Chapter 2 The Flow: Reviewing the sections and projects The projects in this guide are simple and easy to follow. As I touched on in chapter 1, proceeding in order, and the flow of the book, is key to shifting the energy and creating change. The order and sequence of the projects builds from simple to more complex. As you move through the 27 projects you will find that they ask more of your creativity and visualization. You can choose to do any number of projects, and are not expected to do all of them. It is more effective to pick and choose projects from each stage, focusing on a goal or correction. The beauty of this book is that you can start all over again to activate something new in your life. It is ideal to select a series of projects some from each section that move toward a common goal. The first time moving through this book it is wise to spend more time on the earliest stages, resetting and preparing your home and your own energy. In the first two sections, RESET and MOVE, you can do all the projects. Doing all nine of these preparatory projects will give you a good foundation, and you can then move on to activation and enhancement projects.

12 RESET The first stage in your Feng Shui journey should begin with a desire to clear and reset the energy in your home. It is best to start with a blank canvas, a fresh space. The resetting stage is about cleaning and repairing. These projects are mundane and practical, but that does not mean they are not also powerful and necessary. You can still be creative and focused. This stage is not just about cleaning it is about taking care of your home and being mindful of issues that need to be fixed, repaired or cleaned. MOVE Can you think of an area or place in your home that feels off? MOVE is about redirecting and correcting the flow of chi in the home. In this stage, we will start to adjust the flow of energy and the path of chi. Correcting, decluttering, and opening areas of the home where there may be energy blocks or leaks. The projects in this section will keep the chi flowing smoothly and at an even pace, correcting slow, still or fast moving chi. INVITE Now that you have begun to reset and correct the energy in your home, you can invite new chi and opportunities into your home. Chi, the life force, the energy that flows through all living things and exists all around us. It flows from nature, trees, bodies of water, people and animals (more to come on chi in chapter 5). To thrive in our homes, we need to invite, and summon new and vital chi into our living spaces. The projects in this section will summon the chi, calling it to your home, wallet, and kitchen table. BALANCE This section is about using the five elements creatively to balance the energy of the home. You will learn what the five elements energy system is, and how to use it. Through these projects, you will bring elemental energy into the home with colour, material, and shape. By creatively using the elements you can correct energy imbalances. You will begin to see that the five elements can be used to balance, boost and enhance your life and home. BOOST You have cleared, and increased the amount of energy coming into your home. You have explored the five elements, balancing the elemental energy. You are now ready to use this energy to activate certain areas of your life. In this section of the book, you will be learning about the bagua, and how to boost specific areas called guas. These projects are creative and Feng Shui functional. They combine the power of your creativity with the focused energy of the bagua. MAGIC MAGIC builds on what you have learned in the previous five section. The projects in MAGIC are challenging, expressive and artistic. You will create Feng Shui inspired treasures that can be used

13 as blessings, enhancements, and adjustments. These projects are powerful combinations of Feng Shui, creativity, colour and intention. Why is creativity so important? The creative process is complex. Artists create for many reasons and motivations; angst, joy, happiness, sadness. Being creative may mean that you are a painter, composer, writer or poet, but it can also be mundane and commonplace creative expression. Everyday creativity is simple; we write, garden, decorate, journal, doodle. Being creative means that we use our own hands to produce an expression, idea or design. It is an action that produces an outcome. The act of creating something is hopeful and optimistic. When you begin the creative process, there is a sense of possibility and enthusiasm. Creativity impacts our happiness and positivity. Studies show that by engaging in a simple, everyday creative activity even just once a day, can lead to a more positive state of mind. i Sewing, knitting and other handiwork has been shown to lower stress and decrease anxiety. Two factors in the creative process are key drivers for lifting our spirits: the action of the creating by using your hands, and the sense of accomplishment we get from producing something tangible. The act of creativity is more important than ability or aesthetics. Dr. Carrie Barron s book The Creativity Cure ii delves deeply into this concept of the creative process as a tool to building happiness, and shifting mental states. She states that it is about the act itself and not artistic ability, this is about process, not proficiency. Seeing the positive results gives us a sense of accomplishment; we are effective and what we do matters. The projects in this book are everyday creative, they do not require you to be a great artist. The effectiveness of the projects is in the process, the creating, and executing, the Feng Shui, and your intention. Creativity and Feng Shui In Feng Shui you are working with both the physical space, as well as the invisible energy, or chi that circulates and surrounds us. The most effective Feng Shui is when both are equally combined: the mundane, and reasonable, and the invisible and immaterial. Combining and marrying visible and invisible, tangible and intangible, mundane and transcendental characteristics is the most powerful way to use Feng Shui. Enhancing the relationship between outer and inner forces strengthens Feng Shui actions, connecting spiritual and physical worlds, planes and realms, technique and feeling. Steven Post The Modern Book of Feng Shui I believe this is what creativity does; it combines action with a powerful invisible force. Creativity is both material and transcendental. You work through the creative process; making, installing, and designing, as you impart your own desire and hope. You are creating a perfect storm of creative energy, action and Feng Shui.

14 Understand the Feng Shui principles You choose a sequence of projects, and you are prepared to create change in your life. The actions you perform, for instance hanging a crystal or painting an image of fire, each has a Feng Shui story. Each project has a description, a list of what is needed, and full instructions. They also have information about the Feng Shui principles you are working with; it is vital to read through these sections. Understanding the Feng Shui principles before you execute will help you to connect with the energy and intangible qualities that you are calling on. Your intention is powerful The intangible in Feng Shui is intention. It is the fuel that ignites your project or adjustment. With each project your hands will create, but your mind and spirit will connect with the highest good. Your intention is asking for the highest good, that which will lead you down a new path, the one you are meant to be on at this exact point in time. Writing down your intention, or stating clearly out loud, before and after the creative Feng Shui process will give the universe direction. It will shift your perspective and mental state, allowing you to pursue the work needed to support the Feng Shui. Feng Shui, creativity, and your intention is the trifecta for meaningful change. Reset: (repair, clean) The 27 Feng Shui projects 1. Raise the vibration with orange and cinnamon 2. Clean your stove and oven 3. Sweeping with purpose Move: (declutter, correct and redirect) 4. Orange peel blessing 5. Clean your mirrors and windows 6. Hang a Feng Shui crystal 7. Open the Tai Chi of your home 8. Brighten a forgotten corner Invite: (summon chi) 9. Front entrance makeover 10. Paint your front door with intention

15 11. Feng shui your wallet for prosperity and wealth 12. Life is a bowl of Feng Shui fruit Balance: (balancing the five elements) 13. Dress up your toilet 14. Style your bookcase with Feng Shui 15. Nine potted plants 16. Balance your kitchen Boost: (activating the bagua) 17. Increase synchronicity and luck 18. Set your dining table for health 19. Kick your career into high gear 20. Design you love corner 21. Anchoring your wealth corner for prosperity 22. Paint fire for success Magic: (extra creative energy boosts) 23. Make your own red envelope 24. Connecting with earth chi 25. Create a zodiacal animal charm 26. Plant a high vibration terrarium 27. Glowing mason jar lights to activate the bagua

16 Project 1. Raise the vibration with orange and cinnamon Oranges are considered the most yang fruit, for their color, scent, essential oil and shape. Simply placing a bowl of nine oranges in the center of the table can boost the energy in your kitchen. Let s take it one step further. You are going to use the scent of the auspicious yang energy orange to clear the stagnant smells and aura from your home. The Feng Shui principles at work: The power of scent is undeniable. It can transport you in time and place. Your sense of smell has a direct connection to two areas of the brain both linked to emotion and memory: the amygdala and hippocampus. These deep primal links to our emotions can also make a connection on a subconscious level. You will be intentionally using the yang, vibrant orange scent to reset the energy in your home, triggering a deeper subconscious connection. The orange scent will also mix and mingle with the existing energy in your space, shifting and refreshing it. What you will need for this project: ü One large pot ü Water ü Three large oranges ü Cinnamon Creativity level: Easy. If you can heat water, you can do this. Instructions: Fill the pot with water. Slice the three oranges into nine discs or slices. Place the orange slices and peels into the water. Add a half of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or one cinnamon stick. Do not boil the water. Allow the water to steam on medium. You want the scent to permeate the home, continue to simmer (lowest heat setting) until you feel the scent is flowing throughout the kitchen. You can drain strain the water removing the orange slices and cinnamon sticks. Cool the remaining orange water in the fridge. When cool, place in a spray bottle and spritz to clear stale energy when needed. Intention inspiration: As you slice the oranges, and place them in the water, you will mindfully charge each piece with your intention to clear out any negative scents and lingering stagnant chi that is in your kitchen.