Natural Beauty

Posted in Feng Shui, Feng Shui Florida on 04/29/2011 10:43 am by Diane Gallin

 

Magnolia

Have you taken a walking tour of your home, property and business lately?  I recommend this practice several times a year to evaluate the condition and usefulness of items in my clients’ surroundings.  These self-led tours are as enlightening as they are practical, since we usually discover things that send a contrary message to the one we’re hoping to advance.  The clock that stopped keeping time in the Career sector, a leaking faucet in Prosperity or the broken mirror in Relationships all conspire to slow our progress and sabotage goals.  In addition to the practical applications of this exercise, I also advise taking inventory of how many beautiful and inspirational items surround you.  In Feng Shui, mundane cures include moving furniture, repairing what is broken and clearing overgrown landscaping.  But there is much more to creating a dynamic and purposeful environment.  And while Feng Shui doesn’t dictate aesthetics, they certainly play an important role in your daily life.

Studies have shown that our energy changes when we focus attention on uplifting images.  Just as a leisurely stroll through a botanical garden or a walk in the woods lifts our inner ch’i, observing a pleasant view through a window, an inspirational picture or vibrant color palette elevates our mood.  At that time, we tend to focus on the more pleasurable aspects of our lives rather than how hard we’ve worked to get there.  Sometimes, in an attempt to make our homes and businesses more functional we deprive ourselves of the finery we reserve for special guests.  When was the last time you rolled out the red carpet for you?

Adding a small plant or simple flower arrangement to your desk can change the dynamic of a busy office.  Spring blooms or even green branches from your yard make a wonderful natural display .  A collection of beloved photographs, interesting fabrics, textures and colors all enhance our living spaces, regardless of how grand the scale.  On the subject of planting flowering trees outside university buildings in 1926, Beatrix Jones Farrand, a founding member of the America Society of Landscape Architects, wrote, “We all know education is by no means a mere matter of books, and that aesthetic environment contributes as much to mental growth as facts assimilated from a printed page.”  Quite simply, we work, sleep, eat and grow better in pleasant surroundings.  Why not turn on your favorite music, light some candles and set out the fine china for your next meal?  Invite yourself to enjoy the beauty that surrounds you.    

Wishing you good ch’i and beautiful surroundings,

Diane Gallin, CFSC

Wind and Water Feng Shui Consulting

Wind and Water

www.windandwaterfengshui.com

Email   diane@windandwaterfengshui.com    Telephone   727-459-1459

 

Celebration

Posted in Feng Shui, Feng Shui Florida on 03/26/2011 03:31 pm by Diane Gallin

 

We often think of good Feng Shui in terms of creating quiet, peaceful living areas.  But negative energy feeds on stagnation, and our day-to-day predictable routine can lead to an environment that is too yin in nature.  One way to enhance the ch’i (energy) of your home or business is to create a festive (yang) atmosphere in your surroundings, then invite others to celebrate with you.  Buildings hold the energy of people who spend time there, so the vibration of activity from happy occasions leaves a positive imprint that lingers. 

When we entertain, play music, games or share food and laughter with friends and family, we actually help to dispel unlucky ch’i, improving our mood and outlook.  In Feng Shui, attending weddings, birthday parties and banquets is considered very auspicious, since the guests as well as the celebrants at these events benefit from all the positive energy surrounding them.  In fact, it is recommended for someone suffering from bad luck to seek out these occasions, since happiness is contagious and joyful people are more optimistic. 

You don’t need to wait for a special occasion to open your home or business for a celebration.  Go ahead and plan a small gathering of friends for dinner and conversation.  Schedule an open house for your business and invite the community to share in your good fortune.  You might even arrange a block party or a big, noisy celebration around a sporting event or theme.   Include children whenever possible, since their creative and cheerful dispositions lend another dimension to your perspective.  Just be sure to include music, laughter and happy people. 

Wishing you much happiness and good ch’i!

Diane Gallin, CFSC

Wind and Water Feng Shui Consulting

Wind and Water

www.windandwaterfengshui.com

Email   diane@windandwaterfengshui.com    Telephone   727-459-1459

 

To Touch the Heart

Posted in Feng Shui Florida on 02/14/2011 05:43 pm by Diane Gallin

 

Ancient Chinese sages had a word for the mutual attraction between two people.  Hsien means “to touch the heart.”  Represented by the symbol of a lake over a mountain, these elements, like good relationships, are separate and unique but exist in nature because they provide something the other needs.   They complement each other.  In Western Feng Shui, the area of your building and property associated with Relationships is the far right corner (from the front door.)  It represents your marriage, romantic partners and business liaisons.  Anyone you regularly spend time with is influenced by the energy in this space.  One of the first things to consider in evaluating the Relationship area is what the space is used for.  Is the far right corner (from the street) of your property accessible and inviting, or is it remote and uninspiring?  Property that slopes away, a single chair, thorny plants or a “dead end” sign may be an indication of how well your relationships are going.  Is there a bathroom in this sector of your home or office “draining” romance from your life, or perhaps a fireplace or electrical utility room “heating up” discussions?  Is the area architecturally missing from your floor plan or sealed off from the living and working spaces, effectively disconnecting your bonds with others? 

On Valentine’s Day, red roses and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are commercially used to evoke romance.  Feng Shui uses the color pink, representing receptiveness and nurturing, artwork featuring couples, soft lighting and comfortable seating to attract and maintain relationships.  In the office, a picture of two or more people accomplishing something together (sailing a boat, shaking hands, or scaling a mountain) represents the spirit of cooperation necessary for strong business relationships.  Solitary images or representations of conflict (stormy seas, battlefields, cactus plants, etc.) are counterproductive.

Since the New Year is a good time to reevaluate everything you might be holding onto, you may want to decide whether to carry all your relationships with you into the future.   Some of them may represent emotional clutter in your life, which is just as harmful as the physical kind.  Take the time now to cultivate the relationships you want to flourish in the New Year, and distance yourself from those that weaken or diminish you.  

Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day, an open heart and good ch’i,

Diane Gallin, CFSC

Wind and Water Feng Shui Consulting

Wind and Water

www.windandwaterfengshui.com

Email   diane@windandwaterfengshui.com    Telephone   727-459-1459

 

Chinese New Year 2011

Posted in Chinese New Year, Feng Shui Florida on 01/14/2011 10:25 pm by Diane Gallin

lanterns

 

In the weeks leading up to the Chinese New Year, it is customary to make preparations for the 15-day Spring Festival.  Here are some tips!

Before the New Year

  • Clean your home thoroughly, including basements and attics.  Wash windows, paint, clean filters and drains, dust, clear clutter
  • Organize files, closets, drawers,  calendars and schedules
  • Replace, repair or remove anything that is broken (especially clocks and watches)
  • If you have an altar in your home, clean and re-state your intentions
  • Pay your debts and balance accounts
  • Reconcile any disputes you may have
  • Clean and optimize your computer files and drives

On New Year’s Eve (February 2)

  • Sweep the entire house, starting at the front door and ending at the back door
  • Get a haircut
  • Prepare a reunion gathering and meal that continues through the midnight hour, bridging the old year and the new
  • Replace your front door mat to avoid dragging remnants of last year’s energy into your home in the new year
  • At midnight, open all windows and doors to allow old energy to escape and new energy to enter – smudge or ring bells to clear
  • Light firecrackers or display decorative Chinese firecrackers to frighten away unfriendly spirits and introduce yang energy to your celebration
  • Set your intentions for the New Year

On New Year’s Day (February 3)

  • Put all brooms, knives and scissors away so as not to cut into or sweep away good fortune for the year
  • Welcome deities from heaven and earth to guide you through the year
  • Honor and pay respect to elders
  • Wear new clothing to put your best foot forward in the new year
  • Do not lend or borrow money on this day
  • Do not cry so as not to bring sadness with you into the new year
  • Decorate with and wear the color red – the color for joy and virtue
  • Distribute red envelopes (ang pow) to children
  • Display fresh flowers (especially peach and plum blossoms) for abundance
  • Put out a bowl of oranges
  • When leaving your home, the words exchanged with the first person you meet influences the luck of the year so make them positive!

Wishing you good ch’i,

Diane Gallin, CFSC

Wind and Water Feng Shui Consulting

Wind and Water

www.windandwaterfengshui.com

Email   diane@windandwaterfengshui.com    Telephone   727-459-1459

 

Year of the Rabbit

Posted in Chinese New Year, Feng Shui, Five Elements, Year of the Rabbit on 01/01/2011 05:42 pm by Diane Gallin

2011 heralds the year of the Yin Metal Rabbit.  While the western calendar recognizes January 1 as the first day of the New Year, Chinese tradition celebrates a ten day New Year Festival, geared to both the agricultural seasons (yang) and astrological moon phases (yin).  The solar (Hsia) calendar marks the beginning of spring on February 3 when we welcome the year of the Rabbit.  Gentler in nature than the ferocious Tiger it follows, the Rabbit lends an air of beauty, grace and diplomacy to the year.  For many, this will be a welcome respite from the turmoil of 2010.

In Chinese Astrology the Rabbit is associated with springtime and all the joy and optimism it brings.  Nature begins to recover from the cold yin winter, farmers ready their fields for planting, animals and insects stir. We envision longer days, warmer temperatures and fertile pastures.  Nature gives birth to itself again in the cycle of life, and the tranquil Rabbit accomplishes her tasks with careful discernment rather than force.  In Five Element Feng Shui, the Rabbit belongs to the Wood element aligned with flowers, morning, family and new beginnings.  How appropriate for the New Year to begin on the first day of spring!

During the weeks leading up to the Chinese New Year Festival, it is customary to clear away old energy (and bad luck) from the previous year and to set the stage for all that is new and promising.  It is proper to clean house, make repairs, paint, wash windows and pay debts so as not to carry burdens from the previous year with you into the next.  In Feng Shui we advise clutter clearing in every bagua area of your home and office to make room for new and inspiring changes in these areas of your life.

As the Tiger begins his retreat and the gentle Rabbit peeks out from her warren, borrow some of her good manners, social responsibility and kindness to guide you through the year.  As always, I wish you good ch’i and  ‘si ji ping an’ ~ peace and prosperity in all seasons. 

Happy New Year!

Diane Gallin, CFSC

Wind and Water Feng Shui Consulting

Wind and Water

www.windandwaterfengshui.com

Email   diane@windandwaterfengshui.com    Telephone   727-459-1459

 

Winter Solstice

Posted in Feng Shui Florida, Five Elements, Seasons on 12/19/2010 11:36 pm by Diane Gallin

December 21, 2010 marks the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere, a turning point in the natural world for the seasonal passage of time.  This year, the shortest day of the year is accompanied by a full moon, a total lunar eclipse and the Ursids meteor shower.  Most of our winter holidays are celebrated during the time of the solstice when temperatures drop, the sun is low in the sky and we experience the longest nights of the year.  In China, the Winter Solstice is known as the Dong Zhi or “extreme of winter.”  This holiday honors the end of the harvest and return to hearth and home.  In agricultural societies and the practice of Feng Shui, winter is associated with completion, storage and conservation of energy, until springtime arrives with the promise of a new beginning. 

The most yin time of year from a Feng Shui perspective, winter is associated with still water, cold, the moon, silence and darkness. In the phases of the Five Elements and Traditional Chinese Medicine, the season of winter relates to the kidneys, water ch’i and the emotion of fear.  It is not surprising that human beings gravitate to shelter and warmth during this season, gathering emotional support and comfort at the bleakest time of the year.  Watching daylight fade more swiftly, early Neoliths surely wondered when and if the sun would return to warm the earth. In fact, their efforts to summon the sun through ritual and celebration at the year’s turning gave birth to the winter holidays we celebrate today.  

But in the spirit of the holiday season, perhaps some of our celebrations have pushed us too far to the yang side of the equation. Rather than honoring the quiet, introspective side of our nature in winter, we create expectations that bring even more stress to our lives.  The holidays become mirrors of the same hectic schedule we keep all year long.  In winter, we are supposed to rest and reflect – taking comfort in warm foods, loving companionship, and stillness.  Rather than filling our days with activity, it is wise to acknowledge the cycles of nature and passage of time, allowing emotions just under the surface to emerge and pass through. 

This holiday season, give yourself the gift of melancholy.  Set aside time to remember those who came before you and honor only the traditions that touch your heart.  Attempt to put your fears about the future at rest and find quiet time to be at peace with who you are and where you have been, knowing that the sun will always return to warm you.

Wishing you and those you love all the blessings of the season,

Diane Gallin, CFSC

Wind and Water Feng Shui Consulting

Wind and Water

www.windandwaterfengshui.com

Email   diane@windandwaterfengshui.com    Telephone   727-459-1459

 

Your Story

Posted in Feng Shui, Five Elements, Seasons on 11/23/2010 11:18 pm by Diane Gallin

Thanksgiving in the United States celebrates a gathering of friends and family together to share a meal and count their blessings.  A simple holiday compared to most, it arrives in the season of harvest and completion, when the days are shorter and we begin transitioning from autumn to winter.  In Feng Shui Five Element theory, we associate this time of year with contracted metal energy.  Metal rules the hours of 3pm to 7pm, the time when people return home after completing their tasks of the day.

Some would say the simplicity of Thanksgiving is lost in the fast pace of our daily lives, and that we tend to hurry through the preparations and rituals so we can move on to the next scheduled holiday. If this describes your schedule, perhaps a day of listening would help.  For the past three years, the StoryCorps project has designated the day after Thanksgiving in the United States as a National Day of Listening, encouraging people to set aside time to interview and record a story from someone they know or admire.  Parents, grandparents, veterans, neighbors, strangers and friends have something to share that contributes a thread to the unique fabric of our lives.   We may be only a conversation away from that experience.

When the sun sets in the western sky, we are reminded that this day as we know it will not come again.  Take a moment over the holiday weekend to capture the story of someone in the autumn of their life whose story enriches yours.

Wishing you good ch’i, many blessings and a very happy Thanksgiving,

Diane Gallin, CFSC

Wind and Water Feng Shui Consulting

Wind and Water

www.windandwaterfengshui.com

Email   diane@windandwaterfengshui.com    Telephone   727-459-1459

 

Longevity

Posted in Feng Shui, Feng Shui Florida, Five Elements on 10/22/2010 09:04 pm by Diane Gallin

Bamboo

Have you ever noticed the way bamboo grows?  Unlike the average tree or bush with smaller branches spaced along a main stem or truck, bamboo shoots grow out of the joints of the stalk at distinct sections along the way.   Environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable because of its rapid growth and ability to replenish itself, bamboo is abundant and useful around the world for many applications.  Different parts of the bamboo plant are cultivated for food, building and construction materials, textiles, weaving, musical instruments and Chinese medicine.   

A favorite subject of Chinese artists, great pains are taken to capture both the strength and beauty of this versatile plant.  Brush strokes are even, measured and contemplative – painted in one motion to represent the continuity of the stalk.  Viewed from a distance, bamboo appears wispy and gentle as it bows and lifts in the breeze.  However, upon closer observation, it is much sturdier and in many ways a good metaphor for life. In Chinese Five Element Theory, bamboo represents yin wood – strong, upright and well rooted, yet flexible enough to bend and weather the storm.  Its counterpart, yang wood holds its ground in the face of adversity, sometimes becoming upended by the wind or snapping off branches in the process. 

Like bamboo, life rarely moves in a straight line and it is at specific junctures in time that we make decisions, change direction and grow.  Strength and endurance come not always from standing our ground, but rather from our ability to adapt to life’s challenges.  And like bamboo, it seems the simpler our life cycle along the way, the easier our path to self-cultivation.  Small wonder that the Chinese use bamboo as a symbol for longevity, nobility and permanence. 

Wishing you a long life and good ch’i,

Diane Gallin, CFSC

Wind and Water Feng Shui Consulting

Wind and Water

www.windandwaterfengshui.com

Email   diane@windandwaterfengshui.com    Telephone   727-459-1459

 

The Work of Your Hands

Posted in Bagua, Feng Shui, Feng Shui Florida, Seasons on 10/04/2010 12:15 am by Diane Gallin

Do you ever pay attention to the work of your hands?  An intricate combination of bones, nerves, tendons and muscles, these tools give us the ability to both grasp and influence our environment like no other species.  Designed for both heavy lifting and precise manipulation, we often overlook the work of our hands until we lose the ability to use them. 

Early ancestors used their hands to hunt, build, weave and harvest everything they needed for survival.  They planted seeds, gathered ingredients, prepared meals at home and crafted their clothing and furniture by hand.  Today we leave much of this work to specialists and use our hands for communicating our needs via keypads and dials.   But the repetitive nature of handiwork contains a seed of mindfulness that could be lacking in our modern lives.  Turning the page of a book or newspaper feels different than the sensation of a handheld electronic reader.  The measured pace and undivided attention required for gardening, sewing, building and painting lends calmness to these activities that might be worth preserving. 

In Western Feng Shui, the area of a building known as Knowledge is also associated with the hands.  Knowledge relates to education, self-awareness and spirituality.  When that sector of a building is compromised, underutilized or missing, members of the family or employees of a company often lack the ability to absorb and retain new information and expand their horizons.  A vital area of the Feng Shui bagua, a balanced Knowledge area will help to produce inquisitive children and employees who can grasp ideas and think beyond the scope of their job descriptions. 

As autumn approaches and the season for gathering the harvest is upon us, be mindful of the work you do with your hands.  In her poem “To Be of Use” Marge Piercy writes, “The pitcher longs for water to carry and a person for work that is real.”

Wishing you expansive ideas, the ability to grasp the future and work that is real.

Diane Gallin, CFSC

Wind and Water

www.windandwaterfengshui.com

Email   diane@windandwaterfengshui.com    Telephone   727-459-1459

 

Summer Fun

Posted in Feng Shui, Feng Shui Florida on 10/03/2010 11:54 pm by Diane Gallin

How is your summer going? I hope you are enjoying the long and languid days and have availed yourself of the opportunity to relax a bit.   As children, summer was the time to kick off our shoes and inhibitions and explore the world around us; often leaving the house at dawn, returning only when the last rays of sun signaled the end of day.  With free time to explore the park, beach, museum or library shelf, we slept soundly and greeted the morning with optimism for what the new day would bring.  Age and responsibility have a way of stealing those hours once spent dreaming, filling them instead with routine tasks and minutiae.   But why can’t we reclaim a portion of the day and allow time for creativity?

In Feng Shui, creativity is associated with the life area known as Children.  For obvious reasons, it equates birth, invention, whimsy and production.  It represents our offspring, our creative ideas and the child-like nature within us.  The future begins in this sector, for ideas are born of dreams.  When the Children area of a building is blocked or underutilized, we often find it difficult to daydream, laugh, relax and play.  We tend to work hard and take life seriously, often at the expense of our health and relationships.

Before summer’s end, set aside a weekend, a day or even an hour for spontaneous and joyful activity.  Ride a bike, jump in a lake, eat breakfast for dinner or lie down in the grass to watch the clouds go by.  Allow yourself to see the world through children’s eyes again.  You might just like the view.

Wishing you good ch’i,

Diane Gallin, CFSC

Wind and Water

www.windandwaterfengshui.com

Email    diane@windandwaterfengshui.com    Telephone  727-459-1459

 
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