Lots of you have written to express concern about the current financial situation. Others of you have written to say that you’d love a personal consultation, but simply can’t afford it, or the cost of new furnishings, decorations and paint.
But feng shui doesn’t necessarily have to cost money — and you sure don’t want to spend money on feng shui that you simply don’t have! So what’s a person to do when they’re on a budget, but still want to make a big impact on their home, office & surroundings?
Here are a few thoughts for the week that you can implement quickly, simply and inexpensively:
1. Clean Like You’ve Never Cleaned Before!
As my teacher Jackie always says, “Clean like God’s coming!” and I couldn’t agree more. Cleaning doesn’t cost a dime, but it’s the first place to start with any type of feng shui adjustment. When you clean with care, consciousness and love, you’re putting your tender attention into everything you touch — charging it energetically, removing stagnancy and sending ripples out into the Universe saying “I love and care for what I have — and I’m ready to receive more!” If God were coming over for dinner today, how would you ready your home for the arrival? Take time this week to start cleaning on that deep, detailed level and see how much more abundant you feel!
2. Let go of the Downers
As we discussed in the last newsletter, releasing those things that no longer serve us can do wonderfuls for the energy of a space. As another teacher once told me: “Everything in your home is talking to you… just make sure it’s saying something nice!” Our homes are an exact reflection of our entire life. So for every negative, broken, guilt-ridden, outdated “downer” in our homes, there is a less-than-helpful belief that’s being trapped there too, chitter-chattering away at us subconsciously.
Imagine for a moment your FAVORITE place on the planet! Close your eyes, and bring that image to mind. Sit with it, feel into it… notice how your body reacts, expands and melts! Now, go through the objects, artwork, furniture, colors and fabrics in your home. One at a time look at them, and notice how you FEEL. Is it similar to your fantasy vacation spot? Or does it create heaviness, neutrality, constriction, sadness or tension?
On a feng shui consultation last week, a client said to me after I’d told her to shop for specific items: “So it sounds like I need to go out and FEEL things…” and I couldn’t have said it better myself! Just like with the principles of manifesting and Law of Attraction, it is the emotions that we feel that create our own realities and magnetize experiences to us. Using your home to evoke only those emotions that bring joy, expansion and abundance is the best way to utilize the creative powers of feng shui.
3. Strut Your Stuff!
Do you have special dishes only brought out for guests? Are there items of clothing you only wear for special occasions? Got antiques growing dust in the attic? Do the fancy soaps only sit out when you’ve got company? As many people discover, life is short. So why not strut your stuff (literally) while you can! There’s no time like the present to put your favorite things on parade! Gobble up their yummy feel-good vibes as you fill your home with nothing but the best of the best. Display your favorite books, get out the good towels, wear your favorite dress and sip soy milk from a crystal goblet! Feeling good is the name of life’s game. So find whatever ways you can to surround yourself with beauty, inspiration and magic as often as humanly possible.
4. Move It Or Lose It
Have you ever noticed that once you place an object somewhere, you very quickly stop noticing it altogether? The easiest and fastest way to freshen up the energy in any space is to move things around! There is an old saying in Feng Shui that says your life will change if you move 21 things — and the premise of that saying is a wise one indeed. Simply taking the same ol’ stuff, and arranging it differently, draws new attention and energy to it. So if you’re feeling stuck, bored or uninspired, try this super-simple remedy to light a fire in your feng shui engine!
5. Get in the Flow
Blocked walkways, tight seating arrangements, too-full closets and stuffed drawers are symbolic of stuck thinking and cramped concepts. We want your home to reflect your higher, ideal self — one that is fluid, open, loving and bright. Walk through your home today and assess your space. Then move things out of the way that get in your way! Do you have furniture in your hallway? Clutter behind the doors? Far too many clothes in your closet? Or ominous sharp-edged furniture in a passageway? It won’t cost you a dime to declutter, but it can cost you big-time if you don’t!
6. Be in AWE…
Have you ever had a spiritual experience washing dishes? Cleaning the toilet? Sweeping the driveway? or folding your laundry? Any task, large or small, mundane or impactful, can be done with a sense of awe and reverence. Note those tasks that normally avoid, dread, or put you to sleep. How can you bring joy and life into these seemingly unimportant motions? Think back to the native Japanese culture — with their tea ceremonies, clean & simple homes and hushed Zen gardens. Their lives were not fixated with achievement, glory and goods, but rather honor, simplicity, awareness and presence. Take tips from generations past, and bring them into your current modern life. Tend to the details within your home as if they were your lover’s body. Be gentle and thoughtful, go slowly and thoughtfully, be methodical and present when you care for your space… The energy will radiate back to you tenfold!
7. Get Your Hands Dirty
Nature is the perfect feng shui balancing act. With just the perfect blend of colors, shapes, sizes and textures, nature can bring you into alignment within just a few mere minutes. Full of ever-changing life-force and energy, nature is a sure-fire way of sluffing off stagnancy and overall stuckness. Just spend a few minutes opening up your windows, lifting the blinds, talking to your plants or digging in the dirt can help slow you down and open your eyes to the miracles of nature surrounding us. Tapping into this system that is more vast and complex than any of our petty worldly worries can often times bring back that sense of wonder and awe that is perfect medicine to adjust your internal Chi. So get out there, plant a seed and just sit and watch it grow — it’s fast, it’s free and it’s great feng shui!
8. Go Shopping in Your Own House
That’s right! Get out there and shop… in your own house! Stroll through your home today as if you were browsing through Walmart, Target, Macy’s or Saks… If you were in a store today, would you spend your hard-earned dollars on the items in your home? I know, I know… you already own them. But put on your double-agent eyes for a bit and really start to study your stuff. If you wouldn’t lay down the big bucks for your current home’s decor, then why in the world is it there to begin with? Grab a bag, walk the “isles” and pick out only those things that still curl your toes and knock off those socks! Once you’re done, take these special pieces and put them for all to see… (and considering getting rid of the rest). You’ll never go shopping in the same way again!
9. Color Your World
For those of you who are previous clients of mine, you know what I love to say: “There’s no bigger bang for your buck than paint!” No sofa, statue or artistic masterpiece can ever hold as much visual POW! for a room than an outstanding color on your walls. For the cost of a gallon of paint, you can feel like you’re living in your very own gallery. Color not only is aesthetically beautiful, but has the mystical powers to evoke emotions — some subtle, some strong. Using color as medicine for your home (and spirit) can help a shy person be bold, a nervous person feel calm or a hot-headed person feel soft and loving. So splash a color on those walls… note the effect. Play, experiement, paint again! Let the shades color your inner…and outer… worlds!
