Feng Shui can be the catalyst for making changes in your life. Feng Shui is about intention. It’s about your thoughts, your beliefs and your attitudes.  As a trained Feng Shui practitioner I recognize that I am a change agent. I provide an unbiased evaluation of the physical environment and help people understand how the Feng Shui principle, “your space reflects your life” is impacting them. I can provide Feng Shui adjustments or enhancements that may bring more clarity, focus and energy into your life. I help people turn on their “Feng Shui Eyes”. This allows my clients to live more consciously. Before an appointment, I have my clients state their intentions. This helps provide a focal point and purpose for our time together.

Colors are one of the basic tools used in Feng Shui methodology.  Color is one way Feng Shui practitioners integrate change in people’s lives. When you add color to your space this may change your perspective and it may even change your life. Integrating new colors into your physical environment can serve as a launching pad for
you to make the changes you’ve wanted to make, but haven’t
been able to.

The colors in your life change as you do. What colors do you surround yourself with? What color is your home? What color is your bedroom? What color are your bed sheets? What color is your kitchen? What color are your plates? What color are the glasses you drink from? What color is your family room? What colors do you have in your office? What colors are in your pictures? What color is your furniture? What color are your drapes?  What color is your car? What colors do you like to wear? What is the color of the food you like to eat? What color is your front door?

Feng Shui evaluates the colors you have chosen to paint your walls, selected for your furniture, selected for fabrics and draperies as well as taking a look at the colors in your closet and some of your personal belongings. The colors you have chosen to be in your life have served a purpose. The colors reflect where you have been and changing the colors in your physical environment is making a statement about where you are going.

In the book, “Living Color” by Professor Thomas Lin Yun and Sarah Rossbach, the founder and grandmaster of Black Sect Feng Shui, state four ways in which color influences our world:

1. Color defines for us what exists and what doesn’t exist
2. Color discloses the status of our health and fortune (by evaluating the color and condition of your skin tones)
3. Color inspires emotion
4. Color also structures our behavior

In China, the properties of color are both emotional and physical.
The term for a funeral is “white event” while the literal translation of “honorable official” is “blue sky”. Yellow has always been closely associated with the imperial household that the entrance to the palace is known as the “yellow door”. Throughout the world, colors describe emotional properties. We feel blue, are green with envy, or describe someone as a yellow-bellied coward. There is a Feng Shui story about the color purple; the Chinese say that something is so red it is purple, meaning it is so hot it will stand out, bringing luck
and fame.

Professor Lin states, “If you understand the relationship between color and human ch’i you can enrich your life: you can use color to improve the state of your ch’i. There are six areas of our lives that are affected by color: transportation, shelter, clothes, leisure activities, food and personal cultivation-the latter category includes meditation, education, mystical rituals and the use of color as a prenatal influence.”

Color has a major impact on all of us and it affects all aspects of our lives. Color is one of the first things the brain processes. Color is a manifestation of light and energy. We can use color to heal, guide and express certain aspects of ourselves. We can use color as a
Feng Shui adjustment or enhancement. Feng Shui typically works with nine colors.

The nine colors used in Feng Shui correspond to the Bagua (pronounced Bagwa). The Bagua is a tool that helps us to evaluate what is happening in your life and in your environment. The Bagua is shaped like an octagon and has eight sides. The Bagua is an energetic map that is used to identify key areas in your environment that can be either adjusted or enhanced. This tool allows the environment to be divided into nine equal areas or guas (pronounced gwa). Each gua holds an energetic imprint that can be reflected in your space.

In Feng Shui, we say the Bagua is the compass inside your heart. If you’re experiencing some area of your life that isn’t working or moving in the direction you intended, then the Bagua can be used to evaluate your concerns. In this article, we will use the Bagua to evaluate the color in your home or office space. Working with colors can be a lot of fun!

The key colors that Feng Shui practitioners work with are Black, Blue, Green, Purple, Red, Pink, White and pastels, Gray or Silver and Yellow, Orange and earth tones.

The Basic Bagua

As you can see from the
diagram each gua has a color representing it. Let’s examine what each color means and see how color can be incorporated into your physical environment. Don’t forget you can wear and eat color too!

After evaluating the colors or lack of colors in your space,
you may still have questions or concerns and an appointment with a trained Feng Shui consultant may be in order.

Before you begin, put on your Feng Shui eyes and walk from room to room. What do you see? What is each room saying to you? Remember your space reflects your life. As you enter each room pay attention to how you are feeling. You can ask yourself some basic questions. How do you feel in each room? What colors are in each room? Do you have a positive or negative experience in a particular room? Is it time to make a change, if the answer is yes, what
color do you feel will support you at this juncture in your life journey.

The Nine Bagua Colors
There are positive and negative aspects for each color

Black:

• Represents the gua called Life Journey or Career
• Black is considered an auspicious color in China and stands for everything in the universe
• Water element

Positive aspects of Black:
Power, strength, authority, protection, magic, respect, absorbs energy, infinite, sense of awe, grandeur and depth

Negative aspects of Black:
Secretive, dark magic, mysterious, resentment, fear, anxiety, hatred, depression, lack of hope feeling dark and low

Blue:   

• Represents the gua called Wisdom or Knowledge
• Earth element

Positive aspects of Blue:
Knowledge, peace, happiness, calming, relaxing, philosopher, claiming the right to speak your truth

Negative aspects of Blue: 
Depression, loneliness, a mourning color in China

Green:

• Represents the gua called Family
• Wood element

Positive aspects of Green:
New beginnings, growth, energy, hope, new life, healing, abundance, generate new ideas, flexible, balance, tranquility, fresh, vitality, hope, heart space, claiming the right to love and heal

Negative aspects of Green:
Uncertainty, greed, miserly

Purple:

• Represents the gua called Abundance or Wealth
• Wood element

Positive aspects of Purple:
Spiritual, royalty, visionary, spirit, alchemy, humility, exploration, self discovery, respect, nobility, power, rich, fortunate, purpose, claiming the right to know

Negative aspects of Purple:
Obsessive, misunderstanding, compulsive

Red: 

• Represents the gua called Fame and Reputation
• Red is considered a lucky color in China and is a call to action color
• Fire Element

Positive aspects of Red:
Activates, motivates, passionate, joy, fun, creates movement and change, call to action color, happiness, warmth, fire, fame, stimulates, strength, claiming the right to have your basic needs filled

Negative aspects of Red:
Anger, aggressive, impulsive

Pink:

• Represents the gua called Partnership

Positive aspects of Pink:
Calming effect, unconditional love, pure feelings, joy, happiness, heart space, marriage, relationships, soothes the emotions, reduces fear, romance, claiming the right to love and heal

Negative aspects of Pink:
Too emotional

White or Pastels: 

• Represents the gua called Children and Creativity
• In China, white represents a blank slate. White helps create black from which white is born (Living Color, page 29)
• Metal element

Positive aspects of White:
Purity, sharing, truth, cleanliness, righteous, perfection, encompasses all the colors, enlightenment, infinite faith, angelic, claiming the right to be a spiritual being

Negative aspects of White:
Sterile, overextended, scattered, destructive, demise and death

Gray or Silver:

• Represents Helpful People
• Metal element

Positive aspects of Gray or Silver:
Neutral, initiation, imagination, can help to resolve conflicts, claiming the ability to dream

Negative aspects of Gray or Silver:
Uncommitted, secretive, empty, depression, frustrated, hopelessness

Yellow or Gold:

• Represents the Center, Health
• Earth element

Positive aspects of Yellow:
Optimism, inspiration, energizing, cheerful color, stimulating, clarity, focus, intellectual, stands for power, tolerance, patience, wisdom, ability to reason, health, claiming the right to act

Negative aspects of Yellow:
Critical, too driven, can over stimulate the mind

Brown:

• Represents the Center, Health (all earth tone colors)
• Earth element

Positive aspects of Brown:
Practical, earthy, stable, grounded, depth, strength, can be considered elegant

Negative aspects of Brown:
Unenlightened, lack of discrimination, muddy, stuck, murky

Orange:

• Represents the Center, Health
• Earth element

Positive aspects of Orange:
Creative, sexuality, drive, ambition, energizing, joyful, auspicious color combination of red and yellow, happiness, power

Negative aspects of Orange:
Prideful, worrier, anxiety, agitated

Peach:

• Represents the Center, Health
• Earth element

Positive aspects of Peach:
Great for a single person, very social color

Negative aspects of Peach:
Not good for married couples, may make the heart wander

Making some color changes in your home or office space, can manifest changes to your life. You may experience more energy and become more creative. Your attitude may change. When choosing the colors you’re going to add to your physical environment make sure the colors look good on you!  As Nike says in their ads “Just Do It”! Go ahead and make a statement. Take a risk, go and play, add some color to your life.

“As you walk this sacred path of life, may you color your sacred space”.

Sources: “Living Color” by Professor Thomas Lin Yun and Sarah Rossbach, pages 11, 15, 16, 29.

Feng Shui (pronounced Fung Shway) is the art of creating environments that support our emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. Feng Shui expresses the power of energy that is present in solid objects as well as the energy of one’s own thoughts, words, and deeds. The words “Feng Shui” literally mean wind and water, the two elements we cannot live without. Some consider Feng Shui to be New Age, but this ancient art dates back 4000 years. It has stood the test of time and brought forth consistent and powerful change for many people who follow its teachings.

The ultimate goal of Feng Shui is to create sacred space.  Feng Shui is a process that helps people understand how their physical environment shapes their inner landscape, their inner self. This physical environment can be anywhere; your home, your office, or your garden. It is simply wherever a person spends their time. One Feng Shui principle states, “Your space reflects your life.” Therefore, the next time you want to “check in,” look closely at all that surrounds you.  Putting your physical environment “in order” will, in turn, benefit your inner self.

The Feng Shui journey is as individual and unique as each of us and everyone’s experience will be different.  Immediate results are often experienced while other changes may require more time and energy.  The process is truly an unfolding of self-discovery.  Each journey is expressed in its own perfect time within one’s own unique wisdom and understanding.

How does Feng Shui work?

Feng Shui is based on ch’i (pronounced chee) or life force energy. Ch’i is in constant movement. It pulsates through all living things giving them life and vitality.  The flow of ch’i throughout one’s environment and physical body impacts every area of one’s life. It can influence your health, relationships, decision-making abilities, opportunities and outlook in life.

It is not uncommon for one to feel the energy of a specific space.  Haven’t we all felt anxious in some environments while we feel safe and secure in others?  This is the ch’i of a specific space.  Children and animals are particularly sensitive to this type of energy.

When evaluating a space, Feng Shui applies the following 5 principles:

1. Everything is energy and everything is connected
2. A person’s space is a reflection of their life
3. Space should be organized as it is in nature
4. Clutter causes confusion and chaos
5. Stating your desires allows your intentions to come forth

Once there is an understanding of these basic principals, you are ready to start! First, evaluate your current environment.  Using the first principal, “Everything is energy and everything is connected”, doesn’t it make sense that clutter in your home could impact your success at the office?

Once the initial assessment has been made, you are free to state your true desires.  Stating an intention such as clearing your clutter, rids you of material possessions and thoughts that were taking up space, it allows dreams and new opportunities to find you.  Feng Shui helps people clear their minds and create the space they need so they can make decisions about what they want in their life.  By consciously placing and positioning personal items and furniture in your space, you create more balance and harmony in your life. When you are actively involved in the decision making process this can reflect and support your intentions.

Once the journey starts to unfold, you can begin to identify old patterns and then become aware of how they have been impacting you. It is at this point in the journey that you begin to experience “aha’s”. It’s amazing when this starts to happen. You look back at the patterns that have limited you and now they seem so obvious!  It is in that recognition that choices continue to be made and changes continue to unfold.  You begin to ask yourself questions, “Is this choice in alignment with my intention”?  Does this support what I am trying to accomplish, or create, in my life? The answer is either Yes or No.  It’s that simple!

Why then does the term Feng Shui elicit fear or disbelief in some?  I know that Feng Shui is not magic; it’s not hocus-pocus or witchcraft.  It is simply recognition of your own truth and expressing that truth or energy within yourself and the environment in which you live.  By beginning the Feng Shui journey, you are truly opening yourself to your own consciousness and greater connectedness in all of life.  So when you make conscious choices you allow yourself to open to your own heart and to the heartbeat of the world.

I invite you to experience your own heart in a way that you never thought possible.  All that is required is an open mind, an open heart, recognition of Spirit and a desire to consciously begin living your own life, your own truth and self-expression.  You won’t be disappointed!

What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of positioning and placement. It examines how the energy flows in your living environment. Energy flow is affected by the placement of things and objects within a space. It is the art of creating environments that support our emotional, physical and spiritual well-being.

Feng Shui means wind and water, the two elements we cannot live without. These two elements can enhance our opportunities for determining our good luck, prosperity and health.

Feng Shui’s ultimate goal is to create sacred space within your physical environment thereby improving the luck and abundance in your life.

Brief History of Feng Shui
Feng Shui has been practiced in China for over 4000 years. People began to make observations about their environments. In some environments they experienced tremendous growth and success while in other areas their lives were in shambles. They made a connection between the physical environments in which they lived and how those environments affected them both good and bad. One of the first ways this was used was in locating auspicious burial sites for their ancestors and then they used Feng Shui principles to help locate their homes or towns.

Feng Shui is both a science and an art form. Feng Shui consultants observe the patterns that are set up in your physical environment and then interpret their meaning. It combines perspectives from psychology, physiology, ecology and geomancy, philosophy, astrology, interior design, architecture, science, aesthetics, artistry and folklore from India, Tibet and China and plain common sense.

Different Schools of Feng Shui
– Compass
– Land Form or Form School
– Black Sect
– Practical Feng Shui

Why do you practice Black Sect Feng Shui?
I chose to study Black Sect because the philosophy and teachings made sense to me. In my opinion it combines the best of all the schools. It taps into the wisdom and teachings from the past as well as acknowledging the challenges of our current day situations and our need to be flexible.

Black Sect uses the front door of your home or office, as the starting point or the mouth of ch’i. The front door will either be in Wisdom, Life Journey or Helpful People.

What are the 5 principles and why are they important?
When evaluating a space, Feng Shui applies the following 5 principles:

1. Everything is energy and everything is connected
2. A person’s space is a reflection of their life
3. Space should be organized as it is in nature
4. Clutter causes confusion and chaos
5. Stating your desires allows your intentions to come forth

These principles are important because they provide the foundation from which a physical evaluation takes place. When you begin to evaluate the concept of the first principle, “Everything is energy and everything is connected”, doesn’t it make sense that clutter in your home could impact the success at your office?

Who can benefit from a Feng Shui appointment or studying Feng Shui?
Everyone who is open to the benefits of Feng Shui: men, women, mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters, grandparents, friends, relatives, professional associates, business colleagues, corporations and animals.

Who can benefit from a Feng Shui appointment or studying Feng Shui?
Everyone who is open to the benefits of Feng Shui: men, women, mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters, grandparents, friends, relatives, professional associates, business colleagues, corporations and animals.

In what environments can I apply Feng Shui principles?
All environments: home, condominium, townhouse, apartment, houseboat, cabin, tree house, tent, office, business or corporation, retail store, real estate, cars and trucks, educational institutions, government buildings, desk, horizontal surfaces, room by room, personal body and other.

5 Key areas to evaluate a space
1. Front Door
2. Center
3. Bedroom
4. Office/Desk
5. Stove

Where do I start?
Clutter is a good place to start. As you process through your clutter you become aware of all the material items you own. At that point you can begin to make conscious decisions about what items remain in your home or office and what items you should let go. You begin to ask yourself questions like, “Is this choice in alignment with my intention? Does this support what I am trying to accomplish or create in my life”?

The answer is either Yes or No. It’s that simple.

Why does placement and positioning mean the same as location, location, location?
As in the real estate market you hear the term location, location, location. Location is important and can play a key factor in the selling of a home or business. In Feng Shui we say placement and positioning play a key role in evaluating how your environment is supporting you.

We do this by evaluating the flow of ch’i or life force energy in a space. We ask questions and make observations. For example, we evaluate the front door; is it easy to find and is it being used very often? The front door represents the first and last impressions we make on others and ourselves. When you enter the home, are you faced with stairs that lead your eye up and down or do you walk into a space that gently leads you into the home?

We evaluate the placement and positioning of the overall physical layout of the environment. How your furniture is positioned and how you have placed your personal possessions throughout your home or office.

Tools that are used in Feng Shui
Bagua, colors, elements, symbols and metaphors, intention and attitude, intuition, subjective and objective observations, mundane and transcendental adjustments and cures, rituals, ceremony and meditations. Download Bagua with definitions (Click Here)

What is a Bagua? What is a gua?
The Bagua (pronounced Bagwa) is a tool that helps us to evaluate what is happening in your life and in your environment. The Bagua is shaped like an octagon and has 8 sides. The Bagua is an energetic map that is used to identify key areas in your environment that can be either adjusted or enhanced. This tool allows the environment to be divided into 9 equal areas, or guas (pronounced gwa). Each gua holds an energetic imprint that can be reflected in your space.

The Bagua can be applied or superimposed over the blueprint of your home or office or to any horizontal surface such as a kitchen counter, a dresser, a table or a desk.

In Feng Shui we say the Bagua is the compass inside your heart. If you are experiencing some area of your life that isn’t working or moving in the direction you were hoping for then this tool can be used to evaluate the areas of concern.

What are the 9 key areas or guas?
There are 9 areas or guas that are represented on the Bagua
1. Life Journey/Career
2. Wisdom/Knowledge
3. Family
4. Abundance
5. Fame & Reputation
6. Partnership
7. Creativity & Children
8. Helpful People
9. Health

In Black Sect Feng Shui the front door always lines up along Wisdom, Life Journey or
Helpful People.

Why is the color red so important in Feng Shui?
Red is considered a lucky color. It is associated with happiness, luck and fame. It can initiate energy to move quickly. What is Ch’i?
Feng Shui is based on ch’i (pronounced chee) or life force energy. Ch’i is in constant movement. It pulsates through all living things giving them life and vitality. The flow of ch’i throughout your environment and physical body impacts every area of your life. It can influence your health, relationships, decision-making abilities, opportunities and outlook in life.

What is Yin and Yang?
Yin and Yang are complementary opposites that depend on each other. Together they create a sense of wholeness or one. Yin and Yang make up all aspects of life and matter.
Yin and Yang reminds us that our physical and emotional environments are in a constant state of change. The story goes that in darkness there is a tiny spec of light and in the light there is a tiny spec of darkness. It reminds us that our life and physical environments are in a constant state of movement.

Yin is dark, female, inside and passive.
Yang is light, male, outside and active.

Why is the number 9 so special?
This number represents the fullness of heaven and earth, completion, power and success. It’s also considered to be a mystical number because when you multiply by 9 the sum of the two digits equals nine. (For example 2 x 9 =18 and 1+ 8 =9)

What is the Red Envelope Tradition?
Practitioners or consultants receive payment from an appointment in a red envelope.
It is considered lucky money. It honors the tradition of sharing sacred wisdom and information as well as protecting
the consultant.

What are the 5 elements?
1. Fire
2. Earth
3. Metal
4. Water
5. Wood

Fire is red, Earth is yellow or earth tones, Metal is white or silver, Water is black or dark blue and Wood is green.

The 5 elements are another way to evaluate your physical environment. The item or objects shape, color and material it’s made of are evaluated. When all 5 elements are represented in a space it is in balance and has harmony. It just feels right!

What are the main Cures and Adjustments used in Feng Shui?
Examples of cures that can be used in Feng Shui are mirrors, fountains, lights or candles, wind chimes and bells, bamboo flutes, crystals, plants and flowers, aquariums, rocks or statues, color, aromatherapy, incense and sage, pictures and animal totems or the 5 elements.

Examples of adjustments might include a handout with a meditation or making some physical change in the environment. When we do this, we perform a ritual called the three secrets of reinforcement.

How do you make an adjustment?
You need to get clear about why you are making an adjustment. Do you want something to change in your life or in your living space? We use the 3 secrets of reinforcement to do an adjustment.

What are the 3 secrets of reinforcement?
Body, Mind, Speech
– The body is the physical object
– The mind is the visualization of the change you want to make
– The speech is connecting to spirit and then vocalizing your intention through either a prayer or the 6 true words

What are the 6 true words and what do they mean?Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum 

This phrase is called the Jewel in the Lotus Mantra. It implies the blossoming of a lotus flower revealing a jewel in the inner most part of the flower.

What is a Mudra?
Any physical gesture made with the hands that connect you to spirit. Feng Shui uses many different types of mudra’s. The prayer pose with hands folded together, waving, heart-calming, planting, moving hands up into the air, open palm, hands moving toward the ground and expelling are examples of Mudras.

The expelling Mudra dispels negative energy. You place your first finger and pinky finger straight up. Then you place the middle finger and ring finger against your thumb. Then you flick the middle finger and ring finger forward nine times.

What is a Mantra?
A chant or sounds that are repeated over and over again for a specific number of times. The 6 true words Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum are an example of a mantra.

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well-being through the complete body, mind and spirit experience. Our goal is to accelerate wellness by providing opportunities for everyone to learn new ways to maximize their potential and integrate healthier choices.

When individuals are less stressed, they become more energized, motivated, innovative, productive, resilient and focused. Employees become healthier and miss less work.

Vitality, A Wellness Choice is a wellness experience that can be customized to fit your needs, time and budget. This experience may include a presentation by one or more of our wellness experts. The topics range from stress reduction, life skills for health and well-being, workstation wellness, success tools, work life balance, creating nutritious relationships, integrating the principles of the Vitality Advantage, maximizing your potential and more.

Along with the presentation, we have a group of wellness professionals that will share their gifts and talents through massage, pressure point exercises, breathing, guided imagery, sound therapies, brain exercises, just to name a few. Experience as much or as little as you wish. Let Vitality, A Wellness Choice bring a refreshing break into your workday.

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Wellness is a choice. Wellness is a positive message. It has lasting impact and fuels optimistic energy into your business, workforce, home and personal life. Sickness and stress cost money, drains energy, depletes resources and increases errors and missed opportunities.

1. Start with a morning prayer or intention, set up a positive trigger that reminds you to say it over and over again throughout the day, end your day with the same prayer or intention.
2. Get your Feng Shui in order: home, office, car, land, garage, storage, computer, finances.
3. Select a sound, CD, tone, mantra and play it 24/7 in your house. It helps maintain a balanced frequency
4. Pay attention to universal signals and nudges and act on them.
5. Passwords: Make sure the passwords are in alignment with your dreams and desires, when you type the words you are feeling them, thinking them and connecting to them.
6. Understand the role that gratitude, joy and play impact your daily experience.
7. Develop a relationship with universal energy, trust your intuition and act on them.
8. Be clear about what you want, then ask and you shall receive.
9. Wake Up. Do your own work and get out of your own way.
10. What are you waiting for? Take a stand, make it happen!
11. Recognize you are always connected and co-creating.
12. Dare to be You.
13. Illuminate Your Brilliance.
14. Share your talents with others and the world.
15. Know that you can be happy, healthy and fulfilled.
16. Become a Collabornaut (see interview).
17. Play!
18. Dance in the Magic of the Universe!
19. Jonathan Goldman formulas are powerful!   Frequency + Intention = Healing • Vocalization + Visualization = Manifestation
20. This life is your playground, so have some fun!

Copyright © 2012 Carolyn Vinup. All Rights Reserved.

by Carolyn Vinup

Creating Sacred Space is a conscious choice. It recognizes that everything you think, feel, experience, touch, say and do impacts all aspects of your life. Feng Shui provides a system that helps you to organize your physical environments. By putting your physical spaces in order you also impact your inner landscape as well.

Feng Shui is translated as Wind and Water, two things in nature we require to sustain life. Wind being the air that we breathe and Water nourishes and sustains our body. Feng Shui examines the energy flow in your space and helps uncover where you might be metaphorically “bumping into obstacles” that may impact other areas of your life.  Feng Shui helps you create environments that support you physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. The ultimate goal of Feng Shui is to create
sacred space.

Everything in our world is made up of atoms; therefore everything vibrates and emits energy. Many of you have heard, “where your attention goes, energy flows”. So why not introduce concepts and principles that support your interaction with creating a reality that provides more joy, happiness, peace and tranquility. Feng Shui can be a catalyst for making these changes a reality in your life.

Feng Shui is based on five key principles.

1. Everything is energy and everything is connected
2. Your space reflects your life
3. Clutter creates confusion and chaos
4. Use nature as your model
5. Your intention is the most important thing

When we create sacred space it means we are creating a place of honor and when we create places we honor we pay more attention to them. Taking the time to create sacred space is an investment in you.  It says you are worth it!

Working with Feng Shui is easy. Most people begin by clearing some clutter.  As you clear your clutter you begin to feel like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Eager to learn more, Feng Shui invites you to explore the other messages your space is reflecting back to you. Now the fun begins. You discover that colors have new meaning, you examine the colors you have chosen for your walls, you begin to pay attention to the colors you wear most frequently, all of a sudden shapes, textures, pictures and furniture are viewed with a new awareness.

One of the greatest gifts you receive as you begin to work with your space more consciously is the clarity you begin to experience in your life. You become happier, joyful; you experience more synchronicity and coincidences that make your life easier.

You begin to easily recognize when things are out of balance and you are no longer in a place of flow. If you become confused, disorganized, frustrated, moody, or unproductive, it’s a clear symptom that both your inner and outer environments need some attention.

When we create conscious spaces of honor they nourish, support and bless us.  Enjoy your journey to accelerating your path to expanded awareness, personal growth and well-being by exploring new perspectives that might just change your life.

The bedroom is the most important room in your home. This is the room where you want to feel nurtured, safe and protected. Creating sacred space in this room should be your top priority. Your bedroom should be your sanctuary. It has three purposes; rest, rejuvenation and romance. Just remember the three R’s.

Making your bedroom a sanctuary can be a fun activity as well as a personal journey experience. If your bedroom is not your sanctuary, ask yourself these questions. What do you believe the purpose of your bedroom is? What items or pictures could you add to your bedroom so it feels like a sanctuary? What items can be removed from the bedroom? Look at your space with “Feng Shui Eyes”, what message does the room reflect back to you? What is holding you back?

Creating Sacred Space in the bedroom does not need to be complicated. Before you begin your journey look at the bedroom consciously and be open to the messages that are conveyed to you. “Your space reflects your life” is one of the basic principles so, what do you see?

These questions raise important issues. After evaluating the bedroom you still may have questions or concerns and an appointment with a trained Feng Shui practitioner may be in order.

• When you walk into your bedroom be aware of how you are feeling? This is called your first impression. Do you feel tense, anxious, bored, empty, comfortable, relaxed, romantic or sensuous?
• How is the bed placed in this room?
• While lying in your bed can you see the door?
• While lying in your bed what is on the wall in front of you. This is called your vision wall
• Do you have a bathroom in your bedroom?
• Can you see it while lying in your bed?
• Do you have a solid head board?
• What message do the pictures on the wall say about you and your partnership? Are you a single woman looking for a mate? Are the pictures in your bedroom keeping you single, one flower, one woman sitting by the ocean etc?
• How organized is your closet? Have you made room for a partner? This also relates to individuals who are already in a committed relationship, have you made room for each other?
• Are there two night stands?
• Are there two lights?
• Are there two clocks?
• Do you have an even number of pillows?
• Does the furniture have round edges or sharp corners?
• Do you have any beams over your bed?
• Do you have a vaulted ceiling?
• Is the box spring a solid piece or two separate pieces?
• Do you store items under your bed?
• Do you have TV’s, computers or exercise equipment in your bedroom? If you do this confuses its purpose
• How many mirrors are in this room?
• How are the mirrors positioned?
• Take a look at your night stand, how many books or magazines are piled next to your head, this impacts the quality of your sleep
• What side of the bed do you sleep on?

• What color is your bedroom painted? You want this room to make you feel protected and safe so you can go into a deep slumber where your body is nourished and rejuvenated for the next day. Skin tone colors are the best choices for bedrooms and skin tones come in a range of colors so get creative.

Simple Solutions for Creating Sacred Space in your bedroom

• Paint the walls a new color
• Add a healthy plant (silk is fine) to the top right corner of your bedroom, this is called the partnership area
• Add plants to the top of your armoires to add vitality to
  the room
• Keep the night stand free of clutter and have only 1-2 books out at time
• Place a picture of the two of you on your dresser, put this picture on the top right corner
• Remove all items placed underneath the bed, it’s important to keep ch’i moving in your space
• Remove all pictures of children, friends, grandparents etc. The metaphor is “whose sleeping in the bedroom with you”
• Purchase new bed sheets, get creative, pink or red. What makes you feel beautiful? Choose colors that look good
  on you
• Purchase candles and use them (pink candles would
  be perfect)
• Use aromatherapy to set the mood
• Play soothing or romantic music
• Share your day with each other by candlelight
• Tone a crystal bowl or ring a bell in this room to get the energy in the space moving and shifting
• Make sure telephones, radios and clocks are at least  4’ from your head
• If you have computers or TV’s in the bedroom cover them with a cloth or place in a cabinet. This is considered YANG energy and is too active for sleeping
• If you have exercise equipment in the room place a screen in front of it to block it’s energy from your view
• Resolve any unfinished business or issues between partners before retiring to bed
• Don’t go to bed angry, this energy will expand into the entire room and be felt by others, we’ve all heard the expression, “it was so thick in there we could have cut it with a knife”
• Clean out your closet and drawers. Get rid of or give away any clothing you haven’t worn in a year
• Add romantic art work to the space
• Splurge and buy yourself or your partner fresh flowers, but be sure to remove them after three days. The life energy of the flowers is drained after three days
• Set an intention in this space, what are you trying to call in?
• Create an affirmation for yourself or as a couple create
  one together
• Write the words love or romance on your vision wall

Now evaluate your experience. What did you see as you explored your bedroom? Is your bedroom supporting your partnerships or relationship? Is your bedroom a sacred space? Can you truly call it a sanctuary? What simple solutions can you incorporate to make your bedroom your sacred space?

Our space does reflect our lives. The great news is that we have the ability to make changes to our physical environments as well as making conscious changes in our attitudes and beliefs. By making some very simple adjustments our lives can begin to shift. Remember, as you transform the outer environment, the inner space changes too.  Making simple changes can place you on a new path.

So now you’re ready! Go! Create! Make your bedroom your
sacred space!

Fill your heart
with love and light
 when you give
you can receive
go now and find your sacred space
create your Sacred Space
Sacred Space

Creating Sacred Space is a conscious choice. It recognizes that everything we think, feel, experience, touch, say and do impacts all aspects of our lives. Feng Shui provides a system that helps us to organize our physical environments. By putting our physical spaces in order you also impact your inner landscape as well. Sound is a powerful tool that helps us realign the energies you are creating in your home, office or your inner spaces.

Creating Sacred Space in your home or office is practical, logical, supportive, helpful and expansive. The more you organize and put your physical spaces in order the more productive, focused and balanced you will begin to feel. That benefits us both personally and professionally.

One of the greatest gifts you receive as you begin to work with your space more consciously is the clarity you begin to experience in your life. You become happier, joyful; you experience more synchronicity and coincidences that make your life easier.

You begin to easily recognize when things are out of balance and you are no longer in a place of flow. If you become confused, disorganized, frustrated, moody, or unproductive, it’s a clear symptom that both your inner and outer environments need some attention.

Carolyn utilizes the power of sound to realign the inner and outer environments. You can simply listen to some music and that will immediately change the energy in your space. You can also use your voice, it’s the most powerful healing tool you have and it’s with you all the time- just open your mouth and allow your body to make sounds; moans, groans and  sighs, releases pressure in your body.

Listen carefully to the songs you are choosing to listen to or sing. Are the words you are singing supporting you by lifting you up or pulling your energy down? You can also use sound tools; like tuning forks, tingshaws, bells, Tibetan bowls, and crystal singing bowls, drums, musical instruments or pots and pans from the kitchen. Whatever you choose, you will be making a sound and therefore changing the energy around you.

One of the Feng Shui principles states; “Your Space Reflects Your Life”, and taking the time to honor your inner and outer environments will help guide you back on your path to wholeness and well-being. Sound amplifies this process.

When we create conscious spaces of honor they nourish, support and bless us.  Ring in glorious sounds that awaken your inner spirit and dance in the magic of creation.

Enjoy your journey to accelerating your path to expanded awareness, personal growth and well-being by exploring new perspectives that might just change your life. Feng Shui and Sound are a powerful combination for creating spaces that are alive, magical and uplifting.

My wish for you,

“As You Walk
This Sacred Path of Life
 May You Find
Your Sacred Space.”

In the fast pace world of everyday life it is now more important than ever to create our homes with specific and conscious intention that support who we are and what we dream. At the end of the day we all feel the need to close the door, to take a deep breath and to realign ourselves spiritually, emotionally and physically. Crossing the threshold of the front door is a signal that one is leaving the outer physical environment and entering the living environment where their inner journey can begin. Creating a home with intention can bring more balance, harmony and meaning to life.

Establishing a home with a thoughtful foundation is not some pie in the sky idea. It can be simple, practical, enlightening, uplifting and motivating. When done honestly, it is always a reflective and transforming experience. Creating sacred space provides a gateway for allowing our true hearts desires to be matched and united with our soul and spirit purpose. This transformation does not happen overnight it’s a subtle process. Our homes can become a true reflection of our lives and a stepping stone for exploring the inner depths of our beings.

What exactly does it mean to create sacred space? To hold something sacred means that we give honor to that person, that place or that thing. Something sacred is something that we tend to, something we care for with conviction and something that we hold in high regard. If truly home is where the heart is, we owe it to ourselves to honor the space of our home just as we would honor ourselves.

The method for creating sacred space is a nine step process. Take one step at a time. It might be useful as well as insightful to keep a journal while doing these steps. You and your home will be different so take the time you need to allow this process of self discovery to unfold.

The first step is to set your own personal goals for all that surrounds you. Take the time to create a space that proclaims to you and to others, “I matter, I count, I am important”. This process helps set priorities, boundaries and provides clarity.

The second step states that everything you own has an impact on your life. Therefore examining personal clutter becomes a huge priority. Clutter shows up in many forms, personal belongings, clothing, books, magazines, newspapers, collections, unfinished projects, items in need of repair, gifts, your e-mail box, boxes stored in the basement, family heirlooms, piles of paper located on the table or floor, dead plants, dried flowers, recycled furniture from family or friends, post it notes, pictures on the refrigerator and the artwork hung on your walls. This list can go on and on.

Clutter drains our personal energy and can keep individuals stuck. Sometimes clutter becomes an excuse for not fulfilling and ultimately living your dreams. Becoming conscious about what enters your space will allow you to have more space.

The third step states that your space is a direct reflection of your inner and outer life. So what’s reflecting in your mirror? Is your home a sanctuary or a place of chaos? Take a stroll around your space and look at what message is being reflected back to you?

The fourth step evaluates the colors painted on the walls and the clothing hanging in your closet. Colors say a lot about how you are feeling about your life. Walls painted in green or a wardrobe with green exemplifies new growth, new beginnings. These walls are fresh and new, full of life. Using red means you are passionate about what you do and you like to get things done. You are motivated yet it can also be aggressive so be aware of the message you are portraying. Tapping into white means you are focused, being productive and getting organized. If you are preparing for a big meeting wear blue it supports communication. Browns and tans are colors that tend to make people feel grounded, so if you have an issue with clutter, these colors might make you feel stuck.

The fifth step examines shapes found and placed within your home. Objects that are square in shape represent stability and feeling grounded, if change is what you’re looking for, add triangles and pyramids. Rectangles support growth and circles are great for keeping things flowing.

The sixth step integrates nature into your living environment. Open the shades and windows and allow fresh air to flow through your home. Add pictures of nature, aquariums, animal totems, green plants, flowers and pets. All these items activate the balancing forces of nature within our homes and within our selves. Get outside, exercise, meditate, commune with nature.

The seventh step reviews the overall general maintenance of the home. Make a list of what needs to be fixed or repaired. Tackle one at a time, but get the work done otherwise the unfinished projects become clutter and drain your energy.

The eighth step examines the placement and positioning of all furniture. Is the furniture arranged so there are conversation spaces available? While lying in bed can you see the bedroom door? While seated in your office can you see who is knocking at the door? All of these arrangements directly impact the flow of energy that you may be experiencing in life.

The final step is to develop a ritual for honoring the home as it should be honored. This is your sacred space so make it sacred. Name the home, honor the home by using the front door and ringing the door bell, gently touch and caress the walls that keep you safe and protected. Make a commitment to maintain and develop sacred space. Review your intentions, have they changed? The more you work with your home the more you will begin to understand how the living environment impacts the inner landscape.

Creating sacred space is a conscious choice. It expands your inner connection to all things in life and becomes a way of living. It’s a process that unites our inner and outer selves and continues forever. When one creates sacred space, life¹s blessings of happiness, prosperity, peace and joy can be experienced.

As you walk this sacred path of life
May you find your sacred space
Sacred space

Carolyn Vinup is the founder of HPSS Global, A Wellness Agency, certified Feng Shui consultant, Sound Health instructor and practitioner, speaker and event producer.  Wellness is a powerful message and we provide solutions for corporations and businesses both large and small that are looking for new ways to integrate health & wellbeing at home and in the workplace.

Creating sacred space is about making choices. It’s about priorities and boundaries; it’s about gaining clarity around what’s important in your life. It’s about taking the time you need to create a home environment that supports you mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. It’s about taking the time you need to slow down and live in the moment- right now. It’s about creating rituals. It’s about celebrations and remembering traditions and establishing new
ones. It’s about remembering your life purpose. It’s about breathing. It’s about laughter. It’s about love.  It’s about your intention for manifesting good luck, opportunities and abundance in your life. Take a look around you, what are you creating? What is your intention?

Creating sacred space is simply finding and acknowledging that place within each of us where our soul can dance. I help people open their eyes and their hearts to this amazing discovery for themselves.

When you incorporate the Feng Shui principle “Your space reflects your life” you begin to make conscious choices about what you will allow into your environment. You make clear choices about what items will stay and what you will give away. By simply applying the basics of this ancient tradition we begin to see how the flow of energy, referred to as ch’i energy, changes. It is not uncommon for immediate results to be experienced both internally and externally in your life.

So what does “Creating Sacred Space” mean?

• To create; means to bring something into being
• To make something sacred; means you treat it in a very special way, it has significant meaning to you and you honor it
• So when you say you are “Creating Sacred Space” you are creating a space that you honor because it has a deeper meaning, you are connected to it and it responds by supporting you better.

The ultimate goal of Feng Shui is to create sacred space. Feng Shui is the process of creating environments that support us mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. When you create sacred space, you are creating an environment that supports you, you can embrace it and it makes you feel better. One of the benefits of integrating Feng Shui into your environment is to experience the three blessings, good health, prosperity and good luck.

My mission statement is that “I help people create sacred space where their soul can dance.” I do this by integrating rituals, traditions and celebrations into their daily lives. When you take the time to create sacred space in your home you can experience more joy, peace, happiness, compassion and love. You are more fulfilled because you will be living more harmoniously.

Creating Sacred Space connects our inner and outer selves. It opens up “space” which allows you to experience your personal journey inward, where individuality is honored and your own creative style can begin to unfold. By understanding that our inner and outer experiences are connected, it makes sense to begin creating sacred space in your home.

When a Feng Shui consultant evaluates your space, they are assessing the flow of ch’i or life force energy in your environment. We begin by evaluating the placement and positioning of your furniture, the condition of your rooms, closets, garage and basements as well as your personal items.

One of the principles of Feng Shui states that “Everything is energy and everything is connected”. This is an important concept to understand. Basically this statement means that everything you own is connected to you. For many, that’s a disturbing thought. Do you have closets that are bulging? Do you have stacks of unread magazines and piles of books on your night stand? Do you have clothes hanging in your closet that haven’t been worn in three years? Do you have stuff from Grandma and Grandpa stored in the attic? Do you have broken equipment taking up space in the garage?

Everything you own affects your ch’i. When ch’i is blocked or constricted by things that aren’t used, loved or needed, you may find yourself stumbling through your own life. Clutter sets up obstacles and this may be impacting your ability to get a new job, a promotion or having time to spend with someone special. Unfinished business and/or unresolved issues can drain your energy and cause dis-ease. Emotionally, it can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed, confusion and create chaos.

Creating sacred space does not have to be complicated. Put on your “Feng Shui Eyes” and look at your space consciously. Be aware of the feelings in your body as you walk from room to room. Take a mental inventory of the items in your space? What do the pictures on your walls tell about you? Take a look at your front door? Does it make people feel welcome? Find the center of your home. What state is it in? This is your center point. What is it reflecting back to you? Take an honest look at what items in your home can be donated, sold or just thrown away. This process will begin your journey into creating sacred space in your physical environment and begin the process of clearing your inner ch’i.

Implementing some simple Feng Shui rituals can shift your energy. You could develop a ritual of lighting a candle every night for dinner. You could sit in your favorite chair and read a book. You could state a prayer of gratitude in the morning and at night. You could create an affirmation, tone with crystal bowls or walk outside to connect to nature’s energy. It can be the simple experience of cuddling with your child as they fall asleep in your arms.

Creating sacred space is about allowing your soul to dance.  Begin with your home and the inner journey will start to unfold. Allow the flow of ch’i to move freely through your home and this will open your life to new opportunities. As the Chinese believe “we create our own luck” and integrating Feng Shui principles allows us to live a more fulfilled life.

“As you walk this sacred path of life, may you create your
sacred space”

Fill your heart
with love and light
 when you give
you can receive
go now and find your sacred space
create your Sacred Space
Sacred Space