Cultivating Postive Character Development with Feng Shui

There is an assumption that if you Feng Shui your home, then all things will change for the better. To a certain degree, yes, change happens. Keep in mind though, if you choose not to transform the character within, you might end up inheriting the same looping lessons that keep you stuck.

When choosing to Feng Shui your home, you are also cultivating stronger positive values and personal characteristics. Most of my clients when first introduced to Feng Shui tend to disregard the life sections associated with Character Development. They include one or a combination of these Ba-gua map life sections; spirituality, family, creativity, fame and helpful people. Each life section is equally important as one will support the other in order to function at full capacity. 

i.e. spirituality helps cultivate healthier morals and values, creativity promotes problem solving, helpful people encourages clearer communication with yourself and toward others.   

Some quick insights to keep in mind when Cultivation Postive Character Development:

• Learn to hold yourself and others accountable.

• Become clear with what your morals and values are. This could also be presented in the format of understanding who your ‘role models” are. Who do you turn to for guidance to have an honest opportunity for self-reflection? It could be a trusted friend, family member, coworker, mentor, or a combination of resources (books, videos, etc).

• Be comfortable with growing pains. Living on earth is no picnic. Infact many will refer to Earth as school. It's a place of learning, sharing and for those who choose to participate in their life's mission, growing spiritually. In other words, be ready to work on yourself. Feng Shui is one of many methods out there to assist with your journey. Learn to shift your perspective of "life's lessons" not as 'bad luck' and more as it's what I have come to experience. At the same time, remembering to foucus on the good expeinces. That helps to cultuvate more postive and shine light on the percived negative.

• Pay close attention to your circle of influence. Who's supporting your efforts emotionally, who is challenging you in a healthy way, or draining you with drama? Commit to building a diverse support team, as this will help expand your character development along with your skills in communication.

• Cultivate a more global mindset. This helps broaden your perceptions about people and life events as they unfold. Becoming more dynamic in your worldview, while also being mindful of your informational sources allows for better communication when dealing with conflict.

• As my mother, Carole Provenzale said to me as a young child, ‘the legacy you leave behind is up to you.’ This insight into Character Development taps into personal and professional developments. And remember, your legacy is not just a reflection of you, it also extends to your family. So please be responsible with your choices.

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Laura Cerrano is a Full-time Certified Feng Shui expert with 20+ years of experience. She provides bi-coastal consultations and workshops for residential, real estate developments, Fortune 500 companies, and healing facilities. She is currently conducting research for her upcoming book that focuses on bridging the gap between the ancient wisdom Feng Shui and modern day science to establish the practice of Feng Shui as a credible form of health care.

According to Feng Shui - Is My Bathroom Draining the Energy of My Home?

Question:

Dear Laura,

I've been fascinated with the topic of Feng Shui for several years know and I have become really confused with certain things. For example, I've read in books and articles that my bathroom is considered a huge drain on my energy. Is this true?

Thank you,

Kathryn Walsh

Answer:

Dear Kathryn, 

Thank you for emailing me and what a great question! I have been teaching Feng Shui to public and private clients for 20 years. During this time I have found Feng Shui to be very subjective in how each consultant is trained and how they choose to perceive the principles in accordance to their life experiences with Feng Shui changes they’ve made for themselves and with their clients. Another important observation is to understand Feng Shui speaks in the language of metaphors and symbolism, as that is how it was developed 5,000 years ago. So now its time to bridge ancient wisdom with our mondernday lifestyle. 

With that said, let’s explore possible reasons to how Feng Shui bathroom principle came to be. According to the BTB Bagua map and Five Elements Theory, if you have too much water element (let that be through representation or actual water inside your home or in a particular area) it could result in creating an in-balance of energy flow.

Lets say we have a bathroom located in the gua (life section) of “Career.” Why would this be a possible concern in Feng Shui?  When the toilet, tub, and sink are done being used the water drains away. Practicality wise, this is a good thing as waste is being pulled away. From a BTB Feng Shui perspective, if this happens repetitively each day, thoughout the entire year, this becomes a metaphor of energy within the home being constantly drained away.

Pop Question: Did you know the Bagua map also associates with body parts? That’s right! In Feng Shui its believed your home is a living space, not just a space you live in. 

In the area of career, one of the associated body parts is your kidneys. In western physiology, the kidneys are a vital excretory organ whose main function is to create urine to help rid the body of toxins and unwanted water. TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) practitioners view the kidneys as a very important organ that not only regulates the urinary system but also exercises control over the reproductive, endocrine, and nervous systems. Simply put, if you have too much water element from a Feng Shui perspective in this area of your home, it could increase your chances for illness (which is true if you over hydrate your kidneys). 

To sum this up, YES, the principles of Feng Shui would love to see water flow in a balanced presentation that ‘generates’ energy moving inside of your home vs away. 

Are there non invasive remedies that could be put in place if a bathroom is in the career life section? Yes, there is!

 

Quick feng shui Bathroom Tips:

• Keep the bathroom door closed.

• If you have any leaky pipes or drains, fix them. From a practical perspective, this investment will save you money in the long term. From a Feng Shui perspective, leaky pipes are symbolic of wealth reduction and possible physical illnesses.

• You could tie a 9 inch cut red ribbon around your bathroom sink’s drain pipe. Why? This is what we call a “transcendental cure (working with the unseen),” passed on by his High Holiness Grandmaster Professor Lin Yun. This is not about stopping the actual water drain, its symbolic of stopping energy drain. According to Professor Lin Yun, the red ribbon cure’s power comes from the intention of why you tie the red ribbon around the drain pipe; and that is because the red ribbon symbolizes protection from excess drain energy. Keep in mind, some feng shui consultants may feel this suggestion is a “myth” and that is perfectly fine. At the end of the day, it’s your choice for discovering what works for you.

• Adding at least one plant inside your bathroom is recommended. Why? The direction of energy flow with bathroom drains move downward. The plant grows in an upward vertical direction. This is said to help neutralize and stop the energy from being pulled away from your home. Infact, there are certain trees known to help absorb water, such as with River Birch and Eucalyptus trees. I’m not saying plant a tree inside you bathroom, thought I would not put that past certain clientele who could afford that. However, I am saying, if you can’t include a real plant, you could display artwork with inspirations of wood element, such as with a painting of a beautiful Eucalyptus or River Birch tree.

• And finally, the most modern day feng shui suggestion is to establish an overall atmosphere inside your bathroom that is spa-like. This does not mean you need to go and invest in a brand new bathroom (unless you are already in the market to do so). It means, to create a space that is enjoyable to be in. Take notice of the colors, the smells, the textures, the type of lighting, etc. They all play a part in balancing the overall energy.

Naturally, there is more to this discussion, yet these are some starter points to get you going and even possible see Feng Shui in a different light.