What Is An Intention? And How Can You Increase Your Manifestation Powers?

What is an intention? Gary Zukav shares, “ it's a motivation for doing what you're doing. It’s an energy that infuses the DEED or the WORD.” To further this understanding of intention(s), you need to ask yourself, are you setting intentions from a place of LOVE or FEAR? This could mean are you doing something because you seek recognition to feel better about yourself (FEAR) or because you have something you wish to share and contribute to life and with others (LOVE). 

To provide a foundation to build from, I invite you to read and test out 5 tips to increasing your manifesting powers below. 

1. Planting your “Seeds” of Intentions

Your seeds of intentions come from LOVE, which is a deep inner knowing of what drives you to do what you do on this earth. Yet, if are unable to drill that deep right now, start simple and remember, that is still very POWERFUL. “A journey of a thousand miles start with a single step” -Lao Tzu. Through the engagement of your eyes, brain, spoken words, your heart, and actions you refine your focus of attention. Using the BTB Ba-gua Map as a guide, you could refer to the various life sections (wealth, health, career, etc) to become more specific with what you envision to manifest. This is an exercise I conduct with all my clients.

In regard to writing, does it matter if you write out your intentions on the computer vs with pen and paper? Actually, yes it does!

• According to a study performed at the Indiana University, writing by hand unleashes creativity not easily accessed in any other way. Old fashioned writing by hand increases neural activity in certain sections of the brain, much like meditation.

• Sequential hand movements is also noted to activate large regions of the brain responsible for thinking, language, healing, and working memory.

• Another benefit of writing by hand is that is forces us to slow down and enjoy the moment, which an essential ingredient to manifesting.

Remember this, “where attention goes, energy flows.

2. Allow your Home to Become a Reflection of Your Intentions

From a Feng Shui perspective, your home becomes a metaphor of your life. This means the artwork and objects you choose to display (consciously and subconsciously) are telling a story. They are also conveying a mood, an idea, and stirring up emotions that could either be beneficial or draining. 

Think of your home as a LIVING SPACE, not just a space you live in. As you become more focused with your intentions, the images, objects and OVERALL atmosphere of your home evolves step-by-step to align with your personal energetic rhythm. 

3. Exchange The Old for The New

Decluttering your home becomes a literal and symbolic gesture for welcoming in new beginnings and maintaining a steady flow of positive energy. This process of decluttering goes way beyond creating an aesthetically pleasing environment. Psychologists refer to objects inside your home as “emotional memories.” If you have an overload of memories that no longer add value to your life, you could become emotionally, physically, and energetically “stuck.” 

Anything you no longer need, use, or love, let it go. You could become a helpful person by donating those items, while also learning how to release attachments from people, memories, and habits that no longer serve your best and highest good.  

EMPTY OUT physically and emotionally as needed to make room for what awaits your spiritual growth. 

4. Detach Yourself from the Outcome

Let go of your expectations in how your intentions manifest. In the words of Deepak Chopra, “By detaching, you free yourself from fear and doubt and release the obstacles your ego has created.”  Consider this analogy, when farmers plant their seeds to grow crops, they are not constantly hovering over them. Of course they nurture the seeds with water and check the soil to make sure it's rich and fertile. At the same time they are tending to other tasks on the farm. Over time, the seedlings germinate, sprout and grow larger every day until it's time to be harvested. Think of this, as your intentions. 

Allow yourself to cultivate more energy and wider possibilities by not forcing your intentions into reality. Do all that you can within your own actions, while staying open to the opportunities, synchronicities unfolding around you, and at times divine intervention.

5. Connect to The Feelings of Your Intentions

Though your feelings create the experience of your intentions before they exist.  Let’s say you have been envisioning a new authentic relationship. Have you asked yourself what it would feel like to have your partner embrace you, to kiss you softly on the lips, to hold you hand as you a walk in the park? What would it feel like when he or she compliments you? Are they playful, witty, sarcastic?  How does if feel when his or her body is gently pressed against yours while sleeping beside you? Yes, your imagination is required. 

According to scientist, Greg Braden, as you allow yourself to feel the emotions of your intentions, you create a quality of language between your heart and your brain that extends beyond your body into the physical world. 

Caring for your heart chakra (and all chakras) by meditating, practicing proper breathing and releasing emotions that do not align with your intentions, is in your best interest. 

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Feng Shui expert with 21+ years of experience. She provides bicoastal 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 of 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.