One theme you probably have seen throughout my blog posts is the importance of balance. You may be wondering, “Why is balance so important?”  Well, if there is an imbalance somewhere in your environment, it can be showing up in your life. What do I mean by this?

Imbalance as it Relates to the Bagua

The Feng Shui practice I use focuses on the bagua layout and how it aligns with the front door of your home or business. Picture your home as a square and then divide that square into nine equal sections. 

From the image of the bagua, you can see how each area is connected to another based on its proximity. The eight outside areas are then anchored together by the area in the center. From this, you can see how all these areas of the bagua weave together and are connected to each other.

If there is an imbalance in one of the areas of the bagua, it can be affecting that specific area, and it can also be affecting the areas near it or opposite of it. For example, let’s take a look the Fame & Reputation and Career areas.

Bagua Map

Say that you absolutely love your job, but you just don’t seem to be getting the recognition or credit you deserve for the work that you are doing. Do you see how in the bagua layout the Career and Fame & Reputation areas are opposite of each other? If there is something in one of those areas that is out of balance, it can not only be affecting that particular area (for example Fame) but also the area across from it (Career).

Now let’s take a look at the Prosperity and Helpful People & Travel areas. If you don’t have Helpful People in your life, you may not be prospering as much as you would like (you may be having to work a lot harder to achieve what you have or maybe you don’t have the network or support system you need).

What does this all boil down to? Balance, balance, balance. How do you achieve balance? Well, a good way to get started is to take a look at your environment and clear any clutter. Is your garage packed with boxes? Is your closet overflowing? Clear these areas to create balance in your environment and to make space for opportunities to enter your life.

Thank you for reading! I hope you find this information useful and the tips easy to apply. If you would like more information about a Feng Shui consultation, please feel free to contact me. I offer free 30-minute Discovery Chats to answer questions about a Feng Shui consultation and how the process works.

Amy

Continue Reading Balance, Imbalance, and Opposites

Have you ever had the thought, “I never seem to have any help,” or “Why do I always have to do everything myself”? If you are looking for things to run more smoothly for you and to have help when you need it, maybe it’s time to take a look at the Helpful People and Travel area of your home.

Looking at the bagua, the Helpful People and Travel area is the front, right area of your home. (In this post, I am talking about Helpful People, but this area is technically Helpful People and Travel.) Take a look and see what you have in this area. Is it neat and organized or is it packed with belongings? Is everything in working order?

A way that you can enhance the Helpful People and Travel area is to use or add the element of metal. You could use actual metal, such as metal picture frames, a decorative bowl, etc., or you could incorporate colors such as gray, white, or silver.

gray and white scarf

The Helpful People and Travel area is also about fairness – being treated fairly and honestly. And when you think about it, is someone who doesn’t treat you this way really a helpful person?

Make certain to write down the modifications you make, along with the date you make them. This will help you see when and what changes come into your life.

I hope you find the information in this blog useful. If you have any questions about the information above, or other questions about Feng Shui, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for reading!

Amy

Continue Reading Helpful People

Do you have a room in your home that just feels a little…blah? Maybe it is the dining room that isn’t used often or home office that doesn’t feel very inspiring.

How a space feels and flows — the energy of a space — has a connection to balance and harmony in your environment, as well as to inviting positive change to your life.

Did you know that there are objects you can use to energize and bring life to a space? These remedies can be used in rooms that may feel a little stagnant. Some examples are:

  • A lush, healthy plant
  • An object with movement (ex. a small fan)
  • A suncatcher or faceted crystal
crystal

Remember to set your intention for why you are using these items as well. In the room examples I mentioned earlier, energizing these spaces may lead to more dinners in the dining room or the inspiration to start flowing in the office!

While there are objects that can add energy and life to a space, there are also items that can bring a different type of energy to a space.

To give you an example, let’s talk a moment about potpourri. While it may smell nice, what is it really? Dried flower petals. What is a bowl of dried flower petals? Dried energy.

You want your home to be energized and have balance and harmony. Items that don’t represent the type of energy you want in your space, or in your life, shouldn’t be there. Breathe life into your space, and invite positive change, by using items that set the tone and add uplifting energy to your environment.

While the above information is general information that can be applied, in some instances, more may be needed to help achieve balance, harmony, and the positive changes you are seeking. If that is the case, you may want to consider a Feng Shui consultation.

I hope you find the information in this blog useful. If you have any questions about the information above, or other questions about Feng Shui, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for reading!

Amy

Continue Reading Energy: Breathing Life Into a Space

Color can be used to enhance areas of the bagua. For example, red can be used to enhance the Fame area, and pink can be used to enhance the Relationships area.

Now, do you need to paint your room pink and have a pink comforter, pillows, and curtains just because pink enhances the Relationship area? Certainly not. Balance is needed with everything that you do. Also, if you don’t like a particular color, not to worry. There are other ways you can incorporate the colors for specific areas of the bagua without having to go against your personal style.

The purpose of adding enhancements, such as color, is to help create balance and bring positive change into your life. If you make a change to your environment that you don’t like, well, it will bother you more than help, and do you really want that irritation or negativity? No.

Bagua Threads

So, what do you do if purple or green is the best color for a specific area of the bagua, but you really don’t care for purple or green? One way to incorporate the color is to place it behind something or in a drawer. For example, say you have a dresser in the Family area of your bedroom (remember – you can overlay the bagua onto your entire home or a room), and you would like to add the color green to enhance this area. Place a piece or pieces of green paper inside a drawer or a few drawers. Make certain to set the papers with your intention (give them their “job”).

I hope you find the information in this blog useful. If you have any questions about the information above, or other questions about Feng Shui, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for reading!

Amy

Continue Reading Color: Wait… Do I Have to Paint My Room Purple?
I was recently invited to be a guest on Maria White’s “Organize your Stuff” podcast. Maria is the owner of Enuff with the Stuff, a professional organizing company.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous. Two thoughts that I had were:

  1. What Feng Shui information can I provide that listeners will find useful and can easily apply?
  2. Consultations are customized to a client’s needs and there are many layers to Feng Shui practice and recommendations. How can I explain and provide information without taking up too much time?

Even though I was a little nervous beforehand, you know what? Everything went well! Feel free to listen (see player at the bottom of this post) and have a notepad handy if you would like to jot down some of the Feng Shui tips we discussed.

I started Arranging Harmony, LLC, in 2019, with the goal of helping clients bring positive change, balance, and harmony into their lives by utilizing Feng Shui. I hope the information we discussed helps answer some questions you may have about Feng Shui, and you find the tips and information useful.

AIr Pods

Many thanks to Maria of Enuff with the Stuff for this wonderful opportunity to share information about Feng Shui!

If you have questions about any of the Feng Shui information discussed in the podcast, or other questions about Feng Shui, please feel free to contact me!

Amy

Continue Reading A Feng Shui Conversation
You want to ensure you keep balance in mind when applying Feng Shui principles and recommendations in your home or business environments.

Let’s focus for a moment on how having too much of something can have an opposite effect on what you are trying to achieve. For example, a Feng Shui recommendation may be to add a plant to a specific area of your home or room. There would be a reason for the addition of this plant, and there may also be a recommendation to add an intention for when one puts the plant in this area. So, you add the plant and set it with that specific intention (giving the plant its “job”).

How an imbalance can get started is if one were to think, “Hmm…well if this plant is supposed to do this particular job, five more plants will help even more!” The next thing you know, you have a plant on every flat surface of the room and hanging from the ceiling — and balance is out the window.

I do love plants and have several in my home, but what I’m meaning is that you don’t want to cause an imbalance by adding too much. Balance is what you need in your home and life and remember — if something is out of balance in your environment, it can be showing up in your life.

I hope you find the information above useful. Thank you for reading!

Amy

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

Continue Reading Balance
In order for something new to come into your life, you have to have space for it.

Because we are so used to seeing our own surroundings every day, our belongings can blend into the background, and we may not see them anymore. If you are wanting positive change and something new to come into your life, though, one of the first steps is to take a look around you.

Take a look at your home or work spaces. What do you see? Stacks of papers on your desk or floor? A nightstand overflowing with books? A closet packed tightly with clothes?

Hangers in Closet

Space equals opportunity. If there isn’t room for something new to come into your life, more than likely it won’t. Now, I’m not saying to get rid of everything in your closets or anywhere else. Balance is always needed.

To give you an example, let’s talk about clothes and closet space. Can you easily slide the clothes hangers across the closet rod when you are selecting an item to wear, or do you have to push and pull to remove a shirt? If the former, great! If the latter, some space is needed.

Go through your closet and select what to keep and what to donate, etc. While you are clearing and organizing, think about how you are making space for opportunity. A bonus to clearing and organizing? Not only are you are opening up your space to invite change and opportunity into your life, but you are also helping others through your donation.

Also, make note of when you work on your closets (or whatever change you make) and what things happen in your life in the upcoming weeks. You may be surprised at the new things and opportunities that come into your life!

I hope you find the information above useful! Thank you for reading!

Amy

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

Continue Reading Space and Opportunity
The color red can be used in several ways in Feng Shui. 

It can activate, enhance, or stop something. However, your intention plays a large part on how the color is being used.

Intention plays a key role in Feng Shui. Make certain that when you make any changes or enhancements to your environment — like when you use the color red — you set your intention on how the item is being used. In essence, what “job” are you giving the color red?

Let’s focus on how to use red to stop something (i.e., energy).

 

Red and intention

When you enter your front door, can you see straight out the back of your home because of a large patio door or window directly across from your front door? If so, add red to stop the flow of energy from leaving the home. Perhaps add a red rug in front of the back door. If you already have a rug there that’s a different color, try placing a line of red tape under the rug on the side closest to the door. Give the red rug or red tape the “job” of stopping all the good energy from going out the door.

I hope you find this information useful! Thank you for reading!

Amy

Questions about this information? Feel free to contact me!

Continue Reading Using Red and Intention

Simply put, the philosophy of Feng Shui is to bring balance into a living space, which in turn brings balance into your life.

Whenever I am asked who the best person is to get a Feng Shui consultation, my response is, “a person who wants to bring positive change into their life.” Now, I realize that this can be seen as somewhat of a vague answer, but nevertheless, it is true. When someone realizes that they would like to bring positive change into their lives, the mindset shift is already taking place.

Notebook
So how do you know if Feng Shui would be of benefit to you? Let’s do the list test:

Take a piece of paper and divide it into two columns. In one column, write down everything you like about your living or business space, things in your life that make you happy, things are going well for you, things that you are thankful for, etc. In the second column, write down things that could be better or could be changed, things that chip away at your happiness or energy, and so on.

Helpful hint for the exercise above: write down everything that comes to your mind, no matter how small you think it is. Maybe you have on your list, “I am thankful for my wonderful family,” or, “I absolutely love that I am able to park my car in my garage.” Maybe you have, “The front door is always sticking, and this annoys me,” or “I feel like I always have to do everything on my own.”

If after reviewing your list you feel that some balance is needed and you want to bring positive change into your life, Feng Shui may be of benefit to you. When you have balance in your living or business space, you have balance in your life

Thank you for reading! I hope you find this information useful!

 

Amy

Questions about this information? Feel free to contact me!

Continue Reading Why Feng Shui?

There are different schools of learning and practicing Feng Shui. At Arranging Harmony, LLC, I use the practice that focuses on the bagua layout as it aligns with the front door. By knowing the bagua “map” and how to adjust it to the floor plan layout of your home or business, you can see how each section represents or corresponds to an area of your life.

Bagua Map

The architectural front door to your home or business will be located either in the Skills & Knowledge, Career & Life Path, or Helpful People & Travel areas. You also want to focus on aligning the bagua to the portion of your home that falls behind the plane of your front door. So, say your garage, or a portion of your garage, sticks out in front of your front door. This would not be included in the bagua of your home. One important note: depending on what is in this area, there may need to be remedy applied to symbolically bring the area into your home. For example, a storage room can be left out, but your bedroom should be brought in.

 

After you align the bagua on your floor plan, you will be able to match up each area of the bagua with that part of your home (or apartment, condo, or office). You can also align the bagua to each room in your home, too. Just as you would line up the bagua with your front door, you will use the door to the room as the guide for the layout. Below are a few different floor plan shapes so you can see how the bagua would fit to match the home or room layout.

Bagua Layouts
Bagua Layouts

If an area of your home is missing or something is out of balance in one of those areas, it can be showing up in your life. Do not worry, though, as there are remedies that can be applied to help in these instances. The goal of Arranging Harmony, LLC, is to help you bring positive change, balance, and harmony into your life by utilizing Feng Shui.

While the above is general information about how to apply the bagua to the layout of your home or office, I hope you find it useful! Thank you for reading!

Amy

Questions about this information? Feel free to contact me!

Continue Reading The Bagua Layout