Monthly Archives: July 2016

You don’t see straight lines in nature. If you’re looking at a straight line, it means that a human being has been there. (Take a look at a map.) The things we see as ‘straight’ in nature – tree trunks or limbs of the body – are actually not straight, but have a subtle irregularity to their shape. While there is a benefit to having a flat surface to a floor or table – it’s nice not to trip while walking or to have your pen roll off your desk – too many sharp edges and corners can create a harsh environment.

These long, straight, hard lines remind our nervous system of other things that are straight and manmade: the blades of knives and swords, things that are sharp and can cut. Is it any wonder that when living our lives in modern society we feel ‘on edge’ or ‘stuck in a corner’, whereas we feel less so when in more natural environments?

While straight lines can provide clarity and discernment, balancing them with varied forms helps to soften their inherent sense of division. Fill a corner with a plant, a lamp, speakers, or other decorative objects. Brighten the area or add something that moves to stimulate the corner. Varying the forms in your space can help you integrate discernment with creativity.

The colour red symbolizes fire, which illuminates – like when you’re in the spotlight. This colour catches our attention and makes our heart beat a little bit faster. Used well in the right place, it can help attract attention.

The back centre of your home relates to Fame and Reputation – just plain being respected. Imagine where the sun would be on the horizon when standing in your main door looking into your home. Red flowers, artwork, cushions, throws, and objects will stand out and catch your attention – just like you want to catch others’ attention.

Without the red art or throw in this living room, it was drab and washed out. No wonder the person living there was struggling to get an interview for a job: like the sofa in front of that wall, he just blended in with other applicants and didn’t stand out. As soon as we brightened it up, he was called in for multiple interviews and within two weeks had to choose between two jobs (he opted for the highest-paying one he’d had to date).

Don’t go overboard with red, however, or your home might end up looking like a Chinese restaurant. Start with one object or image and slowly build until things click into place.

How do you see yourself? The mirrors in your home reveal a lot about your self-image. If you can’t see yourself fully and in relation to your surroundings, you could be having trouble seeing yourself fully and fitting in. If the mirror is placed too low, you could be putting yourself down: the slouching posture you need to adopt to see yourself hardly speaks of confidence. If it is too narrow, you might be concerned about fitting in (all of my clients with eating disorders have had extremely narrow mirrors).

Tiny decorative mirrors that reflect less than your face and torso can lead to disconnective, reductionist thinking and over-analysis – I suggest using them horizontally as trays instead. More than one mirror on a wall can lead to second-guessing (why do you need to take a second look?), while mirrors on more than one wall in a room can lead to disorientation and confusion.

Your mirrors should be large enough to include your head and torso. Place them high enough to reflect everyone living in the home (or those you would like to have in your home, if you’re looking for a taller partner…). Have them be wide enough so you can see yourself fitting in with your surroundings. Keep the surfaces clean, so you see yourself clearly. Reflect your true brilliant self fully and with clarity!

Your closets reflect your self-esteem. They hold what you use to present yourself in the outer world, and the condition of the closet speaks to how you value yourself. Having your closet be functional and organized while also being aesthetically appealing helps you to feel more capable of accessing your inner

Matching hangers are one of the greatest things you can do to organize your closet. All your clothes will hang evenly and brings an inherent sense of order and structure. A designer client of mine wrote that waking up in the morning and seeing the ordered closet helped him start the day with a more focused mind.

Things frosty in your relationship? Need to heat things up in the bedroom? Cool blues set the thermostat so low that it takes a lot of energy to heat things up in the bedroom. While the odd blue object or shade in artwork is absolutely fine, you should avoid blue walls, sheets, and curtains in a bedroom if you want to avoid feeling blue yourself.

Elizabeth Taylor famously battled depression and had challenging romantic relationships. The frosty tones of her bedroom certainly didn’t help matters. The room, as seen in Architectural Digest, is a Feng Shui nightmare, with a colour palette extending from a painting of a wintery scene she had painted at the age of 16, which ends up setting the emotional tone of the room. The pictures of her parents by the bed don’t help matters much either.

If you want to heat things up in the bedroom, ditch cool watery tones for warmer hues. You want something that will accent your skin colour and get your heart beating a little more quickly.

Image from Architectural Digest

A successful relationship needs to be built on balance and equality. Having only one night stand next to the bed is supportive of little more than a one-night stand. In narrow rooms this can be difficult, but this set-up is ideal, as it gives each person a place to put their keys, wallet, phone, or other belongings before going to sleep. It is literally a support structure for each person. If one person has this but not the other, it speaks to a lack of equality in the relationship. Even if you are single, you should still have two side tables because this is preparing you to welcome someone else into that space. Each one should have a matching lamp, which represents each partner having a shared point of view.

What you see, you become. All of my single female clients who were looking for a partner have had images of single women all over their living space – anywhere from as few as one image (but a big one) to 30 or 40 in a small apartment! While there might be admirable qualities in these women – strong, independant, fashionable – seeing those qualities in a *single* woman without any signs of coupling reinforces the belief that a woman cannot have those characteristics while in a relationship. I have had clients describe those images as ‘goddesses’ – but they were never shown with ‘gods’, nor were there any male mortals worthy of them to be found.

Of course one can have a level of certainty, presence, style, and elegance while also being in a relationship – but it is important to have that demonstrated throughout the space. Images of Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, or other iconic females only serves to anchor the mindset of a hard-to get beautiful woman.

Artwork that shows happy, loving couples is important if you are looking to attract a partner. If you don’t like such artwork, even images of two flowers, two trees, or two animals together can help prepare your consciousness for the act of partnering.

You might like the images of these single women and find them attractive – but if you don’t enjoy the consequences of being single, then you need to reconsider whether you really do like them.

Air is invisible and we all need it to survive, so anything that stimulates its movement and makes us aware of its presence is considered auspicious. Wind chimes brighten the environment through sound and movement, making sense-able the otherwise intangible and bringing to the foreground the often unconsidered forces that support us in life.

Making the invisible tangible is the essence of manifestation – that’s why wind chimes are considered symbolic of wealth. Hang them outdoors or near a window in the rear left area of your home (when looking into the home from the front door) or the front right – or outdoors next to the front door. Don’t be a Feng Shui Fashion Victim by hanging them in hallways or in a windowless area (an attractive bell is another story) – put the chime somewhere where it can express itself naturally and it no longer speaks of wasted potential.

The old adage of ‘location, location, location’ for business success applies to how you orient yourself inside your work space too. There’s a reason cowboys in the Wild West didn’t want to sit with their backs to the door, something apparently considered by mafia bosses: you leave yourself open to being backstabbed. You will never see successful company presidents sitting with their desk up against a wall and their back to the door – a position that translates into feeling overwhelmed, unprepared for what is coming your way (because you can’t see it), and feeling bent out of shape when interruptions present themselves.

By contrast, the ‘executive position’ or ‘seat of power’ – with the desk facing into the room and its occupant facing the door, ideally with a windowless wall behind them – supports clear vision of approaching circumstances (such as anyone entering your space), a sense of support (from the wall behind), and the ability to sustain connection to work and changing circumstances (looking at your desk while being aware when someone comes into the room). Your nervous system is calmer and you can therefore focus much more clearly when your body is aware that no potential threats can approach you from behind.

If you are unable to sit in this position, do your best to get a high-backed chair for support and a reflective object in front of you so that you can catch glimpses of what is happening behind you.