Feng Shui, “the art of placement”, utilizes the 5 elements which can be represented by the element itself, its representative shape and/or color.

Additionally, objects of art are used to symbolically enhance or harmonize the changes brought about in the New Year.

The general qualities of a Tiger year are intensity, change, movement, action, drama, activity and inventiveness. The metal element is about focus, creativity and communication.

Balancing Your Environment

Southwest can be harmonized by placing the metal element: coins (6), round objects of art, the colors white, gray and silver. Avoid using red accents in this area.

Northeast can also be balanced by using metal objects of art as noted above. A pair of metal Kilun can also be placed facing the northeast. Avoid using red accents in this area.

North can be harmonized by using the colors blue and black, placing still water and a plant in this area. Avoid disturbing the North this year by remodeling or construction. A protective, positive and peaceful guardian/object of art facing North can minimize negativity.
Placing still water in the North can also enhance the potential for reaching career, academic and romantic goals this year.

***Note: All of the areas above can benefit by placing objects of art that symbolize peace and benevolence.

North and the West have annual energies associated with romance, career promotion and academic success.

West has the strong water element which can stimulate academic and career advancement. Place 4 stalks of Chinese lucky bamboo to symbolize growth.

Northwest can be nourished by placing a plant to feed the strong fire element. This area has the potential to bring about happy and fortunate occasions with the auspicious number “9″.

South can be harmonized by using red and purple accents, bright upward directed lighting and symbols and artwork that depict harmonious relationships and good communication.

Southeast can be balanced by accenting with the color blue or using artwork that depicts the water element.

Center location can be enhanced by placing an object of art and or gemstone that is golden in color. The intention for this remedy is to enhance prosperity.

If you have any questions about this article, or your home’s feng shui you can post your question below.

Best Wishes for a Successful and Blessed New Year!

MaryAnn Russell

The flooring in this key area must be fluid and create an immediate sense of depth.  Your visitors will naturally feel drawn into your entrance hall.  The flooring in the foyer should never dramatically change color or pattern but have a continuous fluid appearance.

Next we look at flooring and room compatibility, which considers the size and shape of the room and ceiling height. Rooms with vaulted or high volume ceilings where the wall color is light can benefit from darker shades of flooring.   A darker flooring color anchors the energy in the room and will create an atmosphere of balance and stability.  Sometimes people will not gather for long periods of time in a room where the the space feels empty and hollow.  Architecturally, when this is the case the flooring choice can compensate for this.

Lighter shades of flooring with minimal design are the most suitable for smaller spaces or lower ceilings.

Split-levels or disjointed floor plans will benefit the most by using one color of flooring.  In feng shui, we correct problematic floor plans that may lack flow by carrying one or two design elements throughout the house to create continuity and flow.

Flooring choices have a tremendous impact on the feng shui of a home or business.  The flooring must never dominate the space but be compatible with the room. Using natural materials and color choices that represent nature is a trend that is growing.  People don’t grow tired of a natural palette and they like feeling more connected to the natural world.

Flooring must suit your lifestyle; if you have a high traffic environment durable low maintenance flooring is the best feng shui choice.   Feng shui aims to create harmony and a high maintenance flooring choice with growing children in a home will have an impact on your daily life.

Flooring choices, in consideration with feng shui, should always be based on designs that are compatible with your floor plan and lifestyle.

Developers and planners should consider these 6 design features fundamental to feng shui.

1. Front Door Accessibility – This should be considered for both the building and the individual units.  The front door is considered a key area in feng shui and should have the most visibility. The path to the entrance must be fully accessible without any confusion about how to arrive there.  When owners, tenants and guests can leave and arrive at their front door without struggle everyone benefits.  On a daily basis the atmosphere will not be permeated with frustration and annoyance.  In feng shui, the front door is understood to be the place where opportunities find you and enter into your life.
2. Entrance Foyer – Stairs should not face the front door.  All the opportunities that have arrived at the front door will be pushed out by the downward push of the opposing stairway.
3. The front door and the back door should be offset so that they are not aligned.  The energy will move from the front door quickly to the back door which challenges the finances of the occupants.
4. Bathrooms should not be visible from the front door-this relates to health and finances.
5. The kitchen should not be the focal point when entering into the condo or apartment-this relates to finances, health and nutrition.
6. Bedrooms – The position of the bed and sleeping area of the bedroom is a key area in feng shui.  The bed should be located on a solid wall with the door visible to someone lying in bed.  In feng shui, we call this the commanding position.  Feng shui bedroom design should consider the placement of the bed as a priority; a solid wall without windows, doors or closets.  It is also important that the bedroom wall where the head of the bed is located should not be a shared wall with the kitchen or a bathroom.   Finally, shared utility closets in multi-unit dwellings can emit a tremendous amount of electromagnetic fields and their locations should be well planned to minimize the impact on bedrooms.

Tip: The foyer or entryway should easily transition into a gathering room where the seating arrangement is inviting.

The Feng Shui Factor: Modern Homes Ancient Blueprint discusses all of these aspects in detail and the concepts can easily be applied to multi-unit dwellings.

MaryAnn Russell

Feng Shui Consultant, Author

Feng Shui Factor

© Copyright 2007-09 All Rights Reserved

For some time I’ve been planning to extend the hard scape and patio area in my backyard.   I’ve had different design ideas but I basically know what I want in the finished look.  The area involves the East Family/Health and the Northeast Knowledge area.  In this case, extending the patio will create more balance and make the outdoor living space more functional.  I was struggling with a small part of the area (that will eventually be the extended patio) because it seriously lacks a beautiful focal point and I consider it to be a “dead zone” when it comes to foliage.

Let me tell you where I’ve made my mistake while waiting for the right time to move ahead with this project.  This so called “dead zone” makes up a small part of my backyard and, from an aesthetic point of view, looks lifeless and bleak.  From a feng shui perspective it weakens the balance of the exterior.  Every time I look at the area a little dissatisfied voice in my head makes a criticism.  Symbolically a “dead zone” is not good, along with the simple fact that the energy is not “vital” in that area of the yard.

I had to come up with a simple interim solution because I just couldn’t stand to look at the “dead zone” anymore.  I bought 3 of the same type of trees I have in the rest of the yard and I put them in grow pots.   Also, to create a more finished arrangement, I placed some solar lanterns between the pots.  So, whether we put the new patio in next week or next year, I won’t have to look at a “void” in the yard.  The new trees will continue to grow and the lanterns can be relocated anywhere.

I am sure you have areas in your home or property that you would love to improve when the time is right;  just don’t make the mistake I did and do nothing.  There is always something you can do to improve it.  I basically took the design elements from the rest of the yard and carried them over to the “dead zone” for a temporary but reusable arrangement.  My husband’s response was, “why didn’t we do this sooner?”

The second feng shui idea I’ve been focusing on is the room or area of the house you spend the most time in.  This area of the home becomes a “room of great influence” and should be well balanced, functional and beautiful.  I would encourage you to pay careful attention to the feng shui in this area.  When you walk into your “most used room” it should elicit a sense of peace and satisfaction for you on every level.  A space where you spend a great deal of time influences your health and well being and can be considered “formative”.  Recently I had some crown molding added to my “most used room” and the outcome created the following:

• Improved the floor to ceiling or spacial balance
• General ambiance of the room was elevated because the “eye” tends upward toward the new design feature
• Added a sense of strength and solidity to the entire room

I hope some of these ideas get you thinking about your own feng shui and how your environment  is connected to your quality of  life.  If you have any questions always feel free to send me an email or call my office.

Best Wishes,

MaryAnn Russell

714-842-7728 PST

Feng Shui Factor

Anti-Aging

The exciting part for consumers of holistic and complementary medicine is the breakthroughs in non-invasive diagnostic technologies. What does this mean for you and me? It means that science is taking the guess work out of choosing which vitamin supplements and nutrition your body needs.

Well, for most consumers it has been a path of self education and self treatment. I grew up in a home where my now 89 year old mother, educated herself about health and nutrition. In fact, on my book shelf I have her first edition of Back To Eden (1939) by Jethro Kloss. My mother was part of a pioneering generation of self care, self-help psychology, and care for your own health using natural remedies and vitamins. Pioneers like Edgar Cayce and others that followed discovered ways to diagnose and treat people using natural means.

The first non-invasive diagnostic technique I was exposed to was applied kinesiology. AK is a diagnostic technique using muscle testing as a feedback mechanism to determine how your body is functioning. Applied kinesiology is unlimited in the way it can be used, but one application is testing for which vitamins supplements the body needs.

Another non-invasive diagnostic tool I discovered as a health consumer was the “EAV” machine (electro-acupuncture according to Voll).  The EAV machine tests the body’s “acupuncture” meridian system which conducts DC electrical current, or in Chinese medicine, known as “chi” or energy.  A simple probe is used on the hands, feet and teeth, which are the points on the body where the meridians end. The EAV is used to determine the functioning of the body’s meridian system.  Practitioners use this machine in a variety of ways to help determine which supplements your body needs.

Scientific breakthroughs have given us non-intrusive tests that can now test the bodys biochemical and electrical balance.

One of the most comprehensive approaches to assessing your body’s general state of health is to look at both the saliva (what’s inside the cells) and urine (what’s being eliminated). Saliva is an intracellular fluid and is an indicator of the body’s cellular health, in other words what’s happening within the cells. Urine shows what’s being excreted by the body giving you a picture of how well your filtering system is working.

The most recent advances are in “nutri-genomic” research. Now affordable DNA assessments are available to determine our genetic predisposition for disease! Simply using a buccal swab (cheek cells) to collect a sample of your DNA right in your own home.

So you can see we are making progress with assessing which specific vitamins and nutrients your body needs.

I recently had the findings of an EAV test match the results of my DNA assessment!

More to follow………

My commitment and discipline were not lacking, I simply felt after a period of time the health benefits were no longer evident to me. I did understand that the body’s ability to absorb and utilize key nutrients could be a factor in the difference I noticed. At the top of my game I was on a regime of fresh frozen super greens delivered in ice packs and a patented stack of organic amino acids for anti-aging.

I was feeling boundless energy during the day and deep baby sleep at night. The only downside was dealing with the frozen greens. Just when I thought I had discovered the supreme combination for myself, I stopped taking both supplements. After nearly one year the benefits switch turned off. I do keep the patented amino acid formula on hand for sports endurance.

My experience with alternative and complementary medicines were similar to that of vitamin supplementation and diet. Whether it be acupuncture, chiropractic or various types of body work, I would clearly “hit a ceiling” when I instinctively knew I had gained the maximum benefit and it was time to move on.

A lot of people get discouraged when they think something they have discovered is helping them one day and then the next day they are not experiencing those same benefits. Instead of disappointment, perhaps you can see it as your body’s intelligence at work. Your body’s own innate healing intelligence telling you that its done everything it can with a particular regime. You may have actually benefited with what you have done so far but there are other things to discover.

I once knew a practitioner who tested his patients before treating them to determine what their body’s priority was for that day. The patient may have come in for a chiropractic adjustment but he found they needed a vitamin supplement for their nervous system. Perhaps the chiropractic adjustment would be more effective when the nervous system was addressed first. When it comes to nutrition and vitamins, your body is going to absorb and utilize what it can at the time.

The body’s unique intelligence is always at work seeking a state of harmony. You may be drawn to certain foods for a month; this is your body’s way of signaling that for any number of reasons you have a particular nutritional need at this time.

Your needs for vitamins and nutrition will vary due to lifestyle demand and age. The progress that has been made in the preventative and holistic health industry is remarkable but the choices for products and vitamins can be overwhelming at times.

The technological and scientific advances in testing are mapping out our unique nutritional and hormonal needs. The genomic sciences have ushered in a whole new way of how we choose preventative health products.

This of course does not take into consideration your lifestyle, but DNA assessments can map out your predisposition for certain diseases. The scientific breakthroughs are pointing us to genes and lifestyle, and the good news is we can now do something about both. Due to scientific research we see the Biggest Trends in vitamins are those supplements that target:

* Overall health of the bones and and joints

* Cardiovascular health

* Memory and brain function

* Immune health

* Energy and Performance

* Anti-Aging and skin products

* Loss of sleep and nervousness

* Libido

What we do know is that your body’s innate intelligence is constantly adapting and seeking balance. Varying your vitamin supplements just makes sense; what you need during one stage of your life will certainly differ during another stage. I continue to research the best sources of vitamins and nutrition for myself at any given time. The approach is one of complementary, supplying where there is lack in order to complete it. I highly recommend you adapt this approach for your own optimum health.

MaryAnn Russell is passionate about connecting people to knowledge and information that brings empowerment and freedom to their lives. For more information about the latest breakthrough in Health and Wellness. MaryAnn is an author and well known feng shui expert. Learn more about Holistic Living and Feng Shui.