Category " house"
Whether for business or pleasure, leaving home is not without some distress and discomfort. Over the years, the hassles of tight schedules, missed flights, checking baggage, security requirements and lines of people, traveling isn’t as much fun anymore. Add to that sleeping in a hotel room in a strange bed and it’s no wonder you are exhausted during your travels. Feng Shui can help you overcome some of the issues commonly encountered when sleeping in a different space thereby helping you through the other stresses inherent with your travels.
There are some Feng Shui “tools” you can carry with you to help set up an environment where you can feel safe and protected, giving you a higher chance of sleeping well and waking up renewed and ready to go. I suggest you designate a decorative box or bag that remains in your suitcase so it’s always ready for your next excursion. How big that container will be depends on what you’re planning to bring, so take a look at some of the suggestions listed here to help you determine the perfect size.
Here is a list of Feng Shui tools to use when traveling. . . . .
- Votive candle and matches or battery votive candle;
- Small bell with red ribbon attached;
- Pictures of loved one(s), pets, or inspirational scene;
- Favorite stone(s) or crystal(s);
- Piece of beautiful fabric or scarf.
Lighting a votive candle, especially at the end of a long day of work or travel, will help you slow down the pace and move into a relaxed state before going to bed. If you’re using real candles with real flames, be mindful of falling asleep while the candle is lit—-the obvious safety is a reason to use the battery operated ones.
The small bell can be used in a couple of ways. It can be a clearing tool when you first arrive to “clean” the room of predecessor energy. A brief walk through the hotel room ringing the bell will help to eliminate any negative issues left behind—-open the window a bit, if possible, while doing this. If you’re staying in the room more than one night, you may decide you want to ring the bell each evening before going to bed. You also can hang the bell on your doorknob if you’re feeling vulnerable or unsafe. It will act as an alarm and wake you up if there’s any issue of security.
The pictures, stones and scarf enable you to set up a small “heart” center in your room where you can be reminded of the support that is available to you. They can also be reminders of why you’re on this journey particularly if it’s a work related trip. In essence, you have brought some of “home” with you.
These are only a few suggestions—you may have additional items you want to include to make your travel more restful and to assure yourself of having happy trails.
In Feng Shui, your bedroom is the most important room in your home. This is the place where you sleep and dream. This is the room of intimacy, of dressing for the day and undressing for the night. It should be a sanctuary, a place that makes you feel safe, a haven that supports you on all levels. It should be a place that when you enter, you immediately feel relaxed and welcome. If you walk into your bedroom and don’t feel grateful and blessed, some changes need to be incorporated.
One of the most obvious suggestions for achieving a supportive and protective bedroom environment is to keep clutter to a minimum. Make sure that things aren’t piled in corners or on dressers and that stuff hasn’t been shoved under the bed. Little by little all of these items can disturb your sleep. Overcome the belief that “it’s just my bedroom” or “no one else sees it but me” to the belief that you’re important enough to assure yourself a good night’s sleep and a space that supports you so intimately.
Here are three additional ideas for creating a beautiful bedroom. . . .
1. Paint the walls a beautiful color that is restful, soothing, and comforting. The color of your bedroom walls can make the difference between sleeping well and not sleeping at all. There are many ways it can do this, but color is the most obvious. Don’t use the color left over from the previous occupants of the room (unless you positively love it and would have chosen it for yourself anyway). Take the time to incorporate an ambiance that you love.
2. Keep your artwork simple and serene. With a dramatic or inspirational color on the walls, you may find you don’t need any artwork. If, however, you have hung some artwork, make sure it is pleasing to both you (and a partner if you’re sharing the space). If only one of you loves the piece, then remove it and hang something else that you both love. The artwork should continue the theme of being peaceful and inspirational. This typically means a painting or photos from nature which are healing and soothing.
3. Don’t install a low-hanging ceiling fan over the bed. Some Feng Shui experts say fans do not belong in bedrooms at all. I have found that many people enjoy the air circulation which the fan provides. If you are not using the fan, then by all means remove it. Otherwise, make sure the fan doesn’t loom heavy over the bed. One way to make the fan seem less oppressive is to paint the paddles white or to replace it with a smaller version that is the same color as the ceiling so that it “disappears.”
Take a look at your bedroom and see if the word “sanctuary” comes to mind when you enter. If you don’t love this room, spend a few minutes to figure out what specifically you don’t like and then determine what can realistically be changed to make it better. Sometimes small changes have huge effects so it may not require a complete overhaul. Just start somewhere, anywhere, to create a supportive location where you can blissfully drift off to dreamland counting ch’i.
Living in northern climates requires a shift in mindset in terms of Feng Shui when the temperatures as well as the snow start to fall. Doorways get piled with boots and jackets. Mittens and scarves are strewn around. You can’t use your screened-in porch. Specifically selected and carefully positioned plants are buried by the white stuff. The pond freezes over; the sidewalks are buried. What happens to your Feng Shui?
Those of us who live in the parts of the world where the seasons dramatically change, we have to learn to live with different considerations and patterns for a few months of every year.
Here are some things to think about for your winter-time Feng Shui:
- Unless you’ve installed a heater, fountains, ponds and birdbaths will need to be disassembled and stored for the winter. All of these add the element of water to an area which implies flow or movement. To replicate that concept, placing a flag or a wind-sock or something that moves in the spot where the water fixture was can continue your intention for flow.
- Flowers placed in planters for a specific Feng Shui purpose will need substitutes for the winter. Tree-tops in planters can replace flowers that were originally there; adding mall lights will enhance them even more.
- Keep the sidewalk shoveled to the front door regardless of whether you use the door regularly or not. The front door is where good luck enters so having it be accessible is important. Plus, you might be inclined to go in through that door more often.
- Provide extra storage for the boots, mittens, hats, etc. that are part of winter fashion. An extra hall-tree or a basket for mittens and scarves could keep them from littering the entry.
- Screened-in porches become dormant during the winter for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, keep them looking attractive and inviting and refrain from using them as a storage space. Hand a wind-sock or chime in the porch to keep the energy flowing.
When spring arrives, you can return to your original adjustments knowing that your Feng Shui intentions were held in place throughout the cold winter months—never missing a beat.