What Feng Shui has Taught Me
Seven years ago, I hired a local Feng Shui expert to consult with me in my home. I was dumbfounded by how accurately the practitioner described how my “overly earthed décor” was creating an in-balance in our home, and it was a direct reflection of my inner state of mind. At that time, I was going through a period of depression and I specifically designed our home to help me feel more grounded by adding lots of earthy tones and heavy dark furniture, but I over did it and I was feeling stuck. She asked me the significance of the pictures and décor I had chosen, and as I described my reasoning behind my design choices, I realized that much of what I selected was done without a deeper meaning for me.
In other words, I decorated my home as Kristin the interior designer, not the more expanded Kristin of who I had become. I wasn’t connecting in with my décor from my heart and there was a disconnect between me and my home. It was a major aha moment for me. Once I made some of the changes she recommended I felt an immediate shift. That infamous appointment lead me on my path to study Feng Shui and dowsing and to a major shift in my life and interior design business. For me it was the best decision I could have ever made. I have learned many lessons from my own experiences and clients, and I’d love to share a few of the lessons I’ve learned with you.
Lesson #1 You attract what your heart desires
Ever since I spent the summer as a young adult in Austin TX. at my Aunt and Uncle’s home, I’ve wanted a house with a beautiful view. Their home was built on top of Cat Mountain Cove with a mesmerizing view of Austin and I was enamored by it. Years later, when my husband and I started looking for a home, we were lead unexpectedly into Pennsylvania towards an open house sign of a new development. We had no plans to move into Pennsylvania from Delaware but once we saw the available lot with an incredible view of a valley and distant hills, we knew this was meant for us. The universe provided a vibrational match for what had been in my heart for a long time. What is in your heart? Where are you focusing your energy?
Lesson #2 Your home helps you to grow and expand
Whether you label life experiences as “good or bad” I believe in the most general terms that everything shows up in life is for our good. Sometimes we attract certain experiences to wake us up if we are heading off course and our homes can be a perfect supportive vessel to experience these changes.
For some, when they move into their new home everything in life improves. They fall in love with their new dwelling and decorate it with ease, get a job promotion, develop new interests or find their soul mate. This house would be considered to have good Feng Shui. For others, they can feel as if their life is going downhill after they have moved in. They may have trouble connecting with their home or have major problems with home repair or experience deteriorating health issues, accidents or job loss. This house would be considered less fortunate and could benefit from Feng Shui adjustments to improve the flow. Either way our homes are vessels in which we express ourselves, and we subconsciously choose them to learn and grow in life. They have their own energetic qualities that can be supportive or challenging and this shows up in different aspects of our lives. There are many factors that play a role in this, which could be a whole other blog, but the point is our homes are tied into the experience we are attracting at the time. We may resist our struggles in life, but they can be our biggest lessons for growth and expansion.
Lesson #3 Your home is a billboard to the universe. What does it say about you?
This is a biggie. When I heard Marie Diamond describe your home as a billboard to the universe it struck me. If this is true, then what do the symbols and images in your home say about you? What does piles of clutter tell the universe? That you desire more confusion and chaos in your life? That you’re not open to new opportunities? What does rotting food in the refrigerator or stale outdated food in the pantry say? That you don’t care about your health and attract unhealthy low vibrational energy? What do overgrown landscaping, broken or worn out appliances or decor, burnt out light bulbs, peeling paint, dirty windows, and dusty floors, say to the universe? Does it say you choose abundance and flow or is it saying I don’t care and I don’t deserve the best life has to offer? What do you want your billboard to look like? Imagine it’s in the middle of Time Square. Hmmmm makes you think, doesn’t it?
“One of the biggest ah-ha moments I had was when you said that your house is an advertisement to the Universe about who you are. Ever since then, I’ve been contemplating what I want my house to represent about me. That phrase has inspired me and I’ve taken action on removing clutter, cleaning and organizing my home and loving my home more fully, being grateful for it rather than cursing it because I’ve always overwhelmed by how much care it takes.” Julie E.
Lesson #4 Surround Yourself with things you love
When you surround yourself with things you love you feel happy, supported and inspired. People who have things they can’t stand things or feel neutral towards will have problems with their possessions. Have you chosen to take hand me downs from relatives out of obligation or because you love them? Do you have things in your home that friends have gifted you but it isn’t your style? Surrounding yourself with things that you don’t love drains your energy field. You may have become numb to it but every time you walk by it your energy field weakens. I suggest you consciously walk past everything in your home in each room and if you don’t love or use something give it away.
Lesson #5 Your home sends you messages
Your home is working for you 24/7. It is often the first defense in sending you a signal that needs your attention. Since everything is energy, your homes is also part of the energy field in which you live and affects your everyday living. It is the reflection of everything that is happening on the inside. You could ask what came first the chicken or the egg? Is my home mirroring my inner mind or is the outer appearance of my home affecting my mind? I would say both. Pay attention to the signals it is giving you such as:
Leaking faucets say fix me otherwise your money is draining down the drain
Burnt light bulbs suggest you’re burning the candle at both ends and are burnt out.
Water problems in the attic can signify financial concerns about your future
Water problems in the basement can signify financial concerns from your past
Dirty windows can signify you can’t see with clarity
Loose handle can signify you can’t get a grip on life, or grasp opportunities
Broken burners on your stove can indicate a drain on your finances
Clutter signifies you’re stuck in the past, slows down new opportunities and drains your energy
Lesson #6 Everything changes and your home needs change to as well
I am in the process of changing the paint in my home from the earthy tones I chose 13 years ago to brighter and lighter colors that I want to surround myself with today. It’s not always easy making changes because one thing leads to another, such as if I paint my walls, then the earthy rugs and furniture may need changing as well. But if you get a new game plan for change you can do it in stages. You must honor who you are today. Who you were a five or ten years ago, let alone yesterday is not who you are today. We are in constant state of change. Therefore, your sense of style will change with time as well. Colors and design that appealed to you in past may not appeal to you today. You may only need small tweaks or a bigger overhaul, but allow yourself to change your environment so that it will nurture and mirror your growth on your journey in life. If you need help in making changes in your home or office, I am here for you.