Good Vibrations

We live in a vibrational Universe. Everything is vibration.

Everything we see, touch, hear, smell, taste is vibration.

If one were to look under a really super-duper powerful microscope at, say, a rock, they would see that it is not the inanimate object it appears to be. They may even find that it is vibrating at a frequency much faster than something that appears to be moving.

Over The Rainbow

The easiest measurable vibrations are those relating to our sense of hearing. The average human can hear between the frequencies of 20Hz to 20kHz (in other words: 20 individual sound "waves" per second to 20,000 cycles per second).

Above that there are radio waves, television waves, and radar waves. Then way up around 384 tHz (yes, 384 million wave cycles per second) we arrive at the color red—the beginning of our sense of sight then up through orange, yellow, green, blue and violet (ending around 769 tHz).

Continuing on we have ultraviolet light, x-rays, gamma rays and cosmic rays. The scale continues into petaHz all the way up to yottaHz (we Wikipedia'd that), in which science will soon discover the frequencies of smell, touch and taste.

Rainbow In The Rear-View

Going beyond the five senses—everything we feel is vibration.

Have you ever been in a really bad mood and your iPod's in shuffle mode and some song comes on that you normally really love—but right now, it's just annoying?

It's because, just like in music, certain notes (frequencies) harmonize with each other, and others are in discord with each other and sound like nails on a chalkboard.

Feelings have frequencies too, and good feeling frequencies harmonize with good feeling frequencies—across the board. In other words, things that look good, smell good, sound good, taste good, feel good to the touch—all resonate with emotions that feel good.

When combined, it can be ecstasy. Anyone who has experienced a gourmet, romantic, candlelit dinner would attest.

People who score films understand the power of combining resonant frequencies to trigger audience's emotions. (Imagine "Jaws" without the music.) Sometimes they'll even juxtapose vibrations by putting light and campy music over dark and violent scenes to cross the viewers' wires.

What does this have to do with Feng Shui?

Everything. Feng Shui is all about harmonizing energy. And, as illustrated above, energy is vibration. This is why if you want to enhance the Prosperity section of your home, you also want to enhance the Helpful People and Travel section—because they harmonize with each other. Likewise, if the Family section needs bolstering, add some cures to the Creativity and Children section, and so on for all of the sections.

Walk into your home or office through the front door (or the one that is used most) and stand just inside the door. What do you see? What do you smell? What do you hear? Does it feel good?

It's really that simple: make it feel good to you. Of course there are myriad Feng Shui cures and rules which could be applied and, yes, it would feel good.

Here are some simple things you can do to begin to harmonize the frequencies of your home—one sense at a time:

• Walk through your space and play a tibetan bell or a gong to balance the energy of your home. Let meditative music play while you are away and while you sleep.
• Burn incense and candles so it smells delicious.
• Keep a vase stocked with fresh flowers for beauty (and scent).
• Chant mantras, listen to music, pray or sing over your food as your prepare it to balance its energy.
• Keep plenty of living plants around to add beauty, life and to clear the air. Touch them and express appreciation for them as you care for them.

It's Not What You Think. Okay, it is...

Again: everything is vibration. And we've saved the best for last here, and that's the one thing in this entire Universe that you can control: your thoughts.

Thoughts are vibrational. And it's virtually impossible to maintain happy, blissful thoughts all the time; especially in a culture where we have more audial/visual stimulation in one month than people 100 years ago experienced in a lifetime. (Not to mention the barrage of cell phone/radio/TV frequencies pummeling us left and right.) What we can do is breathe deep, and understand that there's a 99.9% chance that whatever's making us feel off kilter has nothing to do with us. And just trying to feel a little better this moment than the last. Slowly, gently raising the vibration of our thoughts to a frequency that matches all else that feels good.

In like fashion, slowly, gently begin to remove a little clutter here, add a little crystal there, and before you know it, you will find yourself in vibrational harmony with everything the majority of the time.

Sound good?

Just Want To Clear The Air Here...

Most of us retreat to our homes after schlepping through rush-hour traffic thinking that we are escaping the pollution. There is, however, a good deal of research that has shown indoor pollution to be worse than outdoor pollution. This makes sense, as there aren't walls and a roof over the interstate.

Before donning the Hazmat Suit, take a trip to your local nursery and grab a few plants for your home and office. Plants not only purify the air and provide fresh oxygen—they are also some of the most powerful Feng Shui tools around.

There are many books ("How To Grow Fresh Air" by B.C. Wolverton) and websites that discuss this for further reading about which plants are best for which indoor situations, and for which plants are best for Feng Shui—and which are not (which are pretty much just cacti and any plant that looks like it could—or actually could—hurt you).

For those of us who would rather die than put a Ficus Tree in our living room—there are many other options that won't leave your home looking like a porno set.

a Dracaena "Janet Craig" Plant

According to NASA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_air-filtering_plants), The Dracaena "Janet Craig" Palm, that specializes in removing Tricholoroethylene—we don't even know what that is, but it doesn't sound like something we'd want wafting through baby's room. This also removes most known pollutants in general.

English Ivy

English Ivy also removes most known pollutants, notably Formaldehyde. Good idea.

Peace Lily

And, there is the ever-faithful Peace Lily. A Feng Shui favorite, which, as it so happens, is also one of the top removers of toxins.

In addition to cleaning the air, having plants in your home and office are great Feng Shui. They regulate energy, are symbols of prosperity, and can also demonstrate your space's ability to sustain life. In other words, if you're caring for your plants properly and they're still dying—it may be a good sign that it's time to find somewhere that is more conducive to the creative and abundant lifestyle you desire.

A Handy Feng Shui Bagua

Much like the Feng Shui Diagram, we created this slick Bagua as an easy visual reference to assist you in treating the various segments of your environment, as they relate to Feng Shui.

The difference is that this is a cure within itself.  You may print it out and put one in every room (make sure the Career section (the one with the water droplet) is facing the door (or North, depending on which school of Feng Shui you choose). And, remember, as with most Feng Shui cures, it can be hidden from view; it is your intention that is important.

Stick one in the glove box of your car (see the Road Shui article for more) with the Career section facing the front of the car.

Put one under your desk calender with the Career section facing you.

You can even print one out and carry it in your wallet while you travel.

This particular Bagua has visual representations of the various sections, incorporated with the color and numbers associated with them. In the middle, there is a Yin-Yang symbol which indicates balance, surrounded by the I-Ching, a symbol representing ancient Chinese texts, also known as The Book of Changes.

Print it. Laminate it. Have your way with it.

Road Shui

Ever heard the expression:

"Like a deer in headlights"?

I may be mistaken, but I think the reason that deer freeze up is because they can't compute a giant hunk of metal barreling towards them at 80 mph. It's just not natural.

Cats, dogs, squirrels, badgers, porcupines, etc. etc. just dart across the street (okay, porcupines don't really "dart") without a second thought.  Why? Because in the millions of years since the advent of life on Earth, there has never been anything capable of moving that fast until the last century or so.

What does this have to do with Feng Shui?

First of all, modern transportation is moving energy very quickly—more quickly than it has ever moved on this planet. And Feng Shui is all about energy.

Second, ancient Feng Shui masters were, at best, riding around in rickshaws or horse-drawn carriages. And that was likely few and far between, as they were probably busy moving stuff around the palace, inches at a time, to see what was working.  Jet planes and sports cars weren't much of a concern.

Lastly, as resilient and adaptable as we humans are, it's a bit shocking on the body and the environment to be hurtling down the road or through the sky at any speed faster than you can run. And Feng Shui is all about harmonizing "external" energy with the body.

To be clear, this article isn't intended to dissuade anyone from driving—in fact, I'm writing this on my cell phone on the way into the office*—it's to help take some of the principles of the ancient art of Feng Shui and apply them to the modern art of driving in rush hour.

To recap: Feng Shui is the art of placement. It is the art of deliberately placing objects to calm fast-moving energy (Chi); and stimulate stagnant energy.

In the case of driving, we're dealing with energy that's moving way too fast—and a lot of it. 

Additionally, there is another, more subtle, factor, and that is the stagnant emotional energy created by a large, concentrated group of people that are, for the most part, not where they want to be.

This leaves us with stagnant energy being output at dizzying speeds. In other words, stagnant emotions like anger, frustration and revenge are being launched into the ethers at 80 mph. And, since they are stagnant, they don't move with the originator of the emotion—they trudge along and pummel the next guy and compound, and the next guy and compound, and the next guy, and the next girl, and so forth and so on until...

Wham! They hit you.

And, unlike them, you were in a great mood. Just driving down the freeway, singing show tunes, when, all of a sudden—you're feeling a little anxious and can't quite put your finger on it.

This is the recipe for Road Rage. 

This is why that—otherwise gentle and kind—soccer mom over there is giving you the bird.

So what can you do?

As in all Feng Shui literature, first and foremost—clear the clutter and dust from your car. Keep it clean and pleasant. And, make sure that there is something beautiful to look at while you drive.

Unless you drive everywhere in reverse, chances are the above diagram, based on energy flowing from front to back, will work for you. Just apply the Feng Shui Bagua to your car with the Career section facing the front.

Here are some starter tips:

• Just like you would hang a round Feng Shui crystal just inside your front door, you may hang one from your rearview mirror to disperse incoming energy.
  
• Put a little picture on the driver's side dash (Travel Section) of somewhere you'd like to travel.
  
• Keep a little Bagua in the car under the front floor mat. 
  
• Try red floor mats in the back, as red attracts Chi, as well as spans across the three back sections; Love, Fame and Wealth.
  
• String some red ribbon through some Chinese coins and put them in the Wealth section
  

Otherwise, get creative using similar Feng Shui cures for the individual sections as you would in your home or office. (Refrain from putting a water fountain in the console.)

WARNING: there are people that sell Bagua mirrors specifically for cars. This is just going to make things miserable for those around you (and, eventually, will come back around), especially at freeway speeds.

All in all, use your intuition on what feels good to you. Make it so that when you get in your car it feels good.

Tame this fast-moving, powerful energy and use it to your advantage.

. . .

*not really.

A Handy Feng Shui Diagram

Feng Shui is really about placing things in a way that allows energy to flow evenly through your home or office. As mentioned before, there is no "good" or "bad" energy, there is just energy that is either flowing nicely, or energy that is moving way too fast or way too slow (or not at all).

a Bagua map puts the "U" in Feng Shui.

The ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui is quite complex, and there are myriad books written on the subject. However, to get started, you may use the handy diagram above to determine where the nine specific sections are in your space.

This diagram shows which colors are best for each area, as well as which shapes. For instance, triangles are great in the Fame and Reputation section, as well as the color red; Creativity and Children likes circles and white. So you can start by using this diagram to walk around your space and see what's going on in the various sections.

There are two schools of Feng Shui, one that uses the front door as the reference; while the other uses a compass to determine what goes where—they both use the same Bagua. If one resonates more with you, that's fine. Either way this will help you.

Mirror, Mirror, on the Door—What's a Bagua Mirror For?

The Bagua mirror is a simple and effective way to divert fast-moving, disruptive energy away from your home or office. But, before you hop down to Chinatown or place an order online, make sure that you know what you are looking for.

How to determine whether a Bagua mirror is necessary for you.
From the inside, open your front door and look straight ahead. Does it feel calm and peaceful? If so, then you're probably fine without one.

If not, let's try and figure out why. It's probably pretty obvious—a road aiming right for you (energy moving way too fast); a big tree, streetlight or some other flow-disrupting obstacle (energy moving too slow); or perhaps the corner of a building or other pointy object aiming at you (energy too concentrated [aka: Arrow Chi]).

Those are just a few of the myriad examples that could be affecting your energy—you get the idea. You should know the moment you open the door whether or not it's necessary.

Okay, I need one. May I go to Chinatown now???
Yes, but one more thing, and I'm only saying this because I have been in stores and noticed that all three varieties of Bagua mirrors are available, with no explanation attached.

What you want is a flat Bagua mirror (the circular mirror part in the middle). The other two varieties: convex and concave, are used for absorption and reversal, respectively, and should only be used under specific circumstances by professionals (usually on a temporary basis).

I got my flat Bagua mirror—where do I put it?
It is recommended to put the flat Bagua Mirror above your front door (they usually have a little nail thingy), however, you may put it on the front door, wherever it feels good.

Where do I not put it?
Whatever you do, DO NOT USE A BAGUA MIRROR INSIDE. I didn't know any better when I first got into Feng Shui and put a convex Bagua mirror on my bedroom door, and things got really intense with a roomate situation and I couldn't figure out why until much later when I discovered that both inside and concave were no-nos.

Trust yourself.
As with any Feng Shui cure, it is your intention that is most important. So, use your intuition. Pay attention to how the energy is feeling to you, then adjust accordingly.

Meet me at the flagpole. 3pm.

In movies, when a fight is about to break out, they always say something to the effect of:

"You wanna take this outside?"

This is obviously to avoid a bar brawl, suspension from school—or offended children.



In Feng Shui, we take energy very seriously. There is no "bad" energy—there is only energy (or "Chi"). And it is all about flowing. Like most things, when it gets stuck or is moving too fast, it can have adverse effects.

Most of us have experienced having a heated argument with someone, or walked into a room where you "could cut the tension with a knife...". Those are great examples of "stuck" energy. 

There is no "arguee" in an argument—just two or more arguers. An argument is two conflicting opinions, always resulting (at least temporarily) in a deadlock. (Read: stuck energy.)

I once heard someone say "the best way to stop an argument is to stop arguing". That is probably the best advice, as it will avoid the inevitable impasse. However, that's easier said than done.

So, if you must argue—take it outside.

Why start an "energy brawl" in your living room?—leave your living room to living.

At the onset of any argument, step up and say "let's take this outside!". Worst-case-scenario, the other person will say "No! I'm not moving until we settle this!", then you can go outside and have a one-sided argument and a pleasant walk.