Mind, Body, Home: Transform Your Life One Room at a Time (13 page)

these personality traits as well.

The popularity of ranch homes grew out of their ease and afford-

ability. The style functioned to serve a wide variety of socieo-economic levels. As a result, the ranch-style home can be found in lower economic areas, as well as more affluent neighborhoods. Similar to the reemergence of Craftsman-style homes, ranch homes have caught the atten-

tion of younger generations, particularly those generations that did not live in them the first go-around. Due to their minimalistic shell exterior and affordability, they are ripe for renovating, extending, and morphing into just about anything.

68 Your Home’s Body

Due to their low-to-the-ground façade, ranch-style homes are

grounding and allow the occupants to feel close to the outdoors and

nature. Unless renovated, they are generally one-story and shaped like

a long rectangle. This puts the focus on the trials and tribulations of everyday living for the occupants. Due to its practicality and functionality, it makes a great home for family living with everyone being on the same floor.

Mid-Century Modern

Mid-century modern is an entire movement that took root in architec-

ture, graphics, and furniture design during the mid-twentieth century

in California. It is a style that is still alive and well today. Mid-century moderns have similar elements to Craftsmans, such as clean lines and

an emphasis on bringing earth elements in. However, mid-centuries

bring a more modern aesthetic with influences from Scandinavian and

German Bauhaus architects. On the interior an emphasis was placed

on family life with the goal of modernizing the suburban family. Even

today, you will see occupants in these homes as forward-thinking mod-

ernists interested in design, fashion, art, and green design.

Traditional

Traditional, also known as American, is the most common style of

home found throughout the United States and Canada. It is a sort of

hodge-podge of styles with an emphasis on fitting the functionality of today’s families. Traditional homes can be found as one or two-story

homes. Large, two-story versions of the Traditional-style, often re-

ferred to as McMansions, have come to epitomize standardized living in

the United States. A front porch is usually built to be a transitional space into the home rather than for sitting and connecting with neighbors.

Exterior elements borrow from other styles of homes and are usually

consistent within a defined subdivision.

The interior is built around the kitchen and living room as the cen-

ter of the home, with bedrooms either on the periphery or upstairs.

Home offices, bonus rooms, family rooms, TV rooms, and game rooms

are popular features to fit a modern-day family lifestyle. Being the most
Your Home’s Body 69

popular style, occupants are typically in the prime of their lives with a busy family life. With the emphasis on the practical, the home serves as a tool to make life easier, quicker, comfortable, and accommodating to

kids and families.

Duplex

I once had a dream that there was a line drawn down the exact center

of my house. The right side was empty of furniture and being reno-

vated, while the left side was business as usual. I realized that this was a depiction of my brain at the time. I was in the throes of transitioning from law to the healing arts and tapping into a whole new part of my

intuitive right brain. This image in my dream reminds me of the split

energy of duplex homes. Instead of the line down the middle, there is a wall dividing the two spaces creating two halves always seeking to be whole.

Duplex homes originated during the Great Depression and World

War II era as the federal government was stimulating the housing in-

dustry with tax deductions for mortgage interest. Duplexes were at-

tractive because they made housing even more affordable than renting.

Unfortunately, however, not only do homeowners only own half of

the house, but only embody half of the energy as well. Occupants of

duplex homes will be challenged with balance and embodying their

full energy. They may feel like they are missing some aspect of their

life and not completely ‘whole’ in some way. That being said, it could

strengthen certain aspects—perhaps the right-brain, creative side or the left-brain, analytical side—by putting a focus on that one area.

For purposes of using the Bagua Map, a tool used in feng shui and

discussed further in Chapter 4, there are two ways to apply. When you

overlay the Bagua Map over the entire building, half of the map would

fall over each of the two units. This is another reason occupants may

feel challenged in some areas of their life. If you live in a duplex, notice what areas of the Bagua Map you live in versus your neighbor. This is

important information. In order to compensate for those missing areas,

reapply the Bagua Map only over your side of the home based upon

the door coming into your unit. Pay particular attention to those sec-

70 Your Home’s Body

tions that were missing on the overall Bagua Map placement. Also avoid

hanging mirrors on the adjoining wall as that will create an even stronger connection between the two units.

Duplexes continue to be a popular way to make housing affordable.

Often, duplexes lend themselves as good rentals for the landlord and

renter. Energetically, duplexes are best utilized as temporary spaces to allow its occupants to focus on certain areas of their lives for a short amount of time. That being said, high-end, creatively-designed duplexes are showing up more and more in affluent subdivisions. For long-

term, single-family housing it is important to use the Bagua Map over

the individual unit space. Consciously bring awareness to all nine sec-

tions in order to make the space energetically independent of the whole building. This will help create more balance for the occupants.

Old Home or New Home

Old homes and new homes alike come in all different styles. But beyond

the style of home, whether you live in an older home or new home

takes on a different energy. Some people are attracted to turn-of-the-

century homes for the character or craftsman quality. Others may feel

more comfortable in a 1950s era ranch with its cozy, down-home feel.

Many people prefer a brand new home to start fresh with everything

working properly and no predecessor energy to worry about. And still

others may prefer a newer home without having to add the sweat eq-

uity touches of window treatments and landscaping. Regardless of your

preference, the age of the house you choose is not coincidental. It is indicative of a bigger picture.

Similar to starting a “new” year, a newly constructed house can be

the beginning of a new phase in one’s life. It may mark the beginning

of a new marriage, a new baby, or perhaps moving to a smaller, new

house once the kids are out of the house. Whatever the life circum-

stance is, it will mark a significant new beginning. If you have ever

moved into a newly constructed home, think back to what phase of life

was transpiring.

Your Home’s Body 71

In contrast, have you ever bought an older home in need of a reno-

vation? It was probably at a time in which you were going through a

renovation, or rebuilding, of yourself. Living in a home being renovated will most likely occur at a time of transition. From age four through

twenty-nine, with a few exceptions in my college years, I had always

lived in a new home. After I went through a divorce, I moved into an

old home for the first time. An old house represents your old beliefs, at-titudes and how you used to think or feel. I needed to update my mode

of thinking. My old belief systems no longer worked for me. This

house gave me the opportunity to completely transform my life.

Older homes can provide the best backdrop for your own personal

renovation, or transformation. As changes or renovations are made to

the house, the correlating transformation will be reflected in the homeowner. Consider a time in which you have renovated, remodeled, or

simply redecorated a room. And then consider what you were expe-

riencing in your life at that time. Was it a job or even career change, personal relationship issue, a change in belief system, or any number of things? This is another example of your home being a mirror of your

life.

C h a p t e r 4

Your Home’s Path:

Floor Plan of the House

Architecture is basically a container of something.

I hope they will enjoy not so much the teacup, but the tea.

—yoshio taniguchi



Thus far we have seen how the exterior of the house affects the energy

of a space. Now we will shift to the interior of the home, starting with the floor plan. While the shape of the house provides a big picture of the energy of the home, the floor plan fills in the canvas and paints

a more detailed picture. Similar to one’s astrology chart or the palm

of the hand, your home’s floor plan will determine to some degree

your path while living there. It will reveal what areas of your life will be under a spotlight while living there. The floor plan of a house will support you in some areas and challenge you in others.

When I visit someone’s home for a feng shui consultation, I can tell

a lot about the lives of the occupants simply by looking at their floor plan. I notice if and where there is a missing corner or an extension; the overall flow of energy throughout the home; where the energy feels

cut off; and where the bathrooms are located. I notice where the stair-

cases are located. I notice how the energy comes in through the front

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74 Your Home’s Path

door and where it flows from there. I notice which rooms are clearly

the homeowners’ favorite versus least favorite. All of these factors tell a story of what is going on in their life.

Usually there is an imbalance of energy throughout a home consis-

tent with the floor plan that mirrors the imbalance of the homeowners.

By shifting the energy with feng shui adjustments, space clearing, and/

or intention, areas of the home that were stagnant or cut off from the flow suddenly have new, fresh energy. As a result, the home is brought

into balance and corresponding changes will start to take place in their life. Let’s take a closer look.

Flow of Energy

Like streams and rivers, the energy should meander throughout your

home. Spaces will feel best when the energy is in harmony or most sim-

ilar to the natural flow of the Earth’s energy, which is consistent with sacred geometry. The word meander is a term that is commonly used

in feng shui and best describes how energy should ideally flow. Energy

should not stagnate, nor should it rush. It should meander. As it does, it collects the beneficial chi and keeps it gently moving throughout the space. This is a balanced energy and will help the occupants feel relaxed, yet energetic, at the same time, and the entire space will receive a balanced energy throughout.

The overall flow of your home will largely depend upon your floor

plan. As the builders start putting up walls into a space, the energy

starts shifting. Walls direct energy where to go and where not to go.

Clearly, without them, there would just be a big empty box with four

exterior walls and a roof. It is the walls that move, shift, direct, and collect energy. Doors and windows are built into walls and further direct

the energy in spaces.

Doorways connect rooms and help energy flow from room to

room. They should therefore be strategically placed throughout the

space to allow for a meandering, smooth flow of energy. Interior doors

provide an integral function in a home to connect spaces and create

boundaries when needed. Windows connect the space to the rest of the

Your Home’s Path 75

world. Windows are the eyes of the home and allow the occupants to

feel a connection to nature, other people, the city, or whatever environment the space is located.

Do’s and Don’ts for Interior Door Placement

✓ Avoid placing doors that bang against one another when they

open as this can lead to conflict among the occupants.

✓ Avoid doors opening into a wall as opposed to into the room.

✓ Avoid placing doors where they cannot fully open. Also do not

store items behind doors.

✓ Avoid too many doors lined up in a row, i.e. three or more doors

lined down a hallway.

✓ Fix or remove broken doors as this can hinder opportunities and

lead to health issues.

✓ If two doors are across from each other, have them aligned di-

rectly across from one another as opposed to overlapping one

another.

The Bagua Map

Another way to determine how your life will be affected by your

home’s floor plan is by using the Bagua Map. The Bagua Map is a tool

used in feng shui used to determine where certain areas of your life

fall within your home. The Bagua Map is a nine-sectioned square or

rectangle, similar to a tic-tac-toe board.
In some feng shui schools, the map is octagonal in shape and referred to as the
Pa Kua
. Either way, the configuration is the same. Simply by filling in the corners, you have the square shape of the Bagua Map.