Mind, Body, Home: Transform Your Life One Room at a Time (29 page)

closet door. Mirrors generate a lot of energy and can also interfere with quality sleep.

Paint Colors

Stick with warm, calming, and relaxing colors. This could vary depend-

ing on one’s personality. Some ideas for paint colors include chocolate, burgundy, dark or light neutrals, a meditative deep blue or plum. You

want a color that blends well with skin tones and promotes a good

night’s sleep. Colors emit energy, so avoid bright yellows, reds, and

other primary colors.

Rooms 181

Bedding

Invest in new bedding and sheets. Go for tactile and texture. Romance

is all about the physical pleasures in life. Make your bedding a feast for the senses. Ditch the comforter that you’ve had since college or the

one with dog hair all over it. Get some new, clean sheets; a warm cozy, fuzzy blanket; and a comforter or duvet that you could lose yourself in.

Add some pillows with varying textures for effect.

Checklist: What to Do and Not to Do in the Bedroom for Love

Don’t
have a teddy bear on your bed.

Do
use luxurious and rich linens.

Don’t
have only one nightstand

Do
have a nightstand on each side of the bed that are of equal size.

Don’t
have one side of your bed up against the wall.

Do
make the bed the focal point of the room.

Don’t
have images of single people or single animals in your bedroom.

Don’t
have a mirror across from your bed.

Don’t
have memorabilia or any reminder of your ex in your bed-

room (or anywhere in your home).

Do
keep notes or cards from your love in the bedroom.

Don’t
have decor items grouped in 1’s, 3’s, or 5’s.

Do
have objects grouped together. Same with pillows on your

bed, etc.

Don’t
have pictures of family members in your bedroom.

Do
have images of you and your loved one.

Don’t
have trinkets, collections, furniture, or anything else from your childhood in your bedroom.

Do
keep artwork and décor items fresh and relevant to your current life.

182 Rooms

Closet

The closet symbolizes aspects of ourself that we want to keep hidden.

We hide “our skeletons in the closet.” And, of course, there is the common phrase, “coming out of the closet,” that references expressing an

aspect of ourself that we have kept hidden from the world. Most every-

one has hidden aspects or parts of themselves that they don’t want oth-

ers to see or know about. The closet is that space where we store items so that others can’t see them, nor do we have to look at them ourselves.

We generally have a variety of different types of closets in our homes and spaces with different organizing functions, such as a linen closet, Christmas decoration closet, or coat closet. For example, the clothing

closet has a very different energy than the storage closet at the end

of the hall. Consider the different functions of closets in assessing the meaning of your space.

The clothing closet or wardrobe is the closet that is most personal

to us. It contains our identities. It contains the many “hats” we wear in life. It reflects our personality. It is also holds the most opportunity for making major changes in our life. “Cleaning out your closet” is a common metaphor relating to getting rid of things in your life that are no longer in your highest and best interest, and in doing so, it allows space for new things to come into your life. For example, I will never forget the day that I got rid of the very last business suit that I had worn as a practicing attorney. It was a huge moment for me. In the week following that, my phone rang off the hook with numerous new clients in my

healing arts practice.

The “catch-all” storage closets tend to accumulate the most clutter.

We throw things in there that we don’t know what to do with or don’t

want to look at. For some, the need for organization and control will

show up in the closet spaces. For others, it is a black hole of stuff that gets stored for years without any remembrance of what is in there. If

you don’t have a basement, then closets can become the storage alter-

native of choice for those items. While storing items is essential and important, be conscious of what you are storing. Only store items that

you love, use, or which have a purpose.

Rooms 183

The Urge to Purge

Have you had the sudden urge to purge? If so, you are not alone. The

urge to purge can be a sudden, insatiable urge to clear things out of

closets, basements, drawers, and in some cases, entire rooms. The de-

sire to simplify and minimize has been a trend for many years as we

realize we simply feel better with less stuff around us.

As a society, we are going through a purge in conjunction with

Planet Earth. All of the stuff that we accumulated over the last couple of decades just doesn’t feel good anymore. Stuff feels like a big weight.

Instead, space feels good. We can breathe again. This is all part of a return to living close to and in harmony with the Earth—not in opposi-tion as we have been as a collective. We are drawn to purchase artisan-

made, natural fibers, and/or organic products for this reason.

As we evolve, we become energetically lighter and thus stuff around

us makes us feel heavy and perhaps even claustrophobic. With regard to

your clothing closet, perhaps there are clothes that no longer seem to fit who you are anymore. They may be from a time in life that is no longer

of the same vibration where you are now. This fuels the urge to purge.

The next time you get the urge to purge, notice what closet, drawer, or room you are drawn to clear out. What items no longer resonate with

you. When it is time for those items to go, honor them by saying
Thank
You and Goodbye
to each item.

Den (or Living Room)

The den or living room represents the way in which we go through our

day. It displays our personality and represents our basic beliefs. We usually display photos and art personal to us and that represents who we

are. In the case of families, the den is similar to that of an animal’s den where the family congregates together. It provides a space for bonding

and enjoying one another’s company. In today’s world, the focal point

of the den or living room is often the television; whereas it was once the fireplace. In the event of repairs or maintenance in this area of the home, consider the state of the family unit within the home.

184 Rooms

Homes often have a family room separate from a living room,

thereby separating family and entertainment spaces. In the case of a

living room used for entertaining, the room expresses the outward per-

sonality that we present to the rest of the world. The colors and décor items should express who we are. For living room spaces used primarily for entertaining, furniture is best arranged in a conversational setting. Formal living rooms have slowly faded away as our lifestyles have changed. It is rare for formal living rooms to be built into new floor

plans. Instead, home offices have taken front and center in the home

where the formal living room once was.

Garage

As we leave our home each morning, we transition from home and into

the world through the garage. We get into our car and head to our job,

chores, or other daily activities that are part of our outer purpose. Cars represent our direction, purpose, and ambition in life. Thus, the garage holds this space for us. It is the entry and exit point between home and work. Garages have become a prominent aspect of homes as the role

of our cars has evolved. While historic homes have no garages at all,

modern-day homes often prominently display the garage at the front of

the home. With the garage at the front of the home, it is common for

the occupants to place a high importance on their cars with regard to

identity, status, or even as an important hobby.

Should You Feng Shui Your Garage?

From a feng shui perspective, garages can be a real problem area. First of all, they take up a valuable part of the Bagua Map—usually one of

the four corners. It is best if the garage is placed at the back of the house instead of overshadowing the front entrance. But even then, you

end up with your Love or Wealth corner in your garage. And unfortu-

nately, our garages usually end up being huge clutter magnets.

Ideally, your garage should be treated with as much love and care as

any other room in the house. When I remind workshop attendees that

Rooms 185

the garage is included in the Bagua Map, I usually get sighs and com-

ments, such as “that explains it” when they realize their Love corner

is buried somewhere in the corner of their garage or their Wealth is

stashed away behind the inherited furniture collecting dust in the

garage. The garage is just as important as any room in the house. After all, it is an aspect of yourself, as are all parts of your home.

Clearing out the clutter is step one. Organization is usually the key

in preventing the clutter from coming back. Make the garage as wel-

coming as possible. After all, it is the first space you come home into.

You don’t want to feel overwhelmed before you even walk into the

house. Consider even adding a piece of art or a personal momento as

you come in the door welcoming you home. The garage is your sub-

conscious mind’s first impression of your home and the state of your

life. So make it a good one!

I see many garages that are so full of clutter to the point where a

single car will not even fit. The garage ends up being a giant storage

unit. This is often the case with folks with no basement and thus the garage ends up taking on the role of the basement. If that is the case with you, then read the “Basement” section in Chapter 8 for more clarity as

to what this section of the home means for you. If you use the garage to park your car, then make sure your car can get in and out of the garage with no problem. There should be enough space to allow the car doors

to open with ease so that you can get in and out of the car. Hindrances from getting in and out of the garage or car represent blocks in your

career or direction in life.

Transitional Spaces

Hallways, foyers, and corridors are transitional spaces that are often

overlooked. Nonetheless, they are an important and essential ener-

getic component of the home. Transitional spaces, including foyers,

hallways, or any corridors connect one room to another. They are the

opening act preceding the main attraction. They provide a pause and a

build-up to the adjoining space.

186 Rooms

Transitional spaces are representative of those transitional times

in our lives. Transitions are inherently challenging, but necessary. It is the in-between space where there is little certainty or familiarity. If one moves into a new relationship, job, or life change too quickly, we can

feel jolted and ungrounded. This is the gift of transitions and transitional spaces. Like Goldilocks, transitional spaces shouldn’t be too big or too small, but just right. For example, if a hallway is too long, then it leads to energy getting stuck. If a transitional space isn’t big enough, for example in the case of a foyer, then the transition is too abrupt and therefore unsettling.

Hallways are akin to veins and arteries to our heart and lungs that

feed chi energy throughout the home. Hallways can directly affect the

breathing patterns of its occupants. For this reason, they must be kept free of clutter and unnecessary furnishings and objects. Hallways and

pass-through spaces should have at least a three-foot width with four

feet being preferable. Avoid placing furniture in hallways that encroach upon a comfortable width.

Depending on their length and shape, hallways can cause energy to

rush too fast or to become too stagnant. If the hallway is narrow and

dark, then the energy can stall almost like a black hole. In this case, it is important to have adequate lighting. Also consider painting the walls a lighter color to bring in more yang energy. Adding a mirror in the hallway is another way to bring in more energy.

For hallways that end with a door or window at the end, it is impor-

tant to slow the energy down before it reaches the end of the hallway

where the energy will exit the home. Putting a shade on the window or

door will help prevent the energy from escaping. Another remedy is to

hang a crystal from a ceiling light in the hallway to help evenly distribute the chi flow. If the bathroom is located at the end of a hallway, keep the door closed to avoid the energy rushing down the hallway and then

down the toilet.

Rooms 187

Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where the party always ends

up as we have an insatiable need to be fed and nourished by its warmth.

It is the nurturing center of the home and synonymous with a nurtur-

ing mother. When you look back on your childhood and some of the

most memorable times, they most likely took place in the kitchen. It

has in effect become the central station for the entire home. Whether it is cooking, paying bills, having morning coffee, or having important discussions, the kitchen is the hub for the home. It is therefore important that you love your kitchen.