6 Ways to Improve Your Bedroom through Feng Shui
Franca Giuliani - Happy Chinese New Year! On January 23, 2012 we started the Year of the Water Dragon - a time that brings spirituality and prosperity. On February 4, 2012, based on the 9 Star Ki system, we started the 6 Metal year. This adds the full force of heaven to the year, and it brings consistency, strength, and boldness. Depending on your principle number, you may experience different energies in 2012. However, regardless of what number we are, I feel this will be a powerful year for all of us. And we all need our rest. Hence, now is great time to take a look at our bedrooms! Here are the 6 Top Ways You Can Improve Your Bedroom with Feng Shui.

1. Get an overall impression.

How do you feel when you walk into your bedroom? Are you happy with what you see, or do your eyes start rolling and is your mind whispering, “Gosh, I have to do something about this!” Our bedroom is a very important part of our life - and not just the bed. Bedrooms are our sanctuary from the world. They are the places where we retreat to, rest, and rejuvenate.

2. Start to be more mindful of your bedroom.

Do you thank your bedroom? Or do you use every furniture top as a place to house a week-long pile of laundry, the past three days accumulation of worn outfits, and stacks of unopened mail. You need to treat your bedroom with respect so it can nourish you.

3. You need a new mattress.

Make sure you have a comfortable mattress and make sure that it's one that is new to you … meaning it wasn’t someone else’s first. Mattresses absorb Chi, the universal life force. So sleeping on someone else’s old mattress may not make you feel so new and rejuvenated. Yes, getting a new mattress may be a financial investment, but in the longrun, it's well worth it. We have to proclaim we are “well worth it” by investing in something for us.

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Red for the New Year

Franca Giuliani - I said last month that I would talk about the color Red for January … so here it is! With all the New Year festivities, the color Red has been used a lot. But, have we ever really thought about its meaning?

The Chinese associate Red with auspiciousness and good luck. (And, just to note: their New Year has not arrived until January 23, the start of the Lunar New Year.) Red sends a message of happiness, strength, and warmth. It's fire. It's fame. It's an honor to walk on the Red carpet. To celebrate, people will “paint the town Red." 

As the color of blood, Red also represents the flow of life in our bodies. Red is a deep affirmation of life, and when we use it in a living space, we're making that statement. However, keep in mind it can be over-powering. Red can agitate and is often associated with danger. Red means “Stop.” Brake lights are Red. Fire equipment is painted Red. If a business is in the “Red,” it's losing money.

Nonetheless, Red ignites activity and intention. Play with a little Red this month, and see where you can add some of it into your personal space. Place a beautiful Red pillow on a chair. Can you cover a lamp or light bulb with a red mask to change the color of the light? And, as you do this, keep in mind your intentions for 2012. This will help you anchor them in your thoughts.  

Here are some January observations for you,

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Go Holiday GREEN

Franca Giuliani - Another holiday season is upon us, a time when we use the colors Red and Green in our home decorations. But do we really know how powerful these colors are? Let's look at Green, for example (I’ll save Red for January). It's between blue and yellow and evokes a consciousness of life. Green is also a healing color and the color of nature.

The Chinese associates it with tranquility, hope, and freshness. In ancient Greece, Green symbolized victory. Ancient Egyptians colored temple floors Green. In the highlands of Scotland, people wore Green as a mark of honor. Green is the national color of Ireland.

Green can also stand for cash. Green means go. When all systems are Green, it means everything is in order. The Green room of a film studio or theater is where performers relax before going onstage. If you're “Green,” you're youthful and naive. A person with a Green thumb is good at making plants grow. Green vegetables provide exquisite nutrition for the human body.

So this holiday season, be creative in using Green and its many shades to

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Stir Things Up!
Franca Giuliani - Lately, I'm finding that using one or more modalities collectively is the most successful way to harmonize a space. Therefore, when I'm working with a space I acknowledge its feng shui, I acknowledge the occupants’ 9 Star Ki, and I space clear.

Space clearing allows one to tune into the space and release any charges or disturbances that are caused from either earth energies, metaphysical issues, or technological reasons. It allows for the space to become clear and balanced, thus providing greater benefits to occupants. One of my teachers said it best:

Applying feng shui adjustments to any space without clearing it first is like putting fresh flowers in dirty water.

The space where we reside holds much more than what we can see with our eye. Did you ever wonder what was on the land where your home is 200 years ago? Was it a place of battle? Are there geological fault lines running through your bedroom? Was there once a family’s prairie house right where your living room and kitchen are? What did someone experience while in this space? Is there anything left from previous occupants that might be affecting you today?

Space clearing can address these issues and balance the space for better harmony for the current occupants and even future ones. I hope to write more about this topic in the near future. However, feel free to contact me directly with any questions at franca@francagiuliani.com. I’m finding that the more I talk about this topic, more people are interested in discovering and revealing questions about their own space.

The energy is shifting in November. Things may not seem as stable as in previous months. However, this can offer us a great opportunity to “shake things up” in our own lives. Here's something you might want to try.

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Keep Your Eye on the Prize

Franca Giuliani - As many of you may know, based on Form School feng shui, it's very important to have support at your back, at your sides, and to have an open view in front.

It's said that the “phoenix” view, as we call it, is what we subconsciously become. Therefore, if you have a wonderful, inspirational view or an object that illustrates this feeling, it can positively support you to reaching your goals. If, on the other hand, your view is crowded, bare, or chaotic, it may confuse you during your quest.

So be very attentive as to what you see wherever you spend most of your time. When you sit at your desk in your office or your home, what is the view in front? Are you facing a computer screen, a cork board of endless pinned pieces of paper constantly reminding you of chaos and tasks that still have not been accomplished?

Or, do you face a wall? And, then do you wonder why you always feel that you are “up against a wall”?

When you lay down in bed, what's in front of you? A TV? Opened closet completely stuffed beyond limit? Do you complain that you always feel tired and not focused?

Take care of what you put in front of you, as it will affect you at such a subconscious level that you're not even aware of it.

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