By Candace Czarny
There is no doubt that raising children requires a lot of the life aspects that Feng Shui advocates and encourages. You need wisdom, prosperity, and definitely serenity to successfully get the little tikes to adulthood. Of course, Feng Shui and children go hand in hand as the little ones need encouragement in all of the life elements as well. It is a tremendous benefit to young minds and hearts to start out life with a healthy dose of harmony. Parents have found success with Feng Shui in aiding their children with sleeping issues, health concerns, and educational obstacles. Arranging their homes and bedrooms to reflect the ancient philosophy is a good start to a peaceful, prosperous road.
The Chinese culture places a huge emphasis on the importance of education. The way your child's study area is laid out will make an enormous impact on how well they perform in school and types of grades they make. The child’s desk should sit facing the doorway of the room. If a child's back is to the door, the positive energy will have a harder time reaching the little one. A good way to activate positive chi in a study environment is to place a crystal sphere in the main window of the room. While the crystal in the window is excellent, you don’t want to place the child’s seat in front of the window. This is very distracting and their schoolwork will suffer for it. Keep any sharp objects or even pictures of sharp objects out of the study area. They symbolize negative chi and your child certainly doesn’t need that while trying to learn. Implementing these Feng Shui and children educational practices can make a big difference in the wisdom life element.
Next to a child's study space, their bedrooms are where kids spend most of their time. It is important for this area to be arranged in the Feng Shui tradition as well. Your first step should be to eliminate any clutter in the room. It's not funny. Seriously, work with your child to arrange their things in their room without the presence of treasures and trash all over the place. The balance created in their room will improve the overall relationships within the family. Make sure you don't overlook that handy space under the beds. If there is a lot of stuff crammed in there the positive energy can become stuck and unable to assist the child.
Where the little one's bed is placed is important as well. The head of the bed should be placed on a solid wall. There shouldn’t be a doorway or window on the same wall. This is to stop chi from flowing out the window or door. Another useful hint is to place the bed so that a person has room to walk on either side of it. It shouldn't be placed with the side to help with the balance of the child's life. Once again, it is vital for good energy to have the room to effectively flow throughout the room. As far as other potential bedroom decor goes, you will want to keep mirrors out of the room. If the child needs to see his or herself, they can always look in the bathroom.
There are other aspects of a child's bedroom that need to be addressed as well. In our Information Age, it is common practice for electronic devices to be all over the house. In a child's bedroom, these devices need to be used carefully. The electromagnetic frequencies put off by electronics are harmful to sleep patterns and can increase moodiness and aggression. To limit these effects make sure any computer monitor, alarm clock, and lamp is placed three to five feet away from the child. Feng Shui and children are both natural things. These electronic inferences should be avoided whenever possible.
Other decor comes into play in the Feng Shui and children combination. Parents should help their kids choose the wall color in their bedrooms carefully. Bold, loud colors aren’t good for a restful environment. It may be necessary to compromise and use a muted, relaxed version of their favorite color. Younger children will benefit from images that are non violent and non-threatening. Cute animals and favorite cartoon characters are good choices. Older children should be instructed to limit the number of posters they have on their walls that depict negative images of any kind. A child of any age will feel a part of the family when they are alone with the addition of a family photo placed near their beds.
Using Feng Shui and children's natural inclination towards relaxation and serenity is a wonderful way to give your kids a solid, balanced start in life. Remember that the use of color, furniture placement, and decor choices are important factors that need to be considered when arranging a child's living space.
About the Author: Candace Czarny,ASID,CFM,LEED AP, "Award Winning" Interior Designer, Feng Shui Expert & author of 20 Minute Feng Shui. www.ArtOfFengShuiinc.com is continually ranked "Top 10" in Google and Yahoo.
Source: www.isnare.com
Back to School Feng Shui - By Kathryn Weber
Every school year parents and students dutifully trudge through the malls
in search of the perfect sneaker or the cool new outfit for the coming school year.
However, it's unlikely that the new shoe or shirt will benefit them at school like
a new room arrangement. How so?
According to feng shui, a child's room that is arranged well can positively impact
study habits and create better grades.
Feng shui, the Chinese technique for design and arrangement, suggests that rooms
that have good energy, or "chi", create happier, well-adjusted children. Feng shui
theories believe that for a child's room to have good "chi" the room must follow
certain guidelines to be harmonious.
If so, the room will be restful, promote good relationships others and generate
good self esteem. Perhaps most importantly, harmonious children's bedrooms encourage
good study habits and promote greater success in school.
Follow these eight feng shui tips to help create a room that inspires your child
to study more and to do better at school.
1. The room has a desk.
It sounds obvious, but many kids' only workspace is a bed, the bedroom floor,
or the family dining table. Every child needs a suitable study area in the bedroom
that includes a desk, chair, and a lamp. Children with study areas are more likely
to study.
Better still, having a study area keeps all the school books and papers confined
to the child's room. Feng shui also teaches that it's best for children to study
facing the northeast, the direction of wisdom and learning.
2. Ground your kids.
Buy your kids a globe to promote interest in geography and to help "ground" them
and encourage them to study. Add a globe in the Northeast corner of the bedroom,
if possible, as this enhances the wisdom corner.
3. Create an "achievement area".
Every child needs to have recognition for a job well done. A perfect way to gain
this is to create an achievement area on the South wall of the bedroom.
According to feng shui, this is the recognition area and it is the perfect place
to pin up awards, papers with good grades, letters of recommendation, ribbons or
trophies. Hang a roomy bulletin board here to make an "atta boy" or "atta girl"
spot in your child's room!
4. Hang a crystal in the Northeast corner of the room.
Crystals are used to make computer chips go faster, so why not use them to make
your child study better? Hang a crystal in the study location to create more "study"
chi and to help sharpen the child's ability to process or think!
5. Put your child in the command position.
Avoid having children face a wall when studying because this represents an obstacle.
They should be able to when someone enters. Position the desk so that they can see
the door.
6. Display maps and other educational artwork.
Maps are another way to ground and encourage educational pursuits. They encourage
"worldly" interest and curiosity and they make suitable images for a child's room.
Avoid scary creatures, pictures depicting violence, or sad or dark subjects.
7. Eliminate TV from the bedroom.
Sadly, too many of today's children have TVs in their bedrooms. This is a feng
shui no-no because it can make children much less likely to study and rest fully.
If your child doesn't study as much as you would like and has a TV in the bedroom,
ask yourself what is more important- television or school?
8. Shells and fish are symbols of education.
Conch shells and koi or goldfish are excellent symbols of educational success.
Place the conch shell in the Northeast corner of the bedroom. Or, hang a picture
of koi or goldfish in the Northeast corner. It is not recommended to keep live fish
in the bedroom as water in the bedroom is associated with loss.
Kathryn Weber is a certified master
practitioner in classical feng shui and the publisher of The Red Lotus Letter a
weekly feng shui E-Zine. She has been featured and quoted by publications and websites,
including Seventeen Magazine, First for Women, Martial Arts Professional, the Indy
Star Newspaper, Self-growth.com, and Transformations.com. Log on to
http://www.redlotusletter.com to subscribe
or to contact her about a personal consultation, speaking engagement, or workshop.
Using Feng Shui for Better Behaved Children - By Kathryn Weber
Is your son or daughter not as respectful and courteous as you would like? Maybe
you'd like to instill more discipline in your child. Wouldn't it be wonderful if
you could influence better behavior from your child just by making simple decorative
changes in his or her room? You can with feng shui.
Often referred to as the Chinese art of placement, feng shui is probably more
correctly called the Chinese art of alignment. That's because if a space is aligned
properly, the residents in that space function better. Metaphorically speaking,
feng shui is to a house what acupuncture is to a body. When correctly applied, feng
shui is a tool that can correct problem areas, such as ill health, strained relationships,
or difficulties with children.
If you'd like your child to exhibit more respectfulness, obedience, and self control,
it might be worth it to try some feng shui in the child's bedroom. In addition to
these qualities, feng shui will also help you establish your role in the household
hierarchy. That's because it's important for children to know who's in charge. But
don't mistake being the household authority with being authoritarian. Children like
friends, but they need parents.
Try these easy-to-do tips in your child's room. Although these aren't all the
feng shui tips for children's rooms, they are some of the most important for creating
better behaved children. Just the simple act of applying time and energy in your
child's room will affirm to your child how important he or she is to you, and that
may be all it takes to make a happier, more respectful child.
Make the child responsible for the room.
Children's respect for others begins with having respect for themselves and their
rooms. Insist they keep their rooms tidy and their beds made by assigning a specified
time each day or week for the child to clean the room.
Clear away excess.
Clutter-filled rooms detract from a child's focus, and this can undermine obedience.
Throw out all unnecessary or seldom-used items. Also, make sure there is nothing
stored under the bed.
Arrange the bed correctly.
Make sure the child can see the door of the bedroom easily. Avoid placing the
bed against a shared wall of a bathroom, or under a window, having the child view
stairs or a bathroom from the bed.
Create a study area.
It's important that the child is focused on education, a critical factor in creating
respect for authority and learning self-discipline. Add a lamp here and a small
globe. Both symbolically impart the importance of education.
Make a "Wall of Fame".
Every child needs to feel proud. Designate a wall preferably the South wall)
where certificates, drawings, awards, trophies, and photographs of the child are
placed.
Ground the child.
Is the child too overly active to pay attention? Many children such as this are
in white rooms. White is a "yang", or energizing color. Paint the child's room
an "earth" color, such as beige, brown, or green.
Establish the parental presence.
A wonderful feng shui secret for establishing parental influence is to have a
picture of the parent(s) in the child's room. This is the subtle and best way
to assert your authority.
Censor wall hangings.
Images of death, violence, or ferocious animals have no place in a child's room
and should be removed immediately. A child cannot focus if he is scared - even subconsciously.
Also, be sure that the child's bed is not reflected in any mirrors. It is actually
best not to have mirrors in a bedroom at all.
Kathryn Weber is a certified Master
Practitioner and publisher of The Red Lotus Letter, a FREE weekly feng shui ezine.
Logon to www.redlotusletter.com to sign
up. © 2002, Kathryn Weber, www.redlotusletter.com.
Reprints by permission with attribution provided.
Feng Shui Bedroom Basics for Teens
By Kathryn Weber
Feng shui is a wonderful way to create improvements in your life simply by aligning the items in your bedroom. These can include your bed, your desk or computer, even your stereo.
Feng shui is a wonderful way to create improvements in your life simply by aligning the items in your bedroom. You might even find a new love as a result! Use these tips to get your room in harmony with your life.
Important Basic Feng Shui Bedroom Do's and Don'ts
DO use a compass
Stand in the middle of the room and hold the compass level and waist-high. Then make a diagram of your room, creating nine squares. Put the correct direction on each square. Now you are ready to move the items according to compass or your personal auspicious directions. (A compass only costs about $2-$5 at Wal-Mart or Target.)
Give yourself a mini-space clearing
--If you decide to use feng shui in your room, then clear out all unnecessary items and junk from your drawers, closet, and under the bed.
--Clean thoroughly by vacuuming, dusting and washing windows, ceiling fans, etc.
--Now you're ready to feng shui your room, but follow the DON'Ts below:
DON'Ts
Don't have open book shelves opposite your bed or behind you as you study. These act like knives and will encourage people "talking behind your back."
Don't have water or pictures of water (this aggravates asthma, allergies, and can encourage respiratory or sinus problems). So take out the Zen fountain or fish tank.
Don't have plants in the bedroom. Plants use up body energy in your bedroom.
BED DOs and DON'Ts
DO make sure it has the widest view of the room and entryway so you can see the door easily
DO try to sleep with the top of your head pointing in one of your personal feng shui directions (see below)
DO have a solid wall behind it (or at least curtains) vs. a window
DO make sure you cannot see a bathroom, toilet, or stairs from the bed
DON'T have the bed against a shared wall of a bathroom or toilet
DON'T have a mirror or television that reflects the bed
DON'T have your feet point out the door from your bed
Using personal feng shui: Having your head pointed in one of your auspicious directions (AD) is one of the best ways to tap good luck. Click here to calculate your personal feng shui directions. This link will tell you what directions are the best for you. Even if your room is in the Southwest portion of the house and this is not a good direction for you, you can still orient your bed so that your head points in one of your good directions.
DESK DOs and DON'Ts
DO try to place your desk in NE corner of your room
DO always sit where you can see the door and anyone entering the room easily
DO try to face one of your AD
DO keep a bright light turned on here to enhance your education luck
DO hang a lead crystal from the ceiling here, or place rock crystals in this corner of the room and in the NE corner of the desk for better study concentration
DO add a globe to this location to improve test scores and success in school
DRESSER
Place in East corner if wood
Place in West corner if metallic-colored, or if painted white, silver, or gold
Place in North if black or blue
Place in SE if green
Place in South or SW if red, orange, purple
COMPUTER, PHONE, & STEREO
Place phone in the NW corner of room to bring more helpful people into your life.
Keep stereo playing on low volume while you are away to keep energy active in your room and attract helpful people to you.
DECORATIONS, ETC.
Mirrors: Not recommended in the bedroom. If used, make sure you cannot see yourself from the bed.
Lamps: Place one in the south (fame and recognition; a lava lamp is great here!), the NE (educational luck), and the SW (to help you with your sweetie or bring one if you don't have one already -- lava lamps are also great here,too!). The lamps will energize these areas.
Pictures: Make sure are these positive images that make you happy. Violence, dark, or brooding-types of pictures are not suitable for a place of rest and relaxation.
Troubles with mom and dad? Place a happy picture of your family in the East corner of your room to help these relationships become easier and more harmonious.
Looking for a new love? Place a picture of your heart's desire in the SW to help this relationship -- or to encourage a new one relationship, place a picture of your "ideal" person here.
Bulletin boards: Hang these on the south wall of your room. Pin pictures of famous people, letters of recognition, awards, ribbons, or certificates here for more added recognition any kind of accomplishment is perfect for this location.
A light that illuminates this area is especially helpful! Place trophies on a shelf in this location for continued success and recognition. Paint this board red for an extra boost in recognition energy!
Ceiling fans: not recommended because they displace body energy while sleeping; if used, place small red dot on each blade.
Clutter: If you don't feel well or you're having troubles in your life, clear your space. Get a box and do a thorough cleaning out. This doesn't mean you have to throw things away.
Store them in the garage or attic. If after a while you don't use any of these things, then donate them to charity. Do make note of how you feel once your room is clear.
With a harmonious environment, you are sure to be more comfortable, enjoy yourself more, and do better in life. If, you have used any of these tips and found them helpful, I'd like to know about it! I'm always interested in hearing from teens who have benefited from feng shui! Drop me a note here.
Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine and is dedicated to helping her readers develop successful, prosperous, and supportive environments with feng shui. To subscribe, logon to http://www.redlotusletter.com and receive this Special Report FREE "16 Feng Shui Secrets for Greater Prosperity."
Article Source: EzineArticles
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