This article is for those dealing with a chronic or terminal illness like cancer.  You may also be a caregiver or know of someone suffering. I am a certified Feng Shui consultant in Austin who has practiced this art for about 20 years now.

Feng Shui is a healing art that originated 4,000 years ago in China. The emperors wanted to have a location with the best Chi (energy) for their burial plots. They believed in the afterlife being even stronger than the present life. They had their palaces and summer homes designed according to feng shui principles to be in harmony with nature. They felt this would assure them of prosperity later on.

For those new to the subject, Feng Shui refers to Wind and Water. One element we can see and the other we cannot but they both flow within nature. Feng Shui is about living in harmony with nature. It’s about the balance of Yin and Yang or opposites. I became fascinated with the art almost 20 years ago when my own desire for more balance and better health became a priority for me. More than 18 years of traveling for work took its toll on my body, mind, and spirit.

In working with my feng shui clients on issues today, I always start with an intention.

What is it you REALLY want now?

It’s important to ask for what you desire. The universe responds positively to requests. I had a desire for a happier, healthier and more balanced life. Before I was just striving, working, striving. While many, if not all, clients want more prosperity and wealth or to maintain what they have, they also need good health.

When our health fails us we have many challenges and cannot meet our goals in life. If our health is not good, something is off or has been off balance for quite some time. The ancient Chinese observed that everything is made up of energy and that it affects us.  They saw that in nature there was a system, a flow that made everything work.

We can also work with this energy to create positive changes  in our lives. Whatever situation you are in right now, know that you can move to a healthier, happier state in mind, body, spirit or all three. Even with chronic or terminal illness, it’s not just the illness that’s the issue, but the way we move through it on a daily basis.

This might not mean minimizing the pain that someone may be in due to their disease, but focusing on it, will likely only make the process worse. If we are cursing God and staying angry, we contract the energy in our body. This creates greater pain on all levels. If we see where we are in the present moment and find things to be grateful for, things greatly improve.

This is expansion of energy. There are things working well even if you are one of those in chronic or acute pain. You may have a loving support system and still be able to see and hear. Do your best to greet each day with gratitude for what is working. This puts you in the happy place and that creates flow.

As a young social worker right out of college, I dealt with terminally-ill children.  I worked in a major children’s cancer hospital in Houston, Texas. The main thing I noticed (I was not even aware of feng shui at the time) was how cold the hospital rooms felt.  I also noticed the attitudes of the hospital staff/physicians being the same way. It felt as though they were thinking that the children were going to die anyway so let’s just do what we need to do. It was a teaching hospital so the residents learned from these cases.

I knew then that this lack of compassion was not the profession for me. I was a support to the families, but limited in what I could do. If I had any say, I would have designed the rooms differently so they felt more nurturing and healing. It’s important to live in the moment to be more at peace but in the case of terminal illnesses, it is even more of a necessity.

If you or someone you know is dealing with a terminal illness like cancer, see what you can do about their environment. Our environment affects us and what we surround ourselves with makes all the difference. How we feel affects our outcomes. A person in a well-designed Feng Shui space can live out whatever time they have left in joy and peace. Those with chronic illnesses can heal faster. The positive energy can lift their own energy and create well-being and peace of mind.

I had a client in Memphis, Tennessee who was and still is a beautiful woman.  She was single, lived alone and was a nurse.  I helped her with her home and we made many changes which she was happy about. I did not hear back from her for a couple of months.  One day I saw her at a designer show and she had a scarf on her head.  I could see she was bald underneath.  I asked her how she was and she told me she had cancer but it was detected early and she was almost finished with her treatments.  Months later I ran into her again and she was well on her way to recovery, in remission, and doing well.  The movement of energy in her home did not prevent the cancer but caused it to be found so it could be dealt with.  Feng Shui is not a magic bullet or cure.  It moves energy so things get back to their natural state.

 Feng Shui Tips for Improving the Energy Flow in a Space for Healing

• Make sure the room has enough natural light. If not, bring in nature photos, and natural light bulbs.
• Use warm, soothing colors on the walls like peaches, creams, light tans, light yellows (like candlelight). Stay away from blues as they are too cold  and greens as they make people look sick.  Pretty flesh tones look good against people’s skins.
• Have a few personal items that are meaningful and make the person happy, but not too much. We don’t want clutter.  With hospital things, medicines, etc., there is already a lot going on.
• Play the person’s favorite music. This creates flow in the room as well.  We need movement or else we have stagnation.  Illness in the body is from stagnation.  The body’s natural chi is not moving well.  It is blocked.
• Add an air filter. This adds movement as well and keeps the dust to a minimum too.
• Don’t use ceiling fans. The blades of the fan create a “cutting chi” over the person. Feel free to use an oscillating floor fan for circulation and to cool the person if needed.  I remember my grandfather in a hospital bed at home sweating in the summer.  Just because a person cannot speak does not mean they cannot feel and be uncomfortable. Make sure temperature in the room is balanced for the person not the visitors.
• Use healing aromatherapy oils. An oil diffuser is nice as it sends the scent into the air. You can turn it on or off as needed. Lavender is relaxing, Eucalyptus is energizing.  Peppermint is good for congestion.  You can ask the person what their favorite flower scent is and find that oil.  Rose, geranium, etc. Might bring back positive memories from childhood.
• If you’re loved one can be moved to another room occasionally, it’s a good idea to Smudge. This is a native American ritual to get rid of negative energies. When one is sick, depression, anger, or sadness, can come up. Even people entering the room can bring this in.  I always remember the children who were ill at the hospital  where I worked, having such happy faces even though they were often in pain.  It was the parents who came in daily with sad faces.  The poor kids were trying to cheer them up most of the time. Be Aware of the Energy you bring into the room of a sick person. Sage is a dried herb and can be found online or at Whole Foods type stores. You just light it, it sends out smoke. You wave it around the room like you are doing a cleansing.  Make sure a door or window to the outside is open when doing this.  It only takes a few mintues.  When done, just put the smoke out and save the sage for another time. Do this on the same day you would be changing the bed sheets/linens and cleaning up the room. Doing this once a month is a great idea for keeping the energy flowing well. It gets rid of negative thoughts, emotions that either you or others have brought into the room and got stored there.
• State an Intention for what you desire. Read inspiring work, affirmations, or words that bring you to the happy place.  “I am at peace where I am and I feel happy”, or “My body is healthy”, are some examples. See yourself where you want to be not where you are.  Yes, be happy where you are as in gratitude but know that you can desire more and better. You can even post this where you can see it often.
• Have a picture or painting of something that makes you happy opposite your bed, so you see it when you wake up and when you go to bed. NO mirrors opposite the bed as they disturb nighttime chi.
• Keep electronics across the room. Electronics give off EMF’s, electromagnetic frequencies which are damaging to our energy fields and our brains. Makes it harder to sleep and for the body to heal.
• Add natural plants with rounded leaves. Plants represent the Wood element which is growth.They are good for adding energy to a room and creating better health.  Not too many. Fresh cut flowers and blooming plants also work well if they stay fresh. Lucky bamboo is the longevity plant.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a challenging time due to a terminal illness, feel free to contact me. I always offer a free 45- minute phone session.  I can also help set up a room to invite positive energy or advise on ways to improve health in a home with an on-site consultation.  I have helped many people with health issues that were either acute, chronic or terminal, who experienced positive results like more happiness, enhanced well-being, calmness, confidence and clarity.

Among the world’s deadliest cancers is mesothelioma. Unfortunately, mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive and malignant cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Also known as asbestos cancer, it occurs in the lining of the lungs, abdomen and heart, and has a very poor prognosis. Luckily there’s help and information available. Sites like mesothelioma.net offer an immense number of resources on healing, ranging from feng shui to bodywork and energy healing. Visit https://mesothelioma.net/mesothelioma/ for more resources.

Please share this article to anyone who may be interested.

Belinda G. Mendoza.  Feng Shui Consultant, Teacher, Author of Feng Shui For Healing the Loss of a Pet on Amazon, and Speaker. DesignForEnergy.com, 512-740-1251.

It’s always important to look at what surrounds your home when applying good feng shui.  The exterior can add good energy that feels supportive. If you’re buying a new home, the way the exterior looks can influence whether you buy or not. If selling, it is crucial that you have good curb appeal. With spring and summer where many are buying new homes, these tips can be extremely helpful. If you have lived in a home for years, you can add more happiness to your life by maintaining and accenting the exterior.  Contact us to help you add more joy and beauty to your home and life!

4 Easy Steps to Apply Feng Shui to Your Home Exterior

Practicing feng shui, an ancient art formalized thousands of years ago, is a necessity in your home – but what many people forget is that it can be tremendously beneficial to practice it outdoors, too.

The term feng shui, literally translated from Chinese to wind and water, respectively, is the art of placement and understanding how the placement of objects in your space can affect your life. It’s complex, but the central theme is balance and harmony, and its primary goal is to assure good fortune for the people who inhabit and use the space. The main principle of feng shui is yin and yang; you need a good balance between feminine (yin) and masculine (yang) to promote a good flow of chi, which is essential to a happy and successful life. The two are dependent upon each other, although they’re opposites, and discord is inevitable when one side outweighs the other.

In feng shui, there are five elements, each represented by their own colors, that make up everything:

• Wood
• Fire
• Earth
• Metal
• Water

What is Bagua?

A bagua (pronounced “bag-wha”) is a feng shui energy map. It’s an octagonal grid that contains all the symbols of the ancient oracle on which feng shui is based, called the I Ching. The bagua of your home can help you understand the relationships and connections between different areas and how they parallel your life experience. You can use a bagua to identify each space and then position specific items within the spaces to enhance their feng shui.

Using Feng Shui for Your Outdoor Living Space

Whether you spend a great deal of time outdoors or it’s just on your way to your private space inside, it’s important that you put the principles of feng shui into practice outside your home to help assure your success and well-being. If the outside of your home is negative, it will outweigh the good you do for your indoor feng shui.

You can apply feng shui principles in four easy steps:

• Exterior paint
• Front porches and doors
• Gardens
• Landscaping elements

1. Choose Your Exterior Paint

Ideally, your home will be in balance and harmony with its outdoor surroundings. While you may not be able to perfectly match your home with its environment, which is sometimes the case with restrictive homeowner associations or financial restraints, you can make small improvements that help restore balance and promote harmony.

Examine the colors of the natural landscape and those of neighboring houses. The idea isn’t to make your home disappear, but to make it work harmoniously through a subtle balance. Vibrant colors used as highlights, such as in window trim or other architectural details, can attract vibrant, positive energy. You’ll also need to be mindful of your birth element, and the birth elements of everyone living in the home.

2. Design Your Front Porch and Door

Often, the key to good feng shui lies in the front door. Your home gets its energy nourishment through its front door, so you want it to be strong and balanced. It has to promote the open flow of energy, and the color must be in harmony with the direction in which it opens. Use this chart to help you decide on the best possible front door color for feng shui.

Directional Colors for Good Energy

This color chart is based on the Five Element Color Theory and provided by Maureen Calamia at Luminous Spaces.

You also need to ensure that your front door is always in good shape or you’ll risk attracting negative energy. Make sure its paint isn’t chipped or cracked, and keep it clean with the hinges oiled.

3. Create Balance in Your Garden

If your garden employs the right feng shui principles, you’ll attract even more positive vibes your way – and it’ll be a beautiful place where you’ll enjoy spending time. It’s not whether you have a large space that counts, either; it’s simply in its layout, health and design. You’ll need to rely on your bagua and understand the five elements to create a proper feng shui garden, but here’s a quick guide to get you started:

• The northeast area of a garden is connected to personal growth, so you need earth. It’s the perfect spot for a Zen garden with rock formations.
• Water features belong in the southeast, east or north side.
• Plan for curving pathways so Chi can flow properly.
• Use wind chimes to create healing vibrations in the air.
• Plan color according to the five elements, just like you would with your front door.

4. Add Landscaping Elements

Your landscaping, similar to your garden, doesn’t depend on the quantity of space; rather, it depends on the quality of what you have. Your whole outdoor living space can depend on proper feng shui, so here’s what you need to know:

• North: Associated with your career path, so you can use water features (including bird baths) in this part of your yard. Deep blues and blacks are the perfect colors for this area.
• Northeast: Where your spiritual growth and knowledge are centered, so this is where the most beautiful views belong (like your garden), as well as most of your seating.
• East: Represents health and longevity, so make this space green and healthy. Ornamental trees are perfect in your east-side landscaping.
• Southeast: is for money and abundance, and the right colors are purple and gold. Wooden ornaments are most beneficial here, as are accenting water features.
• South: Associated with fire, which is where your grill or fire pit belongs. Place it near your patio or pergola to create a place for outdoor entertaining.
• Southwest: The place for love and relationships, so put a comfortable bench or swing there, and keep in mind that the right colors are pink, red and yellow.
• West: Promotes creativity, so it’s the perfect place to set aside space for children.
• Northwest: Associated with new people and travel, so this should be an open place (the element is metal, and the colors are gray and white) where you can greet people and get to know each other.

Courtesy of Redfin