One of feng shui’s and China’s most loved symbols is the Ho Tai Buddha. Most people know him as the Buddha of Wealth or as the Laughing/Happiness Buddha. His presence in homes and businesses brings joy and prosperity.

To the Chinese, the seat of the soul is in the stomach, so the Wealth Buddha’s stomach is large and round to symbolize his heavenly stature and to represent fullness and abundance. The one is the picture has special prayers inside his tummy.

The Happiness Buddha reminds us that good things come to happy, joyful people and that prosperity is also a sign of joyfulness. Keeping this Buddha lifts the whole household or business with his happy presence. [Read more…]

Yes, it is a down economy, but there can be other reasons your home is not selling, especially if it is priced right, staged properly, and actively being marketed.

Make sure your home presents well on MLS listings.  Research shows that most people find their next home by viewing listings on the Internet.   Blurry pictures, depressed looking spaces, bad curb appeal, can all affect you getting any showings much less buyers.

Now, with all of that, there is the energy of the house.  Feng Shui, the ancient art of harmonious placement which I practice does not have energetic clearing as one of its core principles, but it is very important to the success of  having good feng shui since we are working with chi (energy) flow.  This chi flow can become stagnant, blocked,  or stuck.

There are many reasons for stuck energy such as  predecessor energy, house on market too long,  ghosts (experts say only 3% of stuck energy reported in homes are of this kind).  The Poltergeist activity one sees on televison is a rarity.  Most of what we are dealing with as professional “space clearers”, has to do with energy that is simply stagnant or stuck.  Perhaps someone died in the home, filed for divorce, had a long-term illness, filed bankruptcy.  The emotions and feelings that were expressed during that time in the home remains in the space.  It can often be felt by even the untrained person.  You know the feeling you have when you go somewhere and it just feels bad. You are not sure why then you find out later, someone died there. [Read more…]

Altars in feng shui can lift the energy and create a sacred feel to your space.  My feng shui master says one of the best ways to cultivate personal chi is through meditation.  If you meditate and pray in your space then you change the vibration of that space to a higher level.  Altars can be used in homes, businesses, cubicles,  dorm rooms, RV’s, road buses, classrooms, etc.  The places are endless where we need to clear energy and feel connected to a higher power or be reminded to be grateful in life.  Gratitude is one of the keys to abundance!

Growing up Catholic I was surrounded by rituals, altars, and beautiful ceremonies.  Now a practicing zen buddhist, an altar can be a simple flower and a candle. [Read more…]

I worked with Ragen Chastain  last week.  Ragen is a professional dancer who speaks and writes about self-esteem, body image and health at every size.  Visit her site by clicking on her name.  We discussed energizing areas to boost fame, prosperity and health.  She lives in a small duplex and so we had to be cognizant of the space.  No space is too small to have good feng shui.  Some of the smallest apts. in Manhattan (500 sq. ft.) can have better feng shui than a beautiful home on the cover of architectural digest.  Why?  Flow.  A unique space with staircases, beams, glass everywhere, can leak chi (energy).  I love working with all size spaces as it challenges me to think creatively for the best design solutions. [Read more…]