fengshui

Autumn time to chill more.

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As Autumn approaches, it’s essential to take some well-deserved time to recharge your batteries. Life can get incredibly busy, and it’s easy to find yourself constantly on the move.

While your schedule may already be filled with a bunch of commitments, consider if there’s anything you can gently remove from your plate. Maybe one Saturday afternoon, you could simply sit outside and immerse yourself in a captivating book. Picture yourself indulging in a long, luxurious bubble bath or even spending the entire weekend in your cosiest pyjamas, baking cookies, and enjoying a movie marathon, all without the rush of chores and responsibilities.

The charm of Autumn lies not only in the allure of pumpkin spice lattes and snuggly sweaters but also in its subtle reminder that constant productivity isn’t sustainable. Just as nature takes its time to slow down and rest, so should you.

This Autumn, make a conscious effort to embrace a slower pace. Consider saying “no” to additional commitments and giving a resounding “yes” to the pursuit of relaxation. Transform this season into a personal holiday where you prioritize self-care and well-being.

In my own life, I’ve been reminding myself to ease off the accelerator. Instead, I’ve been relishing quality time with my family, taking off more time and rearranging my working hours and day. Even diving into captivating new books, especially at night times.

So, how can you slow down this Autumn?

Take the sights of the trees changing, the darker days and the change in weather as a sign it is okay to slow down.

In Autumn, nature begins to get ready for the winter hibernation and we can too.

Before taking on a consultant.

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There can be many reasons why someone may want to take on a Feng Shui consultant like:

*Buying and moving into a new home. Very popular in areas like Singapore.

*Major life changes e.g., new baby and health.

*Wanting to improve your luck in life.

*Things may be feeling off or stagnant.

When working with Classical Feng Shui, we are working with buildings’ energy and its connection to the energy of the earth. We will use time, location, and remedies to help support the home or building, implementing the 5 elements where needed to help enhance the good energy we see and reduce the negative, Earth, Fire, Water, Wood and metal are the remedies we will advise. As well as informing you of the home’s general good/ negative feng shui.

5 Things you should know before engaging a Feng Shui consultant.

1. Proficiency in their skills and tools.

The Feng Shui consultant must possess the capability to understand their schooling of teaching, there are many different schools of Feng Shui, however, your consultant must be knowledgeable in their skills and knowledge.

2. No hard selling of sky-high-priced Feng Shui products.

Clarify if Feng Shui item is required before engaging the Feng Shui consultant. Practice caution and compare prices when buying them. You will be shocked that the price difference can be a few thousand pounds for the same item. In a nutshell, there is absolutely no need to decorate your house like a temple/ knock down walls or do a building remodel.

3. Know what the package includes.

It is important to know the package you are getting in engaging their service. How will they work with you, share their knowledge and what sort of work will be expected of you too. Many consultants should be asking for information regarding the home as well as all the occupants. You also don’t want to be caught in a frustrating situation when there are upselling along the whole journey.

4. Affinity and First Impression Counts

Before buying into a package, it is advisable to meet up/ talk with the consultant to ask some questions and also feel the affinity. It is easy to arrange such meetings via online tools.  Many consultants will advise a discovery call to check you are both a fit for each other.

5. No Major Renovation or Hacking Required

Proper Feng Shui assessment does not require you to do massive hacking or extensive renovation. Feng Shui is about tapping and harnessing the favourable energy in the right sector of the buildings. No consultant should be asking you to remodel a home/ building. However, this could be done when working on a new build project so it will be built to the best of luck.

Took book your discovery call book here

Back to school and feng shui tips to help.

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It is almost time for the back-to-school madness, getting yourself and your children back into school life routine, did you know that many parenting tips are actually from some Feng Shui principles.

Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) is an ancient Chinese system of balancing our physical environment to promote harmony and a sense of well-being and connection with the energy of the Earth.

While learning the art of placement can help you create optimal living within your home, it can also help you and your children create a more efficient, less chaotic system for staying on top of all aspects of their education, including homework and school bag organization, that will help in a long way of reducing school life stresses.

Bringing Feng Shui into your child’s regular routine can keep things running smoothly for the whole family. Even when the children have already gone back to school this year, these habits and principles will help them, and you keep things on the right track.

Here are 8 tips on how to use feng shui the organization of your child’s back-to-school routine will help you maintain your sanity all year long.

Create a “day before” routine.

A day before routine will help remove clutter from the home/ bedrooms so the school day can start off on a better more organised vibration.

Set a timer on your phone for 30 minutes that you and your kids can use to get everything cleaned and organized, then set another for 2 minutes just to put any cleaning supplies away.

When you start the timer, give the house a quick run over, including a quick swish of the bathrooms, a sweep or vacuum, flat surfaces wiped and finishing off with cleaning your kitchen sink.

Put out the clothing for the next day, often the uniform ready, inc underwear. Make sure all homework is completed, packed lunch ready, and bags with all equipment and PE kits as needed. Place shoes and bags by the front door and pack lunches near the breakfast. This will all help the morning time as everything is ready and in place to help the day run smoothers and independence in your children. There will also be fewer “Mam where my shirt” issues, lol.

Within Feng Shui’s perspective, messiness can block the flow of chi and cause arguments and other distractions. We want to reduce these ready to start the next morning as positively as possible.

Set boundaries for yourself and your kids.

However, your lifestyle is, you’ll need to set boundaries for both your work time, children’s time and some much-needed “me” time.

Use this time to prepare for your day, organize your things and your thoughts, or have a quiet reflection.

By setting these boundaries, you will guarantee that there is a time for you to focus on what you need to get done, so that you won’t become overwhelmed when taking care of your children’s needs. This will help you stay focused in the morning and relaxed, and this will flow better. Work with what suits you best.

Simplify your family’s living space.

The living room is a space where you, members of your family, and friends all gather. Therefore, it’s important to ensure this space has good feng shui and welcoming to all who enter it.

All it takes is a little decluttering and balancing of elements in the room. Cleaning one shelf, one drawer, or even one tabletop per day, it’ll be a great idea to have your kids do the same. Teamwork is key, and we all know children learn through role modelling rather than constantly being told what to do.

Being consistent with this concept is key. This tidying method is a great habit for them to learn and keeps the feng shui energy in the living room fresh and vibrant. Add it into your day-before routine too.

Rearrange your child’s room.

The command position is an important concept in feng shui. It means that we can see the door from where we are sitting, cooking, working or sleeping, but are not in line with it.

For younger kids, it can be ideal to put the bed against a wall as it makes them feel secure at night. For older kids, move the bed away from the wall, and add bedside tables on either side, as it gives them more independence and room to move around as they grow, as well as balancing stability.

If you don’t have room and the bed is in line with a door, place something between it and the door. Have a strong wooden headboard on all beds.

Set up an area devoted to homework only.

This can be a space in their room or somewhere else suitable. Over time, they will start to associate this space with homework, and it will improve their focus. Even if you only have a combined space develop this into their daily routine and doing homework will become a habit.

Keep your child’s use of electronic devices limited and not in their bedroom.

Electromagnetic force (EMF) is the energy that emits from electronic equipment and phones. It is recommended to move electronic equipment and TVs from all bedrooms.

If your kids have their cell phones/laptops, encourage removing them from the bedroom or placing them away in storage solutions.  It’s also best to keep TV out of a young child’s room.

Clear clutter from underneath the bed

A feng shui staple to help kids to sleep and feel better is to remove anything stored under their beds so the energy can move freely. Having an open-based bed helps the energy flow better and keeps away stagnant energy, if you need to store stuff, try to keep it to essentials, like bed linens and be extra organised and tidy.

Establish an evening routine.

Get back into bedtime routines to help you and your children get a good night’s sleep ready for the following day. Also here don’t forget the day before the routine.

I hope these tips help you to build a routine that will help you daily in your family’s school life.

Want further help on your home and Feng Shui, check out this Blog.

Love, Steph.

Work From home tips and tricks to create good Feng Shui energy.

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Working from home has been a new normal for some time and becoming more and more popular.

It has its advantages such as working from home can bring many benefits to your lifestyle, help reduces financial expenditure, see more memories as a family. However, can sometimes bring more challenges such as it is hard to separate work and personal life, and finding or creating the right work environments.

Feng Shui is about connecting the building to the energy of the earth and using the elements water, wood, earth, fire and metal. You can learn more about this here. What is Feng Shui blog.

In this blog, I will share tips to create a positive and conducive work-from-home office environment by leveraging the ancient art of Feng Shui.

6 top tips to work From Home Feng Shui tips.

1. Do not mix work and personal life.

It is good to physically separate your workspace from your living space. Do not use a bedroom as an office space unless you remove the electronics from the bedroom at night. Set clear boundaries and clear intentions between work time and home job time.

2. Be organized and declutter.

Always keep your working desk organized and free of clutter after your working hour. Clutter can generate stagnant energy and affect your health and mood.

3. Ensure ample lighting and well-air ventilation.

Get into an area with as much natural light as possible, if the natural lighting is not possible, you can utilize a table lamp instead link to this UV desk light can help this,  https://amzn.to/3QvKUDv . Working in such an environment can lift your spirit as well as boost your energy level.

Open all windows to encourage airflow, so that the stagnant energy can be replaced by the crease new one. It will refresh the environment and create a more conducive space to work in.

4. Always Be in Command Position.

Always locate your desk in the command position, this is where you will sit with your back against a strong wall and be able to see the door. If this is not possible ensure you have a tall strong back supporting chair, and even place a small mirror on the deck to see the door/ room.

5. A Nice View Does Matter

Avoid sitting in the position facing the wall because you will feel that there are many obstacles or hurdles ahead of you. Try to have something motivational like inspiring quotes, or images of inspiration to you, in sight or on your desk. Remove distractions that may keep your mind off the task at hand.

6. Look Out for “poison arrows”.

Looking around your surroundings and checking for any “poison arrow”, can have a negative impact on your physical and emotional well-being. This is looking for sharp pointing angles pointing towards you from likes of furniture, walls and the point coming towards you.

If you have these ‘poison arrows’ try to move areas or the items, if not possible try to soften them with fabrics or plants in front of them.

In conclusion, everyone has a different situation when working from home, so the most important is to feel great and energized. Feng Shui can help create and connect you and the areas you are in, Each area, home, or office all individual.

Want more individual help with your office space please reach out to me on https://stephaniejanehomealignments.co.uk/contact-me/

Much Love, Steph x

Help harmonise your home with these top tips.

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According to Chinese ancient art or modernized environmental science, Feng Shui is all about tapping and harnessing positive energy into space. It is to create a balanced and harmonious living or working space with the right Feng Shui rules.

It is widely believed that wealth and prosperity, good fortune and health, and romance can be achieved if you have applied the rules in the right way.

Here are 3 top tips that you should all prioritize within your home. They are namely the main entrance, bedroom, and kitchen (stove).

Main entrance/ Door feng shui rules

The main entrance is also known as the “Mouth of Chi”, where energies enter, so it is important to keep this area in check.

Do not choose a house where the front and back doors are aligned or the front door opens to a staircase: In such a situation, good energy cannot be accumulated, solution add a half-moon rug or multi faces hanging crystal to help the Chi move into the home not straight out.

Keep it clean and clutter-less: Avoid footwear or any clutter at your doorstep. Besides the unappealing visual of the mess, it might also obstruct the energy flow.

Do not choose houses with the main door facing a T-Junction, any sharp corners, a big tree or a lamppost: It might increase the chance of accidents for the household members.

Bedroom feng shui rules

The bedroom should be well-ventilated and have ample lighting. It will encourage a positive vibe and disperse the stagnant energy by opening your windows regularly.

Avoid sharp corners of furniture, for example, wardrobe, bedside table, or wall corners pointing at your bed. These corners create “poison arrows” that have a negative impact on your health.

Do not sleep under an exposed beam as it gives the person sleeping under it an oppressive feeling. Therefore, it leads to poor sleep quality and eventually causes your health to deteriorate. Nor have beds under a window.

It is recommended to sleep in a bed with a headboard against a solid wall. It gives you support and grounding energy.

It is good to avoid sleeping with your feet facing directly to the bedroom door. The energy might rush in towards your bed, causing a sleepless night.

Kitchen stove feng shui rules

It is preferable to avoid positioning your stove near or opposite your sink. The reason is to avert the fire-water clash that is unfavourable for health, especially those conditions associated with your heart. Add green or wood elements if this is within your home.

Try to avoid open plan open concept kitchens, especially if you installed the stove in the centre of the kitchen. In such a position, you are exposed and there is no support. It creates a space of unbalanced energy and causes health issues. Practically, it is also hard to upkeep such a kitchen because the smoke will circulate to all rooms once you start to cook.

Want to call in some positive vibes and abundance?!

Want to see what this magic can do?

Then check out my free guide.

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Bedrooms and Feng shui

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Feng Shui Tips and Remedy For Bed Under Window

Everyone knows that good sleep quality is the essential ingredient of good health because it allows the body to rest well and rejuvenate. Therefore, it is important to position your bed in the correct position to achieve this desired outcome.

The bed is best to be in the command position where there is a wall behind you and you have a view of the bedroom door. It helps to strengthen your personal energy and likewise, it will weaken the energy if the bed is under a window.

Why is a bed under a window bad?!

When you are sleeping on a bed that is directly under the window. It is considered bad for feng shui.

You may have poor-quality sleep due to the Chi being disturbed from the outside surrounding environment. Such as, the light coming in from the street will also affect you and create a lacking feeling of security. If you are living near a busy street, the noise and polluted air might also affect you.

All these factors have an adverse impact on your health and draining your energy.

How to correct the problem of a bed under a window?

The best remedy for this bad Feng Shui configuration is to shift your bed away from the window having the bedhead onto a strong full wall. Often called the command position.

If it is not possible to shift the bed to another location, it will be advisable to install a tall, wooden and sturdy headboard to the bed, this will give you an encouraged feeling of solitude and support. Besides that, it is also good to have windows blind which help to reduce the impact of the external factors affecting your sleep.

How else to improve bedroom Chi energy

Your intention for a bedroom: Relaxation and romance, so here are some more my top bedroom tips.

*Limit all electrical items.

*No storage under the bed. If must be used keep well organised.

*Have a strong wooden, full headboard.

*Keep clothing in wardrobes, not the floordrobe.

*Reduce all clutter.

*Think of bedroom items in pairs, 2x matching bedside units, 2x lights.

*Limit the colour red.

Clutter and your health

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Can clutter make us ill?!

Have you ever really thought about how your clutter is really impacting your life?!

Yes, it can weigh us down.

Yes, it can keep us distracted.

But is it really making you ill or stressed?!

Stress used to be a huge factor in my life, but I never thought it from my lifestyle of clutter!

I saw my clutter as an organised mess, things in places and storage units and boxes piled high but as I say ‘organised’.

But it was slowly eating at me, seeing stuff everywhere, having to move one thing to get to another. Opening one box in the loft to bring back the past and trigger my anxieties. The home felt so cramped and busy.

I thought I was the perfect Mam, and childminder having so much on offer to the children in my care as well as my own.

How stress from clutter makes you ill.

Motherly’s Article, It’s Science: Clutter Can Actually Give You Anxiety explains the science of cortisol: “No matter the ways, reasons and means by which the creep of stuff exceeds our ability to mentally and physically manage it—all of it amounts to stress. Clutter can trigger the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which can increase tension and anxiety and lead to unhealthy habits. Cortisol is a hormone produced in response to stress by the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA).”

Also, according to a Cornell University study from 2016, stress triggered by clutter may also trigger coping and avoidance strategies, like eating junk food, oversleeping or binge-watching Netflix.

Stress can affect our physical and mental health negatively and it can result in:

*Disrupted sleep.

*Increase in blood pressure, blood sugars and heart rate.

*Decreased immune function.

*Depression and/or Anxiety or both.

Yes, I know there many things in life other than clutter that can stress us out. But clutter is a stress trigger we can control.

When you are carrying too much stress, it demands all of your energy and attention. “It is difficult to maintain a state of wellness over time when our body energy is channelled into coping with stress.” – Anne-Marie Gambelin.

Here is a great science-based article to read more too: https://www.mother.ly/home/its-science-clutter-can-actually-give-you-anxiety/https://www.mother.ly/home/its-science-clutter-can-actually-give-you-anxiety/

So, what can we do to help control the clutter?

Ultimately decluttering is the only option to remove clutter from our lives.

Licensed Clinical Professional Counsellor, Joyce Marter says that purging unneeded items from our homes is like deleting files to create space on your computer. In this article, she says, “Suddenly, the whole operating system is more efficient… this decreases stress and increases your effectiveness personally and professionally.”

Do you know  how to declutter, if you are not sure download this: Free download

By approaching decluttering as a challenge/ fun experience or experiment removes some of the stress.

Do you find letting go a struggle?!

Be gentle with yourself and move the things you want to release. You can simply box the things you are unsure about and put it away for 30-60 days. If you don’t miss it, need it or even forget what’s in the box altogether, it’s easier to let go.

Remember why you are decluttering, having strong intentions or improving health and more will help you stay on track.

Your home environment will make a difference in how you feel. Every positive change you make and every tiny step take towards a healthier life will provide confidence and momentum to make the next change.

Even if you are as healthy as you want to be, ask yourself how clutter is contributing to your life.

Is it weighing you down or adding value to your life?

Does it make you happy or frustrated?

Are you holding on because you want to or because letting go is hard?

Why Reducing Clutter Improves Mental Health

Decluttering can promote productivity and improvements in mental and physical health.

As well as

*Better focus. Removing physical distractions.

*Higher self-esteem. Improving your areas can restore feelings of competency and pride.

*Better relationships. As less conflict with family or roommates as things are more tidy, organised and easier to find.

*Lower risk of asthma and allergies. Decluttering can prevent pests and reduce dust, mould, and mildew, which may trigger asthma and allergies.

*Improved lifestyle and well-being. It’s easier to prepare healthy meals in an orderly kitchen. And most people sleep better in a neat room with a tidy bed.

Need help?

If you need help with decluttering, I also have some options available to help you

One, work with me https://stephaniejanehomealignments.co.uk/products-services/

Two, not local get my downloadable https://stephaniejanehomealignments.co.uk/my-products/

Still unsure book a call with me: https://stephaniejanehomealignments.co.uk/contact-me/

Paperwork and decluttering

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Decluttering when it comes to paperwork.

When we come to decluttering paperwork can often be the hardest and biggest section you have to sort.

I am aware that a lot more has now gone online but in today’s blog.

I will give you the time frames for how long you should be keeping paperwork from banking, children and more.

I hope you have found these helpful for looking at paperwork and decluttering.

For further help on decluttering. Please check out my services

https://stephaniejanehomealignments.co.uk/products-services/

What is Feng Shui?

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So, what do you really know about Feng Shui?!

This is a great question and often has been misinterpreted for furniture placement. Well, that is true on an intentional design aspect, however, it’s not true Feng Shui.

Feng means ‘wind’ and Shui means ‘water’, in English. The Feng Shui roots can be traced back over 4,000 years.

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese art to help harness the energy of your home, the Ancient Chinese believed these two elements worked to bring alignment to heaven and earth. 

Feng Shui thinking of the flow of “Qi” energy. Connecting with and being affected by direction, alignment, the 5 elements (Fire, Earth, Wood, Water & Metal), timing and the magnetic field.

Today touches on many areas of our lives as well as the home. Improving our homes energy with Feng Shui can bring harmony, love, peace, prosperity and more.

Flying star method

I am trained in the classical flying star method,  which deals with looking at the stars and their influence on buildings. 

The stars linked to when your house was build and the current year, and the home compass directions. 

Good stars, the ones which bring luck, wealth and fame, and the bad stars, which bring misfortunes, ill health and bad luck are analyzed by creating charts.

Within this method, we apply the 5 elements within the home like acupuncture needles to help enhance the good stars and neutralise the bad stars. 

This method of Feng Shui is at a deep level. Probably too deep for emails so if you want to delve deeper into your home please reach out and work with me on a one to one level.

The Lou Pan

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