Did you know that you can apply the bagua to your desk? Yep! Just like you would apply the bagua to any room in your home or to the floorplan of your entire home, you can also use it to feng shui your desk, too.

Think about this for a minute. Your career is connected to your life path. Your desk influences and symbolizes your career and so it also becomes a symbol of your life path. Makes sense, right?

Here are some easy ways for you to enhance the energy in your office by applying feng shui principles to your desk. 
 
1. Put the desk in the command position
2. Clear off your desk. Completely declutter the top of it and clean out the drawers.
3. Put the printer and other equipment on a credenza or table behind or beside your desk so that you have room on your desk to work on the immediate tasks.
​4. Place the bagua over your desk just like you would for any other room in your home, with the career area positioned where you sit at your desk.

​You don't need to put something in every area of your desk. You still need room to work! But think of this practice as a layering effect. You're applying the feng shui tools in your office, then you're layering that energy by applying the tools to your desk too. Before you know it, your office will be the productive hub you've been dreaming of!

Fall is a transitional season, just like spring. It's the time between the yang energy of summer and the yin energy of winter. Slow down and enjoy the gentle transition as we get closer to winter.

When this area of your home, office or bedroom, is activated you will start to see that helpful people just seem to come into your life when you most need them. And we can always use some help from time to time, right?!

Your master bedroom is one of the most important areas in your home because it’s the one room that you spent a lot of time in. It’s a place for rest and romance, yet have you ever considered that your bedroom could be damaging your health and your relationships? 
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• Maybe you feel like you get plenty of sleep but you never wake up feeling fully rested.
• Maybe you wake up during the night but you aren't quite sure why.
• Maybe you and your partner are having relationship issues.

Well, look no further than your bedroom to fix those issues.. Just a few simple changes can make all the difference.
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Let’s start with how to optimize your sleep. Below are some feng shui tips that will let you feel well rested in the morning. 

The first and most important thing is to put your bed in the command position. I wrote a blog about the command position that you can link to here. Here’s the key. You need to make sure that the head of the bed is up against a solid wall, with a direct line of sight to the door without being directly in with the door. 

Get yourself a solid headboard. It doesn’t matter if it’s wood or if it’s upholstered. Just make sure it’s solid, not one with bars (Remember those old metal ones that your grandma had on the farm?! Don't use those.).

No mirrors in the bedroom. Mirrors are great to use in feng shui when they’re positioned properly. The thing with mirrors is that chi bounces off mirrors. So if you want to enhance the chi in a room, position a mirror to reflect a beautiful outdoor view. However, when mirrors are placed in a bedroom, the chi is bounced around the room making the energy too active for a good night’s rest. Also when a mirror is placed in a master bedroom, that energy can invite a third party into the relationship, particularly when the bed is visible in the mirror. So if you don’t want your spouse having an affair, remove the mirror!

Remove ALL of the electronics in your bedroom. That means no more watching Netflix in bed and no more scrolling through Instagram on your phone before dozing off. The only things you should have that plug in are your light sources, like table lamps or a floor lamp. If you absolutely feel like you need a TV in your room, cover it up when you’re not using it by putting it in a cabinet where you can close the doors or by covering it with a blanket.

Declutter under your bed. Chi needs to flow smoothly through your bedroom especially while you’re asleep. If there are things stuffed under the bed, the chi gets stuck and isn’t able to create a calm soothing environment for you to get enough quality rest.

Quality sleep is one of the most important things when it comes to your overall health and well-being,  We're all busy with careers, families and a whole host of other responsibilities. You owe it to yourself to get a night's rest.

​The question I get asked the most often in my consultations is "what colour should I paint my walls?".  Colour is such a personal choice so the answer is...  you can paint your walls any colour that speaks to you!!  The only time I recommend a totally neutral colour palette is when you're staging your home to put it on the market.

So, what's in a colour?

Red is related to fire energy. Red is a very auspicious (lucky!) colour in feng shui but don't overdo it with red otherwise there will be a lot of chaotic energy in your home. I recommend using red accents instead such as pillows, decor pieces and art. Red is also related to passion. Put red sheets on your bed and wear red underwear to spice things up!

Pink is related to feminine, girly energy and can attract love and friendship into your life. It represents compassion and sincerity. Pink can be used anywhere in your home to soften up the energy in a space.

Yellow, orange and brown reflect the colours of nature such as the trunk of strong tree or the richness of fertile soil. These colours represent stability so when we need some security and strength, these are great colours to incorporate into our environments. One of my favourite earthy colours is Calm (2111-70) by Benjamin Moore.

Purple is also a very auspicious colour in feng shui because it's related to wealth and abundance.  It represents luxury and ambition. Try incorporating luxurious materials, such as velvet into your home that are a deep, rich purple colour.

White represents purity, space, and openness and be can used when we want to check back in with ourselves and start a blank slate. Personally, I love that paint companies have such a wide range of whites to choose from. Some whites have a high reflective value (such as Chantilly Lace (OC-65) by Benjamin Moore) and are great for small spaces that don't get much natural light.

Greens and blues are related to nature such as the colour of fresh plants and the wide open blue sky. Blues and greens fall in the middle of the colour spectrum which is more relaxing for the eyes so it's no wonder that these colours are healing and therapeutic.  Using these colours in your home will create a calm, restful space.

Black represents the water element and is often used as a stabilizing colour in design. Try using black in an area rug or an accent chair to make the space feel more grounded. If you're going for drama, try painting the ceiling black.

What colours are you drawn to? Personally, I love bold colours.  I often to need step back and take a look at the bigger picture to keep things from looking a little too wild! What about you? Are you a lover of bold colours like me or do you prefer a more neutral palette?

For more great tips on choosing calming paint colours for a relaxing home interior, check out the recent article we were featured in.
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• Always place the desk in the command position so the child is facing the door.
  
• Display motivational quotes and  photos of any mentors
  
• The knowledge area is represented by the earth element which is solid, grounding and stable. Art or photos of mountains as well as colours of mountains such as greens and earth tones as well as blue and black (water colours)
  
• If your child is heading to university or is in university already, display an object or picture that represents their major and/or career goals (when my son was getting ready for his auditions, he had a picture of himself from when he trained in Europe for a summer right on his desk)
  
• Create a fame and recognition wall with symbols of personal academic success, such as awards, diplomas, letters of recommendation, trophies, photos from performances, or some of their prized artwork
  
• Leave a light on in this area to fire up your intelligence (fire creates earth), keep on until bedtime
  
• Write out and display personal affirmations of success, things that really resonate with your child
  
• Students should use red folders, notebooks and binders when going to school. This is to support motivation, taking action and attract good luck (red is a very auspicious colour in feng shui)
  
• Place crystal point on NE corner of the desk or in NE corner of the room
  
• If your child has big aspirations and  wants to be known globally for their work, display crystal globe in NE area and give it spin every so often to get the world’s attention
  

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​You’ll notice that there are only 8 areas listed but that there are 9 squares in the bagua. The center of the bagua represents you and your overall health and wellness. That area is connected to all the other areas. That’s because when you’re not healthy it affects every other area of your life and each of the  other areas can also impact your overall health.
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Wealth and Prosperity - foster an abundance of good fortune, money and positive things into your life

Fame and Reputation - improve your reputation, get recognized in your chosen field, be valued by your peers

Love and Relationships - attract a new partner into your life, improve your existing relationship
 
Family and New Beginnings - strengthen the bonds within your family, start off in a positive way when you’re making big changes in your life and starting something new

Health and well-being - your health affects everything else in your life. That’s why it’s at the center of the bagua. 

Children, Creativity and Completion - boost your creativity, gets your kids more focused on completing homework, learn new creative pursuits, finish projects

Knowledge and Spirituality - expand your knowledge, read books, study, meditate, connect with spirit/the Universe/God

Career - create a flow of career opportunities, attract new customers or clients to your business, increase your income

Helpful People and Travel - attract people into your life who will help you move towards your goals, increase travel opportunities​.
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So, there you have it. The basics of the bagua that BTB feng shui practitioners use. The bagua is primarily used on homes and businesses, but can be used on properties of any size. It can also be applied to just one room, your desk or even your coffee table.

Want to learn more about how to use the bagua in your own home?  Book your own personalized consultation today. 
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There may be times when there is no possible way to position your bed in a command position, such as when a room has a lot of windows, the bedroom has large double doors leading into the room, or the room is so small that there is only place in the room that the bed will fit. If you physically cannot put your bed in the command position, there are things you can do to remedy that.  For example, if you cannot avoid facing the door, place something in between your bed and the door as a barrier, such as a large footboard, a bench or a room divider.  If there is no solid wall behind your bed, invest in a large, solid headboard and hang window coverings such as drapes or blinds on any of the windows that are behind the bed.

The command position also applies to the position of your stove, the seating areas in your living areas and your desk. The idea is that you never want your back facing a door and you don’t want to have to turn around to see who is coming in the room.  I'll go into those situations in another post but for today, go move your bed.  You'll get a much better sleep tonight!
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