Feng shui (say "fung shway"), often called the art of placement, could just as accurately be called "the art of flow." This ancient Chinese practice, literally translated as "wind" and "water," aims to maximize the beneficial movement of chi--the universal life force present in all things--through an environment.

Just as fresh air and clean water nourish our bodies, so does fresh, clean chi nourish our homes and our lives. When the flow of chi through our space is blocked, weak, or misdirected, our relationships, cash flow, creativity, health, and career can suffer. Chi wants to meander gracefully through a space, like a gentle breeze or a winding stream. When it flows too strongly, it becomes like a hurricane or flood. We are likely to feel tossed about by winds of change, unstable, prone to crises, struggling to "keep our heads above water." Where chi is blocked it becomes stale and stagnant, like a pond choked with algae and fallen leaves. We may feel tired, run down, depressed, unable to focus, hampered in our efforts to move forward in our lives.

You can get a pretty good idea of the benefits of clutter clearing simply by imagining your life free of all the negative effects of clutter: lack of focus and clarity; feelings of being professionally, creatively, spiritually, and/or romantically stuck; insufficient time and attention for self and family; increased stress, irritability and depression. Wouldn't it be great to be free of all these?

No matter what other factors may be dragging you down, I guarantee you that clearing your clutter will dramatically improve your mood and energy. And then any other problems you are confronting won't seem quite so bad.

When my wife and I were searching for a new Las Vegas home in 2002, we wanted it to have a solid foundation based on Feng Shui principles. My wife researched the essentials and we decided to build a home that met our needs and supported good Chi. The internal layout of the furniture was a slow process because we want to ensure that everything "was energy (Chi) efficient". We even went so far as to pick a plot of land that had a curvy street in front and located on a hill with a view of a "city of money". With all of the work we did in building the structure and embellishing the interior, the house feels fantastic and the energy feeds us and moves us forward!

Feng shui is a very popular and intriguing concept in home design today. In addition to the life benefits it provides, it also offers a roadmap, so to speak, of not just how to decorate... but why. In short, it offers you, the homeowner, design with purpose. For a child's room this purposeful design is especially important.

Feng shui gives parents a guide for decorating your children's bedrooms, and perhaps more importantly, a reason for adding particular elements -- something standard decorating practices don't always offer. What does that mean exactly? Well, when it comes to a child's bedroom, feng shui dictates everything from correct bed alignment, proper bedroom choice, essential decorating and design elements, i.e., do's and don'ts (no vicious animals, etc.) for a child's room, even how to influence the child to be studious and well-behaved -- all things most parents would appreciate knowing.

When I began practising Tai Chi in 1991 the thing that struck me about it was its power or at least the promise of its power. What I went on to witness and discover was that there was nothing mystical or particularly esoteric about the power of tai chi it was more just a case of doing it, following tai chi?s unique set of principles and just witnessing what arose within me. When I practice my form (sequence of movements) it is never exactly the same but it is always beneficial.

Tai Chi means ?the supreme ultimate? and Chuan means, ?fist? so Tai Chi Chuan is in fact a martial art despite it?s reputation for just being a gentle meditative exercise. When practiced as a martial art Tai Chi is both effective and powerful (but this takes a lot of practise to even glimpse especially when you learn that in Tai Chi, the main focus is to use the power of the mind in unison with the energy and power of the body to release force in whatever direction you want).

Did you know that our bodies can automatically react to certain environmental changes and stimuli, even to symbols you might use as decorative accents? I have a little experiment for you to try in a moment so you can experience the power of this idea. Once you see the reactions that can occur, you may find you will want to to use this idea towards creating more soothing and peaceful home and office surroundings.

You can try this brief experiment to see how your body and mind reacts to some changes... Right now, pretend you are angry for a moment- feel the tension in your forehead, the wrinkles starting to form as you frown and all that... also, lean forward right now in your chair and clench your fists. Hold this and let yourself think an unpleasant thought. But now, let's change something- force your mouth muscles into a big smile and hold it there, smile! Now lean back in your chair. Hold this reclined position. Also, loosen up your hands again and keep a gentle smile... So, how are you feeling now?

Feng Shui (pronounced Foong Shway or Fung Shoy) is the ancient Chinese art of luck management, which works by maximising the flow of energy (known as ?Chi?) in your environment. Every object, inanimate or living, possesses its own energy field and also has an affect on the flow of Chi in your environment.

The orientation and layout of your home, garden or business and its contents can impact your career, personal relationships, health and wealth. Whilst observing the basic rules of Feng Shui can greatly enhance your lifestyle, ignoring its principles can similarly bring misfortune and sorrow.

The most familiar method of Feng Shui is the compass method works on the principle of each sector of your house falling into a different area of your life, depending on its orientation. These sectors are identified by placing an octagonal, nine-sectioned diagram over a plan of your home. This diagram is known as the Ba Gua and is always aligned with the wall containing the front door or main entrance to the premises, with the compass points corresponding to those of the house directions. For example, if your front door faces North, then you should place the Ba Gua diagram on a plan of your property with the North sector (relating to career) aligned with the front door.

Are you tired of looking for love without success? If so, the layout, furnishings, and energy of your home and bedroom could be part of the problem. When the areas of your home affecting your love life are cluttered, missing from your floor plan, or suffering from sha chi (harmful energy) it can be difficult to find and maintain a good relationship.

A key principle of feng shui is that everything is connected energetically. This means that your thoughts, feelings, and behavior are influenced by your surroundings. A dark, untidy bedroom contributes to an atmosphere of fatigue and depression, which in turn makes it harder for you to find the energy to clean the place up. In feng shui terms, it also undermines your ability to attract and maintain a joyful and fulfilling romantic attachment. Feng shui problems can even affect your reputation, make it harder to meet new people, and lead to increased arguments and miscommunication -- all of which contribute to difficulties in your love life.

Ever notice when you start a new hobby or fall in love with a new shrub or flower you start to see it everywhere? This isn't necessarily because everyone else has the same new hobby it?s because you have the flower or shrub or hobby at the top of your mind.

You are focused on it, thinking about how much you enjoy it and you end up noticing it when you never did before. It's not merely a coincidence it's your Reticular Activating System located at the junction of the base of the brain and the spinal cord that is responsible for stimulating this top of the mind response.

FENG shui (say "fung shway") is the art of creating a home environment that supports the life you wish to live. A key element of feng shui is creating a smooth flow of chi (positive energy) through your space. Chi likes to move through your home as though it were a gentle breeze or a meandering stream. Where it is blocked, the energy becomes stagnant--like a pond choked with algae and fallen leaves. You are likely to feel blocked in life, and your energy and enthusiasm for matters of the heart will be low. Balancing and correcting the chi of your bedroom helps encourage and invigorate romance. Here are some quick and easy ways to improve your love life by improving the energy of your home: