Intoduction by Karen Maleck-Whiteley: I met Elaine Giftos-Wright a couple of years ago and was immediately drawn to her positive energy. She is one of those people that makes you feel like you must already know her (and it’s not just the fact that you’ve seen her on TV before – she used to be an actress).
Elaine has been consulting, teaching and lecturing on Feng Shui for over 15 years. Elaine is also one of the few Feng Shui consultants who is also a professional home stager. By combining Feng Shui with Home Staging, she has had tremendous success in helping to move the sale of homes faster and for better prices.
Creating Energy the Feng Shui Way 
by Elaine Giftos-Wright
Have you ever noticed that there is a particular spot in town where a business can never flourish, regardless of its seemingly prime location? In your own home, do you sometimes feel uncomfortable, even if your home is very attractive and designed well? Sometimes we just can’t explain why one place feels better than another. Everyone is sensitive to a variety of energies in different places, and sometimes the reasons we react in a certain way are not obvious. It’s often the intangible factors that can create what is felt as discomfort or a lack of harmony in a space. Feng Shui (pronounced fung schway) is the ancient Chinese art of managing energy or ‘chi.’ The great masters have taught us that our homes, business spaces, the arrangement of our rooms, and even the building’s location can affect every aspect of our lives.
There is a wonderful quotation that comes to mind:
“It’s not just that you create your home, it’s that your home also creates you.”
This is so true! The environments we live and work in have a profound influence over our every day lives. I’m not just suggesting checking your home for the obvious…. radioactivity, mold, radon, asbestos, etc. All very important! However, the balancing of energy or ‘chi’ in your living and working spaces is just as important for your well being as ridding your home of toxins!
Often the solution to remedy a field of energy can be as simple as adding a plant or a light in a corner, or putting a throw rug on the floor. By using Feng Shui principles, you can change your life experience in significant ways. For instance, gaining more control over your circumstances which can lead to better health, more secure finances, happier relationships and success in business.
Here are some quick Feng Shui tips to increase your positive energy:
- Clear out that clutter! Less is more in Feng Shui terms. A hint for de-cluttering. Whenever you buy something new, throw out something old.
- If your garden flourishes, you health will too. Place healthy green plants in various rooms to move the energy around and absorb negativity. Plants also produce good oxygen.
- Use mirrors to expand a space, such as a narrow hallway. A mirror at the top of a staircase will attract the downward flow of energy upward. Especially good if you have a staircase near the center of your home.
- Burn a candle on your desk while working. This will inspire you to work until the task is completed.
- Be careful of what you put on your walls. The energy of a room can change with it’s artwork so choose it well. The wrong image can create a negative atmosphere. On the other hand, bare walls can make you feel lonely and depressed.
- Color is very important in creating a movement of energy. Very dark walls should be avoided as they tend to lower energy, unless there is an abundance of sunlight.
- Children’s rooms should be in shades of green or blue. If your daughter decides she wants her bedroom painted a shocking pink, try talking her out of it. She might resist but she just may do better in school if you paint her room with softer colors.
Your home is your “second body” and how you treat this second body has a very real impact on your physical body and the events that occur in your life. Just as a person can be considered beautiful or handsome, well dressed and fit, yet still harbor internal illness, so can a home that is lovely and beautifully furnished have hidden energy problems that debilitate and negatively affect the lives of it’s residents.
The mission of Feng Shui is to match the energy of the home to the energy of it’s occupants. When this is achieved, individuals will prosper with better health and more abundance in their lives.
For more information about Elaine and Feng Shui visit her website.