Category Archives: Feng Shui

The Year of the Metal Tiger is an Auspicious Year

condo construction

Happy Chinese new year! According to feng shui experts, the Year of the Metal Tiger is a good year for the real estate industry. The earth will be the governing force of 2010, and real estate’s close association with the ground makes it off to a good start this year.

Non-feng shui experts also have favorable business forecasts for the year 2010. The Philippine real estate industry was fairly resilient in the face of the global financial crisis, and a number of developers boosted their budgets and launched a number of developments this year – many of them high end. For instance, Metrobank Group of Companies’ property arm will be constructing projects such as the third and fourth sector of the Marquinton Garden Terraces in Marikina, three more high-rise buildings in Binondo, Makati, and Fort Bonifacio. Eton Properties will be launching four to five new projects this year, including the Centris condominium, 8 Adriatico, and Eton Tower City. Finally, Robinsons’ Land Corp has the Signa Designer Residences in its lineup as well as affordable units at Gateway Regency.

Over the next four years, over 5,000 residential condo units will be completed in the Makati Central Business District. Outside this, around 20,000 condominium units will be available for selling and occupancy. With so many options and so many affordable payment schemes available, now is definitely a good time to invest in your own condominium!

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Feng Shui: Home Tips for the Year of the Ox (2009)

Most people don’t know that in the Chinese calendar, 2009 or the year of the Ox doesn’t start until February 4 – this is the date when the animal sign changes from the rat to the ox. Regardless of what year it is, all of us have to be aware of three locations in the house – the tai sui (north east), the wu wang (north), and the sam sart (east). These locations are usually occupied by harmful qi, and any disturbances in these areas brings bad luck to those who live in the house. Disturbances means any vibrations in the walls or floors caused by renovation processes like drilling or hammering.

During the year of the ox, the north east will have the strongest negative qi. Do not disturb this area with renovations and do not sit facing the northeast. All business negotiations should be done with you facing away from the northeast; this way, you are making the other party confront the negative energy of the tai sui, which will work to your advantage.

The north will be emanating a lot of strong energy this year. Avoid placing open flames like candles or anything red in color because this will strengthen the energy in this area. To negate the energy, place a traditional 5-element pagoda in this area. Be extra cautious in July 2009 if the main door of your house or your bedroom is located in the North.

As for the East, it can bring injury or sickness when disturbed. Unlike the Northeast, however, you should confront it directly; do not sit with the east behind you.

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Feng Shui: How Clutter Obstructs the Flow of Chi

If you can never find the things that you need, it might mean that your house is a mess. Not only does clutter look unsightly, but the constant muddle of so many things makes you feel confused and stressed. The reason for this can be found in the ancient Chinese art of feng shui.

The Chinese believe that there is an invisible life force or energy that flows through all living and non-living things. This energy is called chi. Balancing and manipulating the flow of chi in the home is a major part of feng shui. The chi that flows through the home needs to do so freely in order to have a positive impact on the people who live there. It enters through the front door, moves through the room in a spiraling motion, then finds an exit through a back door or window.

Clutter is the biggest obstacle to a smooth chi flow because it acts like a roadblock that chi cannot easily pass through. When this occurs in the hall, which is considered to be the “mouth” of the home, it prevents chi from entering at all. If there is clutter all over the house, chi will move sluggishly, which affects the occupants and make them feel stuck in a rut. Feng shui experts who are sensitive to chi usually sense these stagnant areas by a “sticky” feeling and a stale, musty odor.

When you surround yourself with objects that you often use and love, they emit a strong energy that encourages the normal flow of chi and helps produce an atmosphere that makes your life happy. Loved possessions nurture and support you. Surrounding yourself with unwanted junk or broken items has the opposite effect – their negative energy will only pull you down, and the longer they stay there the worse their effects get. Start by throwing out all objects that have no particular meaning for you, and you might discover that you feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually.

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Feng Shui: Decluttering Your Home

The way your home looks is not only a reflection of yourself; the mess also tends to make you feel lethargic and confused about what you want to do with your life. One of the problems people face when they try to clear out their things is that they feel a strong attachment to some of their belongings. We hang onto memories we associate with objects and that makes us feel secure. While it’s all right to keep some things that remind you of happy times, too many of them will keep new things from entering your life.

There are certain areas of the home that tend to become hot spots of clutter. If these areas become too overcrowded with things, positive energy or chi stagnates and won’t flow throughout your house. Look at these areas of your home and decide whether they need to be cleared out:

The entrance/main hall – This is where your family, guests, and friends pass through and get the first impression of where you live. Ideally, it should be well-lit and welcoming but it is also usually the dumping ground of shoes, bags, children’s toys, and newspapers.
The attic/basement – Not everyone has an attic or basement but if you do, they are usually crammed with junk and things you never use but have not gotten around to throwing away.
Corridors – Clutter in this area usually gathers beside doorways and in wall crevices.

Before you start decluttering, assess which objects you want to throw out and which ones you’d like to keep. Go around the house with a pen and notebook and look at these clutter hot spots, as well as inside closets and bedrooms. Make a note of which areas have huge piles of junk and which have smaller piles.

Once you’re done figuring out where all the clutter in your home is contained, get garbage bags or cardboard boxes and label them according to how you want to dispose of them. Label the first bag as “junk”, for items that you definitely want to throw away. On the second bag, write “thrift store” for useful items that still work well and that other people might find a use for. On the third bag, write “things to be repaired”, for items that no longer work but that you might find a use for. On the fourth bag, write “things to sort out”, items that you’re not sure you want to let go of. Keep them somewhere for six months and keep the ones that you miss; if not, get rid of them.

When it comes to clothes, be a little more careful – keep only the ones that you enjoy wearing or that you wear regularly. Try on the ones you’re not sure about and if they don’t fit you well or if you don’t like the way they look, get rid of them. Sales and bargains make you buy clothes that you don’t particularly like or need, so make a conscious decision to never again buy items that you’re not 100% happy with.

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