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alisande_gw

'Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui'

alisande
19 years ago

I know some of you have read this book. Has anyone had lasting results from it? I'm enjoying the book, and feeling quite inspiredÂalthough I haven't entirely bought into the bagua grid theory of different areas of a space corresponding to different areas of one's life.

I gave it a good try, though. I figured out that my area relating to health is right at the top of the stairs, where an antique dresser sits...covered with stuff. I uncovered it, polished it, and placed a framed photograph of my daughter on top, along with a black basket she gave me. So now we'll see if my health improves. :-)

When I bought the book I wasn't thinking about my health, though, or relationships or prosperity. I mainly wanted to stay inspired for long-term decluttering.

Susan

Comments (14)

  • talley_sue_nyc
    19 years ago

    Paige,a long-ago member, spent about a year extolling that book, so I'm assuming the stuff she applied worked for her for at least that long.

    It'll be fun to see if others have experience.

  • anrsaz
    19 years ago

    Can somebody give me a quick overview on Feng Shui?

  • lazy_gardens
    19 years ago

    Feng Shui - originally a Chinese traditional way of aligning buildings, which had some practicality. Houses on hillsides or by moving streams are healthier than houses by swamps or sewage-filled canals, when the toilet is an open pit it's a good idea to keep it away from the kitchen ... etc.

    Modern Feng Shui has been taken over by consultants and decorators. "Clear the clutter" and "live with what you like" are the two usable ideas out of a whole pile of Chinese Foo-Foo.

  • HeidiHoHum
    19 years ago

    I read that book about 3 years ago. I felt great after clearing the clutter. I donated 5 huge bags of clothing to charity that I had just been holding onto. My closet and drawers became manageable, not to mention the rest of my house. Within 2 weeks of releasing my 'stuff', the empty places were filled with clothes from my sister-in-law who was cleaning out her closet of particular sized clothing (she had gained ALOT of weight due to health problems and knew it would take years to get it off). It was all beautiful, expensive clothing but did I really need to take them and get cluttered all over again? I am just now working through clearing that clutter AGAIN.

    Thanks for the reminder of the book. It is time to reread it, and, thankfully, I know exactly where it is!

  • Wendy_the_Pooh
    19 years ago

    I have another book, parts of which have helped me (furniture placement for a roomier feel, etc.). I have not read this one yet, though.

  • talley_sue_nyc
    19 years ago

    try this site--I haven't read it, just got it from Google.

    But it looks like a nice overview.

    Here is a link that might be useful: guide to feng shui

  • lazy_gardens
    19 years ago

    Love that site: McFengShiui and "Bagua me Baby" is the current American approach.

    They really rip some of the current books to shreds, mostly for their inability to dinstinguish between Tibetan Buddhism, the Dao, Zen, and classic Buddhisim ... Feng Shui is NOT a Buddhist idea at all.

  • nan_ar
    19 years ago

    I've never been into Feng Shui much so I can't offer anything about the book. But I feel if it works for you then run with it.
    The first organizing book I ever read was Organizing for the homemaker or something such as that and it opened my eyes so much. Then I read Don Aslett and that did it.

    Then I found Flylady on the net and she has some great testimonials that really get me going.

  • Wings2W
    19 years ago

    Alisande...

    Your dresser is much more pleasing to look at now right?

    The Western concept is much different from the traditional Feng Shui. We've always been into a "quick fix." Many books were written for profit. I'm sure if I could read Chinese I'd do much better. Much seems natural but I have a long Metaphysical history and believe this helps.

    A home without clutter is more pleasing to live in. If Feng Shui helps anyone to achieve this so be it. Whatever works!

    Remember too, the West laughed at acupuncture for a very long time. We're not laughing anymore.

    Wing

  • trekaren
    19 years ago

    Yes, I read this book, and I definitely feel that it is so true, how clutter and disorganization can be a drain on a home's energy.

    After reading that book, I looked at everything differently. Why keep the vase that does not match your house at all, just because someone gave it to you? It could match someone else's house wonderfully, yet there it sits, doing absolutely nothing for you. Better to let it find a new, more appropriate home.

    Or those little niches all over the house that tend to collect things and get ignored. A drawere here; a closet there. I went around and hit little spots like that, slowly over time, and eventually I got most of these spots under control.

    While the garage door repairman was at my house Friday, I swept the garage, picked up junk DH left lying around, and stowed it in its proper place. And I feel such a lift, when I park my car there each day. Small things like that can make a big difference in how you feel.

  • Wendy_the_Pooh
    19 years ago

    There's also a book called
    "The Declutter Workbook: 101 Feng Shui Steps to Transform Your Life". I wonder if anyone's heard of that or used it with any success. I actually like the concept of Feng Shui, but, like anything, it can be over-commercialized.

  • Wendy_the_Pooh
    18 years ago

    I just ordered the 'Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui' book, so wish me luck! I am taking care of everything now, with my husband on crutches (he broke his leg), and I definitely need a decluttering "philosophy" to follow. I also need more hours in the day, but that's harder to get.

  • alisande
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks for the reminder, Wendy. I started reading the book some time back, then got distracted with other books I received as gifts. This one is still waiting for me at my bedside. I'll get back to it asap!

    Good luck with your experience.

  • maggie_berry
    18 years ago

    I was on a Feng Shui binge for a few years and it " worked" for me. Later I found Fly Lady and I think Feng Shui and the Fly Lady concept are very similar when it comes to organizing. I liked Feng shui better because it gave me some deeper reason to clean. It is selfish but sometimes cleaning to make the family run smoother did not do it for me. Cleaning for the family, was like dieting for health. I want to diet to look skinny and I wanted to clean for fortune and good luck and all the goodies like a great career that Fung Shue promised was around the corner. Feng Shui at that point in my life helped me get into cleaning. But darn it, my bathroom has been clean with the seat glued down for years, and I am still waiting to win the lottery.

    I think, Fly Lady and Feng Shui both believe that when you see a big mess, you are prone to dropping to your knees crying over it. Feng Shui says all your energy is being zapped out of you and the placement of the mess is an indication that some area of your life is going bad also. The Fly lady says all your energy is zapped and this feeling is leading you to believe you are a chaotic failure. Both agree if you pay a little attention to these areas you can re-energize and go on to lead a successful de-cluttered life. For example, You wake up in the morning and the sink( Far North) is full of dishes and the kids are eating something off the table (Northeast) and you forgot to put the stuff on the stove ( east) away so all the leftovers have to be thrown out. And all the family shoes are piled next to the door. It means in Fly Lady, if you lace your shoes you are less likely to crawl back in bed and pull the sheets over your head because you can not easily kick them off. Feng Shui means youÂre family is suffering, your marriage is on the rocks, you donÂt deal with issues and maybe your dog even thinks your a drag. Both advocate that you can get a handle on all of this mess. Your family will function better, you will be able to accomplish more stuff and you will be happy. IÂm glad you posted itÂs a wonderful raining Sunday to clean Uhm or instead I will pull out my Feng Shui books to get me motivated and pop over to the Fly Lady site to remind me how to break things down and clean in baby steps. Maggie

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