Building my Bagua for 2016

All those in favour of the "holidays" being over, raise your hand!

I'm ready to get back into a more normal flow of things and have been for a few days.  

The decompression of one's normalcy during the holiday season through to the New Year, starts out favourable, then it can bottom out.  

That lack of consistency of a routine has hit a saturation point when it comes to sleeping, waking, eating, coming and going.  

The starter's gun went off on January 1st, yet it feels like someone fouled at the line and we are in a holding pattern to really get going, until the 4th or 5th of the month.  When collectively the world around us gets back on the field.

I'm holiday'd out.

I'm ready to get on with it.  

I'm ready to put things back where they belong and move forward.

Inflowenza:  The state of awareness that one's energy is adapting and changing to life's experiences.  Symptoms can include:  Going with it, going against it, floating on it or treading your head above it. 

 ~Sherry Trentini

Feeling that sense of eagerness to get on with whatever moves your spirit is what fuels motivation.

While revamping my space I came across a few fun things in my archives.  I'm not certain what my source of motivation was, but I quite like what I've jotted down.

Nature abhors a vacuum

Who you want to be?

What you want to do?

What you want to have?

Who you become determines what you do and what you have.

Who do you want to become?  Be limitless...Remember emotion is the fuel of motivation.

Emotion is the reason you take all the action to create.

Fall in love with your vision.

How do you want to be remembered.

I AM........

This morning over coffee I really focused my energy on my Power or Theme word for 2016.  I've noticed that there many people are calling this year 'Sweet 16'.  

I loved turning 16.  It was pivotal.  The year I got my driving license and my first car.  Which expanded my independence and had me driving towards adulthood, (rather quickly at times with music blaring).

When I thought about what that felt like back in the day, and thought about the whole energy around turning and being 16, the word that came to my mind was "liberating".  

What would it feel like to have a liberating year in 2016?

What word would encapsulate that feeling of driving with music blaring?

3 sets of words came to mind:

• fulfil, fulfillment, fulfilled
• prosper, prosperity, prosperous
• thrive

All great sets of words.

The one I kept coming back to is...

Thrive may rhyme with drive, and since I was channelling my 16th year energy there may be an emotional connection.  However, truth be told, as I shared in my last email to subscribers, I shared that 2015 was a curvy year, the learning kind.  I'm ready to use that as a foundation of my personal growth and enhancement and compost it.  

Building on what I learned about myself and others.

Building on my ability to be fluid from 2014

Building on my ability to be fluent from 2015.

Sweet 2016 is my year to plant in that very fertile soil of the past and nurture a robust garden of delights.  

Thrive is defined online by:

• grow or develop vigorously
• prosper and flourish

And when I think of those definitions and the energy that burbles up when I think about how the word applies and its many applications to my life as a whole.  It looks like a starburst firework over my bagua!

I decided to reverse engineer things.  I decided to look at my 2016 year of thriving as if it were December 31, 2016.

I decided to feel what it would feel like to have:

• Thrived in feeling gratitude and feeling grateful;
• Been connected to a Thriving Community;
• Thrived in all my relationships (the one with myself included);
• Made nurturing decisions about health that supported my overall being thriving;
• Exponential growth in feeling Joy and being creative;
• Thrived in being able to reflect and learn;
• Having had a chronic case of "In-flow-enza";
• Flourished in being open to help and being a helpful spirit.

When I paused and looked at all the life areas from the perspective of 

Having Lived 2016 in a Thriving Energy, 

as if I had already achieved it at December 31st.  

WOW!

Un-clicks Seatbelt and gets out of the car to a

Huge Celebration!

I plunked down from Exhilaration!

I AM THRIVE!

I AM FEELING THRIVE ENERGY!

I AM THRIVING!

What word gets your engine going for 2016?

Or do you need a word that supports you slowing down, pulling over, being a passenger?  

On December 31, 2016 what word do you want to use to describe your year?

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Refreshing Your Home's Energy with Colour and Intention

The painters have been gone for ten days and I've only hung one picture.

There is that vibe about a freshly painted wall, with no knicks or mars that I'm simply appreciating.  That and the fact that I want to hammer the nail only once, so I'm allowing myself the time.

I'm so grateful for the Interior Designer's eye and guidance when it came to choosing the colour for our main floor.  The following pictures below do not do the real life feeling justice.

If I were to look at the bagua just for this room it may appear as though I've not considered Feng Shui at all.  However, as I mentioned in the Refreshing Your Home's Energy with Colour, there is definitely room for interpretation, and in my opinion room for Intention.

The bold Spanish style Red (Fire) , the deep, dark Grey (Water), the contrast neutral Smoky Taupe (Metal) make this space feel warm and inviting.

I'm not afraid of bold colours, and during our initial consultation with the designer I had in my mind's eye a blue where the red now resides.  I wanted to draw from the blue in a picture I had and felt it would be most perfect.  Up until a week before the painters arrived, every time I looked at that wall I saw the blue, I was on the verge of calling and changing colours.

Wood Elements:
Hardwood Floor (literal wood)
Hardwood Floor (striped, linear pattern)
Maple Cabinets
Maple Door
Maple built in shelves
Lots of Plants
Faux logs in Fireplace

Fire Elements:
South Facing Windows
Lighting fixtures
Fireplace
Gas Stove
Artwork depicting the sun

Earth Elements:
Brown fabric Couch
Square Slate back splash
Square slate tiles fireplace surround
Square shaped wall unit
Square design on area rug
Room screen with gold

Metal Elements:
Stainless Steel appliances
White sheers
Circular plant stands

Water Elements:
Sink
Dishwasher
Large Windows
Diffuser
Black book case

The addition of our colours helps to balance out the elements in the space.

The Red wall (fire) helps to control the wood dominance; while the addition of the Grey (water)  helps to nourish Wood energy overall.  To keep everything in balance.

Back to intention.  Red is also the colour of communication, as this is our kitchen and dining room, and I love to entertain I see the red as a support of warm and lively conversations with whomever gathers here.  The Grey light banks above add that water vibeage to keep the communication from getting to "fiery" :)

Attracting Fulfillment

There has been a theme with my coaching clients in the last couple weeks that has had my mind focusing on what fulfillment is?

Not just defining the actual word and how it relates to life, but channelling the tactile sense of what being fulfilled feels like.

The common descriptors I heard was:

1. the feeling of satisfaction 
2. pride 
3. connection to
4. giving and receiving 
5. contentment

What would it feel like to be able to describe your life using those words?  That list not only sounds good but feels good!

Fulfillment to me is akin to my All In Energy; different words but same essence. However it also led me to ask these questions:

What would it feel like to be fulfilled in all areas? or more fulfilled in my connection to:

• Gratitude or Wealth and Prosperity
• Community or Fame and Reputation
• Love or Love and Relationships (with self & others)
• Nurture or Health (Body, Mind and Spirit)
• Joy or Children and Creativity
• Reflection or Knowledge & Self Cultivation
• Career or Flow
• Spirit or Helpful People and Travel

If I had to quantify my personal level of fulfillment in the corresponding life areas of my bagua; where would it hash out?

What I learnt through this personal excavation and observation of my present, was that my focus on my fulfillment and/or All In Energy was growing and was being met in some areas but needed attention in others.

What a gift this exercise was.

Love

I learned that when I checked in on my level of fulfillment around Love and specifically my relationship to Self, it was easy to rate it as "meh".  When I'm  not consciously taking care of me then all my relationships are affected.

I'm an advocate for Self Love...and I can not pinpoint nor is it important to figure out when exactly I stopped my own practise.  Recognizing that I needed to amp up the Love Energy and resume my own practise for myself was paramount.

Nurture

Same goes for Nurture:  Body, Mind, and Emotional.  I had become disconnected and have been feeding my body rather than nourishing it, I have not been moving my body as I so love to do, and throughout this not choosing to nurture myself, has me seeking repair.

I miss doing bodywork, I miss teaching it, I miss being a student of the body.  However much I miss that doesn't compensate for stopping.  

As synchronicity would have it, a friend and past client of mine, shared with me an email about an upcoming workshop.  It didn't take any contemplation for me to respond, "Yes I'm IN!".  I chose not to research what we were doing, I chose to come in cold, I just knew it would be good.  And oh boy it was!

Not only did I get to reconnect with a former teacher of mine, but others I had trained with in the past!  Plus had a lovely weekend with the friend who came to the workshop as well.  

WIN WIN WIN

I was absolutely MELTed by the work, but also got back into what my body was telling me, and how best I can serve it.  I invite you to MELT too!

Reflection

Reflection also scored a "meh", as I observed how I have some unmet intentions, unrealized goals, and unresolved issues that need forgiveness, peace, love and my attention.

Loose ends have a way of lingering, and I have begun the process of asking how best to tie those up.  Having a resurgence of energy in the other two areas fuels me to bring closure  and peace to that which has been left feeling undone.

No matter what, fulfillment comes from within.

Recognizing and accepting that, through that simple inquiry, that I can feel more fulfilled, especially in those three life areas and therefore I can attract more fulfillment into my life overall, and moreover want to.  And I've also been more conscious about acknowledging the times and experiences in my day which make me feel fulfilled.  That feels good!

I invite you to inquire:

And be open to the answers you receive.

With Gratitude, 

Sherry

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Self Love Bagua

In spirit of Valentine's Day I created an inquiry based Bagua for Self Love, asking how Self Love would affect the relationship to all of life areas on the bagua.

The Love and Relationships gua in Feng Shui encompasses all of the relationships in your life.  

You would find this area in your home by dividing your main floor into 9 equal areas, stand facing your front door and it would be at the back of your house the area to the right.

You can also lay the bagua onto each room to find where Love and Relationships would be anchored as it also has its own 9 areas.  Divide the space into 9 equal blocks, stand facing the door or entry of the room.

--------------Entrance or Front Door--------------

Relationships are not limited interpersonal, it includes all relationships starting with you and your relationship with your:  

• spouse
• children
• family
• friends
• colleagues
• career
• car
• education
• life experiences
• the world
• health
• body
• money
• spirit
• yourself
• etc.

You may have heard me ask/say this before, but it bears repeating.

1. If you were to list 5 people who LOVE YOU unconditionally who would they be?
2. If you were to list 5 people who YOU LOVE unconditionally who would they be?
3. Did you include yourself on either or both of those lists?

Self Love is not about narcissism, nor is it about ego.  Self Love is about loving yourself as others love you and you love others, unconditionally.

We tend to negate the need to express love to ourselves, as there can be a discomfort in doing so.  It may feel selfish, stupid and ridiculous.  There may be the belief that feeling and expressing love is something you feel and do for and about others not yourself.

So pick one of the 5 people you listed above that YOU LOVE unconditionally. Feel what it feels like to love them.  Think of the reasons that love comes out of you to them without conditions.  Think about how the love you have for them provides them with comfort, warmth and support in all ways.  Feel what that feels like.

Pick one of the 5 people you listed above that LOVE YOU unconditionally.  Feel what it feels like to have someone love you that way.  Think about how the love they feel for you comforts, warms and supports you in a multitude of ways. Feel what it feels like to receive love.

Think about what it feels like to be doing something you love, work or play. Isn't it effortless?  Work may not feel like work when you love what you are doing, play may feel like play to the tenth power when you love what you are doing.

Think about being somewhere that you love.  Vacation destination, your home, your favorite restaurant, wherever.  Feels good to be there.

The core of us is Love and we can learn how to invite those feelings into us and about us and our life by using our feelings from above as templates.

Starting at our core.  

  

Reflection (Knowledge and Self Cultivation):

I would ask if it would be possible to be able to look at the culmination of your life experiences and lessons with more compassion?  Would the good times feel even better and the bad times less bad?  When we use love as our filter perhaps we would be able to see our life with more objectivity.

Nurture (Health and Family):

If we approached nurturing our body, mind and spirit with the essence of love would it be easier to make choices that supported ourselves?  What would it feel like to make healthy choices from a love perspective rather than self-recrimination?  Is it possible we could be more successful in achieving a healthy status?  

Gratitude (Wealth and Prosperity):

Being and feeling grateful, while infused with love may allow us to see a broader picture of what makes us abundant.  Love may gift us seeing our lives as being wealthy and prosperous in a broader way.  Is it possible that gratitude and love are actually conjoined?  Is it possible that sending love to all the things we are grateful for in our lives could create even more prosperity?

Community (Fame and Reputation):

Loving the worlds in which gather may better support who we are and who we are becoming.  If we were to communicate with ourselves in a loving way would it be possible we would send and receive communication with others differently?  

Love (Love and Relationships):

What would it feel like if you were committed to loving yourself as you do other important relationships?  How would that affect your marital relationship, that with your children, family and friends?  How would that impact the balances you feel in relationship?

Joy (Children and Creativity):

When you are doing something you love to do, in a place that you love, with people that you love isn't that like a good vibeage trifecta?  Happiness and joy are commodities that having more of would be life changing.  Finding things that bring you joy and doing them is showing love to yourself!  Make a go to happy list, and do the things that you love to do!

Spirit (Helpful people and Travel):

If we needed help from others and loved ourselves enough to ask for it or accept it, how would your life feel different?  When offering help to others in the spirit of love would it be easier for them to accept and to ask?  Choosing to see that giving and receiving help is an extension of giving and receiving love. How would that perspective change your go forward?

Flow (Career):

If the flow of our life was buoyed by love how would you be moving forward?  If we chose to find a way to love ourselves and our life, in all ways would it be possible that we could be gentler when we are feeling stuck?  Would the possibilities be easier to see if we sailed the waters feeling love?  How could the momentum of your life be improved by adding love?

In each of the above life areas, adding love to the perspective or essence improves the texture of how we may look at our life overall.  Whether we are looking at where we are coming from, where we are at this moment, and where we are intending to go to in the future.

Practising Self Love is exactly that, a practise.  By doing so we recharge our selves from within, so that we can radiate love from the inside out.  

My favorite reminder is.

This reminds me to be more gentle, to be more mindful, to be more connected to myself and when I do so, everyone in my life, everything in my life benefits.

Happy Valentine's Day.

P.S.

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Building my Bagua for 2015

I've just returned from a four day retreat.  

Well actually, I never left my house, but my family did, and I opted to stay home and focus on recharging my batteries.  It was brilliant.

There was a hint of guilt in my choosing Me-time rather than family time; each time it arose I reminded myself why doing this was important to me, and a benefit for me and my family.

You can not serve from an empty cup and by the end of 2014 I was empty.  So choosing Self-Care and Self-Love by retreating was the best decision I could overall.

The first thing on my retreat list was to reflect on the past year, and specifically how the "Power word", I chose for myself served me.

I chose Fluidity & Fluid as my anchor for 2014, and I likened it to seaweed.  This proved to be most appropriate and very important for all that the year held.  By the end of December (as seaweed), I was water logged and ready to climb out of the ocean and onto dry land.

Using the inspiration and direction from Nicole Cody at Cauldrons and Cupcakes I settled in to find a new word and new energy to anchor the new year.  Last January I found that choosing a power word that encompassed my Bagua was a positive compliment.

I was quite attracted to the word she had chosen, "Build", however still decided to continue to journal and jot to see if that was the most perfect for me.

Words that came up were:  Voice, Plant, Passion, Bloom, Thrive, Communicate, Speak, Take Root, Share, Vocalization, Articulate, Express and finally I settled on Fluent.

At first thought it was perfect, then I was second guessing my choice because of it being so similar to Fluid and Fluidity.

So I sat with it, let it bounce around my mind as I went onto other things, then decided to see how it fit with my Bagua that I had created during November/December.

Starting at Reflection and working up and around the Bagua:

Reflection = Leadership = communication

Nurture = Go to the Breath = easy breathing

Gratitude = Courage =  No doubting self + ease

Community = Share = Being Fluent

Love = All In = Flows easily

Joy = Bram = Connecting to source of joy

Spirit = Dad = Helping others with my words and actions

Flow = Setting Sail = Going with the flow!

Credit: Dictionary.com

When I read the definition of the word, it really helped to make the connection even stronger to the word, and it began to feel like mine.

My imagery this year is being above the water, contrary to being below, and I am a big fan of easy and graceful.

I'm grateful for 2014, I've decluttered it, chosen what I want to bring forward to 2015 and let go of what no longer serves me.

I have a sticky note on my computer with the question, 

"How does it get any better than this?" 

And am trusting the answer to come from within, and am excited for what I will create!

Building my Bagua for 2014

Not much has inspired me in the last number of weeks.  My choosing to dedicate the month of November to Forgiveness put me into an internal, mental and emotional tailspin.  (More about that to come once I've sifted and worked through the wreckage).

While browsing online I read the blog post "What's your Power Word for 2014" coupled with having met the author, Nicole Cody, back in December, poof I'm energized to sit and write this post.  She has a way about her that does that in person and online.  So I'm grateful.

Her Power Word exercise inspired me to take the word I chose through the Bagua.

I jotted, scribbled, paused and pondered this list in my journal:

Flexibility

Momentum

Rhythm

Curvy

Fluid

Fluidity

Unstuck

I even included Grounded = Control; and Strong as Flexible.

Last year I would say my theme would have been Grounded, which morphed into Control; which contributed to my inflexibility and made me stuck.

Fire is a dominant element in my life, and I spent a lot of 2013 on fire, being fired up and breathing fire.  In order to control Fire, one needs to bring in water and that element was present, however it was not in a position to manage my flames.  

Earlier this week I spent time with my new deck of cards, called Inquiry Cards and have been sitting with the question I drew...

www.inquirycards.com

This question that I have let soak into me over the last couple days, and now being motivated to choose my power word I have chosen Fluidity and or simply Fluid.

Fluid is defined on Dictionary.com as:

I lacked bounce in 2013 and choosing fluidity as my center does not mean that I will be "wishy washy", rather I'd like to think of being in motion like seaweed.

Seaweed-like movements are a metaphor used to describe and teach the movements in Gyrotonics and while snorkeling in Sydney last week I was able to observe the copious amounts of seaweed doing their dance in the ebb and flow of their ocean environment.  Love the synchronicities!

When I took the word Fluid around the Bagua to see if it suited the supporting areas I kept these queries in my mind.

How would it feel to be more Fluid ...

• when Reflecting (blue) on my life?
• when Nurturing (green) myself and others?
• when Expressing or Receiving Gratitude (purple)?
• when Connecting with my Community (red)?
• in my relationship with Love (pink)?
• when expressing and feeling Joy (cream)?
• in the Spirit (grey) of helping others or asking for help myself?

I answered It would feel Good, to be more Fluid, in all areas of my life.  It would be the easier way. 

Going forward my decisions and experiences will have that query as well.  

"Does doing _______ support my being and feeling fluid?"

"Does _______ support my being and feeling fluid?" 

"What if I did/tried/stopped ________would that support my being and feeling fluid?"

I've also asked myself why choose the word Fluidity over Flexible?  

In my opinion, Fluidity feels different when spoken and its less common than the word flexible; it conjures up that seaweed moving to the waves vibeage while having a connection to being grounded, whereas flexible conjures up bending to the point of snapping.

One last note, I know what flexibility is and feels like, in my body and in life. I also think that I can contribute strides in moving forward in my life by not only being flexible but fluid.  Therefore I can Reflect on what that felt like and choose to invite that back into my life onward.

What word, quality or essence are you inviting into your bagua or life in 2014? Whatever it is, may your choices, experiences and motivations support and energize you in 2014 in all ways and always!

The Feng Shui Bagua Map

The Feng Shui Bagua is an essential tool in associating areas of your physical space with the 9 areas or guas on the map.

Depending on the style of Feng Shui which you are interested in; the process of Bagua application may be different, however the areas on the map would not be dissimilar to the image above.  Therefore you may find that you enter your home through the Knowledge and Self Cultivation gua or that your bedroom is located in the Wealth and prosperity area.

This map could be laid over your entire property; it would be applied to your home overall, as well it can be mapped specifically on one or every room individually.  

The Bagua encompasses all the areas of our lives:

• Knowledge and Self Cultivation
• Health and Family
• Wealth and Prosperity
• Fame and Reputation
• Love and Relationships
• Children and Creativity
• Helpful People and Travel
• Career

These eight compartments, surround the Center, the common denominator or the glue that holds it all together.  The interconnectedness of the outside squares is possible because of the Center square, it is my opinion that the Center is YOU.

I personally use the Bagua Map as not only a tool which relates to our physical space, but as a tool which I value when looking at what is going on in my life, my thoughts, my feelings, my experience overall.  As well I can apply it to the things which I wish to bring into  my life, things I'm working on or towards manifesting.

The Five Elements series of posts I did (Metal, Earth, Water, Wood, Fire) beginning with the pop quiz, may have given you another perspective in which to look at creating balance, and potentially how your living rooms may or may not mirror that.  

This series of posts is my interpretation of Bagua map as it applies in Feng Shui; followed by how it can be an instrument aiding us in observing the balances and imbalances, to create connectedness and perspectives in our lives.  How our "go forward from the center: our thoughts, attitudes and feelings" have a direct impact on moving forward. 

Just like for your home, a Feng Shui consultant may invite you to move furniture, add elements, or subtract clutter in order to get the energy moving in your space; de-cluttering our minds is equally as important.  

My intention is to share with you my approach in Creating Space in life with my Creating Space Bagua.

With Grateful Ch'i...

Yang Wood and Fire: Yin Earth, Metal and Water

This 5 Element assessment results show a relative balance in all the elements; as in not an extreme variance for any particular one. 

Wood is the Yang Element; Fire is the next dominant element.

Yin is Earth, Water and Metal.

Wood is intuition, knowledge, inspiration and action.  When wood is in balance we will trust the process.

Wood consumes Earth, which is indicative in the totals shared above.  Too much wood can be Type A personality; a lot of things happening but not enough gain; lots of work not enough pay.

Fire is the emotional element; it is communication (words), touch, life, spark, excitement.  This is connected to Fame and Reputation or Community.  It is defined as Integrity, true to self and how we are viewed by others.

The results of the assessment show that there is plenty of wood to keep the fire burning and Fire creates Earth, yet in this instance Earth is the lowest or most yin of the elements.

It may be possible that you are full of ambition, lots of great ideas and are inspired to share.  You can communicate effectively, your ideas spark interest and yet the seeds of your inspiration may not have enough Earth in order to sprout, take root and begin to grow.

In any garden there are times when you have to control the growth.  Culling weeds or runts from your plantings.  Perhaps it may serve you to look at your "garden or forest", stand in a place of observation and see what you can nourish to truly take root and harvest and preserve the others for another planting cycle?  

Adding Metal:
The element of Metal is used to control Wood as a Dominant Element.  (Metal cuts Wood.)

Too little Metal can impact one’s ability to focus, stay on task, lack determination thru procrastination, forgetting, and avoidance. 

The ability to generate many ideas, however, needing to cull the forest in order for those ideas to take root in the Earth.

• What could you let go of in order to allow yourself to focus your intentions more specifically?
•  Are there concepts, ideas or things in your world that can be blended together to create a more solid root structure?
• What seeds have you planted that need more room to grow?
•  What branches could be pruned?

The I Ching teaches us that Metal is the element associated with Children and Creativity; the essence being “Joy”.

• How could you cultivate Joy in your life right now?
•  How could you “lighten up”?
• What would it feel like if you could infuse your life overall with joy?

Highlight with Earth and Fire Elements:

All seeds have their own germination period.  I invite you to consider all the great things you intend to plant, nurture and harvest.  Then consider the possibility that all the seeds do not necessarily have to planted all at once.  

Perhaps you can find a rhythm in clearing the soil, plant specific seeds, nurture and intend to harvest.  

Find your ground, stand in your garden.

Too little Fire can be a feeling of being separate from, lots of flame but not a lot of heat.  Just as above, metaphorically speaking, you may benefit from concentrating your efforts on stoking less number of fires rather than have many individual matches lit and expect the same radiant heat.

The element of water helps to refine.  “Going with the Flow”.  “Trusting the flow of life.” If the garden is too dense the plants can not thrive in rationing the water.

Suggested Affirmation: