13 Feng Shui tips for a lucky year of the Earth Dog 2018! 15

As the Chinese New Year of the Earth Dog is fast approaching,  the question is: how to celebrate? This is particularly relevant if you are not Chinese. If you are, chances are that you will be part of many celebrations already! The point of this article is to give you different methods to welcome the new energy, get rid of the old one and create a better life in 2018, year of the Earth Dog. I aim at separating superstitions from practice that have a real logic in Feng Shui and with the Chi.

The lunar start for this year of the Dog is on Friday the 16th of February 2018. The solar star of the Chinese year is on Sunday the 4th of February. I recommend that you take all these steps during the first week of February; if not possible, do them before the 16th.

Pic credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonomura/

Part 1: clean your home

The first thing to do is to clean you home, as much as possible. You know the notion of a spring cleaning? Well same idea here. Clean not only furnitures but also the floor, windows, mirrors etc. Change your bedding and put new ones ideally before the 4th of February.

It can be tiresome to clean everything by yourself. If you have a busy life, you can hire someone to do so. However, if you can do at least part of it, it will be very efficient if you associate visualisation to the house cleaning. When cleaning the windows for example, visualise the dirt that you are removing as what you don’t want in your life anymore: relationship that are not working, scarcity, flaws in your character…By creating this association between the energy you want to get rid of, and the actual cleaning of your living place, you create a greater bound between your home and the life you will now manifest.

Another good aspect is to choose your favourite essential oils and put some drops in the cleaning product. This will greatly help to cleanse the old Chi. On the topic of cleaning products, I recommend that you mostly use baking soda and white vinegar to clean, and natural oil for the wood. It is a good idea to start the year with less sources of chemicals in your lives.

Part 2: cleanse your home.

We move from cleaning to cleansing. Here what you want to do is renew the air, get rid of the old Chi and welcome the new one. I am sharing a recipe a method that was first given by my Sifu, master GK Ham, in his YinYang journal:

http://yinyangjournal.blogspot.fr/2010/01/spring-cleaning-and-cleansing.html

You will need 3 Chinese herbs. The herbs are Huo Xiang (藿香,also known as Patchouli or Agastache) and Gan Cao (甘草, licorice root) that you mix with some sandalwood powder. You can also use some essential oil of sandalwood, in case you don’t find the powder.

Burn the content in a container that withstand the heat, on top of charcoals. Then go from room to room so the smoke and smell get into them; please remember to turn of the smoke detectors first. It can get smoky and pungent so use a small quantity. Visualise what you want to achieve while doing so, and what you don’t need anymore vanishing. You can also burn a piece of paper with your intentions for the year, and one for what you want to get rid of.

Then go for a walk, one hour or more. When you are back, turn on every light, bathroom fans, and then open all possible window and the main door a bit. Focus on the old Chi leaving your place, and invite the new one in, full of opportunities, healing and happiness for you. After 15 min or more, you can now close the openings and turn of the lights: you have done the cleansing.

If you can’t make this incense, you can contact me directly to buy some (£20 shipping included): I will ship you a small bag of incense with charcoal and instructions no matter where you live. Please send me an email with: your address, and how many encense bags you want (one is enough for a regular size house). The payment is done by Paypal.

You’ll receive one bag of Taoist incense to cleanse your home. Copyright: Laurent Langlais.

Ok! Let’s continue with decluttering.

Part 3: get rid of the old

Before the 4th of February (or at least the 16th), try to get rid of what you don’t need anymore. This method comes directly from the decluterring goddess that is Marie Kondo. For clothes especially: hold them for a couple of minutes and see which feeling you have. Do they make you happy or are they a burden? Do two piles, one that you’ll get rid off, one that you’ll keep. You can do this with of course more objects, not just your clothes. I will add that giving your unwanted clothes to a charity rather than simply throwing them out will create good karma. Decluttering and good karma, what’s not to like!

Part 4: cyber-detox

You know about those 137 interesting bookmarks folders that you have created on your computer in 2017? And those 178 important flagged emails to answer? Well time to read them all….Yes that is correct! Take half a day, or every evening of this week if needed, to read those interesting articles that you were meant to. Check all those flagged emails and answer…And finally, once you have done as much as you  can, try to go at least for a day into complete cyber-detox. Powerful days to do so are of course the two Chinese New Year dates, the 4th of February and the 16th.

Part 5:  finish your business

Aim at closing any loose ends, pay back your debts and ask your clients to pay what they owe you before the 4th of February. The logic is still to start afresh and continue with what is good, and left the rest behind. Financial burden and people at a different level of energy are not what you need, if they hold you back.

Part 6: clear you mind

Here you are going to take at least one hour to reflect on what the Fire Rooster year of 2017 has been for you. What did you learn? What did you loose? Do you feel that you have progressed? If not, why? What don’t you want in your life anymore? Make a first list of what you don’t want. Make a second list of what you want to manifest. We are going to use both soon.

Next stage is to make a realistic plan. Where do you want to be with your life in:

• 3 months
• 6 months
• 9 month
• one year from now
• And 3 years from now.

Make this exercise. Then pin those life goals where you will see them at least once a week: fridge, bathroom, or somewhere more discreet if you don’t want others to see them. Of course if you have very practical and material goals – such as getting a new job – now is also the time to think on how you can get it. Do you need to learn a new skill, or learn a new language maybe? Then dedicate the next few weeks to identify where and how you can learn this. You intent is the sparks that start this new fire; you taking steps to achieve your goals is the wood feeding this fire, so it can live and grow.

Part 7: clean your body

Well I do hope that you clean it every day, but here we are doing a special Chinese New Year cleaning. We are going to mix taoist methods, shamanism and holistic tips. It’s basically a super-charged bath…So take a bath in which you will put the following :

• Some coarse unrefined sea sealt
• Some baking soda
• Some epsom salts
• One or two drop of your favorite essential oil

I usually use ½ a glass of salt, 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cups of epsom salt. This is for the holistic, healthy part : this bath will greatly help you to recharge your energy and fill you with some minerals, mostly magnesium.

Then add to this baths fresh flowers. You can buy them from a florist, but try to take some that are organic, fair trade, and basically without pesticides. Cut the flowers and put them in the bath. This part is to receive some blessings for this new year, and refresh your personal Chi. Thanks again to my sifu GK Ham and his journal for those advice. And now to cleanse your own energy…

Part 8: cleanse your body

When in the bath, I suggest that you also add a shamanic practice. This meditation is from a teacher I highly recommend, Sergio Magana. You can listen to this exercise by Sergio here.

The principle is to visualise some purifying rain falling on you. This rain covers you and becomes the water from your bath. It washes all negative energy from the previous Rooster year : get rid of unwanted relationship or people, your flaws, your lacks, your frustration…The second phase is to focus on your health, same process, with a purifying rain and water in your bath. Third phase : this time you cleanse your abundance. Let go of your limitations, your blockage to receive wealth and abundance in your life. Last phase, this time your cleanse your thoughts of all unwanted fears and limitations, and review the other phases : your life, your body, your health, your abundance, your thoughts.

You can keep doing this meditation as long as you are in this bath. When you are done with this bath, you will have refreshed your body, Chi and mind. Not bad for the start of a new year! I advise you to do it either on the 4th of January or on the 16th of February, or even better: on both days. Any time between those two dates can also be used efficiently.

Part 9: Refresh your look

It is ideal to get an haircut before the 4th of February. When the hairdresser cuts your hair, try to visualise what you don’t want anymore being “cut out” as your hair get shorter. At the same time, think that your hair growth will represent the growth of your wealth. The custom is to not do it for a month after the 3rd of February, to let the Chi takes and to not “cut your wealth”. So no new haircut before the Rabbit month then…Finally if you have very little hair, have short ones or are bold, don’t worry. For men, do the same visualisation while trimming your beard or moustache, or  when shaving. It will have an effect on your subconscious mind…

Part 10: welcome the new

I think a lot of people are going to like this part; especially some women that I know of. You basically need to buy new clothes and new shoes and wear them on the 4th of February and on the 16th. They will symbolise the new Chi of the year, a Chi that you make yours. Buying new clothes also show your willingness to change, and furthermore that you don’t fear lacking money during this new year. It is customary to buy at least one red garment. If you don’t want to buy too much, the buy simply a new red…underwear or pair of socks!

Part 11: Feng Shui

The first month of the Chinese New Year is an excellent time to finally treat yourself with this Feng shui consultation you always wanted, and give your life the support and new start that you are looking for. Guess what: I know just the right guy for the job! Contact me now so we can schedule your change of life in 2018, Earth Dog year. Working on the material and the Earth luck with Feng Shui is a great start: it is easier to initiate those changes in the physical so they can also help you changing your thoughts, Chi and law of attraction. Contact me now to book yours…

Part 12 : manifest

Between the 4th and 16th of February, simply take at least one action everyday that gets you closer to your year goals. It can be searching for a new course that you want to learn on the internet, pay for the gym and actually go, review one area of your life everyday to see how you could be more efficient etc. Using those powerful 12 days between the lunar and solar shift will help you manifesting faster. Try also to stay drama free during this period, that should be dedicated to joy.

Part 13 : Boost your luck

And finally you can join my Feng Shui membership to efficiently boost your luck during the first month of the Chinese year, and all year long!