Feng shui is an ancient Chinese art used for thousands of years to evaluate and choose the most auspicious location and way to build a home. Once a home is sited and constructed then there are feng shui principles for the most beneficial way to arrange furniture and decoration. Basic feng shui philosophy contends: if a home is in harmonious surroundings and arranged in an harmonious manner, the inhabitants of that home will reflect that harmony and live more harmonious lives. As we spend at least a third of our day in the bedroom, the bedroom is the most important room of all to apply feng shui .
When I first began my studies of feng shui, many teachers mentioned the three R’s of the bedroom – Rest, Rejuvenation and Romance. Of course rest and rejuvenation are the first consideration. When a relationship is new (a year or two), the newness is much like an aphrodisiac. As my mother used to say, “When you are in love, even a park bench is wide enough. After the newness wears off, even a king-size bed might not be big enough.”
The Goal is Intimacy
In fact, king-size beds and oversize bedrooms tend to diminish the feelings of intimacy. Just as a bed that is too small or placed up against a wall inhibits free movement and feelings of independence. Keep this in mind when designing your romantic environment. The bed should be in proportion to the room with adequate space to move around it. In addition to rest and rejuvenation the bedroom should also be a place for intimacy.
The King Size Bed Problem
The real problem with most king-sized beds are the two box springs beneath the mattress which inclines each partner to roll away from the center. A similar sense of division that fosters separation is experienced if there is an exposed beam running lengthwise directly over the bed.
If you need to have a king-size bed, replace the double box spring with a wooden platform. Likewise, if there is a beam over the bed try to reposition the bed out from under the beam or cover the beam with fabric. Some feng shui authorities say that putting a large sheet over the double box springs can symbolize unification. Regardless of the size of the bed, if you want to bring passion back into the relationship, try the feng shui technique of placing a large red fabric under the mattress.
Bring Life Into The Bedroom, But Not Too Lively
In designing your bedroom observe the symbolism of wall-hangings and table top objects. All art and objects d’art should be treated with the same consideration.
Avoid negative images like a storm-tossed boat drifting in a foggy ocean or out of place scenes like circus clowns and acrobats. Use pictures that set an intimate mood.
“Hi Mom. Hi Dad”
The family pictures on your side table, belong in a family room, or just not facing the bed – so that you or your partner don’t open your eyes after a passionate moment, see your parents photos and think, “Hi Mom. Hi Dad.” Do you really want your whole family sitting on your end table watching you make love?
Calming Colors with a Touch of Passion
Some bedrooms are too white as if you are trying to maintain the magic of your wedding night. White is a color of purity. As the dominant color in the bedroom it is too sterile and lifeless. Therefore, white is also considered the color of death.
However with white as the backdrop, color decorations becomes more vibrant. The creative use of color for drapes, lamp shades, throw pillows on the bed or a colorful blanket draped over the arm of a chair would bring life-energy (ch’i) into any size room. Of course you do not want to make the room too lively or rest and intimacy will be lost.
If you do add color to the walls, be sure they are calming colors and those colors that add warmth. Ceilings are often painted white, especially in contrast to color paint on the walls to give a feeling of height. A relatively low ceiling will seem even higher, when crown molding is added. Just don’t forget to add a red throw pillow or two, or a to keep the passion alive and well.
Mirror Caution
Large mirror in a bedroom, whether hung on a wall or as sliding closet doors. can also detract from a potentially peaceful and intimate ambiance. Large mirrors, or too many mirrors, bounce light making a quiet room feel too busy. Mirrors also multiply images and can make a bedroom feel very crowded, especially when positioned at the foot of the bed. Mirrors at the foot of the bed, beside being disturbing to sleep, may result in continual arguments and complaining over petty issues as you sit looking at each other and “seeing” what’s wrong.
The Wall of Visions and Dreams
Indeed, consider whatever you are looking at will be what you are inspired to talk about and that whatever is on that wall is actually the message of the relationship. If it is TV set, then you will find yourselves talking about “What’s on TV tonight, dear.” If it is an arrangement of beautiful and romantic art, then you will talk softly to each other and talk about your day’s activities and your plans for the future. Perhaps it would help if you think of the wall opposite you as a large canvas for you to represent your visions and dreams upon.
On the other hand, consider if the person on one side of the bed is looking straight ahead through an open bathroom door, and the person on the other side of the bed is looking at a picture of a dolphin jumping in the sunrise. Is one of you saying, “Honey, let’s go to Tahiti this year.” While the other person, the one looking in the bathroom, is saying, “Crap, we can’t spend the money. And by the way, did you remember to do this and did you remember to do that….” Another case of what you see is what you get, that is, what you are inspired to talk about.
Bedside Equality
Evaluate also if you both have equality on either side of the bed? Do you each have enough room to stand up and walk comfortably along side the bed? Or is one of you blocked by obstacles, tripping over clutter, avoiding the sharp edges of a bureau or armoire? Starting or ending a day with these seemingly easy-to-adjust-to minor irritations inevitably gets expressed as nit picky complaints and unexplainable hostile over reactions to petty situation. All of which result in distractions from rest, rejuvenation and romance.
The Ba-gua Template
With the growing interest in feng shui books and classes many people have heard about the Ba-gua Template, which is an a way of dividing a house, or room, using an eight-sided diagram (ba, means eight; gua, means sides). The Ba-gua Template assigns one of Eight Aspirations to an area of the house, property or room. It is a way of evaluating how we unconsciously project meaning to various areas of the house based on the idea that the back of the house is more secure than the front, the left side reflects the more aggressive left side of our brains, while the right side of the home, reflects the more passive and sensitive right side of the brain.
Relationship Corner
The side of the home that relates to Personal Relationships can be evaluated by whatever is located in the far right corner of the house or room as orientated from the wall the front door is on. To define this area, draw a tic-tac-toe board of nine boxes onto the floor plan of the home, or on any specific room.
Most frequently used rooms are of first importance. Evaluating the Relationship Corner of the home would be second in importance. If you live on a piece of property, you can also draw nine boxes, and evaluate what is located in each area.
No One Gets a 100% Perfect Feng Shui
Now remember, no one gets a 100% perfect feng shui. So if there is weakness in one of the important Relationship Corners, perhaps it can be compensated for by the strength in one of the other Relationship Corners. Kind of like acupuncture, sticking a needle in hear and another in there, and getting a positive overall result. But the first step is determining what problems there may be, and then deciding on a strategy that will remedy the situation.
What’s Your Feng Shui Message?
Now analyze what items or images are in the Relationship Gua of your home and of each room. Are these items or images positive or negative? If they are negative, you are probably in a difficult relationship, or not in a relationship at all. For instance, is this area of the home missing? Is this where you have a kitty-litter box, trash can or dirty laundry? Is it possible your relationships are being flushed down the toilet? Is there an image of a single woman or man in this area? Is there nothing in these areas? If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, do whatever possible to change the situation.
If the images are positive, you are probably in a successful, romantic and mutually supportive relationship. Whether positive or negative, you can enhance the Relationship Gua with positive symbolism. Use intimate colors like pinks and pastels, use double images like two ducks, two candlesticks or two angels entwined in love. If this corner of the home is missing, consider what you could put in the outside area that would ‘fill’ in the space. How about a bird bath with two love birds perched on the rim, a rattan bench for two, or a flower garden?
Energize with Prayer & Affirmation
To further reinforce any of your physical changes consider further activating your positive enhancements with prayers and affirmations. By putting your hands together in prayer (mudra), reciting prayerful affirmations (mantra) and quieting the mind to “see” the results happening (visualization), we attune our Body, Mind and Spirit. In this way we plant the ‘seed’, we ‘water’ it and then, as we visualize the results, we begin the process of bringing our Aspirations into manifestation. (See article, How Feng Shui Magic Works.)
Following this course of action will strengthen your existing Personal Relationships, or attract a mate so you too can enjoy romance in your life.
There is a large selection of oaks, pines and hardwoods to construct furniture out of, and with the addition of hybrids and other genetically engineered lumber, it is getting harder to determine what type of wood your furniture is made out of. This article will give you clues on how to determine what type of furniture you prefer and what wood is best for certain types of furniture units.
Mahogany
The classic-designed Greene & Greene furniture is usually constructed from solid mahogany. This type of wood usually has a straight grain and bears a reddish-brown color that darkens over time. Mahogany is very durable and is many times used in the construction of boats; it is also among the most expensive types of wood. There is one type of mahogany that is of inferior quality known as Philippine mahogany; this wood is inexpensive, soft, and not very durable. The only acceptable form of this wood would be when it is used as a top, decorative layer on plywood.
White Oak
Authentic Mission style furniture is constructed from solid quarter sawn White Oak. White Oak is known as being “barrel tight” because of the fiber that grows within the tree that makes it strong enough to prevent leaking (for example) through a barrel. Other reliable solid oak includes Siberian oak and American Red Oak. The unique specks that make quarter sawn oak so valuable are actually protein that run perpendicular to growth rings on a lumber log. This protein makes the wood stronger as well as gives it a distinctive aesthetic. The most productive craftsmen, the Amish, hand pick the lumber to go into a unit and the parts that are left over are many times used for drawer sides.
Cedar
Most recently, however, drawers are constructed from aromatic cedar, which has its benefits. Cedar repels moths and is aesthetically beautiful besides the fresh smell it leaves behind. After years of use however, cedar is known to oxidize and the smell wears off but can be revitalized by sanding the cedar. Nevertheless for the most durable drawers, hardwood construction is the best.
Hardwood
While you can get the most use from furniture with solid tops because they will last longer and can absorb finishes easier, hardwood constructed furniture or furniture with veneer tops can visually take on any style because they are available in a variety of stains, particularly darker ones. For example, the Barn Furniture Mart offers birch, cherry, and maple, both hardwoods in cappuccino and cherry finishes. Hardwoods come from trees that are available all year long.
While many people think softwood is the complete opposite of hardwood, there are many overlapping characteristics. Hardwood is generally harder than softwood, but many are actually softer than softwood. Balsa is a type of hardwood that’s actually softer than pine and there’s yew that’s an example of a hard softwood. Softwood comes from trees that are conifers (needle-bearing) and include pine, cedar, and spruce.
Pine
Pine is a beautiful softwood known mostly for its attractive knots, but knots are actually signs of weakness in the wood. Nevertheless, a pine knot is stronger than a knot in oak furniture, which would probably fall out. To make sure the knot in your furniture isn’t going to eventually fall out, a good test is to scratch around the edge of it. Pine is perfect for achieving a rustic look in your home, and it’s usually the knots that add to its beauty but recently pine farmers are growing pine without knots. These genetically engineered trees are being farmed to grow fast and to grow without low branches (because that is where the knots come from.)
Rubberwood
Rubberwood was discovered during the 16th century in Brazil however tree farms were started in Thailand and China. The sap from the tree has been used for many things from tires to condoms. Rubberwood features a nice grain and is widely used in to the furniture from Vietnam, Thailand and China. This type of wood is farmed, therefore is renewable and is durable. Its quality is comparable to oak as it is stronger than some hardwoods.
Plywood
Plywood is often used in modern furniture as well. It is a panel made up of multiple layers sometimes including particle wood and solid wood. The layers are not very thick, only about a few millimeters and they are layered in different directions to make it stronger. Plywood is also very good as sides on a drawer because of its sturdiness and is usually pretty inexpensive.
Veneers
Lastly, although usually frowned upon, veneer is not as bad as it is made out to be. It is great for pieces that won’t get much use and can be very good-looking. Many times what causes veneer to be of poor quality is the construction of it. It is recommended to purchase furniture that does not require assembly. If you notice that the furniture is constructed of veneer and only features that decorative layer of veneer on one side, be prepared to not have that piece for very long. When moisture is absorbed by wood unevenly on one side only, it will swell and the board will warp. Even solid wood needs to be finished on both sides to prevent warping.
As our kids grow, their styles and tastes change with them. One very important element in every child’s life is having their own space and parents usually answer this call in the youth bedroom. The crazy thing about kids is that every few years you are going to need to update and often upgrade the youth bedroom furniture and beds. Never fear. Let decorating your child’s bedroom be a call to your playful side and turn it into a bonding experience.
When it comes to decorating a child’s bedroom, it should be a chance for your child to be creative too. Remember that it is important for the room reflect your child’s personality, not your own. It is their bedroom, so even though their style choices may make you cringe allow them to express themselves through the colors, fabrics and even the style of their youth bedroom furniture.
Start the youth bedroom redecoration by listening to your child (or children) and discovering what activities they enjoy this year, what their favorite color is today, and how they feel about the latest styles and fashions. From that help them to decide on a theme or color scheme that reflects their personality. There are endless themes and ideas to pick from; just make sure you the final decision is theirs.
When it comes to picking colors, let it up to the kids. Don’t worry about coordinating with the youth bedroom furniture as most are available in neutral and natural colors that go with just about any wall color. Wallpaper can add texture or get really creative with clouds or stars painted on the ceiling. It is always smart to choose paints and wallpapers that are washable like a semi-gloss or gloss finish. If your kid wants a super bright and outrageous color for their bedroom, negotiate down to one wall for strong colors.
Infants and toddlers don’t spend an overwhelming amount of time in their rooms, but as your child grows and matures their bedroom will become their safe haven and it will be harder to draw them out. For this reason, you should aim to make a child’s bedroom multi-functional. The older they get, the more children will use their bedroom for a variety of activities. Fill all the needs by integrating a play area, a reading area and a space where they can entertain their friends with a radio or television. This is where finding the right youth bedroom furniture can really make a difference.
When setting up a kid’s bedroom there is always one obstacle that you must overcome. All kids have a lot of stuff and storage is imperative to making it all fit; especially if the room is small. When you are looking for the right youth bedroom furniture, look for storage, quality and adaptability. You don’t want to choose furniture they will outgrow quickly and remember as a child grows, their clothes get bigger too. That dresser that used to hold all her 2-toddler shirts will probably only fit 2 of her 10 year old shirts. Clothes, toys, sports equipment, school stuff; there is no end to the things your child will accumulate over the years.
A few ways to add storage but still save space in the youth bedroom furniture department are with furniture pieces like captain’s beds. They provide a bed along with drawers for storage. Raised bunk beds can offer a study loft to give your child a built-in desk area for studying. Bookcase headboards, armoires, and media cabinets are also great furniture pieces for a child’s room. A desk with a top hutch is another great way to add storage without sacrificing valuable floor space.
Picking out youth bedroom furniture can be exasperating but fun too. You need to balance the scale between fun and practical. The colorful motifs and themes in bedroom furniture are fun and will add character to your child’s room. When choosing youth bedroom furniture, look five or even ten years in the future and ask if you picture the more grown up version of your child still using it. You want the design to accommodate their changing tastes, needs, and interests.
The bathroom in dreams represents the dreamer’s sexuality. This means that we can predict and correct possible abnormalities that may provoke them gender identity disorder if we analyze the meaning of dreams where the bathroom frequently appears.
Dreams where someone dies in the bathroom indicate that an important part of the dreamer’s personality starts controlling their behavior and provoking sexual abnormalities. Dead people in dreams represent parts of the dreamer’s personality that cannot serve as examples to be avoided, because the dreamer has already adopted the negative behavior that characterizes them.
The bathroom in dreams can have a positive meaning when it is big and clean, because it indicates sexual balance. If it is dirty though, it indicates immorality.
In case it is not white, but has another color, this means that the dreamer’s sexuality is being influenced by emotions that come from the wild side of their conscience, like anger in case the bathroom is red, or absurdity, in case it is purple or violet.
When the bathroom has no walls and no door, but it is open, and everyone can see the dreamer inside it in a dream, this means that the dreamer’s sexuality is exposed to the external world, because they don’t respect their moral principals, or they are in danger of losing their morality.
Concerning the activities done in the bathroom, each have a different meaning, independently of the general meaning of the bathroom.
When the dreamer is brushing his or her teeth, this means that he or she is taking care of their psychical power, which is represented by the teeth.
When the dreamer is urinating, they are getting free of their fears, while when they are defecating, this means that they are getting rid of their mistakes.
When they are having a bath, this means that they are purifying their spirit.
Dreams where the bathroom of a man has a feminine aspect, or the bathroom of a woman has a masculine aspect, indicate gender identity disorder.
The unconscious mind will analyze the dreamer’s life, and all their fears, showing him or her why they have such feelings, and what they have to do in order to eliminate the abnormalities in their behavior, which induce them to prefer being like the opposite sex, instead of being the man or the woman they really are.
Many people wonder what the difference between gender identity disorder and homosexuality is, thinking that both are in fact the same thing.
The truth is that gender identity disorder is a psychical abnormality which indicates that the person cannot identify themselves with their gender, showing behavior that characterizes the opposite sex. In other words, a man behaves like a woman, or a woman behaves like a man.
Homosexuality is observed when the person who identifies themselves with the opposite gender, feels attracted by people who belong to their gender, instead of feeling sexual attraction for the opposite sex.
Gender identity is not homosexuality, but can be turned into it when the person who cannot identify themselves with their gender doesn’t pass through psychotherapy before it is too late.
Through scientific dream interpretation they can find their psychical and sexual balance, forever eliminating all behavioral abnormalities, besides permanently avoiding traumatic experiences and grave mental illnesses, even when they have a hormonal distortion, since the unconscious mind can cure the person’s body by curing their mind.