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We are delighted to tell you that that Sylvia's feng shui consultation success has been prominently featured in Isabel Losada’s latest book ‘The Battersea Park Road to Paradise.’

Using the five Chinese elements - Metal, Fire, Wood, Water, Earth - Isabel explores five areas that brought profound change for her own life and it could be yours. Her hilarious experiences and her amusing frankness will make you laugh and touch your heart.

You can order this great read now on-line at Amazon or at Waterstones.

Precautions and Influences for the Year of the Rabbit

The earth is constantly moving it's position in relation to the constellations and other heavenly bodies and asccordingly gradual changes occur in our environment. The time aspect of ~Feng Shui recognises these shifts and puts in place timely adjustments to maintain equilbrium and well being. At Chinese New Year I write to tell you this year's anual precaution.

Annual Precautions

Do not disturb the East or West by undertaking renovations that involve knocking down walls or excavating the ground, particularly if you have an entrance door there. Put a salt water cure in the East to counteract this year’s most pernicious energy. If your entrance door is in the East, put a plant or a tub of flowering plants there too. Place a blue item in the Centre and keep the area calm and clear. Avoid red in the East and Centre for this year. Put a touch of red in the North area and avoid arguments or disharmony there. In the South place a golden calabash, metal Buddha, Quan Yin or another deity to look after your health and wellbeing.

The Year of the Rabbit has just commenced. The Chinese Year starts on 4 February, although Chinese celebrations are held according to the Lunar cycle and New Year was welcomed on 3 February this year. Every year has two elements – its heavenly stem element and earthly branch element, or animal sign, each combination recurring every sixty years. In 2011, a yin wood Rabbit sits beneath the yin Metal element, which is why this is the year of the Metal Rabbit. The Rabbit is also the animal sign for the month of March and its location is East.

Each of the twelve Chinese animals have distinctive characters assigned to them. it is rather interesting to observe whether they relate to our own lives and world events during any particular year, which is quite a different thing to making predictions. See what you think.

For example last year was a yang Metal Tiger year and it was preceded by the Earth Ox year. Ox tendencies are hard work, strength, leadership qualities and a natural desire to expose the truth. But there was no metal to reinforce its goals and sadly the Iranian electoral protest in 2009 did not succeed, though it set an example to others.

The metal Tiger's temperament is fearless and it will fight determinedly to defend itself. During the past twelve months, masses of people showed the courage of metal Tigers to fight against unacceptable authority or abuses of human rights, notably in Tunisia and Egypt. UK university students demonstrated boldly against injustice over fees. Even Wikileaks leader chose 2010 to make an unprecedented exposure of ‘secret’ documents, his intention being to exercise the right of people to be told the truth by those in international positions of authority.

The 2010 Tiger and 2011 Rabbit are both wood in metal years. Since metal challenges wood in the elemental cycle, it suggests a continuation of last year’s tendency to courageous revolution. However this year’s Rabbit is supposed to have a more cautious and compromising nature, yet it is still driven by its metal determination. Being a level-headed practitioner, reality tells me to wait and see whether this year too will reflect the influences of its elemental tendencies.

I am able to advise you about the full adjustments to make for 2011, as well as other feng shui recommendations you would like to have, from a floor plan as an on-line/postal mini-consultation. From your floor plan it is also possible for me to check the subtle energy of your property and advise whether a professional space cleansing would be helpful for you. This too can be carried out remotely as well as on site.

During the coming year I shall be delighted to give a talk, workshop or short course about feng shui, space clearing, environmental aesthetics or personal wellbeing for a group of your friends or any organization that you are involved with.

And I am relieved as well as happy to tell you that that my work has been favourably featured in Isabel Losada’s latest hilarious book ‘The Battersea Park Road to Paradise.’ Using the five Chinese elements - Metal, Fire, Wood, Water, Earth - Isabel explores five areas of inner and outer change for her own life and yours. Her journey and her honesty will make you laugh and touch your heart. Due out this Spring, you can pre-order it now on-line at Watertstones or Amazon.

Have a happy Rabbit year, please get in touch as I will always like to hear from you.

In the first part of this two-part article, we looked at the evolution of stressful living, unwinding with water and air, gaining peaceful sleep and making space for relaxation by de-cluttering yourself and your surroundings. This second part takes a closer look at some of the unseen challenges in our homes and workplaces, environmental psychology and personal wellbeing.

A building with lots of indoor plants, few metal structural beams and where fresh air flows through opened windows is less likely to cause sick building syndrome than one that is constructed with lots of metal and has sealed windows. Indoor air pollution makes people feel unwell and is very common in our modern living environment. It is caused by the chemical based ingredients used in standard construction materials, textiles and paints that are released into the atmosphere, as well as the release of toxic by-products from office equipment, electronics, domestic and industrial cleaning materials and personal care products. If you choose to use standard paints rather than naturally based eco paints to decorate your place, a good tip is to keep half an onion and a bowl of water in the room for a day or two. They will quickly neutralise the paint odour and absorb some of the chemicals.

One of the biggest environmental questions of the twenty first century is whether and how much are people being harmed through exposure to excess electromagnetic fields and radio frequencies. How much is excess and how challenging is it to our health and wellbeing? The answer is as complex as the question. What is tolerable for one person is uncomfortable, stressful or clearly harmful to others. Healthy adults may be less vulnerable than children, sick or elderly people. An accumulation of different challenges at any given time may make you more vulnerable then. There are some simple steps you can take In your daily life to cut down your exposure to electromagnetic stress at home and at work. It is fairly easy to make a big improvement without resorting to unrealistic measures.

If you are concerned about having a nearby communications mast, there are specialists, including some accredited feng shui consultants, who use a specialist instrument that will measure the level of the pulsing signal for you. There are effective electro-shielding paints and fabrics available that can significantly reduce the intensity of penetrating frequencies. Avoid having electronic items near a bed: no transformers, mobile phone chargers, cordless phones or wifi baby alarms and unplug your electric blanket when you go to bed. Limit your use of hairdryers. Avoid sitting at the computer for longer than an hour at a time. Try not to stay directly underneath fluorescent or low voltage recessed ceiling lights. Check that your electrical wiring is in keeping with the new safety regulations. And check the positioning of equipment and sockets in neighbouring rooms wherever you sit, sleep or work because magnetic fields pass through walls although electric fields do not.

A simple way to reduce sick building syndrome is to open windows. At work it is better to sit near a window, preferably one that can be opened. The air quality becomes dehydrated by central heating, which in turn increases your susceptibility to headaches and infections. Lowering the room thermostat temperature helps, so does placing a bowl of water beside every radiator. Having lots of eco-friendly houseplants is the most effective, natural way to neutralise the air pollutants that contribute to sick building syndrome. Certain plants and their root-associated micro organisms are able to biodegrade indoor air pollution, re-moisturise the atmosphere and create a healthy indoor environment. The best performing house plants are easy to obtain. They include palms, peace lily, ivy, ficus, ferns, orchids, azelias, chrysanthymums, begonias and seasonal poinsettia. You can find out lots more about this dynamic subject by reading B.C.Wolverton’s book ‘Eco-friendly Houseplants’

Geopathic stress is really two different levels of environmental stress and they can both have detrimental effects upon some people. They need to be defined separately and dealt with differently. Geo-biological stress occurs when the earth’s natural bio-electromagnetic fields are distorted either due to man made excavations or the presence of subterranean running water, underground cavities, fault lines or mineral concentrations. Certain naturally occurring energy pathways such as ley lines can also be a source of geo-biological stress. For the most part it is considered safest to make sure you are not sleeping or otherwise located for any length of time above a source of geo-biological stress, although crystals are sometimes used to deflect or neutralise its presence.

The other type of geopathic environmental energy that can undermine your wellbeing is geopsychic stress, the residual traces of past occupants and unpleasant events within a building, memories held in your possessions or traumatic experiences having occurred on the land beneath and around the building. These situations are usually best dealt with by specialist professionals who are able to erase them and transform them into positive vibrations by space cleansing and earth healing. Some feng shui consultants also practice those skills. If you think any form of geopathic stress may be a problem for you, there are a number of practitioners who could help you listed in the Find a Consultant section of the Feng Shui Society website.

Environmental psychology is a modern interpretation of the core value of classical feng shui as a tool to support people’s wellbeing. It is basically the study of people’s perceptions and reactions to their relationship with their environment. It considers how and why people function in work based, recreational or domestic environmental situations in both urban and country locations. Therefore it enables us to understand better the effects that different forms or locations of spaces and structures have upon people, either individually or collectively. When architects, planners and designers take more notice of how a building and its surrounding landscape is likely to feel to the people who will eventually use it, the outcome can only be more successful in terms of how people will thrive in it.

Give yourself a treat and take a well-earned break. Get some health-promoting winter sunshine and replenishing fresh air. Cyprus, where the warm sun shines all year round, is an ideal destination. As well as its interesting history and places to explore that will stimulate your curiosity and clear your mind, there are several hotels like the delightfully hospitable Amathus Beach hotel in Paphos, with its exercise facilities, wellness treatment spa, picturesque pools and fresh local seafood, to de-stress you and get you fit. Stroll along the seashore to friendly harbour cafes and shops; what better way to detox, relax and recharge to start the New Year.

Stressless Living - Part 1

The Evolution of Stressful Living

Authentic traditional feng shui has taken its principles originally from ancient Chinese culture. Feng shui goes back to several thousands ago when ordinary people lived modest lives, mainly working on the land growing produce or raising livestock. Prosperity literally meant having enough food to nourish the family. Feng shui guided the selection of dwelling locations; it helped to protect and support peoples lives, increasing their health and wellbeing, helping their livestock and crops to flourish and enhancing their prospects. Our twenty-first century living is seemingly far more complex. Certainly it requires modern considerations alongside the authentic traditional principles of feng shui. Environmental psychology understands the impact of our evolution and recognises the extra support we need nowadays to enjoy stressless living.

Things to watch out for, and major players in the creation of modern stress, are burdened working lives, flying frequently between time zones, fast food, instant needs, challenged relationships, compromised air quality, computers, mobiles and electronic proliferation; the proximity of our newer buildings, often congested and constructed using artificial or chemically-laden materials. Despite all that, human beings manage to progress and flourish. My optimistic view is that they will continue to do so, well, perhaps, with a little help from a talented feng shui consultant.

An impressive transformation happens simply by us improving the environment of our living and working places; it helps ourselves, our relationships and our careers. We can make effective changes surprisingly easily, enabling us to enjoy a calmer, more balanced and fulfilling, less stressed lifestyle.

An impressive transformation happens simply by us improving the environment of our living and working places, it helps ourselves, our relationships and our careers. We can make effective changes surprisingly easily, enabling us to enjoy a calmer, more balanced and fulfilling, less stressed lifestyle.

Positive chi, the fundamental source of good feng shui, is invisible. Yet it is all around us, generated by every object we encounter and carried by the flow of air and water. We could not survive without air and people who are stressed or unwell actually need to breathe at least double the volume of air than needed by healthy people.

Trees and plants purify the air quality as they produce oxygen for us during the day whilst they mop up the carbon dioxide we discharge. Oxygen-rich environments give us a sense of euphoria, which quickly helps to de-stress us. So a stroll in a garden, the park, or any other natural landscape is both physically therapeutic and emotionally restorative. Consciously breathe slowly and deeply into your abdomen, filling your lungs then emptying them completely before taking the next breath. It automatically grounds our energy, discharges tension and connects us to harmonious natural vibrations, nourishing our aesthetic senses of beauty, form, colour and texture. Along the seashore or a tidal river bank or following a thunder storm, the negative ion -charged fresh air will have a similar relaxing, uplifting effect. For urban dwellers and busy people, such a walk may be an occasional pleasure rather than a daily experience.

The good news is that improving our indoor air quality is also hugely therapeutic - and easy to do. To start with, open your windows and doors every day if possible. That alone will bring in lots of fresh air to replenish the atmosphere, shifting stale air and stuck chi. Keep lots of healthy leafy indoor plants around you producing pure oxygen. Use a good air purifier, such as those produced by Daikin, that restores negative ions and healthy humidity levels and filters out airbourne pollutants, traffic fumes, germs and odours. You may be surprised how much better the air and your mood feels.

Unwind with Water

Water is the other vital basic element that affects our well being, When we get dehydrated we become too acid and an over-acid body leads to fatigue and stress, as well as potentially poor health. Drinking sufficient water helps us think more clearly and concentrate better because our brain tissue is mainly water, that means we can relax easier. In fact around two thirds of our body is made up of water. Water rejuvenates, hydrates and alkalises the body, helps to flush out waste products and toxins and improves cell function. Even drinking herb teas count too, but not so sugary soft drinks and alcohol. The simplest way to reap the benefits of good quality water is to use a water filter jug, or an installed filter system, that will remove excess chlorine and chemicals from tap water. It is best to use filtered water for all cold and hot drinks, cooking, washing produce, rinsing utensils and its also good for rinsing your hair. Whether your preference is a goldfish bowl, an indoor water feature, a garden fountain, a waterfall or babbling brook, the effect is positive, uplifting and relaxing. The melodic, gentle repetitive sound of moving water embraces the senses and evokes a feeling similar to enjoyable meditation, calming and replenishing the nervous system. Time stands still temporarily whilst you engage with its hypnotic effect and let your cares go.   When required in feng shui, moving water may be recommended to defend a property from oncoming harsh energy, or sha chi, another source of stress or misfortune. Placed in a specific location it can even help to bring abundance.

Sleep Well

Your bedroom is the most important room in your home for creating an environment in which your well-being has priority. It is supposed to be the place where you feel peaceful, nurtured and replenished, a sanctuary where you can let go of the day’s anxieties while you sleep. A sound night’s sleep is guaranteed to help you de-stress as deep healing takes place during night-time hours.   Make sure that you keep nothing upsetting or worrying in the bedroom, for instance your work, letters, other peoples possessions or things that remind you of a former relationship which is over now. A cool room is better than being too warm and anything you do to improve air quality will help you get a better night’s sleep. Decorate using warm yet soft subdued colours. Pale greens and lavenders are the most likely to induce a calm, sound sleep, then you may feel like lingering there in the morning because it is so relaxing. More than a small touch of red can keep you awake at night whilst too much blue might induce frigidity, so not conducive to stressless living. Now take a look at your bed; if it is too narrow, if the mattress is old, you are definitely ready for a new bed. A mattress without springs is preferable as the springs can become magnetised over time. A metal bed is not desirable for the same reason.   A natural latex mattress with organic wool and cotton covering is most agreeable. I will be glad to advise you where to obtain one. White bedlinen is usually the most peaceful to sleep in. Yellow sheets can stimulate your mind; even asleep it will work on solutions for projects or problems but you could feel exhausted when you wake up. And remember to change your pillows at least twice a year.

Making Space for Relaxation

A fundamental feng shui principle is that you keep around you only things that you use, need and cherish. Everything else is clutter. Clearing it improves communication and enables you move forward in your life without stale old energy obstructing your progress.With a busy life, clutter may tend to accumulate as you move on to the next thing that crops up. it is vital that you allocate some time to sort out the clutter. Once you clear it out, you will regain clarity and restore your personal vitality. With that in mind, it is much easier to discard things when you realize they are possibly holding you back. As soon as you let go, you make space for what you want to come in. Here are some tips: Start small - start with one drawer rather than a whole room or your entire home. Once you start you will feel different and want to tackle more. Make a deadline - it helps you focus and drives you to do more in the time you have. Ask yourself Will this add value to my life in any way? Or you could invite a 'clutter buddy' to help and ask you questions like "Are you sure you really need this?" Even if someone just listens to you talk to yourself and holds the bag that you fill, it can be really motivational.

Then there is your internal clutter. That needs clearing as well if you want to enjoy a better quality of life. There is no time like the present to begin. It is easy, or easier at least, if you are kind to yourself and nurture yourself as well as your surroundings. How can you truly relax when your internal dialogue is arguing, accusing, judging, fearful or regretting: don’t you deserve better than that? If you look around you its easy to see that there are lots of people who are worse off than you and happier with less, adjusting to their current life situations with a positive attitude. They make good role models. Letting go of what you don’t need mentally and what is not helping you or pleasing you emotionally will lead you closer to happiness. Take time to enjoy the moment and release outdated thoughts. With realistic ambitions and by giving your best, you will achieve your potential naturally once you focus on it and allow yourself more time to achieve your aims. What you need to help you declutter your mind is, quite simply, to enjoy an inspiring walk and breathe in the fresh air, drink fresh water and ……sleep well.

© Sylvia Bennett August 2010

There is a revolution growing in cities around the world. Vertical gardens - lush green living walls - are appearing; embracing the sides of tall buildings and structured faces, transforming drab urban environments into exciting flourishing, nourishing landscapes.

Vertical gardens are not just aesthetically appealing, beautiful living art forms. The astounding variety of plants that are happy to inhabit them create abundant new inner-city eco-systems. These growing, living surfaces provide charming natural habitats that encourage a biodiversity of wildlife, butterflies, birds and insects. Significantly they also improve the air quality around them, cool the 'concrete jungle' in summer through transpiration, absorb sound pollution and engage a sense of elated well-being in people.

Plants need only water, minerals and light, plus carbon dioxide for photosynthesis - and there is plenty of that available in urban surroundings. Many exotic plants like bromeliads, dendrobiums and scheffleras, also sedums, succulents, grasses, ground cover plants, ferns, euphorbias, and hundreds more varieties will actually thrive in these vertical environments. Their different foliage shapes, structures and colours make spectacular effects possible all year round. These stunning walls are usually constructed of lightweight steel mesh or louvred plastic membranes with damp glass wool or felt pockets in which the plants take root and grow hydroponically, having water and nutrients fed regularly through an irrigation system and ideally using rain or recycled water.

Their evolution during the mid-nineties was largely due to a visionary Frenchman. Patrick Blanc created the green transformation of many public buildings in Paris and elsewhere, changing their facades into striking green lush living art forms. Other living wall creators have been inspired by his amazing vertical gardens. Now these ecologically sustainable green walls are springing up all over the globe, in cities as far apart as Sydney, Stockholm, Mumbai, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Lisbon, Bangkok and London,

Probably the most impressive installation of all has taken place in London at the Greenwich Peninsula site of the circular O2, which now inhabits the old Millenium Dome. After it had been virtually abandoned for 5 years, the Dome acquired new owners who embarked on a two year development programme before they launched the new O2 in June 2007. Luckily for the O2, Alistair Barr, the architect involved in regenerating Peninsula Square in front of it, took a sensitive approach to the project.

He had a passionate feeling to include some soft landscaping that would define the Square and separate it from the acres of tarmac and deserted land that stretched beyond the development. So in his innovative design, he incorporated a gently curved 120 metres long and 5 metres high beautiful vertical garden with six elegant water shutes running down it at intervals. This growing, green living wall extends from near the subway exit to a point ahead of the O2 entrance door, bordering the open space of the Square and guiding thousands of visitors harmoniously towards the venue's door.

It transpires rather fortunately that the O2 entrance door faces Southeast (145 degrees) and the water-nourished vertical garden faces North (340 - 05 degrees) and the relationship between both has a positive significance. The living wall supports the venue; it gathers the energised air coming from the river Thames that flows round the building’s far side, effectively returning this beneficial chi towards the entrance. Previously much of that value was lost, because it simply drained away over the extended wasteland.

The other meaningful focal point of Peninsula Square, which opened to the public just in time for the launch of the O2, is an exciting trio of geysers that send plumes of water ten metres high into the air. They are set in the paving in line with the entrance door, which means that the venue can reap the benefit that such positively located water brings. Alongside them, an iconic slender spire extends upwards to the height of the tallest new structure in the proposed ten year surrounding development plan, its tip disappearing in the sky as if uniting heaven and earth. Man, in the form of visitors to the site, completes the trilogy which is fundamental to feng shui..

The architect was unaware of the power of feng shui principles when he planned his design, yet an innate 'understanding' must have been involved. Couple these positive influences with the business expertise of the new owners. No wonder the Millennium Dinosaur has metamorphosed into one of the most successful entertainment venues in Europe.

c Sylvia Bennett May 2009 First published in the Feng Shui Magazine Summer 2009