Romance is in the air - especially during the month of February. But for many people, romantic relationships seem unattainable or current love connections lack the sparks they once created. Feng Shui, the ancient art of object placement to enhance energy flow through a space, is gain-ing attention as a powerful tool for improving all kinds of relationships.
"Feng Shui can make a marked difference in people's lives," says Linda Binns, founder of the Feng Shui Success Institute and author of Feng Shui for Your Relationships: Changing Your Envi-ronment to Create Better Relationships. "But before you start moving things around or making changes to your environment, it's important to clarify exactly what you want to change."
Binns notes that this process, which she calls "setting your intention," is a crucial first step that will guide your subsequent actions. " Perhaps you want to strengthen or rekindle the flame of an existing relationship. Perhaps you want to attract an exciting new romantic partner to your life. Perhaps you want to find a life partner with which to share the future. While there can be a variety of issues or scenarios, it is important to begin by considering your current situation and recognizing what you would like to change."
After setting a clear intention, Binns recommends a variety of actions that can enhance the flow of positive energy in the home, creating a more conducive environment in which to achieve your desires. A few of her basic tips include:
* To symbolize a close relationship, it is important to position decorative items in pairs. For in-stance, display a painting of a couple, place two ornaments together, or hang two pictures that form a set. Two flowers in a vase or two stuffed animals beside one another are other examples of pairs that you can place in your environment.
* If you already have a partner whom you wish to become closer to, it is important to display photos that feature you as a couple. Pictures of you with your partner and other individuals, whether family or friends, symbolize your propensity to give up time as a couple in order to become part of a larger group.
* Clutter and other distractions in the bedroom, such as exercise equipment, a television, work-related items or a computer, serves to bring unwanted distractions into your relationship. Your bedroom should be a sanctuary that feels romantic and invites you to spend time with your loved one.
* Make sure that the side of your bed is not against a wall because this position symbolizes only one way in and out of the bed and indicates that there is room for only one person.
* When you make your bed, keep it relatively uncluttered and create a space that will easily ac-commodate a couple.
* Master bedrooms ideally feature warm, soothing colors, such as cream, taupe, cocoa, or shades with a red or pink base. Such warm bedroom colors represent warm, close relationships.
* When you remove clutter, don't move anything to a storage box under your bed. People store all kinds of things under the bed - fire extinguishers, ladders, guns, papers, books, exercise equipment and more. Remember that, based on the principles of Feng Shui, energy should freely flow throughout a space, including under the bed.
* Large bedrooms should feature cozy, intimate nooks, such as sitting areas. Again, creating an intimate space reflects an intimate relationship.
Binns says that these are among the basic steps that help set the stage for romance. She details these and other strategies in her new book and offers specific guidelines on which portions of a home are especially important when seeking to create or improve various types of relationships.
"Let's face it, our relationships do not always go as smoothly as we would like," she says. "Whether we're dealing with our partner, children, coworkers, friends or even mailman, our interactions with others can be tricky. As we struggle to make things work, often spending con-siderable time and emotional energy to figure out why certain relationships seem so difficult, many people fail to look at their environment as a factor in the way they manifest their lives. Yet for those who become familiar with the principles and practice of Feng Shui, the results can be remarkable. "
Linda Binns shows you how to be more successful in all areas of your life by working with your environment. Get FREE Feng Shui Success Secrets. These powerful and practical secrets can help you transform your life. Go to www.fengshuiexplained.com now.
Linda Binns is author of Feng Shui for Your Relationships: Changing Your Environment to Create Better Relationships. She has been a Feng Shui Practitioner, Author, Speaker and teacher for over 10 years. She has appeared internationally on television and radio and in local publications. Linda is also the founder of The Feng Shui Success Institute – which teaches in-depth Feng Shui training and practitioner certification.