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Krista: [00:00:00] Patricia, I'm really happy to have you on the Secret Mom Hacks podcast today. Let's talk all about what you do. Let's talk all about feng shui for parents and busy families, like we were saying before we hit record. Mamas, especially, we need all the help we can get when it comes to having calmness and serenity and organization in our homes.

So let's just get this out of the way in simplest terms. Tell us what feng shui is and how you became interested in it.

Patricia: I like to describe feng shui as acupuncture for your home. It's about having a home that is healthy and vibrant and the energy flows well. And when you translate feng shui from its like characters into English, it means good health and good harvest.

And essentially feng shui is all about. Like having a happy, healthy, wealthy home. So isn't that what we all want? And when we start with the [00:01:00] foundations of the shui, it means that like a lot of the times it's being misunderstood. And it's like, it's about placing of furniture or being a minimalist.

And for me, it's not that it's about when people say to me, how do I know if a house is feng? good or bad feng shui. I'm like, what's going on in your life? Like, how are your kids getting on in school? How are they getting on together with you? How are you and your partner getting on? Like what's happening with your bank account, your relationship, your career?

Because essentially your, the feng shui of your home is a mirror for what's happening on in. Happening in your life. And if it's not, it's the same with acupuncture in your body. If you're healthy and you're vibrant and everything's good, your body is in great shape and all healthy and vibrant, like you feel great.

You wake up, you have energy. It's all good. It's the same with your house. It's just a mirror. So that's how I like to explain feng shui, how I got into it was actually since I was like 15 and my parents, [00:02:00] we moved house several times when I was growing up, but we moved into one particular house about 15 when I was at 15.

Literally, it just was like a nightmare. Like we were living in one house and we were all like pretty good. There was nothing major happening, like no, no major drama though. We were, we got on well, our health was all fine. And then we moved into this particular house and it was. And this is really important, I think, because it was like the dream home.

It was in like the best neighborhood. It was the most aesthetically beautiful house that people would come in and go, wow, this is your house. Like it was stunning. Yet, everything on the, in everything kind of on a, from a personal level was falling apart. Like my mom was really sick. There was lots of health issues with like mental health, loads of health issues with everybody.

There was a lot of legal things that started like all these neighbors and legal battles and legal [00:03:00] suits. And it was like, what just happened? Like this was not happening in when we lived in this other house. And ironically that house is really good for money. So my parents business is doing great, but like everybody in the house.

This was just like really like struggling. So for some reason I found Feng Shui and I think, I always loved that saying when the student ready, the teacher appears. And it was a bit like that for me. I was like, I don't know. I just ended up watching it on TV or something, getting books about it and asking my parents to hire someone like, and they were not into this.

They were like, whatever. But they were like, we'll do anything. Like it was like desperate, we will do anything to see what is going on because this is not normal. And it definitely did make a difference. So that was kind of the start for me. And then into my late twenties, after I quit my job and had gone to India, had like spiritual awakening, I used Feng Shui to call in my husband.

And then my own clients started saying, well, how did you meet your husband? And I would be working with them. I worked as a holistic therapist, helping them, [00:04:00] release trauma, get like clear themselves, become happier, healthier, brighter. And yet they were going back to the same hat to their house.

So they never seemed to kind of. Jump to the next level. I was like, what is going on? They're like happy leaving and they feel great for a few days, but then it's like gone again. So what's the missing piece of the jigsaw. And it's like, okay, it's their home because it didn't matter what they were doing on the inside.

Like they were eating great. I had like. This one woman that was like eating the best diet, going to acupuncture regularly, doing health exercise, like you name it, like the list of everything you could possibly imagine doing. But she still just wasn't like thriving. And eventually she turned, she's like, you're doing that feng shui now.

And I had like trained and I was doing, just doing it as a hobby for myself. I wanted to do a deeper for my own house. With my husband and she's like, I was like, okay, I'll come to your house. And I just walked in and I was like, Oh, this is what it is. Her energy is [00:05:00] changing, but her house isn't. So it's like it's remained completely stagnant, nothing had changed, yet she was.

So it's just creating this like tug of war energetically between her and her home. That's

Krista: how I got into it. That's really fascinating. Yeah. I

Patricia: love that. Well, are there, are there

Krista: common misconceptions about feng shui that you... tend to encounter with other people and how would you clarify those?

Patricia: So first of all, feng shui was brought, is like a 5, 000 year old practice and it was brought from the from the east to the west and obviously when something is that ancient and it can be disseminated in different ways.

So there's various different schools of feng shui and oftentimes it's the one that a lot of people will say to me, well, where there's a school of feng shui that uses the compass, which is the one that I use. And we basically assign that every house has its own unique energy. So it's just like every person is unique.

It's like me and you, we would go in and [00:06:00] we could say the exact same thing to an acupuncturist and they would be like, they treat us differently because we're different energies, different body type, different color, like different, different energies. Yeah. Yeah. So there's that philosophy. First of all, every house is treated uniquely versus they kind of, there's a generic one that's like McDonald's versus like, I don't know, organic, farm bed, holistic, like five star Michelin restaurant, you're just like totally talking chis.

And then the other thing is that it's about like moving furniture or like decluttering and having like a clean, clear, like empty house. And especially like a lot of moms would feel nervous about the idea of feng shui because they're thinking, Oh my God, my house is like a mess. Like you can't, I couldn't start, like I need to clean, like keeping it tidy is hard enough than like actually trying to dive into feng shui.

And for me, it's really differentiating between like what is clutter and what is life in your house, so and, and what is like having a perfectly [00:07:00] tidy house, isn't like good, isn't necessarily good feng shui. Like it makes you feel better when everything is tidy and cleared. But if the kid's playroom is like a complete bombshell.

But they've just been playing in it and they're using it and it's moving and flowing. That's called life. So I don't like, I could go into a family's home and see the toys everywhere. I'm like, well, that's totally fine. Or the dishes on the counter or the laundry and the laundry basket that's there for like a few days.

But ultimately the kids are going to keep playing, the laundry is going to get done, the counter is going to get cleaned. That's. Not bad feng shui. That's just life. So don't like tag it in a negative way and feel like it's gonna, it's bad feng shui because it's moving. What for me is more like when we want to think about feng shui from a perspective of like movement and flow is the storage containers full of boxes of toys belonging to the kids that have been there for six months, eight months, a year that aren't being touched.

And haven't [00:08:00] been touched and are not going to be touched because that's creating stagnancy and where we create stagnancy if there's stagnancy in the body, it creates disease. If there's stagnancy in your home, it's creating disharmony in the home, depending on the different area of your home. It reflects into your life.

That's one of the big misconceptions that I hear. And no, you don't have to move house. You don't have to move your kitchen. Like when, when I work with people with feng shui, we work with the house that you've got, there's some things that are going to be good feng shui, others are going to be bad. Like I worked with a client today, we've been working together for years.

As I said to her in her brand new home, that is literally out of a magazine, I was like, there's some that are good. Some parts are going to be good and you're never going to get a perfect one. And there's stuff that's not great Feng Shui in her house, but then there's other parts that are great.

So we'll just always be like, how can we improve what we've got and work what we've got? So, if things are broken or not working or old, in your house. Like people are like, I [00:09:00] need a new kitchen or a new bathroom. It's going to be good feng shui. That's not going to be the fundamental thing that's causing like your relationship to be like in a, in a difficult scenario or your kids to be fighting.

Like it's not the decor. So hopefully that's some of the misconceptions.

Krista: I appreciate that. Differentiation between life and then the clutter and kind of the organization of things how, how can parents use feng shui principles to, to create that harmonious nurturing environment for their for their families.

Patricia: The first thing I would say is it starts with intention, so when we start with our homes, it's about noticing our home. So oftentimes when we're just like busy, we're like running in, we're, we're not noticing where our home is like feeling where there's. Like friction points in our house, because we're so [00:10:00] unconscious of them.

Like we're, it's just like, you'd get in the car, you drive the car. So you get in your house, you walk around your house, you don't see the things that are absolutely, that can be distorting or blocking the energy. So the first thing is like building the, getting the awareness of like, your house has an energy type.

It has a personality and. There's going to be places that are going to not be great. So for example, like start at the front door. When you're walking up towards your house, how do you feel? Do you feel excited? Does it feel light? When you walk up, you look up the paving. Is there all weeds? Is it overgrown?

What does the welcome mat say? I've been to houses where the welcome mat says, welcome to the crazy house. Everything is intentional. Welcome home with a beautiful, well, like rainbow on it. You want it, you want to take care of your home like you do your kids, and it will take care of you back.

But oftentimes it just gets neglected. So the first thing is where can you start to bring some TLC and attention and love to your home? So I always like [00:11:00] starting at the front door because it is the mouth of your house and it's where the energy comes in. So if you don't feed yourself. You get hungry and you starve.

If your house doesn't have energy coming into it, it's going to starve too. And there's no chi. So, but you want it to be welcoming. So clean the front door, have a little welcome sign, make sure the doorbell works, make sure the light bulbs are fixed. So a lot of mirroring things.

So say for example, a door that's stiff or stiff or jams like that can often be like there's like a, there's a struggle with getting everything, getting things happening, bringing things in new opportunities. And when we talk about energy, it's not just this fluffy thing that floats around the place.

It's money. It is opportunities. It is good luck. It's all the things. So it's like life coming in. So we want to bring it in. So I like that start of the front door. If you can, clean your windows, it's the eyes of your home. So you can see what's coming, see what's going, see where you're going, have that sense of clarity.

And when you come [00:12:00] into your house, like really come into a sense of connecting with it and be like, how do I feel when I walk in here? What's the first thing I see? Do my spirits rise or fall? Like even just noticing that is going to be like, wow. God, I don't have the best relationship with this at this home, and for me with this is almost like a sense of like slowing down with your house and having fresh eyes and a brand new set of eyes that you're like, what's the first thing I see?

Is it all of the kids shoes everywhere and coats hanging? And, does it kind of like come in on top of you? And if it does, it's like, okay, what can I do here? Can I get a storage container and get all the shoes put in here? So it just feels clearer. What's the pieces of art in the hallway?

I like to encourage people in your hallways to have family photos. So it's encouraging that relation and connections with your family. And then. Then think about each room in terms of the purpose [00:13:00] of the room. So for example, like the living room or, the room that you want everyone to be in or spend quality time together.

Having that space dedicated to that, so that means like no work stuff in there. Having it with just like pictures of your family, things that you want to do with your family there. So if it's like you want to spend more time with your kids, playing board games or doing jigsaws. Have them in that area.

You like create that area to be assigned to it. And then in like the dining room, making sure that it's like the table is clear and there's space for everyone to sit together, really start to focus on the, From a feng shui perspective, every part of your home represents a different part of your life, but from a, and that's much more detailed.

And it's something that I teach in my mini course and in my courses and programs, but from like a general perspective is like, look at the function of the room and then dedicate and bring some more awareness into it. Like, does this piece of art represent what I want to see happen in this In [00:14:00] this area and that's a really big one.

So for, I have this example our, we live here in Greece in the summers and our friend down the road at Nigel has a beautiful home. And I always just giggle when I go into his living room, because he has this huge painting that he commissioned of the boat party. It's a famous Renoir painting.

And it has, and actually when it was, he was depicting, it had pictures of him and his children, like. Their face is kind of put in as the people. It's super cute. It's, it's amazing. it looks like a masterpiece. Anyways, I just laugh because every time we end up going to their home, we're either at a party or on his boat, but like in his room, in his home, he has a picture of that boat party.

And I'm like, it's just synonymous. With what's happening in his life and in his, in the general area. It's like a very party group gathering kind of energy. So what do you want? Like, it's not about getting a picture of the boat [00:15:00] party in your house. It's about like, what do you want in these areas?

And, and thinking about that and bringing things in that symbolize that into each space.

Krista: As you're talking about all of this, I am mentally walking through my house.

We moved into this house about two and a half years ago. And you're so busy with life and just getting moved in and like just getting everything into its spot. Knowing that where things land may or may not be their ultimate destination, but, but it could be. And so if, if things have been sitting somewhere for a certain amount of time, it's like, well, is that clutter or is that is that life?

How is that? That stack of things serving you and oh, yes, it's good stuff.

Patricia: It's really good stuff. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. And, and this is it. It's just this looking at everything and, and also like, as you were talking, one of my favorite things to say to [00:16:00] people is that. Your home can either be like a vision board for your future or a shrine to your past.

So if you moved in everything from two and a half years ago, and it's old paintings that you had bought whenever, old cabinets, books, all of that stuff. It's kind of like, oh, there's the bookshelf. I'm just gonna stack all the books up there. Cause that's where the books go. And then, but you actually look at the books and be like, am I ever going to read that book again?

I'm never going to read that book. Am I ever like that book? No. Oh my God. That was a terrible book. . And this is where we just kind of take things for granted and especially things like books or old course notes or things.

Oh, I might need it sometimes, but sometime, but really, are you going to need it? And then just thinking about it being there, creating stagnancy and, and just not like, It could be in the hands of someone that really needs it as well. I had a lady interview me the other day and she's a tutor for other child psychologists.

And she's like all these notes and all these things and all this stuff. And she's like, it's been [00:17:00] stocked here for like two years. They're, they're there. And I was like, imagine, this information could be in hands of, people that really need it. And she's like, My students need this.

Oh my God, I have the exact place that it needs to go to. Yes, that's it. So those books and those core, it's about movement and flow. So, and when you start realizing and being well, if I make space in the bookshelves, it's going to make space for new things, new opportunities, but also that the artwork that you bought like five years ago that came with you from this house to this house to this house that you just had, so that it just got hung up is like.

How do I feel about this? Do I, do I even like it? Does, does my partner like it? Do my kids? What do you think? Does this make you feel happy? And they'll probably try to go, Oh my God, I actually hate that. But nobody ever discussed it or whatever. And it's impacting your energy.

It's impacting you on a kind of very subtle level. And we may as well have things that are going to like help manifest. So in our house when [00:18:00] art came into the biggest forefront for me around my, and since then it's just been so humongous for my clients as well was Ken and I had moved in together and, he had never decorated the master bedroom.

So we just kind of ended up in another room and we were redecorating the master bedroom. So at the end of our bed, there was like this beautiful wall for a piece of art. And I was like, well, it's our, it's our bedroom. I want to have something that really resonates with like love and relationships. I want a picture of a couple.

So I went, I just kind of left and for me, I'm a fan of like leaving the wall blank until the right thing unfolds as opposed to like rushing to find a piece. I'm like the perfect piece is going to come for this. So I found this picture in such a random place one day and I was like, that's it.

Didn't take too much notice of the rest of the picture. I was really focused on the couple holding hands. It reminded me of our first date. And the girl in the picture had a coat like I had. And I was like, Oh, lovely. It's just like our first date. So [00:19:00] lovely picture at the end of our bed. I'm not kidding you.

And then within six weeks, my friend had come to visit Mari.

And I was like, what? The woman in the picture had a little dog. And from hanging the picture up and her visiting, I ended up adopting a little dog. And he was identical to the picture. So you're thinking about vision boards. This was like completely unconscious. So that was so fun and all of a sudden I was on this track with it.

And now pretty much. Every two months I have a call reviewing client's artwork with them because you just have to be careful. Is this what you want in your life? Is this the vision? one lady, we walked into her home in her family area. She had this massive family portrait and it was beautiful.

And I said, that's a really beautiful picture of your family. And she's like, Oh man, we just had had the biggest fight before [00:20:00] that picture was taken. And what, that was the reason she was hiring me because her son and her husband just couldn't get on, very difficult, tense relationship. And I'm like, well, right smack bang in the family area, the first thing you saw when you walk into their home was this massive picture of them after a huge argument and you're like, okay, get the picture out, but you never think that because everyone probably goes, it was a lovely picture, but all she got every day and everybody was getting every day was that energy and that tension in the picture.

So when you start becoming more conscious. of your space and what's on your walls and what you're keeping in your home, it really starts to change things and you start to think about what I want and what do I want and what do I want for my family and how do I want us to feel? How do I want this space to look?

Krista: I'm just sitting here thinking, Oh my goodness, I now have so many projects around my house. Oh my

Patricia: It's not. And this is something also. No, it's good. Enjoy it. Yeah, enjoy it. Like, [00:21:00] yes, this is an amazing journey.

[END OF EPISODE]

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