The Bagua map is used in Feng Shui to determine the different locations in your home that affect different areas in your life.
Always hold the bagua with the blue, black and gray areas next to your body, and stand on the front door of your home or apartment. Superpose this map to the layout of your home to find out where each area is. Keep in mind that not all homes or apartments are a perfect square or rectangle, so there is a chance of having missing areas.
So even if your property is L-shaped, try to fit it inside the square of the bagua map to determine what areas are missing, if any are missing at all.

But don't let a difficult floor plan deter you from your plans to start using Feng Shui. You can apply all the Feng Shui principles in a room by room basis, while you understand a bit more about the layout of your home. Choose the right colors and the right elements for each area and remember to keep a balance of all the elements as much as you can.

So, you've been hearing about Feng Shui and you are curious, but whenever you go to the bookstore to check books about it you stop on the third page because it all seems so complicated. But you have that nagging doubt that if you try it maybe something will change. I have many friends that think like that. They open the books, take a look at the compass, the Ba Gua map, North, South, all the elements…. mind boggling. Well, it's really not, but if you at least want to get your feet wet, let me give you some easy to follow guidelines that will get you started, then, if you feel a positive change, you might dare to really follow the philosophy and start living your Life With Feng Shui.

I'm not saying that Feng Shui is so easy anybody can do it, it has a certain level of complexity, but it's not unattainable. However, what I'm going to give you here is the very basics, the least you can do to start off feng shuing your life.

Clean out your clutter

This is unavoidable. And you have probably being avoiding it for weeks, months, years, but if you don't get to it, the energy in your life will really keep suffering. I cannot tell you how much your life will improve with just this little change! I'm not going to get into what areas of your house you need to clear of clutter, because the number one rule of Feng Shui is that clutter should not exist anywhere in your environment. No, not even if it's locked away in the attic or the garage.

If you get curious and decide to check out the Ba Gua map and see what area of your life that attic or garage affects, you might be surprised. One example is a friend of mine who had never done Feng Shui in her life, but one day I was talking to her about it and she had mentioned she had been trying to get pregnant for years. So I asked her to draw me a blueprint of her house and as it turned out, her garage, otherwise known as the "space to keep everything we are not using in no particular order", was smack in the middle of her Family Area. After many fights with her husband who was not in the mood to clear the garage, they finally did it… and her son is now 3 years old.

Your Plumbing

Think of water as money. Water is directly related to wealth in Feng Shui. When you say your money is going "down the drain", you might be saying an enormous truth. Every drain in your house is a possible way for you money to escape. If any of your faucets or showers have a leak, that's money going down the drain. Your plumbing is the conduit of wealth in your home. With every leak, you are losing money.
You can keep your shower drains covered when you are not using them, and pull up the drain stopper in your bathroom faucets as much as you can, but, the largest drain of energy in your home is… the toilet.  Men, you might think that this is a woman's invention to get you to keep the lid down, but the truth is that in Feng Shui, one of the most important things you can do is to keep the lid down in every toilet in your house, ALWAYS! Again, if you get curious and check the Bagua map, you might even find that your bathroom is in the Wealth Area, but an open toilet in any area, will drain the energy that corresponds to that area.

Your Bedroom

Make sure your bed does not face the door directly. You have to be able to see the door when you are in bed, but not straight ahead of you. Also try to have a headboard for support, especially if the only way to place your bed is under a window. In this case, a big headboard is advisable. You can make one with a piece of wood, some fabric and a stapler or get a cheap one at a garage sale or  a second hand store.

Mirrors

I never understood what the big deal is when you go to buy or rent a place and they tell you it has mirrored wardrobes in the bedroom! It's the worst Feng Shui! Mirrors are used to enhance energy, so if you have these huge mirrors in your bedroom at night, you will not rest. Do an experiment and for a night, cover your mirrors with a sheet or a blanket. See how you sleep that night. It's alright to have them during the day, but at night, you can install a rod so you can draw curtains and cover the closet's doors.

Broken Stuff

Anything that is not working as it should is bad Feng Shui. Your energy will always be adversely affected whenever you have something in your house that doesn't work. It can be a light bulb in the basement… change it. All those watches that are kept in a drawer and that you've been meaning to buy batteries for… the worse! That old refrigerator that's sitting in the garage… get rid of it. The broken printer that's been sitting in your home office for weeks… fix it or give it away.  This is something you can feel. Whenever you walk past something that "you've been meaning to fix", you heart skips a beat. You spend even a tenth of a second feeling the bad energy that brings to you.  So if for nothing else, fix or get rid of all the broken stuff in your home in the name of Feng Shui.

Things you Hate

This is the perfect excuse you were looking for to get rid of that awful picture your mother in law gave you last year. You have to love everything you see in your home! Everything that you posses has to bring a warm feeling to your life, or it shouldn't be there at all. If you don't love it, get rid of it. This is the best way to get rid of clutter. If you have to keep the picture because your mother in law will have a fit if she doesn't see it… well, keep it neatly in the garage or the attic and bring it out when she visits.

Cacti

Another friend of mine was a total skeptic. I saw him unloading a huge cactus from his truck and asked him what happened. He said he was bringing stuff from his office because a friend at work stabbed him in the back and he lost his job. I asked him where that cactus was placed in his office, he said, "Right behind me". Are you getting the picture? Sharp needles… stabbed in the back… He started to get intrigued by this philosophy, so, I decided to give him a few Feng Shui pointers. I explained to him how having cacti inside the home or office is really bad Feng Shui. These should go outside, by the windows or doors, they are great protection, but never inside.

Your Home Office

This same friend was now going to need a home office to start looking for a new job, so I made sure I explained to him how his back should never be towards the door. He had to make sure he could see the door from where he was sitting. If he couldn't he should place a mirror in front of him so he could see the door in the reflection. He called a few days later to tell me how impressed he was because after doing everything I told him, he started getting phone calls for jobs and he is now a very successful freelancer.

Your Front Door

Take a look at your front door from outside. Does it look inviting? Is it covered with clutter? Is it dark? Positive energy will look at your door in the same way, and if it doesn't look inviting, it won't come in. Clear your entrance of any clutter, if it's dark, add a light. Use a wind chime to create a relaxing sound and call in the good energy. A nice plant. If you can, paint your front door red!

Now take a look at the front door from inside. Does the door open freely? Is it cluttered? I think by now you are getting the idea. See? No compass, no elements, no difficult stuff. Just the basics.

So, if you are not going to do anything else, at least keep these few things in mind. You will notice slight changes in your life that will make you want more, and believe me, this will be just the beginning.

People consciously or unconsciously judge our personality through our cars. Be honest, you do it too. If someone you are meeting arrives in a dirty car with “Wash Me” written on the window, your opinion of that person is affected at least a tiny bit, right? I once had a date with a terribly handsome guy, whom I’d only seen at friends’ houses and other places. That day he came to pick me up in his car, and before I could get in he had to clear out a bunch of wrappers from the passenger seat and throw a couple of empty water bottles to the back seat, where they bounced on a pile of old newspapers. Once inside the car, I could smell the dirt, the cigarettes, the old hamburger wrapper that was hiding somewhere in there, and who knows what else. Suddenly, he didn’t seem so handsome to me. Yes, the car can reflect our personality, or give the wrong idea of it.

But the negative energy of a car like the one I described, does not only affect a potential mate, it affects you, the driver, as well. Applying Feng Shui can increase your sense of clarity and protection, and even help prevent road rage by keeping you serene while you drive. The chi that flows within our car is created by the elements inside it, and we need to keep them balanced t contains to manage the positive or negative qualities and chi.

Where to start?

Wash your car. A dirty car would reject the positive flow of chi and that could affect you as well as your driving capabilities. Have not only a clean exterior, but a clear and clean interior as well. Clutter in your car is just as bad as clutter in your house, even worse, since the space is so much smaller. Chi should flow freely and positively. Keep unnecessary objects out of your car; the proper flow of chi will not only affect your personality in a positive way, but will also help you while driving.

The windows are the eyes of the car, so keep them very clean, insulated and in good condition. In Feng Shui, windows are supposed to give you a clear view of your path through life. Clean windows allow positive energy to enter from outside, and it also helps your visibility on the road.

The maintenance of your vehicle is very, very important, and I’m not only talking about Feng Shui here. Your car is an investment and you have to treat it as such. A well maintained car will give you peace of mind and a relaxed driving experience.

Check the electric system, the nervous system of your car.

Check the fuel lines and hoses and keep them clean, that’s the digestive system of the car.

The heating and air conditioning systems are the respiratory system of the car, and if you keep them working efficiently, you will be saving a lot of money in the long run, and you’ll be cool or warm when you need to be.

As the doors in your house, the car doors have to open freely. Avoid the frustration of having to struggle even before you start your trip.

Your car is not a trash can. Imagine the chaotic energy that old newspapers, wrappers, bottles, cans, old food and unpleasant smells can create? You’ve felt the difference in the energy of your car when it’s just been washed and cleaned inside. Why do we like the smell and feel of a brand new car?

The best element for a car is water. Water is flowing, smooth and clear. You should carry a bottle of water in your car, and drink it if you’re thirsty, not just leave the bottle there for the water to

Keep It Clean

stagnate.

They say that sprinkling sea salt on the floor of your car can absorb negativity; just be sure to clean it out often. Other non-Feng Shui, but effective methods of clearing out negativity in your car include keeping a bundle of dried sage in the car. I like to use my favorite incense in my car, but I’m careful not to leave an overwhelming smell. That would work against me.

Dragons are very powerful figures in Feng Shui. They protect you and bring you luck, so place a small dragon sticker or picture somewhere inconspicuous in your car, or a small dragon figure or stuffed animal on the dashboard.

Even when you are traveling fast, it is a good idea to stay grounded. Stones and crystals are great for this purpose. Put a stone in your glove compartment or a crystal hanging from your rear view mirror.

Remember to apply these principles to the place you keep your car in as well by using the bagua.

Don’t you think that Feng Shui sounds a lot like common sense? Drive safely.