Feng Shui Articles:
TIPS & INFORMATION ON THE ART OF FENG SHUI

By now most anyone who has kept current at all with the popular media is aware that it is believed by not only the general populous but also by the medical community that having a pet can significantly impact the quality of a person’s life.

In a world where an ever increasing number of individuals live long distances from family and life long friends, a pet can provide a source of unconditional acceptance some people may not be able to find elsewhere. Our pets don’t care how much we earn, what we drive or who we voted for in the last presidential election. As long as we care for them- they care for us. If only every relationship could be so easy!

In caring for our pets we can experience an increased sense of grounding and daily order. We know our beloved creatures depend on us to feed them and to provide them with an appropriate living environment. And, in providing our pets with such things we are not only giving to them we are also giving to ourselves. You see happy well cared for pets are phenomenal Chi generators. With every breath and with every movement our beloved well cared for pets help circulate life energy all around.

The key to the Chi affect of our pets lies in how we care for our animals. Just as a neglected household item in need of repair sends out negative Chi so does a neglected pet or houseplant. In Feng Shui the interconnectivity of things is highly honored. What we do to our possessions, pets, and to our loved ones thus comes back to us. Therefore, it is better to down size one’s responsibilities than to neglect one’s responsibilities.

Applying this to pets calls us to be being mindful of our lifestyle and home environment prior to embarking on bringing any pet home to live with us. Before making a cat, dog, fish or bird a member of the family and part of our environment we need to truly examine whether we are 100% committed to providing all that such a creature might need for healthy living. Such resource commitments might entail time, money, or lifestyle adjustments.

Consider the situation of a puppy purchased to be a pet and guard dog that is locked outside on an apartment balcony almost all day and all night. The puppy whimpers for affection all night long in a section of your home energy grid neglected and sad. The puppy joyfully bounces with life when let out to play. However most of it’s time is spent alone and neglected. What kind of energy is the pet providing in such a family’s home? Then think of what kind of energy you might be creating by treating your puppy so badly that it is disturbing your neighbor’s sleep.

What of the cat that is never taken in to the vet to get it’s feline shots and is not provided with clean liter box facilities? What of the fish swimming around in dirty tank that no one has gotten around to cleaning? Now most of us hopefully do not neglect our animals. Yet, it is apparent that at times some people sign on for a pet that requires much more care and time than they were willing to commit to. Once this happens a major decision on how to handle this must be made. There are plenty of resources to help a person avoid such a thing. The Internet, bookstores and public libraries are great sources of information on pet care and pet needs. I encourage anyone thinking of any type of pet to do some research first not only on the type of pet but also on the supplier of the desired pet.

Now I had not given a whole lot of thought to pets and Chi energy being a single person living in an apartment complex that requires a $200 nonrefundable pet fee. Then by chance, I had a shoulder injury. I had been on a date at Greenlake Park in Seattle and fell while the crossing the road. I of course, did not let go of my Latte despite the fall because at $4 a cup the stuff is way too expensive to let fall to the ground. (So instead I faced a $600 medical bill.) While at the hospital I was to find that my doctor felt uncomfortable giving me pain medication since I was so far away from home and he feared I might have auto accident if I took the medication and then drove. I was given about 15 minutes to try to find a friend’s house to crash at in the area. So I made a few calls and ended up staying with two guys I had met through a friend.

I was not in the home of these two friends long before I realized they had an incredible luck with not only their plants but also with their animals as well. It seems their fish had lived about 1 ½ times the average life expectancy and showed no sign of expiring any time soon. Their various other pets seemed to generously dot their home. To these two gentlemen their pets were like their children. And, the “children” seemed to know they were loved and cherished - bouncing joy into every corner. It seemed so touching and sweet to see such tenderness expressed between the pets and their owners. Yet, I still did not understand the effects a well-loved pet can really have on a person until I tried to go to sleep that night.

Lying in bed trying to get to sleep while my pain killers did very little to numb the shooting pain, I fell into severe despair at the thought I might never be able to get to sleep. I continued in this state for hours on. Then, the 13 year old cat made it’s way into the room I was sleeping in, jumped in bed and sat itself right on my chest. Being more than slightly allergic to cats; this was not ideal. However, I decided to resign myself to the fact that the cat just wanted some affection and how much would it really hurt to pet it since it was already sitting on me shedding. Next the cat started to purr this deep whole body purr that sounded like a small little jet engine. It’s whole body vibrated against me and I found that something unexpected was occurring. For some reason the pain in my shoulder lessened to the point I was actually able to get some sleep. I was able to rest for about 5 hours after the cat’s purring it’s way into my heart. The pain in my shoulder was to return with a fury and I remained in pain until 9 days later when it was determined that the shoulder was out of place and was popped back into it’s socket properly. Now it might have been just the soothing effect of the animal purring that impacted me so. But, I really had to wonder if maybe it wasn’t also a heavy dose of loving Chi energy shared between us as well.

© Desiree A. Krautkramer