Balance Your Life with the Bagua

It’s summer.  For a teacher, summer means renewal and balance. 

Here are 8 ways to balance your life with the bagua.

I’m not reinventing the wheel.  I’m giving you the bagua—the ancient Chinese octagon.  Summer, in the bagua, represents the south, and heaven.  Oh, yes!   

The 8-sided bagua can be used to map 8 areas of your life.  If one area is in deficit, it needs attention to balance your spirit—and what better time than summer? 

1)      Health and balance – Take inventory of your health and habits.

2)      Wealth and abundance – Review your finances and choices for investing in your future.

3)      Fame and future – Be seen and appreciated for who you really are.

4)      Love and relationships – Reboot your “honeymoon,” or look for love in the right places.

5)      Creativity and children – Give generously to the next generation.

6)      Compassion and Travel – Think about other people and places.

7)      Self and Work – Manifest your unique gifts.

8)      Knowledge and Harmony – Find out something new and important.

Does one of these areas need attention?  Here’s a great way to remind yourself to pay attention.  It’s borrowed from the Chinese tradition of Feng Shui, which refers to the flow of energy through space.

Look at your favorite room.   Overlay the 8-sided bagua onto its floor plan, with fame in the south.  In the area you wish to focus, place an object you love.  Your object can be anything: a seashell, a jewel, a photo, flower or statue.  Whenever you see your object, let it remind you to “Go deeper here!”

I hope you’re in the middle of a wonderful summer!  And I hope you’ll emerge renewed, refreshed, and a bit more balanced.