By Kathryn Weber
The White Tiger in feng shui represents the west or right hand side of our homes (as you look out the front door). The White Tiger is associated with courage, protection and dignity.
The White Tiger brings good luck and fortune when it is represented by a small rise on the right side of the house and is most often associated with the compass direction of west. It is the yin to a dragon’s yang. The White Tiger protects a home from negative forces and is sometimes associated with wealth.
The God of Wealth, Tsai Shen Yeh, is often depicted riding a tiger and represents harnessing the Tiger’s strength and protective force. It is this protective quality of the White Tiger that allows us to move ahead in life.
When we don’t protect our health, our time, and our plans, we become swept up in the tide of life bobbing around from activity to activity, like a beach ball on the waves of the ocean. This stops us from being as productive – and prosperous – as we would like to be. And, yes, stopping and being still can help us move ahead in life and in our endeavors, including those that make us money.
How so? Well, in today’s society, we are the definition of yang energy – hectic, busy, filled houses, minds and moments. All the doing and going means life can become stressed, overworked, harried, hassled and burned out. We are all bulbs shining too brightly. This is where yin energy can help.
Yin energy is often defined as darkness, stillness, and negative space. It’s most associated with negative energy of stillness and decline. But there is also a plus side to yin energy. Too often we see only the “doing” as worthwhile and place little value on the being. It’s the space inside a vase – the emptiness – that makes it capable of holding water. There is value in yin energy and using it wisely can help us in our homes, lives and businesses.
The White Tiger of the west is also associated with the creative side of our home and lives. This is the part of our lives that often receives the most neglect. We trudge through our daily lives and put our creative selves on the back burner, forgoing those things that are meaningful to us in favor of getting to work, paying the bills, doing the laundry, or mowing the grass. Yet, it’s that creative side of us that can be the most fulfilling.
The lesson of the White Tiger is also about protection. And being protective of your creative side is not selfish, but rather an important part of honoring yourself and what’s important to you. I see this all the time with people who come to my Master Consultant’s Course or who I consult with on the phone. I acknowledge their need for personal fulfillment and self-growth. That’s not to say that I don’t recognize the need to get your day-to-day activities accomplished, but there needs to be room in your life for what feeds your creative desires and interests.
There are other lessons from the White Tiger. See if you don’t identify with the 7 listed here.
1. Stop reacting, start reflecting.
The value of yin energy shows us that it’s easy to overreact when we are in a constant state of readiness. Rather than pounce at the next request or problem, take a moment to reflect on how you want to respond. Then, you may find you don’t want to respond at all.
This is especially important if you have a hard time saying “no”, or if people can push your buttons easily, or when you’re over-stressed. Maybe your drug of choice is drama. All that drama is draining…for you and others (and can cause you to gain weight because you release cortisol when you have excess anger or emotion).
2. Balance your yang with yin.
Rather than overworking – whether that’s in your personal or professional life or both – start doing what’s reasonable. Learn to say “no” tactfully and set boundaries for yourself on all the people who encroach on your time or energy.
Make sure you sleep in the correct position, too. Women should sleep on the right side (as you are in the bed) and men on the left. This is especially important for singles interested in finding a permanent partner. Women who sleep on the left can develop feminine related illnesses, such as low energy or libido, low testosterone, low thyroid, fibromyalgia or breast/uterine cancer.
3. Defend yourself.
The White Tiger stands for defense. If someone upsets you, such as makes an untrue statement about you, respond calmly and tactfully, but respond. Avoidance is a non-response. Women often fall in two camps: those who are confrontational and those who avoid standing up for themselves.
If you don’t stand up for yourself, take a stand once. You will gain confidence and it will build you up. If you are reactive and confrontational, take a moment to reflect and then calmly respond. That, too, will build you up and make you less fearful of your reactions.
4. Protect your thoughts.
How many times do you say, “I hardly have time to even think”? That pressure on your mind means that you won’t have time to dream, plan, or create. Then one day you wind up far from where you wanted to be in your life and wondering how you got there. Schedule time to clear your desk, clear your thoughts, and have completely unstructured time.
I find that’s when I have my best, clearest thoughts. It seems like that’s most often when I’m on a plane or driving a long way. If that’s what you have to do, plan a trip by car or plane and take a notebook to jot down your thoughts. We need time to think, otherwise, we’ll end up far from where we really want to be.
5. Nurture your visions.
The winter time, and specifically, the New Year is a good time to think about what you want in the year ahead. This is the time to create a vision for yourself – to internalize and contemplate what it is you want most in your life, the year ahead, the next five years, etc. Creating an internal vision in your mind is the first step. Yang energy is when you act on that vision by writing it down or creating a vision board. But first, you need time and opportunity to think.
6. Protect your time.
Time is more valuable than money. Consider what’s most essential in your life and dedicate your time to it. Clear away the things that take up your time and energy and don’t let anyone or anything encroach on it. Don’t let things hang with yourself or others.
For example, if someone mentions having lunch sometime, don’t let that invitation just hang there. Say, “That’s sounds great. How’s next Tuesday?” Those “maybes” we live with are both psychic and energy draining. And if the person who asked always asks but doesn’t act, your immediate follow-through will cause that person to stop asking.
7. Protect yourself.
Floss your teeth, take your vitamins, and honor obligations to yourself. If you find that most of your time and energy is dedicated to everyone else but you, find a way to schedule in time for yourself. Maybe that’s a weekly manicure or spa appointment or even a morning hour at the gym. Acting on time commitments to yourself is one of the best ways to protect yourself in other areas of your life from the psychic drain of others on your time and energy – and builds your confidence.
© K Weber Communications LLC
Copyright Kathryn Weber. All rights reserved.
