Customer Reviews

Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui

5 star:		(196)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

This book has changed my life!!It is a must for anyone who has trouble keeping clutter under control!I am a reformed clutterholic!! I have been a hoarder my whole life since high school, but after karen explained everything with so much sense and understanding, its like she broke an evil spell. I have now almost clutter cleared my entire 4 bedroom house and I have never felt so free,happy and at peace with myself. Now instead of dreading my house because it is so messy,I love it. I am a Law graduate, a skeptic but I tell your this book really works. Since clutter clearing,I feel happier, my mind is clearer and my relationships have improved. Everything karen says in the book is true. She makes you laugh and then you want to clean up your mess. You can feel like she really cares about you. Her book helped me so much I even went to a seminar she held in London!!My husband was so shocked by the change in me he started reading the book and even went to the seminar with me. People who I have passed this book onto have all benefited. If junk and clutter has been haunting your life for long enough, then take action now...let Karen help you, it will be one of the best things you have ever done !!

I read five books last year on de-cluttering. None of them really helped us. Turns out we collect clutter for entirely different reasons. Books that try to deal with "personality" just didn't seem to work for us. Books that more or less said "get over it" also didn't work. But we have to pare down because we are going to move twice in the next two years (ugh.)

The secret to "Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui" was to find why we both were keeping some things. (There is a section with helpful questions about why you keep stuff, such as inheriting it, sentimental feelings, habits, family habits, and even grief.) In our case, a friend from childhood and a parent had both died within two years and this caused a desire to cling to a lot of old things.

Excess clutter is thought to sap energy. It certainly saps concentration and gathers asthma-inducing dust. Now our apartment looks better, breathes better and yes, smells fresher and thanks to this book. First one I've ever read that could help two different people living together because it deals with the individual motivations behind the junk they keep.

Being a clutterholic who keeps a lot of stuff "just in case" and for memory's sake (like 2nd grade report cards), this book was truly motivational and much of it made sense (like keeping stuff "just in case" means that not only are we cluttering the house for ourselves, we're also keeping things for people we haven't even met yet!).

Since reading the book, my husband and I have cleared out TONS of stuff in the house! We've had yard sales and donated a lot to the Salvation Army and Goodwill, and the rooms that have been "decluttered" are cleaner and more restful. Plus, with the goal of getting down to just the things we need, love, or use, we've been able to get rid of tacky stuff that we hung onto for no good reason, and stuff that we weren't using. The great thing is that after reading the book I felt selfish for keeping all the clutter- now I feel like I'm helping out by giving my "thin clothes" to people who could wear them before they go out of style. Plus I'm not depressed looking at clothes that I've inadvertantly outgrown. Or, for those gifts you get that you don't really love but feel obligated to keep, you feel better about giving them away because you know it doesn't mean you don't appreciate the thought and keeping it when you don't like it makes the whole thing worse.

I agree that the whole section on colon cleansing is a big wacky and although I read it the first time, I personally skipped over that the second time I read the book (it's the kind of book you can read every time you want a "pep talk" to clean). I recommended the book to my mom and my brother and mom keeps mentioning how dangerous the colon cleansing part could be, but in my mind that was a small section of the book and one that I didn't give much thought to because I'm more concerned with a clean, clutter-free house. So I wouldn't dismiss the book because of one small section. The rest of it, taken with a grain of salt, is the ONLY book I've read that has actually motivated me to DO something and get rid of the clutter! And honestly, we feel so much better about the house now. We still have work to do, but at least I don't feel like I'm living in a junkyard anymore!

This book changed my life, and I don't say that lightly . . . I can count on one hand the authors I'd say that of, and Karen Kingston is one of them.

I too have loaned or recommended this book to all my friends, and read it several times myself. At Thanksgiving dinner I heard about someone who was having a tough time, and I mailed her a copy of this book over the weekend. I thought it was the single most helpful thing I could do (in the hierarchy of collectors, she must be near the top). It really is true--when you sort out your stuff, you sort out your life. Having lots of clutter functions exactly as a millstone around your neck would.

As others said, I have read many books on this topic, looking for something that would light a fire under me. This is the only one that ever helped me. It is every bit as motivational as others have said. You will likely stay up most of the night you read it clearing clutter--and you'll feel and be better for doing it. Not only has it helped me clear stuff dating back even to childhood, but it's helped me clear people out of my life who didn't need to be there, and it's taken away my urge to shop for and collect new stuff. I still have collections of lovely and useful things. I just no longer feel the need to accumulate, and I have scaled back somewhat.

A note . . . Karen recommends not examining things too carefully before tossing. I am going through things a bit slower than she recommends (and have found my car title and 2 copies of my birth certificate, among other useful things :), but I've found this actually quite helpful. In reading my old letters, diaries, etc., I've been able to identify old patterns still at play in my life today. It made me so mad to see how the more things changed, the more they stayed the same, that I took immediate steps in my life today to end the patterns. So instead of dumping your boxes of papers wholesale, you may want to look at the items that could give you valuable insight. What this book did for me is completely remove the urge to keep anything that no longer holds real value for me. I immediately cleared out a bunch of books and cassettes that had either never had any value for me, or no longer did.

As far as the "not really feng shui" complaint . . . Karen states, and I absolutely believe she is right, that clutter clearing is the most important part of feng shui, and that her book is a supplement to the vast body of feng shui books available everywhere that never give specific instructions on this point. I don't know how anyone could miss this and expect anything else. Anyone in this category should have his/her shopping license revoked :) Since feng shui is about energy flowing, and it certainly can't flow through a space packed tight with clutter, there is no better place to start than this book.

Sure, there are a few things in the book that are a bit overwrought--for example, she fleetingly refers to lots of evidence that my clearing my clutter can help my ancestors! I'd love to know what that evidence is! But come on, folks, you buy a book with "feng shui" in the title . . . if the author's not stranger than you are, she's just not doing her job.

As far as the clearing your body part that has so many people freaked out . . . I ordered some herbs, used them in moderation, and found them to be helpful.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. I only wish I'd had it as soon as I reached the age of reason (it's been awhile :) but better late than never.

I can't remember ever recommending a book as whole-heartedly as this one. I don't consider myself particularly mired in material stuff or big on soft science and Eastern thought, but this book opened my eyes to a new definition of clutter and why to do away with it. I read the book halfway, and started on a cleaning jag that lasted all night. I slept for two hours, and kept at it with more energy than I've had in a very long time. I have freed myself from a large number of things I had tepid or negative associations with.

I ended up with a lot of great stuff I wanted to get rid of, too good to just toss, so the Salvation Army came by for 3/4 of my clothing, half my CDs and books, and I had only begun! I "re-gifted" and "re-purposed" a lot of tremendous, perfect stuff that people have been thrilled to receive. It's difficult to describe the excitement I feel for this process, one I FINALLY understand on a level deeper than intellectual. I truly believe that anyone who scoffs at this process has not tried it. You don't even need to be open-minded about it. Just try it and be prepared for change in your life.

The bagua map is a fascinating reference tool... to test Feng Shui, I compared the map to the parts of my life that aren't hitting the marks (or are), and I was very surprised. My muddled finances (I make good money, but manage it very poorly) were reflected in my shabby bathroom and a few kitchen cupboards full of unused cooking things.)

I've not had this much clarity in my life for a very long time. It's more than housecleaning, it's transcendent. (By the way, the internal cleansing thing is also not a bad idea. If it weirds you out, skip over it, but you can do less extreme or invasive cleansings than Kingston suggests, with supplement programs like Kylea sells.)

Get this book. Get this book. Get this book. It's really exciting.

This book is a great motivator. I read it in two days and began clearing my spaces. I still have more to clear away, but I'm well on the road to having a neat living space and workspace. It was wonderful to have the subject of space clearing presented in a manner that is fun and makes sense. I'm not so sure about the colon cleansing section. I have recommended this book to several other people. I have read other articles and listened to tapes on clearing clutter, but this was the book that finally motivated me to get my act together and change my mindset on why I'd been keeping all of that unnecessary stuff. Thanks, Karen Kingston!

I'm not one into "new age psychobabble" but Karen Kingston's advice in this book did alot for me ... and the dividends continue paying off to this day.

I read this book at a down time in my life and, indeed, I never realized why I was holding onto old letters, graduation caps and gowns from schools that held nothing but bad memories for me, and magazines from nearly 10 years prior.

I admit that I'm not as bad as other people but I cluttered up the little space that I had and I felt it. Once I started questioning why I was keeping stuff, I had the strength to let it go and not feel bad about it. I haven't looked back since.

After re-reading this book, it strengthened my resolve to keep clutter out of my life as best I can. Her reasoning is based on common sense, really, not "real" Feng Shui: If your friends do nothing but drag you down, time to move on. If those letters from an old flame hold nothing but bad memories, what's the point in torturing yourself by keeping them? If you haven't worn that outfit yet, what makes you think you'll wear it sometime this year (even though you've been promising yourself you're going to lose weight to get back into those jeans for years)?

Karen also gives advice on how to reduce the chance of re-introducing clutter into your life by questioning the purpose of every single piece of paper you have. Through reading her book, I have become conscientious of clearing out every so often and I find myself, indeed, questioning every paper that I intend to keep (and many papers hit the recycle bin because of that!). Same thing for clothes: If they don't fit, bundle them up and give them to people who can use them.

Her book also enabled me to let go of many books, tapes, CDs, and DVDs that I have owned for nearly 10 years (along with making it easier to donate clothes that have outlived their usefulness). I have about 25% of what I used to have and made a few hundred dollars from selling the aforementioned stuff.

Kingston makes ton of sense. Frankly, this is the only book you'll ever need on space clearing. Her advice is practical and has forever changed my life.

And, because of her space clearing habit, Karen is able to split her time between two continents during the year. I very much doubt other people can say the same.

I bought this book on impulse last Saturday. It's now been a week and a day and I've donated six shopping bags of books, 17 trash bags of clothing, five boxes of "stuff," a comforter, two lamps, four shelves, and a (single!) crutch--I was keeping it in case I ever needed it for a Halloween costume!

I also got rid of 30 bags of garbage.

That's enough to fill a 14' U-Haul; I'd packed and moved it all eight times in the past 11 years, along with the rest of my stuff.

All my closet doors now open effortlessly. My drawers aren't stuck. My garbage disposal is fixed (I wouldn't call the plumber for five months because the kitchen was too messy). And I no longer have five sets of toenail clippers in case I misplace four of them.

I, too, was a little taken aback by the colon cleansing chapter, but the way I look at it is this: Karen Kingston (and her publisher) had to know that it would be a risk to include it, and they did anyway. For that reason alone, I have to at least keep an open mind about it--who knows? Everything else in the book has worked for me. I'm almost done clearing my clutter and walking into my home is a joy. Not only that, but I look forward to having friends and family over and would even be proud to have my freelance clients meet me at my home office.

It's interesting that people complain about clutter clearing not being part of traditional feng shui. Why would it be? When feng shui was first introduced, clutter wasn't an issue. It's still not as much of a problem in the East as it is in the West--especially in the US. It makes sense to me that creating a blank slate would be the first step in applying feng shui principles.

This is the first book that's ever affected me so drastically. It's got a great balance between practical, real-life stories and Karen's philosophies on life and spirit.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Clearing your clutter helps you, those that live with you, and those around you. There is an overwhelming amount of literature on the topic of Feng Shui, where does one begin to learn? Karen Kingston's "Clear Your Clutter" will provide the perfect beginning.

Not only does is this book based on clearing tangible clutter but Karen also delves into the INtangible clutter, spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental. She FOCUSES clearly on the reasoning behind clearing clutter...to bring new and better things INTO your life, you must remove the old and musty clutter. Her probing insight leaves questions not only DO you keep clutter, but WHY you keep clutter, are you in denial about your clutter? Was it inherited? Are your parents packrats? Were there old emotional attachments that are now gone?

I had never heard of this book, I just saw it on the shelf in the self-help section and thought, "Now THAT is something I NEED." Truly, this book has helped me to re-evaluate all the "junk" that I have been holding on to for years.

Karen Kingston enlightens her readers by pointing out that clutter in ANY part of your house cultivates weight on/in your life. She shows how the house is divided by the Feng Shui bagua and which sections/corners of your house represent which part of your life. This is about as far as she goes into Feng Shui because the purpose of the book is to help you clear the clutter so that you can GET to the Feng Shui balancing part

Not only did I learn a great deal about the author through this book, but a great deal about myself. I even gave my first copy to a loved one and bought another for myself so I could highlight it and make notes.

Bottomline, this is MORE than just a self-help book.

I read this book in 1999 when it first came out, knowing nothing about Feng Shui at the time...Funny thing was the book was given to me by my ex-boyfriend's mother and HER SON was a big part of my clutter that needed clearing! To say it "changed my life" would be an understatement.

This book GAVE ME A NEW LIFE which is better than I ever could have imagined!!...To make a long story short: 1) I found a new man and I'm now engaged 2) I am making more money than ever and I'm successful in my job as a personal trainer. 3) I am taking a decorating course, something I always wanted to do since I was a teenager 4) My acne cleared up and I am finally at a healthy weight of 115 lbs after years of alternating between being too skinny or too fat and being unhappy with my body (the colon cleansing chapter might be "gross" to some people but makes some GREAT points about toxins in the body, most people have trouble with their belly being too big because they are literally full of poo!) 5) I have a great new apartment in California which is walking distance to all my favorite shops 6) I have time and space for tons of new hobbies, like wine tasting, cooking, gardening, painting and sewing just to name a few 7) I have the courage to rid my life of people and objects that are not doing me any good 8) Everyone who enters my home always comments on what a great place I have.

I got rid of about 3/4 of what I owned back in 1999 and I don't regret ANY of it! I still have a pack rat nature (I come from a long line of pack rats, my entire family are junkaholics!) and I have to do regular clear-outs to maintain and I am hardly a "neat freak" but I can now manage what I own and I keep it under control instead of clutter controlling me. I feel truly balanced in my life and that is priceless.

I have read other Feng Shui books since but none have the place in my heart that Karen's books do. I still have a well-worn copy of BOTH of Karen's books and I re-read them any time I am feeling bogged-down or unmotivated. I have done several Space Clearing ceremonies to date and each time I feel wonderful!...Feng Shui isn't for everyone, in fact a lot of people might find her book downright silly but for me, I know I would not be the person I am today if I had not been blessed with her books.

For me Feng Shui is not magic, not superstition but more of an attitude and a lifestyle. For me it was not a magical, overnight process but it IS certainly an amazing transformation that took a lot of time thought and effort but when I think back to who I was (frightened, unhappy always feeling stepped on by people) and who I am today (confident, successful, in control) it's simply a miracle! I will always be grateful to Karen!