Love Yourself and Your Space With Feng Shui

The translation for feng shui is “wind and water.” It is both an art and a natural science, not a religion, a New Age fad, or a superstitious set of guidelines. The term comes from an ancient Chinese poem that describes how humans can lead an ideal life if we connect and flow with our surrounding environments. Taoism is the way of nature, an underlying principle of the universe with strong roots in feng shui. They both share the principles of yin and yang, the two opposing forces.

Through the centuries, each generation reshaped feng shui to create an evolving Chinese cultural paradigm. Three different “schools” or methods of this ancient practice emerged. Form or landscape school, the oldest, focuses on physical objects and their shapes in both the natural and built worlds. Compass school uses numerical calculations to determine, for example, the direction a building should face. Contemporary, modern, or intuitive feng shui is a popular school-of-thought in America, adapted to fit Western lifestyles.

Vital energy is fundamental to the concepts of feng shui. This complex, natural force is qi, also known as chi. It is the state of continuous flux. Qi describes both real and abstract energies, such as the movement and quality of air around us, the flow of water, the vibrations of color, sunlight, and the form of objects. People can often feel whether or not a place is harmonious when they enter a room. Long straight lines and obstacles do not contribute to energy flow through your home. They block qi energies.

Most people recognize the familiar black and white symbol for yin and yang. It represents opposing but interconnected universal forces, the feminine (yin), and the masculine (yang). Light and shade, cold and hot, and day and night are all examples. Yet together, they create harmony and balance. Some living spaces, like bedrooms, need relaxing colors, water fountains, and soothing music to represent yin, which we need for comfort. Vibrant colors, hard surfaces, wind chimes, and oscillating fans add yang energy and work better in active areas, such as the kitchen and office spaces.

To balance qi in the home, bring in the five elements from the Taoist tradition--water, metal, wood, fire, and earth--to add missing qualities or to tone down or soften the imbalances. These elements work with one another to create a system of energy flow.

• Water connects with wealth and prosperity. Add fountains and mirrors to add the presence of water.
• Wood represents growth and vitality. Shelves and houseplants bring this element into your living spaces.
• Metal elements create strength and independence. Clocks, wind chimes, and picture frames add balance.
• Earth elements are stabilizing and generate nourishment and knowledge. Use terracotta pots or salt rock lamps.
• Fire elements fuel passion, incite high energy, and trigger creativity. Candles or a fireplace are the perfect solutions.

The feng shui energy map, or Bagua, features eight areas corresponding to aspects of life, health, and wellness. Colors and shapes represent each of the aspects on the map: wealth, fame and reputation; partnership; children; helpful people; career, knowledge, and family. The center of the map corresponds to tai chi symbolizing overall wellness and health. Generally, practitioners align the map with the front door. Choose areas on the map that you feel need attention in your life. Use the corresponding shapes and colors to balance energies in the home.

Although feng shui is the art of placement, there are other preliminary steps to take to encourage natural energy flow. Clutter drains your energy and tips your surroundings toward yin, which leaves you feeling drained and depressed. Clean your windows and allow natural sunlight to energize the space. Get rid of sharp corners where possible. They have links to ill health and bad fortune. Choose decor items with rounded edges and cylindrical shapes. Doors should open a full 90 degrees. Any less, and you’re cutting yourself off from potential opportunities and making it harder for good energy to find you.

In feng shui, it is important to place yourself in a position to control what’s happening around you and to respond to it. The command position is mostly associated with feng shui’s form school style. It describes the position of furniture in a room. This layout configuration allows you to be at rest, but in a powerful position, channeling the energies of the room to work for you, not against you. Beds and sofas should have open spaces on both sides. Additionally, sofa backs should always be against a wall. Desks should never face the wall. Avoid lining up beds and other furniture with doorways. You should be able to see the door, but never be in line with it.

Everyone’s home has something that inhibits energy flow. Cluttered walkways, burnt-out lightbulbs, overflowing drawers, furniture that doesn’t fit the space, and other obstacles create physical blocks in our day-to-day lives. Visualize clear energy flow through your home. Step back to your home’s entryway and imagine a river flowing through your living spaces and walkways. What obstacles would stop or hinder the flow? Create unobstructed paths through your home to create feng shui.

Each of the five elements of feng shui corresponds to colors. Reds, oranges, purples, pinks, and strong yellows add energy, according to the Bagua map. Earth element colors--light yellows, beiges, and sandy colors--offer stability and calm protection. Metal element colors, grays and whites, create clarity and light while harmonious water element colors of blue and black attract calm, refreshing energies.