Feng Shui relates to the flow of energy that is present everywhere around you and even in your home.
Chi is the energy force that influences your moods, emotions, physical energy and health.
Chi should be allowed to move freely throughout your home, neither too fast nor too slowly, causing blockages.
Dust and clutter allow the stagnation of Chi energy and cause blockages. Cleaning revitalises Chi energy and gives a home a more positive feel.
There are two types of Chi energy - yin and yang - yin being the passive energy and yang the active energy. Everything is made up of both, but one will be more powerful than the other.
The following five elements of Feng Shui, with simple examples for each, are a basis for manipulating the flow of energy in the home;
| Water | - fresh clean water, glass objects. |
| Tree | - actual plants, wood, paper, tall thin green objects. |
| Fire | - fires, candles, red flowers (red pointed objects). |
| Soil | - soil, yellow, brown, low rectangular objects, square plates. |
| Metal | - silver, gold or white objects, frames, silver balls. |
It is important that the flow of Chi from the front to the back of your home is not hindered. It is also best to have it flow through in a meandering path and not a direct line. Entrance ways off the street or through your garden to the front door will determine the qualities of Chi that flow into your home. Therefore it is important to use curved pathways or garden beds. Breaking up the direction of pavers to allow curved lines will also help. A birdbath, fountain or a small pond along the way will balance and improve the qualities of Chi.
Too large a doorway will allow Chi to escape from your home. If this is a problem for you, it can be easily counteracted by placing wind chimes outside the door. Too small a doorway will not allow enough Chi to enter the home, but placing a mirror on either side of the doorway, or on a wall opposite the doorway, will assist the problem.
If the back door can be seen from the front door, Chi can flow straight through your home without circulating. Place a large potted plant or screen between the two to break up the straight line and deflect the Chi.
If the stairway leads straight from the front door, the Chi will rush up the stairs, Again, mirrors, plants and screens will slow down the Chi. Stairways that curve along their path are obviously ideal.
The living room is the place usually reserved for relaxation, conversation, interaction and relationships. It is therefore considered in Feng Shui terms to be the heart of the home.
Your living room should be rectangular in shape with the furniture placed so as to break opposing straight lines, allowing Chi to flow gently through the room. Living rooms crammed with furniture will restrict the flow of Chi, causing stagnation. So make sure that it is easy to move around in the lounge without being hindered by restrictive by obstructive furniture. The seating should always be in even numbers and the most comfortable seat in the room should be reserved for guests, and should never have its back towards the door. The living room should have an open and inviting feel to it. Flowers, potted plants and candles will enhance the Chi in this area.
Given today's hectic life styles, the evening meal may be the only time of day when a family can all be together. However small your home it is important to set aside a special area, even if it cannot be an entire room, where you can sit and eat together around a table. A successful dining room, or dining area, creates a pleasant atmosphere where everyone can relax and enjoy their food.
When arranging furniture in the dining room ensure that the chairs do not obstruct doorways and that there is ample space for guests to get around the table. There should be an even number of dining chairs. Round or oval dining tables offer the greatest location for seating your guests harmoniously.
Always ensure that your table top is clean; natural wood surfaces are relatively yielding and easily maintained. Light woods, such as pine, are best for relaxed family gatherings, whilst dark polished hardwoods are more formal.
If your dining room has no windows, a chandelier or a ceiling fan will assist the flow of Chi. Always use soft lighting in the dining room.
The ideal location for the kitchen is facing south, where the elements are bright and uplifting. Using wind chimes or crystals if your kitchen faces north will assist the flow of good Chi.
The kitchen sink represents water and your cooker represents fire, ideally these two should not be side by side, to counteract this if they are, place a chunky wooden item, such as a chopping board between the two, or a shinny appliance, like an extractor above the cooker to divert the Chi.
Gas flame cookers are the best source of Chi. All surfaces must be easy to clean, stainless steel being the best choice for a cooker top.
Natural flooring is recommended, being warm and easy to clean. Avoid carpets and rugs. Do not allow the room to become cluttered with utensils, appliances and gadgets, as this causes stagnation and can create a harmful effect on food preparation.
To keep Chi energy moving, open up windows and doors each day to allow a fresh flow of energy into the room.
A toilet next to the kitchen produces negative energy, keeping the door closed and the lid down will reduce this effect.
We spend on average six to nine hours out of every day in bed. For most of us, this is the longest time in a day that we are in the same place. So, the location and design of the bedroom and the positioning of the bed provide a superb opportunity to align yourself with the natural flow of energy in a way that helps you in other areas of your life.
A good night's sleep is essential for health and so it is important to have a bedroom that calms you at the end of a busy day and helps you to sleep well. It should also be a place where you wake up feeling refreshed and full of vitality for the new day.
Adults will benefit more from a bedroom facing west into gentle rays of sun, where as children will reap the rewards of the bedroom facing east towards the invigorating morning sun.
Beds should not be placed so that the occupants' feet face a doorway, nor should your bed directly face a window. If you cannot avoid this, then add wind chimes to remedy the situation.
No more than two mirrors should be placed in a bedroom as this will excite Chi. Avoid placing mirrors at the foot of the bed or opposite a window.
Have plenty of storage and keep clothes and possessions out of sight. Avoid clutter in a bedroom.
Think about the colour scheme of your bedroom. This should promote peace and tranquillity; soft lighting, fitted carpets and full draped curtains promote restful sleep. Avoid furniture with sharp edges and have plants with round leaves.
Water is the main element in the bathroom. This can lead to a heavier flow of Chi energy, which can cause stagnation, especially when the room has limited sunlight and ventilation. The main objective in the bathroom is to keep it bright, dry and fresh The colours blue and black are favoured. Open windows to allow in a good flow of Chi. Leafy plants will keep the room feeling fresh and alive.
Surfaces should be easy to keep clean and dry such as chrome, glazed ceramic tiles, polished marble and glass. These are more yin than yang and so create a flow of Chi.
Mirrors also add a feeling of space, but avoid placing mirrors facing each other.
It is important to keep this room tidy and uncluttered, as failing to do so will produce negative energy. As this is a room where we require creativity and contemplation, we must do all we can to produce Chi. A comfortable high-backed chair with a picture symbolising water placed behind it will help the flow of creative energy.
Place the desk so that the window is to the left of the seating position and the door can be seen from the desk. Do not allow the occupant's back to face the door. Natural light is more beneficial than artificial light, so if possible, choose a room with a bigger window in which to study. If there is no window, then add a mirror to reflect the light in the room.
Plants, especially peace lilies, can help minimise the effects of electrical radiation from office equipment. They also bring their own living energy into the working situation.
Everything you put in your home influences the flow of Chi energy. Colours, shapes and materials are all significant.
Some things have a powerful effect on the movement of Chi energy, others a much weaker or a neutral one. Even the empty spaces, or lack of them, between objects, or in rooms and hallways, can, either smooth the path of Chi throughout your home or obstruct it. The more active design elements include water, lights, mirrors, plants, fresh flowers, crystals, candles and sea salt. Things such as furniture, carpets, curtains and cupboards are less potent.
Generally, it is the shapes, colours and materials of furnishings and decorative objects that affect the flow of Chi energy. The shape of an object physically alters the way Chi flows around it. The colour determines the light frequencies reflected into a room, which will influence its' Chi.
The art of Feng Shui is to enable you to encourage the most advantageous flow of Chi energy, whatever the practicalities of your particular situation.