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WHAT IS FENG SHUI

You might have heard about feng shui but, not really understood what it means. With it's origins in China, feng shui today has world wide appeal. Western nations are increasingly looking for ways to gain some degree of peace and harmony with the environment. This search for harmony applies to all activities that we as humans indulge in. Feng Shui (pronounced "fung shway") is an ancient Chinese practice that focuses on harmonizing individuals with their surrounding environment. The term literally means "wind" (feng) and "water" (shui), which are elements associated with flow and energy.

Basic Concepts

There some basic and fundamental concepts which form the core of feng shui. It would be interesting to have a quick look at these concepts, they lay the foundation for most beliefs related feng shui. Chi (Qi) – This is the vital life force or energy that flows through everything. Feng Shui aims to balance and enhance the flow of chi in your home, workplace, or other spaces. Yin and Yang – These are the complementary forces of nature (like light and dark, passive and active). Feng Shui seeks balance between these two in any environment. The Five Elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each element represents different qualities and is used to influence the energy in a space. The Bagua Map – A tool used to map out the different areas of a space and how they relate to aspects of life, such as health, wealth, relationships, and career.

FENG SHUI AT HOME

Without getting into the history and traditional aspects of feng shui, we will try to explain some concepts related to feng shui that can be applied to your home. As you read through this report you will realize that, the same concepts with little or no change can be applied to your work place too. We will not try to connect feng shui to any specific religion, we will also not waste time debating whether it is related to any religion. All we want to do is what feng shui ideas can be applied to your home.

Quick Tips

Feng Shui for the home focuses on creating balance, harmony, and a positive flow of energy (chi) in your living space. Here are some very basic but practical concepts related to interpreting feng shui for the home. Clean and clear spaces allow chi to flow freely. Avoid cluttered rooms, especially near doors and windows. The key recommendation is to declutter. Leaky faucets, squeaky doors, and burnt-out lights block energy flow and can symbolize "leaking" wealth or health. So the recommendation here is to fix things, that are broken or non-functional. When talking about feng shui for the home, emphasis is given to everything that is natural. Open windows regularly. Use mirrors to reflect light and bring in fresh air, uplifting energy. Natural light and air, should be selected when possible. A casual read through the above recommendations would show that, the suggestions are very practical in everyday life. 

Harmony At Home

When you talk about a home it generally implies that, there are a few members of a family staying in the place. Each of those individuals would have their own habits, sentiments and ideas. A happy home is one where there is a good understanding between members of the home. People in the house know how to adjust to each others ideas and feelings. Ocassional arguments and debates might not be totally absent but, they generally end with both sides feeling good and not holding hard feelings against each other. Now that is a vision of a happy home and a happy family, reality can vary from home to home. When the members of a family quarrel often and do not have a feeling of bonding and closeness, we often blame it on ego, temper and moods.

Feng shui takes a different view, it explains that certain structural features in the construction of the house can, encourage negativity among members living in the house. Feng shui concepts then explain how you could reduce the negative effects in your home, something that is relevant to all of us.

We will not pass any critical comments for or against, feng shui comments. But we surely have a very constructive suggestion about what you will read in this report. Read the various issues discussed in the report, step back and reflect on them. While you might or might not believe in the concepts of Feng Shui, you will agree on one thing. Working on the feng shui recommendations to resolve the negativity of your home, can itself build a healthy team and family.

Just keep in mind that every (grown up) member of the family, should be part of the problem definition and the implementation of the solution. Once you have all members of the family working today, there is a feeling of unity that develops. Each one starts believing that their differences and quarrels are really being caused by some external element. At that point, everyone works to drive the negative feelings away. You then charge the home with positive energies and this helps develop an environment, where every member of the family feels good, feels safe and feels confident. And this is the perfect feeling for a home, everyone prospers in their personal and professional life. We pick a few common occurences at home and interpret them in the context of feng shui.

The Wall Clock

Let us begin our discussion on feng shui for the home with an interesting example. You have a main entrance door into your home, this generally is in what we refer to as the 'hall room'. It is common for homes to have a wall clock that directly faces the main door in the hall room. This is a convenient position for the clock where, anyone entering or leaving the house can get a quick glance at the current time. Feng shui takes a different view of the clock and it's specific position. The idea is that, a clock keeps reminding us of time that is passing by. It relates it to good times or even our life, that always has a limited lifespan. The recommended provided by feng shui for handling the issue related to the position of the clock in the main room is simple, simply shift the clock to another wall that does not directly face the main door.

Mounds Of Books

We all have at some time or the other entered the main room of a home where, mounds of books are piled at every corner possible. The corner of the dining table, above and below the center table, the window sill and even a few extra chairs in the room could be used to pile books. Intellectually this scene might gain full marks, it reveals the refined reading habits of the members of the family. Visitors to the home can pull up a book and browse through it, debates and discussions could also evolve at that point. Feng shui for the home tells us that, this mindless display of books kept in the front room of the house actually disturbs peace at home. Members of the family tend to get agitated and moody for no known reason. Negative energies are attracted into the home, members of the family feel the effects without being aware.

Feng shui offers an easy way to clear up the negative energy around us, not much money or effort is required to implement these measures. All you would need to do is to keep a few interesting books in the front room, arrange them neatly in a book cabinet or shelf. Move the remaining books to the inner rooms, it might be a good idea to arrange them neatly in those rooms too.  This is what will attract positive energies into the home, members of the family are more at ease with each other and themselves. 

Room Location

From what is in the room to the location of the room itself, here is an interesting piece of advice related to feng shui. We refer to the front room of the house, the room which has the main entrance to the home. This might not be applicable to apartments or bunglows that have a single floor concept. But if you have two or more floors for your house, read this carefully. Should the front room be located directly below the toilets, expect negative energy to reside in the house. Tensions and fights between members of the family and even, medical problems like frequent headaches could be the result of the positioning of the toilet in your home.

For those of you who wish to construct a new home with the right feng shui elements, the positioning of the rooms in the house might not be a big issue. However if you already have a house ready where, the main room happens to be exactly below a toilet, breaking and re-constructing the house would surely not be an option. Feng shui offers a more feasible solution, something that will not cost you much. It recommends that a few potted plants be placed in the corners of the hall room.

Since we are talking about feng shui and the home, we share a few interesting tips related to some rooms/sections of a home. It will once again become apparent that, many feng shui recommendations relate to practcality - more like common sense!

HOME ENTRANCE

Entrance to the home: Feng shui has some interesting recommendations here. The entrance to a home should be clean and welcoming, the front door should ideally open smoothly and be well-lit. Clean steps, avoid slippery entrances, if you prefer shoes to be left out of the door, make a tidy place where, shoes and boots can be safely left. A door mat should be regularly cleaned, visible mud and pug marks near the entrance, are now welcoming! Feng shui recommends that the entrance not be cluttered and that, objects not be placed behind the door - as these could prevent the door from opening comfortably. Welcome mats near the door should be well maintained, anti-slip door mats are essential. 

LIVING ROOM

Many of us hope to spend quality time with the family in the living room. This room sets the tone for the entire family, so let us see what feng shui has to say about this room in your home. The sofa or other seating arrangements, should be firmly placed against a wall for support. Facing the main door or entryway when seated will ensure that you are not surprised from behind!

Maintain Balance: This is an interesting feng shui recommendation. Use pairs (like 2 candles or 2 chairs) to promote harmonious relationships, a single chair does seem odd. Candles or even ceiling lights and photoframes are other ideas that could help maintain balance. 

Mirrors: It is true that mirrors for decoration are not common in modern interior decoration but, feng shui has some cautious recommendations on mirrors. Rightly said that mirrors can expand space and bring in more light. Feng Shui has an interesting note related to the positioning of mirrors in the home. The strong recommendation is that, mirrors should not be positioned at a point where they reflect clutter or the front door directly.

DINING AREA

Keep it clean as it is the center of nourishment in any home. The recommendation related to the dining room or designated dining area in a home, might not be very easy to implement! Feng shui suggests - and if possible, do not arrange your dining area, opposite the TV! Interestingly it is cell phones that, are devices of distraction at every place!

BEDROOM

In Feng Shui, the bedroom is considered the most personal and restorative space, essential for relaxation, healing, and rejuvenation. The energy in this room directly affects your sleep, relationships, and overall well-being. When designing the layout for this important part of your home feng shui talkes about, bed placement - place the bed diagonally across from the door, not directly in line with it. Avoid placing the bed under a window or beam, as it can cause disturbed sleep.

Have a solid wall behind the headboard. Ensure the bed has a solid headboard and is backed by a solid wall feng shui seems this as being symbolic of support in life. Keep the area under your bed clear. Storage under the bed can block the flow of energy while you sleep, especially if it's filled with items linked to stress or the past. And if you are short of storage space in your home and must use, the space under your bed - consider getting a bed that has neatly built drawers below for storage. 

Mirrors are believed to bounce energy around the room, which can disturb sleep and create restlessness. Feng shui suggests that, mirrors not be placed around the room or in positions that, can reflect the bed. If there's a mirror directly facing the bed, consider covering it at night. Seen few cases where big mirrors were installed on the ceiling, directly above the bed! Feng shui is obviously not for everyone!

Decor and light are important considerations in the bedroom of a home, feng shui comes up wiith some interesting ideas. If you are considering placing pictures or photoframes on the walls of your bed room - display soothing artwork — avoid sad, chaotic, or lonely images. Feng shui recommends a calm and grounding energy for the bedroom in a home. Incorporate natural materials (wood, cotton, stone) for grounding energy. Use soft lighting, like bedside lamps or dimmable lights. In general, avoid harsh overhead lighting; instead, create a cozy ambiance. If the bedroom in your how is more like a multipurpose room - maintain brighter and ambient light sets. You could then switch to more comforting and ambient light, when it is time to go to bed. 

KITCHEN

While feng shui does share some interesting thoughts about a kitchen in a home. The stove in a kitchen symbolizes wealth. Keep it clean, and use all burners to activate prosperity. Implement this feature to any extent that is feasible for you. Keep the workspace tidy to allow creativity and energy to flow, cluttered counters can be inconvient and feng shui, suggests that you tidy up the place. Don’t place your stove next to the sink or fridge (fire and water clash). Add wood (like a green rug or plant) to balance them if needed. Feng shui recommends a healthy balance between fire and water. 

THE BATHROOM

In Feng Shui, the bathroom is seen as a place where energy (chi) can drain away—because it has multiple water outlets like toilets, sinks, and drains. Since water represents wealth and energy, the concern is that prosperity, vitality, or health may metaphorically be “flushed away” if the bathroom is not carefully managed. If you find some of the feng shui recommendations for your bathroom to be impractial the good news is that, feng shui offers some simple suggestions to set things 'right'. 

Always keep the bathroom door closed to prevent chi from flowing out of the room and away from the rest of the home. Though a feng shui recommendation, the fact is that keeping the bathroom door shut would reduce or eliminate, bad odors from spreading across the home! Always close the toilet lid when not in use. This helps “seal” the energy and prevents symbolic energy loss - once again a practice that, many homes have always been following.

Ensure fresh air and cleanliness, ventilation and cleanliness are obviously important for the bathroom. A stale, moldy, or smelly bathroom creates stagnant energy - both feng shui and good sanitation recommend this. The design in modern homes and apartments, often do not incorporate windows and ventilators. In such cases use an exhaust fan to take vent bad odors. 

The idea of keeping potted plants seems to be favored by feng shui, but practicality might not always make this feasible. Add a small plant (like bamboo, aloe vera, or pothos) to uplift energy and absorb excess moisture.  Plants also introduce the Wood element, which weakens Water in the cycle (a positive thing here). No doubt that some greenery in the bathroom adds a soft touch to the place, taking maintanence issues into consideration, you might find some homes placing artificial plants in the bathroom. While providing that visual appeal, these plants are also easy to maintain. 

WEAPONS AT HOME 

This relates to the display of weapons in the home. In many countries including the United States, hunting is a hobby. Many citizens keep guns and related ammunition in their home. What feng shui recommends is that, such objects not be put on display in the house. There is a logical explanation to this. Guns and similar weapons represent violence, danger and revenge. These negative feelings attract negative energy into the home and this in turn, affects the mental states of members living in the home. Members may fight for silly reasons, tempers may flare and violent actions might settle in their minds. Guns and other firearms can also be very dangerous if they fall into the hands of children. 

Right feng shui practice recommends that, firearms and other dangerous objects be locked away safely out of reach and out of sight. This would help usher in a more peaceful attitude at home. It is quite obvious that this feng shui suggestion related to firearms or weapons at home, is very practical and useful. There have been instances in the United States where, school children have got hold of guns from home and shot their classmates. 

SUMMARY

A home greatly influences our well-being, and Feng Shui offers time-tested principles to make our spaces feel more nurturing, balanced, and energetically uplifting. Since our home is a reflection of our inner life, the energy that flows through it can either uplift or drain us. Feng Shui believes that by intentionally arranging and caring for our space, we can invite positive chi (life energy), promote good health, strengthen relationships, and support prosperity. At the same time, it helps shield us from negative influences.