Feng Shui Can Help With Your Home Decorating Decisions

You may not be aware of it, but you’re always experiencing and reacting to the energy in your environment.  Using the principles of Feng Shui will help balance energy in your home.  Why is this important?  Because when your home looks and feels good, you can relax and feel comfortable.  And that creates a better life!

So – how do you balance energy?  By using the five elements – fire, earth, metal, water, and wood and the principles of yin and yang.  The feeling you get when you walk into a room is dictated by the way the elements are used (knowingly or not) in decorating the room.

Take a look at these photos and notice whether you feel differently when you look at each one.  If you do, you’re experiencing the power of Feng Shui.  What you’re reacting to at the most basic level is the arrangement of the elements.  Shape, color, and placement of the elements create energy which then makes a room feel warm or cool, comfortable or uncomfortable.

First photo – There’s a lot of  water and metal energy here and it creates a cool, modern feel.  Looking closely, here is the breakdown of energy:               

1. Water energy is created by the curvy shape of the chairs and their blue color.
2. Metal energy is created by the metal floor lamp, the white color of the shade, and the plant on the table.
3. Earth energy is created by the shape of the table and the beige color of the carpet.
4. Fire energy is created by the red color in the wall art and the magazine.
5. Wood energy is created by the rectangular shape of the wall art and in the table.

Second photo – Lots of fire energy here in the color of the chairs, the accessory on the table, and the wall art.  Does the space feel warm and inviting?  Fire energy creates warmth.

Third photo – The most basic level of energy, yin and yang, is displayed here.  White is yin energy and black is yang energy.  When black and white are used together they create a formal and rigid feeling.   This rigid feeling is alleviated by the shape of the wall art.  Even though the art is without color, it feels vibrant, doesn’t it?  It’s because of the shape.  This is the most vibrant part of the space.

Here is a helpful guide for you to identify the five elements in your environment:

The Five Elements and their Characteristics

Element	Quality	Color	Shape
Water	Flows, falls	Black, Blue	Wavy
Earth	Compacts	Yellow, Brown	Square, Cubic
Wood	Grows upward	Green, Turqouise	Rectangular
Metal	Contracts	White, Gold, Silver	Round, Spherical
Fire	Radiates	Red, Orange, Purple	Triangular

And for more information, see my post “Feng Shui 101 – the Five Elements.”

Feng Shui is an Ancient Practice, not a New Age Gimmick

Have you ever wondered why certain rooms in your home feel more comfortable than others?  Or why rearranging a room makes it not only look, but feel differently?   Perhaps without realizing it, you’re experiencing the principles of  Feng Shui.  Feng Shui is the ancient practice of arranging the physical environment to harmonize  energy.  When your environment is balanced and harmonious, it has a positive affect on your life.

Good  Feng Shui mitigates problems and increases opportunities in your life, often creating circumstances that help you out of a negative situation.  

Correct Feng Shui can increase prosperity and allow harmonious relationships.  Conversely, incorrect Feng Shui can bring discord in relationships, as well as money problems, accidents, and chronic disease.   The widespread practice of Feng Shui in Asia is a powerful testament to its potency.  In Hong Kong, few businesses or residents risk having incorrect Feng Shui. 

A Long and Rich History

Although thought by many to be a New Age phenomenon, the art and science of Feng Shui has been around for centuries.  About 6000 years ago, the  Chinese began using principles of geomancy, or what is now called Feng Shui.  Observing the Big Dipper and the rotation of the planets, they applied their observations to the placement of ancestral grave sites.  Correct grave placement was thought to bring prosperity for the deceased’s descendants.  Soon, Chinese Emperors used Feng Shui to find the most suitable place to build a fortress.  

 

Today, Feng Shui is associated with anything from cosmetics to car design to fountains and mirrors.  It’s no wonder people see it as a New Age gimmick.

 

It’s all about Energy

Most of us have heard of qi (chi).  It’s a term simply described as energy, but it’s actually more profound.  Qi is the underlying essence of all things.   Qi has direct impact on your health, wealth, and relationships.   The goal of Feng Shui is to enhance beneficial qi in your space while keeping out detrimental qi.  At the most basic level, Qi is classified as having either Yin or Yang qualities.  Yin qi is feminine and quiet.  Yang qi is the opposite of Yin.  It’s masculine and  active.  Qi is further characterized as being a combination of five elemental energies -earth, metal, water, wood, and fire.  Balancing elements in your environment ensures a harmonious environment.  A harmonious environment helps you to relax opening the door to better health and greater ease in all areas of your life.

A traditional  Feng Shui practitioner works to balance energy in a space, similar to how an acupuncturist balances qi in your body.  The correct application of the principles of Feng Shui allows qi in your environment to nourish you.  This is the essence of Feng Shui.

Feng Shui is a Lifetime Study

The study of  Feng Shui is a lifetime study and there are hundreds of different systems of Feng Shui. The traditional approaches to Feng Shui use a compass to take directional readings of  your home and analyze the impact of geographical features such as street traffic, neighboring houses, and landscaping.  Time-Space Feng Shui measures how energy reacts in a space in a given time by using mathematical and logical system to interpret the energy patterns.  It’s through the correct analysis of outside forms and qi flow patterns in a space that energy can be balanced.

A Time-Space  Feng Shui consultant takes compass readings to measure the facing direction of your home and  prepares an energy chart of your house.  The chart shows the type of energy in the structure and which areas are out of balance.   These areas can be analyzed thoroughly and specifically addressed to improve health, career goals, relationships.   The recommendations may include opening  windows in certain locations (when weather permits), adding an elemental cure, and rearranging furniture.

Feng Shui can improve your satisfaction with your life but of course, it’s not a magical cure.  Every object and form both inside and outside of your home influences you.   Applying the traditional principles of Feng Shui can ensure an optimum environment which will support your health, wealth, relationships and over all well-being.