Feng Shui 101 – Good Feng Shui Helps You Feel Good

I think the following common expressions capture the power of Feng Shui.  “The air was so thick I could cut it with a knife.” “What you need is a change of scenery.”  These expressions explain a familiar but unseen phenomenon – energy.  Energy is the essence of Feng Shui.

After a heated argument, the energy imprint left by people in a room is palpable.  During a stressful meeting the atmosphere in a room may feel thick and heavy.  Why? Because of the energy. We all have a “sixth sense” that gives us a feeling of comfort or discomfort in an environment.  Most of us intuitively sense the type of energy in a space.

The philosophy of Feng Shui holds that the energy in your environment impacts the way you feel.  For example, do you feel comfortable or uncomfortable looking at the photo of the hallway above?  If you feel uncomfortable, you’re responding to imbalances of color, lighting, and shapes in the space.  This hallway does not have good Feng Shui.

Think about an uncomfortable feeling you’ve have had upon entering a hotel room, a restaurant, or a friend’s home.  What was it that made you feel uncomfortable?  Odds are, the way the space was decorated, the lighting, and the furniture arrangement did not feel balanced and harmonious.  When an environment is not alignment with Feng Shui principles you’ll be uncomfortable and it’ll be difficult to relax. 

Feng Shui follows nature’s principles of balance, symmetry, and flow.  The way a room is arranged exudes energy which you can feel. The essence of Feng Shui is to balance elements so that one doesn’t over-take another.  Choices such as wall color, furniture arrangement, artwork, accessories, and lighting create the type of energy in that you feel. 

Here Are Five Simple Ways to Create Balance and Flow in a Room:

1.  Arrange your furniture so that the largest and/or heaviest piece is against a wall.  In a bedroom, this is usually the bed. In a living room it’s usually a couch or media cabinet.

2. Don’t block windows. Don’t put furniture in front of windows unless you have a wall of windows or unless it’s most practical.

3. Keep things uncluttered. The first thing you see when entering each room should lift your spirits.

4. Arrange your furniture so that you can easily walk to it. Think of opening your arms to embrace someone. That’s the way each piece of furniture should be placed – open and accessible. Remove furniture if it’s blocking flow.  Even if it’s a family heirloom, if the space feels more open and accessible without it,  it’s best to remove it.

5.  Balance what’s on your walls too.  Use the open-arm analogy. Think of each opposing wall as an arm embracing you. It feels better to have each side balanced so you feel secure. If you’ve got a large media cabinet on one side of the room, make sure that the wall opposite has artwork sized proportionately to balance the space.

A good rule of thumb for decorating any space is if you feel comfortable and relaxed in the space, if you feel inspired when you walk into the space, and if love being in the space, it’s got good Feng Shui.

Comments, Questions or Feedback?  I’d love to hear from you.

The Five Best Feng Shui Tips Ever

Feng Shui is about balance and flow in an environment.  Balance refers to balancing your environment using furniture, color, lighting, and accessories.  Flow means energy flow – allowing energy to flow easily throughout your environment like a gentle waterway.  Having too much stuff in your environment or blocking energy flow can make you feel blocked in your life.  As a certified Feng Shui consultant, I ensure that my clients follow these basic Feng Shui principles before we do anything else.

 1. Your front door is considered the mouth of your home and a focal point.  Keep your front door clean and keep the front porch free of clutter.  Replace your door mat if it is worn out. Thick door mats with vibrant designs or colors add soul and uplift your energy. Place potted flowers or greenery on each side of the front door to create an inviting feeling.

 2.  Clear your clutter.  It not only gives you an immediate energy boost, but it alleviates stagnation in your life.  Anywhere that clutter accumulates over a period of time results in causing you to feel stuck – professionally, emotionally, or financially.  Keep your closets organized and discard things that you don’t need or haven’t used in a couple years or more.

 3.  Allow fresh air to circulate throughout your home when weather permits. Turn on fans occasionally to circulate air.  Don’t let air stagnate.  The very best Feng Shui tip is simply accomplished by allowing energy to circulate.  Open floor plans allow for this easier than compartmentalized plans. Also – dust, sweep, vacuüm, and clean your home regularly.

 4.  To add balance and warmth to dark rooms use vibrant fire colors in pillows, artwork, area rugs, and accessories.  Fire colors are red, gold, orange, and yellow, and will energize your space.  Dark areas are perfect areas to put mirrors to reflect light and create energy.

 5.  Remove all furniture, artwork, or accessories that you don’t love, or at least like a lot.  Just because it is a family heirloom, give yourself permission to give it away or “store” it if it doesn’t make you smile!

Simple Feng Shui

Before applying Feng Shui principles

After applying Feng Shui principles

The term “Feng Shui” may sound exotic or difficult to understand. It’s really a very practical study, but many think people dismiss it as another new-age gimmick or “wu-wu”  because of the way its been marketed here in the U.S. 

Originally from Asia, Feng Shui is simply the study of energy flow and balance.  Whether you realize it or not, you’re constantly experiencing the effects of energy.  Just like gravity, you can’t see it but you can feel it.  Every “thing” – i.e. trees, flowers, furniture, colors, and shapes emanates its own unique energy.  The arrangement of these forms in your environment creates energy that translates into positive or negative feelings in your body.  Balancing energy in your environment allows you to feel comfortable and relaxed. Unbalanced energy creates imbalances in your life and discomfort in your body.  That’s the essence of Feng Shui.

 To experience the effects of Feng Shui for yourself, you can try any of these…

• Look at either side of your desk, whichever is the most cluttered. Now, move the stuff away.  Feel different?  If there is too much clutter in a space, you can feel constricted because energy flow is constricted.
• Move your chair to the center of the room and sit down.  Now, move it against the wall and do the same.  Do you feel differently sitting with your back against the wall?  If you sit in the center of a room you will likely feel vulnerable and exposed.  A wall behind you allows you to relax and allows energy to flow towards you.
• Remove a piece of artwork from a wall, or conversely, hang one.  Can you feel the difference?  The colors and design in the art create energy.  When you remove the art, you remove energy.

The study of Feng Shui explains how and why the placement of objects creates balance, energy, and flow.  The universal principles of Yin and Yang and the five elemental energies classified as wood, water, metal, earth, and fire which are derived from Yin and Yang are the essence of Feng Shui.   Feng Shui provides us with a blueprint for quantifying energy and an explanation of why certain spaces affect us they way they do.  Feng Shui principles can explain why a friend’s house doesn’t feel comfortable or why you may need to select a certain table in a restaurant.

All the other Feng Shui enhancements you may have heard about like fountains, wind chimes, and lucky statues are simply icing on the cake.  They are fun and easy to implement.  The real study of Feng Shui however is concerned with landforms, structural forms, energy flow, and balance.   Feng Shui provides an explanation of  how the intangible to becomes tangible.  Energy is constantly flowing around us and it is the harnessing of this energy using Feng Shui principles that is the power of Feng Shui.

Feng Shui 101- Does the Home You’re Buying Have Good Feng Shui?

Take note of the following features when selecting a home.  Of course, no home is perfect, so don’t worry if not all of these conditions are met. 

Interior Features

Interior features like rounded corners on walls, organic shapes, an open floor plan, and lots of natural light contribute to good Feng Shui.  In Feng Shui, energy (qi) flow is vital.  If you’ve ever gone into an attic with no ventilation odds are you didn’t feel like staying long because of the stale air.  It’s important to your well-being to have healthy, flowing energy in your home.  An open floor plan allows for circulation of qi.  Rounded corners allows qi to flow easier than sharp angles.  And abundant natural light alleviates qi from stagnating.  Too much or too little natural light in the home causes discomfort because instinctively people feel that the home is not balanced.

Location

Neighborhoods with well-maintained homes, meandering street traffic, and varied topography are desirable because they indicate good energy in the area.   Look for a home that’s situated on the lot in the form of an armchair. It’s best to have the front yard open and without obstructions so you can receive qi; and a hill, fence or trees in back of the house to gather qi;  and support on the left and right side of the house – usually in the form of neighboring homes.

Street Traffic

Streets that are straight carrying fast traffic are not good for residential areas.  In short, people don’t like to live on highways.  Feng Shui principles explain why.  Too much noise and rushing qi outside create an imbalance inside and negate relaxation.  Winding streets are best because qi moves slowly and accumulates in front of the home, then gently flows into the home.   When the street traffic is too fast qi rushes by and can’t enter your home and the chaotic qi from the street beats against the home.

Proportion

Proportion is also important in Feng Shui. A hill behind your home is a desirable feature, but if it’s only six feet from the back door it’s not. Instead of gathering qi, the hill can make you feel claustrophobic and can constrict your opportunities in life. A home should also be well-situated on a symmetrical lot.  When a home is too close to the street or when it is situated on an unevenly shaped lot the balance of qi will be uneven and can affect relaxation as well as prosperity.

Floor Plan

Fundamentally, the goal of Feng Shui is balancing yin and yang energies. Yang corresponds to movement and light.  Yin corresponds to the opposite – quietness and dark.  Correctly balancing yin and yang creates comfort.  Quiet rooms, like bedrooms, should be located in the quieter, yin areas of a home.  Most of the time, the quieter area is the back of the house.   Active areas like the kitchen and family room should be together.  Does it feel odd to you when a bedroom is located next to the kitchen?  Or when a bedroom is adjacent to a garage?  This is because of the nature of the rooms – the kitchen and garage are active areas and the bedroom is quiet area.  When the floor plan seems awkward or impractical it’s because rooms aren’t arranged according to their function.

Avoid these Features

Features in opposition to Feng Shui principles include stairways facing the front door, low ceilings, irregularly shaped rooms, rooms over garages, and spiral staircases.  These features tend to cause negative circulation of qi.  Of course, remember that no home is perfect and all homes have some negative Feng Shui aspects.  Trust the feeling you get when you’re inside  the home.  If you feel at ease and comfortable, you’re most likely experiencing good Feng Shui.

Flow, Balance, and Energy will Sell A Home.

Three simple Feng Shui principles to follow when selling your home:

1 – Create FLOW by de-cluttering each area.

2-  Create BALANCE through furniture and

accessory arrangement.

                                                     3-  Create ENERGY by using vibrant colors

and dynamic accessories.

Keeping these principles in mind when preparing your home for sale go a long way to making a great first impression and helping a buyers feel comfortable in the home.  If a buyers feels comfortable and relaxed, they’ll feel good about the home.  That is the first big step towards making a sale.

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