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Most of us have grown weary of hearing or reading about the overwhelming amount of bad news regarding finances, housing, employment, etc., that seems lately to have become an everyday occurrence. If you are ready to make some simple changes in your home and work environment to turn the weak or stagnant energy around you into something strong and positively charged and which at the very least will create a feeling of hope and rejuvenation, then you should give the four thousand year old, time tested ancient practice of Feng Shui a try. There is nothing to lose and who knows what positive occurrences are just waiting to happen in your life by making a few changes in your surroundings?
Feng Shui literally means “wind & water”. The ancient Chinese believed that a location that possessed good feng shui was a great conductor of ch,i, also called the “life force “. These locations that thrived more than others were sheltered from the wind, but also received plenty of sun and rain for abundant crops. Eventually, these naturally prime locations were all spoken for, and so the ancient Chinese developed a system after centuries of study that is called feng shui. Feng shui is a method of creating an environment that attracts ch,i to come and flow freely, even if it wouldn,t be naturally inclined to. Practitioners believe that ch,i is the single most important factor that influences our lives for better or worse and the lack of ch,i can seriously affect a person,s health and fortune.
There are volumes of books and manuals written regarding the practice and application of Feng Shui. If you are encouraged to practice feng shui in a more precise way, you should study them and learn how to chart spaces accordingly. Mrs. Lin,s Kitchen has starter kits and manuals available for your pleasure, and I also urge you to take a look at our newsletter archive dated February 2003 to read about balance of Yin and Yang, the five elements of earth, water, fire, wood and metal, and a description of the charting technique used to make calculations in feng shui, with helpful cures for your home, including the bedroom, living room and kitchen. .
For the purpose of this newsletter, I am focusing on three important areas that were not covered in the previous newsletter. They are the entrance way, bathroom and office. .
Entranceways:
Outdoors: Water features placed near a front door symbolizes the desire to receive wealth. Landscaping leading up to your home should be trimmed and pathways need to be kept in good repair. In feng shui, the color red attracts celebration, prosperity and joy into the house. Many believers will paint their front door red or plant red flowers to better attract this ch,i.
Indoors: Your entryway is a reflection of who you are and sets the tone for the rest of the home. In feng shui, traditionally the best painting in the house is displayed by the front door, and special care is taken to make this first impression of your home a welcoming one. Can you improve your entryway by adding color, or reducing clutter, or hanging artwork and displaying flowers?
All entranceways are considered to be the mouth of the ch,i as it is from where the ch,i arrives into your home and travels through it. You need to make yours inviting by providing light, a clear pathway, with doors that open inward to the biggest part of your room. If your entryway is narrow and you want to stimulate the ch,i, add a brass wind chime outside to uplift the energy, or place nice bells on the door knob that will guide the ch,i inside. Feng shui dictates that the doors to any room should open into a space, to draw good ch'i throughout the house. If your doors open out, you should re-hang them, or add a wind chime and place a mirror outside that will reflect the energy back towards your home. If your front door is near an elevator, your remedy for the energy that is unstable due to the constant motion of the elevator can be to place a rock or heavy object near your entryway in order to stabilize the ch,i to stay in your home. A mirror on your front door will also deflect the unstable energy of the elevator.
Bathrooms: The bathroom is considered to be an important room in the home because it is bonded to water and the element of water is most closely associated with money and emotions. In Feng Shui, plumbing is a considered a threat to ch,i as it has the potential to suck the energy down the drain as it does with water. We don,t want to flush our or prosperity down the toilet, so these are some areas to watch out for. Try to keep the drains of the tub and sink closed when they,re not being used. The powerful force of a flushing toilet also sucks up energy, so it is best to flush with the lid closed and keep the lid closed when not in use. Fix drips and leaks immediately. It is better if the toilet not in direct view of the door, but if this is not possible, place an object or painting elsewhere to distract people from noticing the toilet first. Keep your bathroom clean, and beautify them with paint, new towels, plants or other decorations.
Offices: An office at home or at work should be a place of power, what happens here directly leads to your success. For home offices, if your work is action driven, your office would do well near the front of the house and if your work is more contemplative, try to put your office near the rear of the house. In all cases, make sure that you are sitting in the most powerful position in the room. This is facing the door but not directly in line with it, this welcomes all business that comes your way. Your chair should be your throne; it must be comfortable and support your body. It is better to have a wall instead of a window or door behind you. If you do have a window behind you, put plants, shades or furniture there as a buffer. If you can,t sit facing the door, put a mirror on or behind your desk to reflect the door. You must keep your office organized; the ch'i cannot flow freely through clutter and chaos. Sharp corners and angles promote aggression and irritation, try to use rounded furniture or pillows as accents or soften the sharpness by using plants or textiles as accents. Use colors and images that keep you inspired.
These aforementioned remedies and cautions are simply suggestions on how feng shui can be practiced in these important places that affect your life. This is not a proven science, but with little to lose and perhaps something to gain it might be worth a try and it is one way to feel more in control of your life circumstances. With a little practice, you will find what “feels right” for you and your space will be more beautiful for it. |
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OUR 2008 NEWSLETTERS
Simple Feng Shui Remedies
Guide to Economical Holiday Shopping
Utamaro: Master Printmaker and Painters
Three Easy Eastern remedies
Unraveling Colors of Asia
Hiroshige: Following in the Footsteps of Hokusai
Hokusai: The Man behind the Art of Block Printing
Throw an Asian-Themed Party
Celebrating Cherry Blossom
The Seven Lucky Gods of Japan
Chinese New Year 2008 : Year of The Rat
Valentine's Day Gift Guide
All Hail the Sumo Wrestler
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