Feng Shui is about the flow of energy within our homes and how our relationship to those energies may affect us. Most people only care about the look and functionality of a home rather than the most important thing - health.
A home can be aesthetically pleasing and can feel great at first although after spending extended periods of time the effect can be felt by occupants which can sometimes work against the occupants rather than supporting them.
Everything in our home Feng Shui in our environment including our homes is based on the Five elements, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. For example the colour red, the heart and point object relate to the fire element.
Feng Shui is something that we can control and it can have a significant impact on our health, wealth and relationships.
Before you can Feng Shui your home or work place you need to rid yourself of clutter as it will reduce the effective flow of energy and could actually make things worse.
Symbolically, clutter represents stuck energy. Clutter in your environment can mirror internal clutter.
Imagine everything you own is attached to you by a thin thread of energy. The more things you have, the more strings you have attached to you. What these strings do is act as an anchor. They hold you firmly in your current situation and prevent you from moving forward in life. Therefore the more cluttered your environment, the more stagnant your life is likely to be, and carrying around a lot of clutter both internally and externally will slow you down and tire you out.
People tend to keep clutter in order to suppress themselves, as it holds them back. We use clutter as a protection against the future as we are normally based in fear. However, fear is not a natural state for us, and if we can recognise this fact, we can stop trying to protect ourselves against the future by accumulating clutter. A good saying to remember is "What you fear you attract".
It is said that clutter in wardrobes, bathroom cabinets, fridges, garages, cars, handbags, drawers, underneath beds are clutter hot-spots. Clutter at floor level pulls your energy down and can have a depressing effect. It can also indicate that you are trapped in the past.
Once you have done a good "clutter clear" you can then start to look at the feng shui and the best place to start is at the entrance as this is the energy you are bringing into the home. The energy at the entrance to your home will relate to your wealth and whether or not the feng shui supports your ability to make money in this home.
Tips for the Entrance
- The location of the door with regards to the sectors of the home, indicate a priority to the occupants, therefore a person who has their front door located in the North sector, suggests that their career is very important to them
- Make sure there is nothing in direct alignment with the door such as a tree or telegraph pole. To remedy this place a Bagua mirror over the door so it is reflecting the Sha Qi
- The path to the front door should be wide & spacious & well lit. Curved windy paths leading
- to the main entrance are auspicious
- Avoid having the front and back door in direct alignment as this will prevent the energy from circulating around the home – money comes in but goes out faster!
- A beautiful picture placed on the wall opposite the main door is used to encourage energy into the home & therefore opportunities to come into your life
- Your main door should always open inwards into a wide space to invite the Qi & therefore opportunities into one’s life
- Place two wide leaved plants next to the main door to help entice the energy in such as peace lilies
- Avoid facing a dark, pokey room, an interior staircase, mirror, stove, sink, fireplace, the door of a toilet, laundry, bathroom or bedroom. To remedy this keep the doors closed or place a screen between the doors.
The bedroom is also extremely important as the energy in this area can have a major impact on your health and relationships.
Tips for the bedroom
- The bed head should be against a solid wall. This will provide you with a sense of support & security when sleeping
- You should be able to see the whole room while lying in bed
- Avoid placing the foot of the bed in direct alignment with the door as this is the coffin position
- If the bedroom or bathroom door can be seen from the front door it can turn the energy yin. This may make the occupants lack motivation and feel fatigued and lazy.
- Your bed should not be located under an exposed beam.
- Avoid mirrors, as they are harmful to relationships especially if they are directly opposite the bed. Remove them or cover them over while sleeping
- Avoid clutter, as Qi should flow easily through the room. It is particularly important that you do not store anything under the bed
- Bedrooms in the East are said to be auspicious as they catch the rising sun. This entices the occupants to get up & make something of their lives
- Red candles in the South west (relationship) sector of the room are a romantic feature, which will encourage intimacy amongst a couple. (never leave them unattended)
Two very other important factors in a home is the use of the colour bright red in addition to water features such as fish tanks, table top fountains or swimming pools. You need to be extremely careful where these objects are placed as they may actually be doing more harm than good as they are activating the energy in the area they are placed. This is where the help of a qualified Traditional consultant comes in. Elizabeth is called in to analyse the "unseen energies" in your home and will identify any obstacles you may be experiencing and then recommend remedies based on the five elements to alleviate these problems and ensure your home is a space that is supporting your rather than working against you.
Elizabeth Wiggins
Elizabeth Wiggins is the principle consultant of Feng Shui Living. Highly qualified, being trained both nationally and internationally, she is Australia's leading Feng Shui Consultant. Based in Sydney she consults Australia wide on residential, business and commercial properties.