Simple Feng Shui: Eight Quick Ways to Redecorate for Your Spirit
By Susie Cortright
The ancient Chinese art of Feng
Shui is making a comeback in the modern world. But is it really
possible to change your attitude just by rearranging your living
space?
Many people say yes. Feng Shui
is an Asian philosophy that dates back some 5,000 years. Practitioners
strive to find the proper arrangement of objects and furniture
that will best suit your personality and lifestyle. The goal is
to arrange a home in such a way as to maximize feelings of safety
and comfort, which will in turn positively affect your health,
attitude, even your level of success.
Traditional Feng Shui revolves
around placement and symbolism. More contemporary Feng Shui also
considers a number of psychological factors, including the use
of color, aromatherapy and air quality. A Feng Shui consultant
locates the various energy centers of your home, suggests new
arrangements and may use crystals, mirrors, and chimes to achieve
certain effects.
Do it yourself
Like anything that’s been around for thousands of years,
the practice of Feng Shui has a number of variations. While the
ancient art is complex, many of the concepts appeal to common
sense. Before you call in a consultant, there are a few tricks
you can try on your own.
Optimum Feng Shui occurs when the life force (or ch’i)
is permitted to move freely around the house. Clutter is an
obstruction to this life force. Finding a place for clutter
may be first on your agenda.
People tend to feel uncomfortable -- even unsafe — when
their view is blocked. Does your home have any seats that don't
allow you to see who is entering the room or that block you
from being part of what is taking place in another part of the
room?
Feng Shui is about living in harmony with the earth. You can
do this, in part, by changing your decor to reflect the seasons
and by bringing natural elements inside. Plants, for example,
can have a calming effect.
Annoying sounds such as creaking doors and dripping faucets
can disrupt the ch'I of your home.
In the bedroom Your
bed should be positioned so that you have a clear view of the
doorway. Your headboard should touch the wall, many practitioners
say. And don’t place the bed against the window or your
ch’i might escape.
Some Feng Shui experts point the
head of the bed north to induce sound sleeping, but different
headboard positions produce different effects. For example, a
headboard pointing west can make one lazy, while a headboard pointing
south is said to worsen family arguments.
In the kitchen The
kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the home because
of the link between food preparation and the nourishment of the
body and spirit. For example, Feng Shui practitioners believe
that the flavor of food will change if the cook is startled, so
they recommend placing a mirror nearby so you can see who is entering
while you are busy at the stove.
In the family room
Attract more light in the family sector of your living space with
crystals and mirrors. Position family room furniture so your guests
face either south or east when sitting, and make sure no seats
position your guests to stare at the wall.
In the dining room
Choose a round, oval or octagonal dining room table, because angles
on tables create shars (negative energy zones). Feng Shui practitioners
also say that these rounded tables create a more welcoming environment.
© Susie Cortright
Susie Cortright publishes
Momscape.com,
a website devoted to helping busy women find balance. The site
features resources for conscious living and soul-based parenting,
including Susie's popular "Soul Snacks": creative ways
we can nurture ourselves -- and others -- in 15 minutes or less.
Susie is also the author of More
Energy for Moms, a mind-body-soul fitness book, program
and community, and Rekindling
Your Romance After Kids. Susie lives in Breckenridge,
Colorado, with her husband and three young children.
