How to Decorate Your House using Feng Shui
Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese form of art and science that has been around for the last 3,000 years. Feng means "wind" while Shui means "water". The ancient art of Feng Shui is a complicated process that you cannot possibly assimilate in a short time. The art has been practiced for thousands of years and mastery is not an easy feat. Various school of thoughts have sprung from masters of the art and the approach to Feng Shui developed in many ways.
Feng Shui is a Taoist vision and understanding of nature. The idea is that the land around us is alive and filled with energy called "Chi". In ancient China it was believed that the energy of the land has a direct effect on the Kingdom's existence. The Ying and Yang are the negative and positive forces of nature. If Chinese medicine aims to balance the ying and yang of the body, Feng Shui is balancing and aligning an object, or a site, a building, or a city with the forces of ying and yang. Then there are the five feng shui elements that are to be considered: fire, water, earth, metal and wood.
What element are you? For a Feng Shui master to correctly analyze the alignment of your house he has to know what element you are. This is quite easy for a house that is just about to be planned and built. There are those who consult Feng Shui masters first before consulting an architect. A Feng Shui master will be able to tell you the best locations of each room in your house. Even the entry points of utilities are included in the alignment of your house.
Houses that were built before a consult with a Feng Shui master could have some parts torn down and renovated in compliance with the Feng Shui master's analysis after a belated consult.
The art of Feng Shui has gained popularity over the years. Man's quest for that state of bliss and perfection has found another way in the form of Feng Shui. It has become a new concept (and fad) to achieve a level of harmony, wealth, good health, and happiness in life. The ancient art has been commercialized and with commercialization comes modifications.
Tools of Feng Shui
There are three tools used in Feng Shui. The first one is the Ba-gua (Pa-kua) or the energy map of your house. There are 8 areas that are included in the Ba-gua and each area has a defining Feng Shui element and colour. The Feng Shui compass is called a Lo-pan. For the most part, a regular compass can be used too.
The five elements in Feng Shui are water, fire, metal, wood and earth. The Feng Shui colours are brown and green for earth; red, yellow, orange, purple and pink for fire; black and blue for water; white and gray for metal and light yellow, sandy and light brown for earth.
There are plenty of qualified Feng Shui masters around. As mentioned earlier, good and perfect Feng Shui could only be achieved if the alignment of the house or site is in accordance with the owner's personal element. However there are a few basic Feng Shui tips that could apply to everyone.
Feng Shui Your Home
- Door Placement - Your front and back door should not be lined up with each other as "chi" will slip right out the door. If the doors are lined up, block it with a plant and put an angled rug on the floor for a sideways direction.
- Don't use red too much - Be careful using red as it represents fire. Do not use a red living room set as it could add stress and pressures in your life. Don't use red in the wealth are too (southeast).
- Attract happiness and joy -in your life by decorating with water, air, plants, wind chimes, bright colours and flowers. Slide open the curtains and blinds and let the sun shine in. This will bring the yang chi of joy and happiness.
- Have a satisfying relationship - Free the southwest part of your home from clutter and your relationship would surely be a happy one. If you can, decorate that area in pairs as in pairs of candles, and materials such as china, porcelain, clay or terra cotta. Refrain from using wood or green items in this area.
- Indoor water fountain- is good for your home as it will attract favourable things. Position the fountain in a good area and literally wait for your dreams to come true.
- Don't leave clutter - in your front door and in pathways leading to it. Clutter will block the "chi".
- Leave the cactus out - of your house. The thorns are not good for positive "chi". Decorate your house with round-leaf plants, chimes and crystals.
- Brighten up dark long corridors - as they trap the bad "chi" inside your home and prevent the good "chi" from circulating.
- Don't put mirrors where -your bed will be reflected. It is best to locate mirrors in the bathroom or inside closet door but not in front or the sides of your bed.
- Don't put a bed, chair or table - under an exposed beam. It is bad luck as beams are heavy objects that could "pressure" you down. Cover the exposed beam with a false ceiling or if that is not possible, paint it the same colour as the ceiling.
- Choose smooth, rounded objects - tables and counters as a general rule. Sharp and jagged edges are bad "chi". Rounded things bring in a flow of good "chi".
Feng Shui is balancing energy with regards to the environment. It enhances harmony, prosperity and peace.