FengShui eBook

8/13/2019 FengShui eBook

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Feng Shui Decorating: More than Furniture Placement

Feng Shui Decorating:More Than Furniture Placement

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Feng Shui Decorating:More than Furniture Placement

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION................................................................................ 4

HISTORY OF FENG SHUI................................................................. 4ANCIENT TIMES ............................................................................ 4MODERN TIMES ............................................................................ 5

FENG SHUI EXPLAINED................................................................... 7BASIC PRINCIPLES ....................................................................... 7

FENG SHUI AS A SCIENCE......................................................... 10TOOLS OF THE TRADE............................................................... 11

FENG SHUI FOR YOUR HOUSE .................................................... 13BEDROOMS ................................................................................. 14BEDROOMS FOR KIDS ............................................................... 16LIVING ROOMS............................................................................ 18HOME OFFICES........................................................................... 22KITCHEN ...................................................................................... 24BATHROOMS ............................................................................... 27FENG SHUI FOR YOUR STUFF .................................................. 30

FENG SHUI OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE............................................ 32GARDENS .................................................................................... 32YOUR WORKPLACE.................................................................... 36YOUR CAR ................................................................................... 37FENG SHUI EXTRAS ................................................................... 39

CRITICISMS OF FENG SHUI .......................................................... 40

ASTRONOMY & SORCERY ......................................................... 41SILLY NONSENSE ....................................................................... 42INFLUENCING YOUR ENVIRONMENT....................................... 43

FENG SHUI PROFESSIONALS ...................................................... 45CERTIFICATION........................................................................... 45


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INTRODUCTION

You have probably heard of Feng Shui in many different contexts. Most often,Feng Shui is mentioned as a way to move your furniture around in order toachieve a sort of harmonious balance within the home. Although the placement

of your furniture is indeed a major aspect of making your home and other placesmore Feng Shui friendly, there is a lot more to this ancient practice. You maynot have realized it, but Feng Shui is something that has been around for a verylong time, and, although it is quite trendy nowadays, it has been in use bypeople for many, many years. As with many ancient practices, Feng Shui hasexperienced a rebirth within Western civilization as people continue to search forways to strike a harmonious balance within their lives. Feng Shui is multifacetedand at times can be quite complex, but if you simply want to know the basicsbehind Feng Shui so that you can give it a try within your own home then it isnttoo terribly difficult to start.

HISTORY OF FENG SHUI

The history of Feng Shui is actually quite fascinating. Similarly to many othertraditions stemming from ancient Eastern philosophies, Feng Shui hasexperienced times during which it was considered obscure while alsoexperiencing times during which it was considered quite vogue. You may besurprised to learn that not only has Feng Shui been around for a few years, butit has been around long before you, long before your parents, long before yourparents' parents, and long before the people ahead of them. The fact that FengShui keeps reemerging makes it all the more fascinating.

ANCIENT TIMES

Feng Shui has been used for a very long time. Most Feng Shui historiansclaim that the practice has been around for thousands of yearsover threethousand years by most accounts. The fact that Feng Shui utilizes manycomplicated methods and theories is a high testament to the ancient Chineseculture that created Feng Shui. Since Feng Shui has been around for so long itis unlikely that the modern day Feng Shui is exactly as the original Feng Shuiwas, and in fact there are so many deviations from the original Feng Shui thatseveral branches of Feng Shui exist. While one version of Feng Shui may claim

that a certain color can accomplish certain goals, another version of Feng Shuimay make a completely different claim. Whichever form of Feng Shui youdecide to follow in your quest to have a more harmonious living space, you canrest assured that the principles you're following have been around much longerthan you have, and have been tested by a wide variety of people long beforeyou (or anyone you know) walked the Earth.


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Who thinks up this stuff? Feng Shui is originally credited to the ancientChinese, and more specifically is thought to be a derivative of Taoism. If youever study Taoism you will notice that many of the principles defined withinTaoism are familiar to Feng Shui. Taoists strive to achieve a closerunderstanding of nature while also attempting to understand the various

energies flowing throughout nature. You do not have to embrace the ideals ofTaoism in order to practice Feng Shui, just like you don't have to practice FengShui if you embrace Taoism ideals. The two schools of thought definitelycompliment each other, however, and it is believed by many people that FengShui evolved from the ideas of Taoism.

Some say Feng Shui has beenproven by the test of time. One ofthe things about Feng Shui thatproponents like to mention is that ithas been around for so long and

has been used by so many peopleover the years that there has to besomething to it. Although manypeople might see this as a faulty lineof thinking (after all, just becausesomething has been around for a

very long time does not necessarily prove its validity), the fact that Feng Shui isstill utilized in modern times after so many years does give some critics pause.There is also something innately interesting about utilizing ideals that wereutilized by people so long ago. It makes some people feel as though they arecontinuing a cycle that hasn't ever been broken. The best idea is to try FengShui for yourself and see if it gives you the results you are looking for. Insteadof getting wrapped up in something like Feng Shui or anything else for thatmatter based simply on the fact that it has been around for a very long timeyou should give it a try and make the judgment call yourself. Sure, people havebeen using Feng Shui since ancient times, but unless it works for you personallythen it isn't the most useful principle to follow.

MODERN TIMES

Feng Shui has experienced popularity in modern society. In the 1970'swithin the United States there was a surge of interest in ancient Chinese

methods and thought, and one of the theories to get recognized and utilized wasFeng Shui. Its popularity has grown throughout the years with a recent influx ofinterest in Feng Shui as the term becomes more popular and familiar withinmodern culture. Feng Shui has become so popular, as a matter of fact, thatsome Americans have essentially created their own forms of Feng Shui andturned it into either a religious idea or instead into a clever marketing ploy. Mostpeople who utilize Feng Shui within the United States do not get too terribly in-depth with the principles and instead simply use it as something they hope will

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enhance their lives, yet they don't put too much stock into it. There are plenty ofother people, however, who get quite serious when it comes to their Feng Shuiand they do complex calculations in order to figure out the best placement ofeverything within their home.

Yes, it's vogue. People who have never dabbled in anything remotely exoticmay still develop an interest in Feng Shui for a few reasons. It's a popularmethod for both interior decoration and an attempt at making living quartersmore peaceful. There is also an abundance of information available about FengShui, so that makes it much easier for people to give it a try. Many people arealso simply looking for a way to calm their lives, and are willing to try just aboutanything in order to accomplish that goal. Feng Shui appeals to so many peoplebecause, although it's still considered somewhat frivolous, it's not generallyconsidered pagan. In other words, although some religious groups frown uponthe fundamental idea of Feng Shui (that you can somehow influence yourenvironment through the layout of your surroundings), it isn't necessarily likened

to devious behavior. Consequently, many people who would never usually trysomething like Feng Shui jump right in and try it. With enough famous andinfluential people claiming that Feng Shui has been beneficial to their lives, itmakes other people want to give it a try. Besides, if a person's favorite actor,writer, or other celebrity declares Feng Shui to be a valid way to calmsurroundings, many people are more than willing to try it simply because it'strendy.

Everyone is looking for a way to make their homes more peaceful. Moderntimes do not have the market cornered on hectic schedules and chaotic lives,but there is a true desire among many individuals to find creative ways to have acalmer environment. For many people, there is no way to actually lessen thebusyness within their lives, so they instead turn to practices like Feng Shui,which are supposed to grant things like calm, harmony, and clarity without verymuch effort. Once you know the fundamentals of Feng Shui, it isn't too hard toput them into practice. Sometimes something as simple as moving somefurniture around or changing the color scheme of a room can help achieve adesired result. Feng Shui offers a system that is relatively simple to follow andthat claims to make a living space (or any other space for that matter) a nicerplace to be. With claims like these, it's no wonder that people within modernsociety are flocking toward Feng Shui and giving it a try. Feng Shui is beingused by people who come from families who have employed Feng Shui tacticsevery generation for many years, but also by families who have no ties toancestors who ever would consider trying something like this. Some people areattracted to the simplistic nature behind some Feng Shui principles. People whocan lose the clutter, take bulky electronics out of living areas, and simplify theirhomes often find great relief from the process. If you are looking for somethingto make your home more peaceful then Feng Shui might be worth a try. Younever know if you may get a fantastic result.


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Feng Shui has a rich history, and is experiencing a large rebirth within modernsociety. You can use Feng Shui in an attempt to make your living area morepeaceful, and you can also use Feng Shui when you have a specific desire,such as more money, a new romantic interest, or some other want that you can'tseem to obtain through other means. Many people find Feng Shui appealing

because it's unlike anything they have ever done before, and many folks claimto have derived great benefits from using Feng Shui. You'll never know until yougive it a try.

FENG SHUI EXPLAINED

Feng Shui can be awfully complicated, but it can also be relatively simple. It alldepends on how complicated you are willing to get with respect to transformingyour home or other space into a Feng Shui friendly area. You can do somethingas simple as move a little bit of your furniture around and add a wind chime, oryou can get really intricate and use all sorts of different tools and ancient gizmos

in an attempt to get the "Chi" flowing in a positive way throughout your home orother space.

BASIC PRINCIPLES

What the heck is "Chi?" You'll hear this term often within Feng Shui, andmaybe even see it spelled different ways and pronounced in different ways too."Chi" basically refers to the energy that occurs naturally within nature. AncientChinese renditions of Feng Shui and some modern Feng Shui renditions arean attempt to harness the naturally occurring "Chi" and manipulate it intosomething beneficial. You may have heard someone claim that something orsomeone has "Bad Chi" or "Good Chi," and this is a principle that is utilized inFeng Shui. A good energy flow within a home will result in "Good Chi" and willresult in the residents generally being happier and living together moreharmoniously. The trick behind Feng Shui is trying to figure out exactly how tomanipulate the "Chi" in order to achieve maximum results.

There is more than one style of Feng Shui. The term Feng Shuiencompasses many different forms and styles of what was once practiced inancient times. You may find that some Feng Shui specialists and professionalsactually have a bone to pick with other forms of Feng Shui, and this can be alittle confusing for someone who doesn't know much about the principles beyondthe fact that sometimes furniture gets moved around to let energy flow betterwithin the house. Depending on the books you read and the people you talk to,you may find claims that Feng Shui can accomplish a variety of goals:

You can find a suitable romantic interest.

You can enhance the lives of the residents within your home to includechildren and pets.

You can improve your health.


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You can attract wealth and success.

You can transform an unhappy family into a cohesive unit.

You can achieve a higher status among your peers.Perhaps these claims are more than you bargained for, or perhaps as you readthese you're thinking, "Wow, great, where do I begin?" Just be aware that

different schools of Feng Shui claim to do different things, so don't be surprisedif one Feng Shui book contradicts another Feng Shui book when it comes to thesteps you are supposed to take or the results you can expect. You can think ofit as similar to a religion by comparing it to something like Christianity:Denominations all fall under the category of Christianity, but the variousdenominations can have some very different ideas. Just to be clear, this doesnot mean that Feng Shui is considered a religion; it's merely to clarify how youwill find varying opinions among the many different schools of Feng Shui idealsand practices.

Different schools of Feng Shui ut ilize different methods. Although there are

more schools of thought when it comes to Feng Shui, the major players withinthe field can be categorized into three different schools of thought.

Traditional Feng Shuiconcentrates mainly on the power of symbols andthe shape of the items within the environment. The direction (north,south, east, west) or items within the Traditional Feng Shui school ofthought may or may not be a decisive factor when consideringrecommendations for a more harmonious home.

Black Hat Sect Tantric Buddhist Feng Shuiincorporates the ideas ofTraditional Feng Shui along with elements borrowed from Buddhism andTaoism. This form of Feng Shui was actually created by a Feng Shuipractitioner in modern times and is a popular version that involves several

different methods all rolled into one. Intuitive Feng Shuitakes Traditional Feng Shui and then molds it into

something that is more easily swallowed by Western society. There isless of the Chinese mysticism and symbols within Intuitive Feng Shui andmore of a regard for the decorative and architectural preferences ofpeople living within modern Western society.

The three major branches of FengShui all stem from Traditional FengShui, but the differences can beboth minor and major. Since allthree forms of Feng Shui are

relatively common and there arestill more forms as well there is nolimit to the contradictory informationyou can stumble upon whenresearching Feng Shui principles foruse within your own life. Theadvantage to the variety among thebranches of Feng Shui, however, is that if one particular school of thought does

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not appeal to you then you can try a different one. For example, if havingChinese symbols throughout your home is not appealing to you then you mightinstead implement the principles of Intuitive Feng Shui, which is largely aWestern creation and is basically devoid of the symbols you will find allthroughout Traditional Feng Shui.

Feng Shui utilizes the five elements. When you are reading about Feng Shuiyou will probably come across these terms quite often: fire, earth, wood, water,and metal. Feng Shui principles state that each of these elements not only hasa distinct effect on the surrounding environment, but also that you can utilize anappropriate element in order to get your desired results. Some elements areconsidered more "Chi-conducive" than others. Here is a brief explanation ofwhat each element is used for within Feng Shui:

Fire is utilized when you want to have more passion and energy. Youaren't supposed to overuse this element, however, because it canovertake everything around it if used too much. In Chinese, fire is

referred to as Huo. Earth is utilized when you want to be more relaxed and have more

patience. In Chinese, earth is referred to as Tu.

Wood is utilized when you want to be more creative and allow your mindto work innovatively. It is also used when you want to become morepopular and make more friends. In Chinese, wood is referred to as Mu.

Water is utilized when you want to be clearer in your efforts to get yourpoints across, either through written communications or verbalcommunications. In Chinese, water is referred to as Shui.

Metal is utilized when you want to be more successful in your career,such as when the time comes to ask for a raise or promotion. In

Chinese, metal is referred to as Jin.Each element has a corresponding color or colors and also represents variousstages within a human life. You may find that, depending on the Feng Shuischool of thought that you follow, each element can mean something completelydifferent and may have different corresponding colors and life stages.Remember that there are many different forms of Feng Shui, so you should notbe confused if you run across more than one explanation for the same thing.The best thing to do is to find the type of Feng Shui that works best for you andthen stick with its principles.

Feng Shui util izes animal symbols , among other things. Some forms of

Feng Shui use what are called the Feng Shui Guardians, which are four differentanimals which represent and promote different things. Each animal isrepresentative of a certain direction.

The Black Tortoise represents the North.

The Red Phoenix represents the South.

The White Tiger represents the West.

The Green Dragon represents the East.


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Although some branches of Feng Shui do not define specific placements ofthese symbols within your home, it is generally advised that you have at leastone of each symbol within the house and that you treat the symbols reverently.This means that you don't allow the symbols to get dusty and you certainly don'ttoss them around in play. You may hear these animal symbols referred to as

"cures" within Feng Shui, because they are prescribed in certain situations as away to either protect the people within the home or to remedy a situation. Somepeople start to get uncomfortable when they are asked to place symbols such asthese throughout their home, but these are generally a mainstay within most ofthe forms of Feng Shui.

FENG SHUI AS A SCIENCE

Some Feng Shui practit ioners consider i t a science. If your understanding ofFeng Shui basically involves the idea that you need to move some furniturearound and paint the walls a certain color for luck then you may be amazed at

all the equations and studying that goes into Feng Shui. Feng Shui can involvemany different types of scientific principles, although this science is notnecessarily the same kind that you would study in a Western school. AncientChinese sciences utilize many different principles that are considered scientificbecause they follow a similar pattern to other sciences:

1. A theory is created.2. The theory is tested.3. The theory is either endorsed or disregarded depending upon the

outcome of the various tests.4. Continual revisions are applied to theories over time as needed.

Feng Shui is not a practice that involves people sitting around and arbitrarily

thinking up new theories to follow. These ideas have been around forthousands of years and have been tested and retested during this time. This isnot to say, of course, that every aspect of Feng Shui should be considered ashaving scientific merit and that utilizing Feng Shui within your home willflawlessly deliver the outcome you are looking for. You should realize, however,that there is much more to Feng Shui than wandering into a room and "feeling"where the furniture should be placed.

Math, charts, and the stars must align. Not every branch of Feng Shuiutilizes all the tools from within the trade, but some schools of thought regularlyincorporate elements of mathematics, astronomy, astrology, and various other

disciplines in order to create a harmonious living environment. Do you knowthat some Feng Shui practitioners will not only need to see your home beforethey can offer advice, but they will also want to know what direction the homefaces, what year the home was built, and the birthdates and times of everyoneliving within the home? They take all this various information in addition to otherpieces of information and fashion together a suitable recommendation. Thismeans that if you have someone over to your house to offer you some advicewith regard to making the energy within your home flow in a more harmonious


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manner then you shouldn't be surprised if the person spreads out a stack ofcharts, graphs, magnets, counting apparatuses, compasses, and other toolsbefore you are offered any advice. Obviously, there is a lot more to Feng Shuithan plopping a dragon statue above your fireplace. Feng Shui practitioners(depending on the school of thought they endorse) may also be able to reveal to

you the ideal days for you to do certain major things such as getting married,moving, buying a home, making business deals, and other important events.Feng Shui can assist you in more areas of your life than just in how you shoulddecorate your home.

Intricate Feng Shui practices involve a lot of information. You can choosehow complicated you would like for your Feng Shui involvement to be. Somepeople are more than happy to just dabble in Feng Shui when they areattempting to find a new look for their home and allow the energy to flow a littlebetter, but there are actually some people who will not make a major decision intheir lives without first consulting the principles of Feng Shui. Some people

surround themselves with Feng Shui articles no matter where they go, andmany people claim that everything good in their lives (romance, prosperity,happiness) is a direct result of the use of Feng Shui. Of course, there are somepeople who would argue that it isn't healthy to attribute everything good or badwithin your life to ancient Chinese principles, and that people need tounderstand that they are makers of their own destiny and the year you are borndoes not necessarily carve into stone the path your life will take. You decideyour level of involvement with Feng Shui, and you should take care not to adoptan attitude of predestination, as though nothing you do in life matters becauseit's all laid out for you beforehand. That is, of course, unless you have alwaysendorsed this idea and it is something from which you derive comfort. It is up toyou how many different aspects of Feng Shui you want to incorporate into yourlife.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Most Feng Shui experts suggest the use of the IChing. The I Ching is an ancient Chinese methodused to predict events. The I Ching can supposedlyfind an order within apparent chaos, and it isrepresented using a series of symbols. In Feng Shui,the I Ching is used in the form of the Pa Kua (also

called a Ba-Gua), which is a map that features all the IChing symbols. You use a Pa Kua when you areattempting to figure out where the "Bad Chi" withinyour home is. Using the Pa Kua, you are supposed tobe able to figure out why certain things are happeningto you. For example, if the Pa Kua reveals that area ofyour home that contains the bedrooms doesn't fall

within the category of good relationships and marriage blessings then it may

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explain why there are marital problems or intimacy issues within your home. Ifthis is indeed the case then the remedy wouldn't necessarily be to move yourbedroom to another area of the house, but instead might be to place somesymbols and other items within the bedroom, which would counteract the "BadChi" and create some harmonious energy and consequently improve marital

relations.

Symbols, mirrors, and wind chimes are only the beginning. Once you delveinto Feng Shui you will probably start to realize that there are many differentsymbols and items used for various purposes. You might read somewhere thatyou should place wind chimes in a certain part of your home to counteract othernoise, or you may be told to place a certain symbol of a particular color nearyour bed if you are attempting to get pregnant. Feng Shui utilizes focal pointsand other things, which are supposed to act not only as reminders of your goals,but are also designed to harness positive energy and deflect negative energy.So don't be surprised if a friend who is active in Feng Shui principles brings you

an item and tells you to put it in a very specific place, and to treat the item acertain way. Many Feng Shui veterans not only place items within their homesin an attempt to attract positive energy, but they also treat the items reverentlybecause they feel as though treating the item poorly will result in negativeenergy. For example, a statue designed to bring you wealth might feature atortoise sitting atop a pile of Feng Shui coins. If you ignore the statue or allow itto get dirty then you are essentially ignoring your goal of acquiring more wealth.For this reason, you shouldnt think that you can merely purchase a Feng Shuisymbol and then things will miraculously start happening even though you don'tput forth any further effort. Feng Shui isn't a passive method, just as theconstant flow of energy throughout your home isn't necessarily passive. On thesame note, you should know that you don't necessarily need to load up yourhome with Feng Shui symbols and litter the entire house with them. Choosespecific Feng Shui items with specific goals in mind, otherwise your house willbecome cluttered, chaotic, and generally incongruous to the principles set forthby Feng Shui.

Compasses are big in Feng Shui. Many of the principles behind Feng Shuirely on the direction in which the location is facing. That means that the "Chi" ofa certain location may be different depending on whether it faces north, south,east, or west. For this reason, you should not be surprised if a Feng Shuiconsultant arrives at your home in order to get an accurate directional readingon your home prior to offering any advice. If you hope to accurately utilize FengShui then you will need to figure out exactly what direction your home (orwhatever location you are interested in) faces. The industry standard in FengShui when it comes to compasses is the Lo Pan Chinese Compass, but anycompass is suitable as long as it is accurate. You also need to know thedirections within your home, because in some versions of Feng Shui, you areexpected to place certain items in certain directions in order to achieve certainresults. It's important that you take accurate measurements when you are using


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a compass to figure out which direction your home faces and also whichdirection various other rooms, windows, and items face within your home. If youdon't know the accurate directions then your Feng Shui renovations may beincorrect. Don't trust your own sense of direction, no matter how trustworthy ithas been in the past. Purchase a reliable compass and make note of the

direction your home faces before you hop in and start changing things withinyour home based on the direction the house faces.

Certain Feng Shui symbols are supposed to offer protection. Good luckand protection are supposed to be achievable through the use of various FengShui symbols. Each symbol brings with it a specific protection, so the symbolyou choose will be dependent upon what it is you are trying to get protectionfrom. Some Feng Shui practitioners claim that there is a wide variety ofnegative energies that actually attempt to attack people, so instead of simplybeing something that people need to work at avoiding, the negative energy issomething from which people require protection. Some symbols are not

necessarily designed to protect from negative energies, but are designed toattract positive energies and bring about good luck within the home. Theplacement of the symbols depends on the layout of the home and the protectionbeing sought, but in many cases the symbols do not necessarily have to beprominent figures within your home. This means that the Buddha statue youbought to provide protection does not need to engulf your living room. You mayeven be able to place the symbol away somewhere and still receive the sameamount of protection.

It's difficult to summarize the ideas behind Feng Shui because there is a lot to it.There are also so many different forms of Feng Shui that one may contradict theother, so this can add to the confusion. Some people may decide to pick andchoose the style of Feng Shui that they would like to use within their homes,although many Feng Shui professionals suggest that it is best to stick to onestyle of Feng Shui or another since each particular style is designed to work withthe ideals set forth by that particular school of thought. If all this is making yourhead spin, then don't worrythere are some general Feng Shui tips for eachroom of your house that can be followed quite easily in order for you to receiveresults. If you really like the results you get then that's when you can begin towork toward finding out which specific Feng Shui style works for you. Just don'tbegin to panic quite yet.

FENG SHUI FOR YOUR HOUSE

Feng Shui is commonly used within living quarters, although it can also be usedwithin various other contexts. If you have heard of Feng Shui before then it isquite likely that you heard of it in regard to making a home more peaceful andallowing harmonious energy to flow throughout the home. There is so muchmore to Feng Shui than the little blurbs you have undoubtedly heard (place yourbed a certain way to sleep better, keep paint colors relatively calm, et cetera),


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activities such as reading or watching TV. Televisions aren't the onlyoffending items you can have in your bedroom. Exercise bikes and otherequipment should be considered banned from the bedroom if you areattempting to make your bedroom as Feng Shui friendly as you possiblycan.

Use candles. Use common sense when you decide to add candles toyour room's dcor. No matter how spiritual or balanced the glow of acandle makes you feel, you need to make sure that you're not placingcandles right next to drapes or other flammable items. You should alsomake sure that the candles you use aren't incredibly scented to wherethey overwhelm the room, and you certainly don't want to invest in somecandles that emit chemicals that are bad for your respiratory system.This means you should skip on the extremely cheap candles, whichrelease some odd smoke and tacky smells. The flames may look niceand relaxing, but once you get a whiff of the smoke your coughing fitwon't really help your quest to find peace and harmony in your bedroom.

It's hard to feel at peace when you can't really breathe. Close the doors when you sleep. Nervous parents may find this a

particularly difficult Feng Shui principle to follow because sometimesparents just want to be able to hear the kids breathing deeply in theirsleep. Nonetheless, Feng Shui dictates that you close your bedroomdoor when you are sleeping, and also that you close any other doors thatyou may have in your bedroom. Close the door to your bathroom, closeyour closet doors, and close the door leading out to your adjoiningbalcony, if you have one. You also want to avoid sleeping with your headfacing any of these doors, although this can be a tough tip to follow if youhave doors throughout your bedroom. Just make sure that if you actually

have to sleep with your head facing a door that the door remains closedthroughout the night.

If you're only doing one room, make it your bedroom. Since Feng Shui is allabout finding a harmonious balance with your living environment, you shouldconsider making your bedroom the most important room to achieve this balance.Even if your bedroom is used solely for sleeping in other words, you dontreally spend that much time at all in your bedroom other than the time youspend snoozing away on your bed getting a good night's sleep is one of themost important aspects to keeping the rest of the balance in your life. Unlessyou are one of the lucky few people who really don't need that much sleep at all

in order to thrive and function well on a daily basis, most people will agree that ifthere is going to be one peaceful and balanced room in a house it should be thebedroom. So when you first start out with your Feng Shui exploration you maywant to consider starting with the bedroom. Some people rearrange theirbedrooms into a Feng Shui configuration with no intention of ever moving on todoing other rooms, but then afterward they have such a great experience withthe new vibe in their bedroom that they move on to rearrange other rooms.


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Really, you can Feng Shui your entire house if you get motivated enough. Startwith the bedroom and see where it goes from there.

Be careful of what you decorate your bedroom with. You spend an awful lotof time in your bedroom, and even

though a good portion of that time maybe spent sleeping you still need to bemindful of what is adorning yourbedroom walls. With regard to FengShui, you should make sure that yourroom is painted a color that you findrelaxing yet enticing. Some Feng Shuiexperts suggest only using color tonesin the bedroom that naturally occur onhuman skin, although you don'tnecessarily have to go out and try to

find paint that matches your flesh tonesexactly. As far as any paintings or other artwork that you choose to hang onyour bedroom walls, you should make sure that the art reflects where you wantto go in life. In other words, an oil painting of a sad clown hanging above yourbed is probably not the best choice for your Feng Shui-friendly bedroom, unlessfor some reason your goal in life is to be a sullen clown, of course.

BEDROOMS FOR KIDS

Now here is a room where you want harmonious energy. If there is oneroom within your house that you will find yourself wishing was as harmonious as

possible, it's a child's bedroom. When a child doesn't sleep well or wakes up ina cranky mood, it affects everyone else within the home. Here are a few tips tomake your child's room as harmonious as possible while also allowing the roomto be nice and playful for your kid:

Pay attention to loud toys . You don't want to have a room for yourchild that is overrun by loud and flashy toys that command a lot ofattention. The same goes for all the various gadgets and devices thatyou might place in the room without even really thinking about all theelectricity they pump into the room: baby monitors, stereo systems, babywipe warmers, and any number of items that you place within the room inan attempt to make your job as a parent easier might actually interfere

with the flow of positive energy within the room. Any time a room withinthe house is having a hard time allowing energy to flow, it affects theenergy flow within the entire house.

Where is the crib or bed? When you plan where the crib or bed isplaced within your child's room you should take the same things intoconsideration that you take into consideration when placing your ownbed in your bedroom. Don't place the crib or bed right next to the doorfor two reasons: it creates a bad sleeping energy for your child while also

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allowing your baby to be disturbed by anyone walking through thehallway outside the room. Close all the doors within the room when yourchild is sleeping, including closet and bathroom doors. Kids have a hardenough time sleeping sometimes, so you should try your best to giveyour child an environment conducive to a good night's sleep.

Seasoned parents w ill laugh at this one:Keep the clutter to aminimum. It is pretty much inevitable that your child's room will becomecluttered unless you are a whiz at organization (in which case you maywant to start an organization business and specialize in children's roomsbecause you'll make a fortune). Try not to allow the room to get overrunwith toys and other trinkets, and teach your child at an early age thatthings should not be left strewn around the bedroom. It's difficult forpositive energy to flow through a room that is chaotic and messy.

Additionally, you will probably feel more at ease if you know that therearen't piles of toys, clothes, and other items overtaking your child'sbedroom.

Where are all the toys?Babies and children have an uncanny knack forspreading their belongings throughout the entire house. Toys that startout in the child's bedroom start to creep their way out into the otherrooms of the house until all of a sudden you look around and realize thatevery room in the house kitchen, bathrooms, and even your bedroom looks pretty much identical to your child's room because of all the toysaround. For maximum energy flow within the house, and for your ownsanity and comfort, you should do your best to keep the toys and otherchildrens items in the child's bedroom. If this isn't an option, then try todesignate a small area within the other rooms where you can place sometoys where they will not be in the way and preferably will not be the first

thing seen by visitors. What is the bedroom next to?Since all rooms within your home have

an overall effect on the energy flow within the home, you need to takeinto consideration what rooms are right next to - and directly across from

your child's bedroom. Bathrooms, for example, are notorious as beingrooms within a house that can harbor negative energy, so if your child'sroom is right next to the bathroom you should take the appropriate stepsto deflect the negative energy away from the child's bedroom. Havingyour child's bedroom right next to a loud or productive room, such as ahome office or an entertainment room, is not ideal for a couple ofreasons. First of all, the loud noises will not be good for your child's

sleeping patterns. Secondly, the electricity seeping out of the other roomwill certainly interrupt the energy flow within the adjacent rooms,including the child's room.

A child's room should be a happy yet relaxing place where your child feelscomfortable and also feels as though he or she has some ownership in theroom. Although you may be taking great efforts to make your entire home FengShui compatible, don't place items within the room that may make your childuncomfortable or that they simply don't like. Try to remember back to when you


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were a child, and recall how you would have felt if your parent had marched intoyour bedroom and hung a weird symbol on the wall. Try to respect your child'swishes while also utilizing Feng Shui in an attempt to make a more harmoniousliving space for the entire family.

You'll spend more time in here than you thought you would. If you arebringing home a new baby and this is your first experience dealing with anewborn you are going to be surprised at how much time youspend in thebaby's room. From stumbling into the room for midnight feedings to changingwhat will seem like a million dirty diapers a day, the time you spend in yourbaby's room is something you will look back on fondlyeventually. For now,you should create an environment within the room that will be appealing to bothyou and your baby. Don't get carried away with your own preferences anddecorate the room with dragons and other symbols that may be seen as a littlescary by a young child, but if you detest the whole cute and cuddly teddy bearmotif then dont get talked into filling the room with the very things you don't like.

Make a room that is appealing to the child, appealing to you, and that allowspositive energy to flow throughout the entire room. You want to create apeaceful place for your child to sleep.

Safety trumps Feng Shui energy flow. Sure, you want your child's bedroomto flow well with the rest of the house, and you probably want your kids tobenefit from the same harmony you enjoy in your own bedroom. Remember,however, that every decorating decision you make in your child's room needs tobe tempered with the best safety practices. For example, live plants can be awelcome addition to most Feng Shui rooms and have a way of allowing energyto flow more efficiently throughout a room. You simply can't place a live (andpossibly poisonous plant) in the middle of your toddler's room and assume thatyour child will not at some point grab the plant and either start munching on it orinstead flailing the soil throughout the room. You don't want to place windchimes in a kid's room if the child has any possible way of being able to rip thechimes down from the ceiling, which could become a huge choking hazard.Remember that kids have very little impulse control, so even if you repeatedlyexplain to your child that the large statue in the room is beneficial to his or her"Chi" and should be left alone, that unfortunate statue is more than likely goingto encounter one or two tumbling instances, if not wind up shattered into pieces.Think of it this way: Safety first, then worry about how the energy within theroom flows.

LIVING ROOMS

Here are the basic fundamentals for making your l iving room Feng Shuifriendly. There are specific guidelines that Feng Shui experts suggest when itcomes to making sure your living room is as harmonious as possible:


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Your ceiling matters. Although many people enjoy the looks ofcathedral ceilings and other nontraditional slopes, Feng Shui calls forflat ceilings because it is supposed to make it easier for the energy toflow throughout the room. If you don't have flat ceilings in the livingroom then one proposed remedy is to hang things from the ceiling to

even things out. What you hang from the ceiling is largely up to you,although items conducive to Feng Shui would include wind chimes orpieces of bamboo. You need to decide if having wind chimes hangingup in your living room is just a bit too weird, however, because itcertainly can take some getting used to. For this reason, even if FengShui states that you shouldn't allow sloped ceilings to remain exposed but you feel weird about things dangling from your ceiling in the livingroom then you may want to skip on this tip. No matter how Feng Shuifriendly something is, if you feel weird about it then it's probably bestthat you don't do it after all.

Close the adjacent doors. Living rooms often open up into other

rooms such as kitchens or bathrooms. If there are doors in between therooms then you are supposed to leave them closed when the otherrooms are not in use in conjunction with the living room. If your livingroom is adjacent to your kitchen and you are going back and forthduring a party then you may want to leave the door open forconvenience's sake, but when the other room is not currently in use thedoors should remain closed. This is especially true for bathrooms,which are considered within Feng Shui to be major culprits in removingpositive energy from another room. If you close the door to theadjacent bathroom you may be able to keep the positive energy withinthe living room.

Count the chairs. Not only should you strive to have an even numberof chairs or seats within the living room, but you also shouldn't pushyour sofa right up against a wall. You are supposed to leave a bit ofspace if possible because this is supposed to help with the energy flowwithin the room. Your energy flow is supposed to go better if the livingroom seating is broken up to where there are no direct pathways withinthe room. That means that the chairs should not be set up to whereyou can stand up from one and walk directly into another room of thehouse. Feng Shui states that there should be no direct pathwaysformed by the furniture in the living room because this messes with theflow of energy and makes it less harmonious and welcomingand you

certainly want a harmonious and welcoming living room, right? Don't hog the best spots. If you have one chair in the living room that

is particularly comfortable then you are supposed to leave it alone andonly let guests sit in it. This gives guests a sense of importance withinthe home, and more importantly makes them feel as though they arewelcome. You are not necessarily supposed to make a big deal aboutthis fantastic chair either, meaning that when your guest comes overyou simply offer him or her the chair instead of making a big production


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out of it. Think about it: wouldn't you feel a little weird if you went overto a friend's house and your friend loudly proclaimed that you would sitin the special chair that was reserved for guests and never sat in by thepeople living in the home? Just keep the best chair for guests and don'tget melodramatic about it.

Less is more. You should not allow your living room to get overrunwith clutter, no matter how much you enjoy displaying the varioustrinkets you have collected over the years. This includes pieces offurniture as wellif you don't use a chair or other pieces of furnitureoften then get rid of them. Too much stuff in the living room interruptsthe energy flow within the room. Your furniture shouldn't be too largeeither, so lose any overstuffed items from the room. Instead ofpurchasing the huge wraparound couch, you may want to considerbuying a few small pieces that compliment each other and that will alsoassist you in breaking up the room a little. Don't allow your living roomto become overrun with large furniture.

Use plants. The living room is an ideal area within the house to placepotted plants as long as you don't allow the room to turn into a jungle ofsorts with all the potted plants. You might also want to consider puttinga fish tank in your living room if it will be unobtrusive and allow for asense of relaxation. If you discover through a Feng Shui consultant thatthere are certain areas within your living room that are considered"dead spots" or full of negative energy, these are the perfect places forpotted plants. Do make an effort to keep every plant in your living room(and every other room within the house, for that matter) healthy andthriving. Walking into a living room filled with half-dead plants iscertainly not the most welcoming sight, and it certainly won't help the

energy flow within your living room to have an abundance of limp, sadplants throughout the room.

Does it feel welcoming to you? The living room should be a placewhere both residents and guests can sit down and feel at ease andwelcome. When deciding on the dcor for the room, keep in mind whatmakes you feel at ease and try to incorporate those types of factors intothe living room. You shouldn't only concern yourself with the things thatwill make your guests feel more comfortable and at ease in your livingroomthink about what makes youmore comfortable and at ease.

After all, if you aren't relaxed in your home then it is not likely that yourguests will be either. You're the one who has to live in your home, and

if your living room doesn't appeal to you personally then you're notgoing to be happy. Even if your guests consistently compliment you onthe fabulous living room you have, it's just not the same as having aliving room where you can sit down and truly feel as though you are atease and relaxed.

Some living rooms are adjacent to the main entryway. A living room that isadjacent to the main entryway needs special consideration because the room


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then becomes an extension of the entrance instead of simply a living room. Youneed to consider both rooms and figure out the best way to ensure that there isa welcoming and harmonious energy flowing freely from the front door all theway into the living room. For this reason, you do not want a very dramaticchange from the entryway into the living room. For example, you don't want to

have loud wallpaper lining your entryway and then suddenly have very subduedand quiet colors lining the walls of the living room. Think of the two rooms asone big room instead of two separate entities. You also have a distinctadvantage because you can utilize the natural light from the main entrywaywhen you are planning your Feng Shui placements within the living room. Abright entryway without any art or other decorations that assault the senseswelcomes guests into your home, but a living room that compliments theentryway makes a home feel even more welcoming. To figure out how best tointegrate the two rooms together, try sitting in one area and looking toward theother and figuring out if there is anything in either room that seems incongruous.Try walking through both areas while pretending to see everything for the first

time. What catches your eye first? Is there anything that seems out of place ordoesn't seem to make sense when combined with the other room? If you canlook at things through a guest's eyes then you'll have a much better chance offiguring out if there are major changes that need to be made in order to allow theenergy to flow throughout the two rooms effortlessly.

Fresh air, open windows, and less clutter is thekey. Your living room should be a welcoming area inthe home. It should be the type of room thatencourages people to relax and congregate withoutfeeling as though they are squished or crowded, orworse, as though they can't breathe. If you havewindows within the room which is certainlypreferable to most rooms unless you have privacyissues you should leave the windows openwhenever possible. Hopefully the windows open to anice view, such as a beautiful landscape as opposedto a decrepit brick wall or flashing neon sign. If youdon't have an abundance of windows within your

living room to open for fresh air, or if the air within the city or town you live inisn't necessarily the purest to breathe, then consider bringing in an air filter.Find an air filter that isn't noisy and can be put somewhere that will make itunobtrusive to the rest of the room. Although fresh, clean air is a fundamentalaspect to Feng Shui, you don't want to clutter your living room with a huge airfilter that will consume the room and draw the attention of anyone who enters.You want your guests to feel welcomed when they come into your livingroomyou don't want them to feel as though your home is so polluted that itmerits a big, clunky machine in the center of the home in order to make the airbreathable.

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Examine the noise pollution in this area of the house. Living rooms can bea noisy place. Although many people absolutely adore the idea of a loud andbustling living room, the principles behind Feng Shui encourage a quieterenvironment. Don't make a huge television the focal point of your living room,neither should you make a stereo system the main focus of your room or a

computer system or some other piece of loud electronic equipment. It is difficultto make a room calming and welcoming when there is a constant hum ofelectrical equipment permeating the air. Clocks that loudly proclaim every newhour should be left out of the living room too, because these constant remindersof time passing are contrary to the pursuit of a calming environment. If youhappen to live in a noisy neighborhood, such as near a main highway or close toa fire station, you should take steps to filter out the noise as best you can.Certain windows can filter out loud noises better than others, but if you don'thave the money or the inclination to do an expensive window renovation thenyou may want to look into alternative ways of cutting down on the noise. Youwant your environment to be as devoid of distractions as possible, especially

since things like shrieking ambulances or boisterous pedestrians can shatter apeaceful and reflective moment quite efficiently. You may want to look intoplaying soft music or adding some type of white noise to the room in an attemptto filter out the loud noises from outside. Additionally, if you have loud noisesfrom within the house that you can hear in the living room, such as a clunkingdishwasher, a teenager's stereo, or the hum of various electronic equipment,you should take steps to make these noises less intrusive within the living roomarea. You may be surprised at how much calmer your living room feels whenyou don't have a barrage of various noises coming into the room constantly.Sometimes it's just easier to sit down and enjoy company if there aren't a bunchof outside noises filtering in.

HOME OFFICES

If you have a choice, keep your home office out of the bedroom. Noteveryone has this option, because for some people the only extra space theyhave in their house happens to be in the bedroom. The reasoning behind this issimple:

Work may not be relaxing. You want everything in your bedroom tolean toward relaxation, and it's harder to rest if you're staring at yourcomputer screen while in bed. You may conversely find it difficult toconcentrate on your work if you're sitting in a room that is designed to

help you rest and sleep. Computers in the bedroom are contrary to Feng Shui. You shouldn't

have bulky electronic devices in your bedroom, and this includes acomputer and any other electronic devices you need to work. Faxmachines, answering machines, and large calculators just don'tnecessarily promote relaxation. You also need to consider the need toavoid electrical overloads in the room that you spend the most time inthroughout the night.


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attempting to keep your work related items under control you should alsoconcentrate on only putting decorations up that help you focus and help you tofeel more creative. Don't put up a poster of a Feng Shui symbol that is designedto make you more efficient if it doesn't truly appeal to you. It is unlikely that thesymbol will do you any good at all with regard to your work if you don't

personally find it aesthetically pleasing. In other words, don't fill your homeoffice with Feng Shui decorations and other items if it hinders your workperformance and your ability to concentrate on the task at hand.

KITCHEN

Here are the basic fundamentals for making your kitchen Feng Shuifriendly. There are specific guidelines that Feng Shui experts suggest when itcomes to making sure your kitchen is as harmonious as possible:

The food matters. The food that you load into your cabinets andrefrigerator is as important as the decorations you painstakingly select for

your kitchen area. This is because food is supposed to carry with it anenergy of its own, so if you stock your kitchen with natural foods devoid ofpreservatives and otherchemicals then the energywill flow much easier than ifthe kitchen is filled to thebrim with processed foodsand convenience items.Keep an abundance of freshfoods on hand, such as fruitsand vegetables, and if

possible, you should do yourbest to buy organic itemsbecause these will not bringharmful pesticides and otherunpleasant energies into your home. Aside from Feng Shui, stockingyour kitchen with healthy foods will undoubtedly help you and your familyhave better energy and therefore probably positively affect theharmonious flow of energy within the entire home.

Don't overdo it on convenience items. There are plenty of kitchengadgets available that are designed to make your life easier. You mayhave a blender, a juicer, a mixer, a coffee maker, a crock pot, a

microwave, a toaster, and who knows what else lurking on your kitchencounter. Although these items do make your food and drink preparationeasier, in theory they can certainly interrupt the positive flow of energywithin the room, especially if the items are constantly plugged into thewall and humming with electricity. Your first step should be to get rid ofany gadgets or appliances that you really don't need or use; give themaway to friends or send them off to a charitable cause. Remember that ingeneral, clutter is frowned upon in Feng Shui, and even though the

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you should empty the trash out of the room frequently while also makingsure that no food sits in the room beyond its expiration date. If youpainstakingly design your kitchen to be as Feng Shui friendly as possiblebut then allow the food within the pantry to spill all over while becomingoverrun by ants or other insects in search of food then you're wrecking

the positive energy flow within the room. Remember that in many housesit's the kitchen not the living room that is the center of activity withinthe home. Many families congregate in the kitchen more than any otherroom of the house and enjoy cooking, eating, and having greatconversation within the kitchen. You want the kitchen to be as clean aspossible so that everyone feels welcome and the energy flows freelythroughout the room. It's a tough task to feel at ease in a room that isn'tvery clean, no matter what Feng Shui symbols and trinkets are prominentwithin the room.

If the chef isn' t happy, nobody's happy. While you need to considerthe principles of Feng Shui along with the decorative preferences of the

entire family living within the home and using the kitchen, it shouldultimately be left up to the main chef within the home as to whatdecorations are used and what colors are utilized. That means that ifMom is the person in the family who does the vast majority of the cookingthen the room should be designed with her tastes in mind. Likewise, ifDad is the main cook within the home then it's his interior designpreferences that should be taken into consideration. This doesn't meanthat Mom should insist upon vulgar colors or Dad should be allowed todecorate the entire room with the logo of his favorite sports team.Instead, it simply means that the room should take Feng Shui principlesinto consideration while also pleasing the person who spends the most

time in the kitchen. After all, everyone within the home benefits from ahappy chef because the meals are even more scrumptious whenprepared by someone who can make the food in a room designed to hisor her liking.

You need to consider funct ion as well as form. You do want your kitchen tobe a warm and welcoming place, but you also need to make sure that yourkitchen is not designed to be such a social area that it hinders your ability to dowhat the room is actually designed for: cooking. Unless you are the type ofperson who really doesnt spend any time cooking whatsoever (such as somepeople who simply prefer to consistently order in food instead of taking the time

to cook it themselves) then your Feng Shui adjustments to the kitchen will haveto be conducive to a functional room. This can be relatively difficult whencompared to other rooms in the house. For example, the living room functionsas a social spot within the house, but rarely is there some other main functionfor the room that needs to be worked around when considering a decorativescheme. No matter how badly you want to have the perfectly decorated FengShui kitchen that allows energy to flow beautifully throughout the room, youalways need to consider the functional aspect of a kitchen. Don't think that you


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Honestly, not many people enjoy using a dirty bathroom when visiting afriend, and not many folks can claim not to mind a filthy bathroom withinthe home in which they reside. Make an effort to keep the bathroomsclean and you will probably notice a much more pleasant atmosphere inthis area of the home.

Try some candles and music. It may never have occurred to you toplace things like candles and music in your bathroom, especially if youdon't necessarily like to linger while utilizing this room. The trick is to tryto make the bathroom just as appealing and relaxing as possible, so tryadding some nice touches while taking care to avoid cluttering up theroom too much. You don't want your bathrooms to be so overrun withcandles that they rival a candle shop. Remember that candles oftencome with scents, some of which can be quite powerful and obtrusive.While there is nothing wrong with adding pleasant scents to areas of yourhome especially the bathroom as it can often smell less than pleasant you don't want the scents to become overpowering and artificial. If you

do add some music to your bathroom then try to find a small stereo thatdoes not clutter up your bathroom counters. When adding touches likethese you also want to make sure that you keep safety in mind. Don'tplace a gaggle of lit candles right next to your towels and don't allow astereo to hang perilously close to the edge of your filled bathtub. Howharmonious can a room possibly be if it bursts into flames or is surgingwith electrified water?

Close your drainage sources. Some Feng Shui experts claim that thebathroom is a powerful place that literally drains all the good energy outof your home, thereby making the entire house much less harmoniousand pleasant. For this reason, you are supposed to make sure that if a

drain isnt in use within the bathroom that the drain remains closed. It isalso suggested that the toilet lid remains closed when not in use so thatthe energy within the house does not escape using that route. If you arewondering why bathrooms get such a bad reputation but kitchens don't(even though kitchens feature drains) then take into consideration the factthat back in ancient times when the Chinese were forming the ideasbehind Feng Shui there was really no such thing as modern bathrooms.This means that bathrooms are something that have been dealt with inFeng Shui on an evolving basis. Some Feng Shui experts simply findbathrooms vulgar and try their best to suggest things that will hide theexistence of bathrooms and deflect all energy away from this area of the

house. Other Feng Shui experts treat bathrooms just as any other roomwithin the housethey suggest that you keep the room free of clutter,clean, and pleasing to the eye.

Get creative with mirrors. In Feng Shui, mirrors can be used to deflectenergy. Since the bathroom is considered to be a means by which todeplete energy out of the house, you can place a large mirror on theoutside of the bathroom door. This is supposed to stop the energy withinthe home from rushing to the bathroom and escaping out through one of


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designed to be relaxing? There are also some physical benefits to being relaxedin your bathroom. Many medical professionals suggest that using the toiletshould be as relaxed as possible so you don't develop problems. Basically,you're not supposed to rush your toilet visits. You may be more likely to allownature to take its course and not rush your visits to the restroom if your

bathroom is a relaxing and comfortable environment. There is an obviousamount of merit behind making your bathroom a comfortable place.

FENG SHUI FOR YOUR STUFF

Storage is a part of your home, and thus a part of the energy within thehome. Even if the storage space within your home is nestled away deep in therecesses of a basement or perched precariously in your attic among dust andvarious critters, it is still a part of your living space. Even if you never see yourstored items they still have an effect on how the energy within your home flows.When you are trying to get the energy in your home to flow more harmoniously

you need to remember the parts of your home that you can't see. If you haveboxes upon boxes of unused items collecting dust and blocking vital flow areasfor energy then no matter what changes you make to the places in your homethat you can see you may not be able to achieve maximum results unless youtake the time to go into your storage areas and work some Feng Shui into theareas. Consider your garage, if you have a garage that is attached to yourhome. Even if you don't consider your garage a part of your home in the sensethat you only use it to park your car and store some boxes there, it is still animportant part of your home because it is physically attached to the home andalso offers a portal by which energy can either enter the home or leave it.Positive energy entering through your garage might get caught up in all the

clutter of the area and never make it into your living spaces. Make sure thatthere is room for everything to flow nicely in every area of your homeeven thespots you don't necessarily live in.

Is it time for a garage sale?Again and again you will hear that Feng Shuiendorses a living arrangement that is free from an abundance of clutter.Perhaps you have a bunch of stuff that you havent looked at in years, but youdon't want to part with either because of sentimental value or just because youdon't want to take the time to sift through it all. When the time comes for you totry to make your home as harmonious as possible, then that means that it istime to tackle all the clutter within your home. It doesnt matter if you load up

everything and host a huge garage sale or if you bag it up and send it off tocharity. The point is to free your home of some space so that the energy canflow readily and uninhibited. Stacks of unused stuff is not the best idea whenyou are trying to make room for positive energy within your home. Aside fromall the extra room these things take up, think about what they do to your thoughtprocess. Even if you can't see the boxes and other stored items, you know theyare there and that you will eventually have to handle them some day. You mayas well roll up your sleeves and get it over with. You will be able to let out a big


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sigh of relief when you don't have an abundance of dusty boxes taking upvaluable space within your home.

Make some room. Storage space in Feng Shui does not refer only to boxesand extra furniture stacked up in various areas of your home. Storage space

also refers to the cabinets in your kitchen, the dresser drawers in your bedroom,and the hall closet, in addition to other storage spaces throughout your home.The trick is to avoid packing these areas so tightly that it becomes a chore toaccess the things you need. If you have to have a wrestling match with yourlinen closet every time you go to get a fresh towel, then this is certainly notconducive to a harmonious living situation. If your pantry within your kitchen ispacked excessively then you are probably not making your way through all thefood, and this means that the energy in your kitchen is tainted with the negativeenergy of expired foods. Clear some space within your storage areas. Ifnecessary, find ways to utilize the space within your storage areas moreefficiently without going so far as to have stacks and stacks of shelving and

other storage methods peppered throughout your home. There is something tobe said for efficient storage methods, but a harmonious Feng Shui home is notpacked with items to the extent that the home is overrun with stuff.

Seek alternative storage methods. Suppose you inherited the entire contentsof your great-grandmother's living room. You may not necessarily want to usethese items, yet you are reluctant to part with them because they fondly remindyou of your beloved great-grandmother. Instead of stacking these itemsirreverently in the back of your garage and allowing them to collect dust you maywant to find someone else within the family who has the ability to take the itemsand use them with the respect they deserve. If this isn't an option, you maywant to consider renting a storage space outside of your home, at a differentlocation. There are many storage companies that offer spacious, climate-controlled storage spots at reasonable rental prices. Although a fundamentalidea within Feng Shui is that you should not hold on to clutter, another ancientChinese philosophy is that you should honor your ancestors. Placing all thebeloved items into a safe spot until you can find someone to take them ormoving to a home that can hold all the items is far preferable to tossing all theitems into a chaotic pile somewhere in your house. A word about storage spots,however: don't think that you can hope to have harmonious energy within yourhome by grabbing all the junk you don't want to bother sifting through andtossing it into a storage spot. Even if the junk is away from your home, it's stillon your mind as a huge chore that you havent yet tackled. Use storage spotsfor instances when you have things you simply can't part with, but you don'thave room for within your house.

You should think of your Feng Shui redecorating and rearranging as more thansomething that merely involves the favorite rooms within your home. Instead, itshould be an ongoing process where you attempt to integrate every room intoeach otheryour entire home should be a type of system where every room


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compliments the other rooms within the home. Start with a room that you spenda lot of time in, and then move on to the next room and so on. It is quite likelythat you will never be fully satisfied with the layout of your home and this may bean ongoing process where you are constantly trying to find the best energy flowfor your house. Then again, if you find that you follow the Feng Shui principles

and then notice a vast improvement in the energy flow of your home then you'refortunate that you found the correct system for adding more harmony to yourhome in the first attempt. Feng Shui can be an ongoing process that you neverreally "finish" per se.

FENG SHUI OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE

Feng Shui can be utilized in places beyond your home. Feng Shui can berelatively portable and you can also attempt to employ Feng Shui ideas in theother places where you frequently spend time. Have you considered usingFeng Shui in your office or place of employment? Or maybe you can try to bring

a little more harmony to your car, which is a place that can generally use asmuch harmony as possible. You can even purchase Feng Shui jewelry to makeit easy to remain focused on your goals, whether that's to get more balance inyour life or to attract a romantic interest. If you find that Feng Shui in your homeworks well then you might as well bring it into other portions of your life.

GARDENS

Gardens are perfect for meditation and reflection. As you probably alreadyknow, being outdoors can be some of the most harmonious places to bebecause generally the air is cleaner and the lighting is perfect. Here are thebasics when it comes to creating a perfect Feng Shui garden to enjoy while alsousing as a spot where you can reflect and refresh yourself:

Have a welcoming entrance. Although you don't necessarily want tosurround your garden with a fence, you should find a way to make thegarden a spot where there is a definite entrancepreferably an entrancethat appeals to the senses and beckons people to come inside. You candesign your garden to where the plants form the entrance, such as bytrimming bushes into a certain design so that it appears to be an indicatorof where visitors should enter the garden. You can also use an arch asan entrance as long as the arch isn't attached to a prohibitive fence. Youcan purchase appropriate arches and other materials at just about anyhome improvement store or garden supplier, and in Feng Shui there is nostringent guidelines that dictate the design of the garden entrance or thecolor and materials that it should be made out of. Of course, you don'twant to pick an absurd color that will detract from the beauty of thegarden, and you want to make sure that the entryway remains clear sothat the garden is consistently inviting. Don't allow the entryway into the


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garden to become something that actually makes people turn awayinstead of enter inside.

Keep it clean. Gardening is a real joy to some people, while otherpeople really don't like the upkeep necessary to maintain a garden. If youare the kind of person who truly does not like the idea of clearing weeds

and watering plants and basically working toward the upkeep andbeautification of a garden then you have two options:1. Pay someone else to maintain your garden.2. Don't start a garden to begin with.You just can't plant a garden and let it run wild. Imagine the type ofenergy that would flow through a chaotic garden that is left to its owndevices. You certainly wouldn't be able to relax in a garden that is notwell maintained, let alone use it as a place of reflection. While you aremaintaining your garden you should do so in with a calm demeanor,caring for the plants with a glad attitude while being respectful of theliving organisms you are caring for. If you grumble and complain about

how difficult it is to keep up with all the gardening then no matter howpretty the garden appears to everyone there will not be a very appealingenergy flow throughout.

Clutter is of concern in the garden too. You don't just have to worryabout clutter within the rooms of your home. Gardens can becomeoverrun by too many plants and too many decorations quite easily. Thinkabout it: how relaxing can an army of ceramic garden gnomes be? Evenif you enjoy finding various outdoor decorations to enhance your garden,try to keep their inclusion into your landscape to a bare minimum. Youdon't want the various decorations to detract from the natural beauty ofyour garden. Likewise, you need to make sure that the array of plants

you choose do not result in a cluttered feel throughout the garden. Don'tarbitrarily plant flowers and other plants throughout the garden and allowthem all to intermingle without any thought to the aesthetics behind thewhole process. You don't want your garden to appear cluttered andchaotic, but overfilling it with a huge variety of flowers no matter howpretty they are can create a space that is simply too overwhelming tobe enjoyable.

Add some water to your garden. Gardens are a great place to addsome water beyond what is pumped in to keep the plants growing. Youshould consider adding something like a beautiful fountain or perhaps abirdbath to your garden. If your space is limited you may still be able to

find an appropriate water source to use within your garden, but if you arelucky enough to have the room and the funds necessary in order to placea gorgeous fountain or birdbath in the garden then you are quitefortunate. Imagine how relaxing and tranquil it would be to lounge amonga variety of colorful flowers while also enjoying the trickling sound ofrunning water from a fountain or the playful splash of small birds enjoyingthe birdbath. Adding water not only allows you to have a more decorativeand appealing garden, but it also allows you to add another Feng Shui


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element (water) to your space, and that means the space is morebalanced. Areas that have a nice balance allow for the energy to flowmore freely, and make for spaces that people want to visit again andagain.

Have somewhere to sit. When planning a garden, many people forget

to take into consideration the need to have somewhere to sit and reflectwhile enjoying the beauty of the garden. Plan a space where you can sitand have a clear visual of the entire garden if possible. You should takecare to not make this a chaotic spot whatsoever. That means that thenumber of plants near the sitting spot should be minimum and anydecorations within this area should be as subdued as possible. If youplan on including decorative art within your garden then this is the placefor it because it will give you something to gaze upon and put your focuson while you relax. If you place a bench here then keep it as simple aspossible, just as you should try to simplify the furniture within your home.That means that even if the furniture store features a gorgeously carved

huge bench that appeals to your senses you may not want it as theresting spot within your garden. The area provided as a sitting spotshould have a bench or other seating area that is as unobtrusive anduncluttered as possible. Besides, wouldn't you rather the visitors to yourgarden notice all the beautiful plants and flowers instead of noticing thebench?

Light it up. Since you are attempting to incorporate the various FengShui elements within your garden you can find many different ways tobring the element of fire into your garden without burning the place down.Most home improvement stores offer gorgeous fire pits and outdoorchimneys for use within a garden, but you need to make sure that these

are not the focal point of your garden. Delicate flowers and flames are astark contrast to one another, and you certainly dont want your garden toconvey a sense of contradiction. Fire can also be represented by otherforms of light, such as with the small path illuminating lights that you canbuy. However you decide to incorporate this element into your gardenyou need to keep safety in mind. Don't place a huge fire pit directly belowa series of hanging branches. Don't line tiki torches along a row of trees.Fire can add a dazzling effect to gardens, but you don't want to risk a firegetting out of hand within your garden.

Don't get direct. If you are able to include a walking path within yourgarden then your goal should be to make it as winding and twisty as you

can. Just like with furniture placement within the home, you want tomake sure that there are no direct paths that lead directly from theentrance to the exit. The idea is to make the thought of taking your timeand lingering within the space just as appealing as possible. This alsoallows for the energy within the garden to flow as freely as possible.Gardens are brimming with positive energy, especially when they aredesigned with Feng Shui principles in mind. A winding path allowsvisitors to take their time and enjoy the process of visiting the garden.


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When visitors have a clear view of the exit upon their initial entrance, itdetracts them from the task at hand: to relax and enjoy the beautifulscenery. Your first thought upon entering a garden shouldn't be "Oh look,there is the exit." Instead, your first thought upon entering a gardenshould be something more along the lines of "Now here is a place I would

like to stay for a while and clear my thoughts."

Pay attention to the colors of your plants. Colors have special significancewithin Feng Shui, so depending upon what you want toaccomplish with your garden, you need to pay closeattention to what colors you surround yourself with.

Surround yourself with an eclectic mixture offlowers in various shades of colors that areconducive to your goals.

Fill your garden with dark colored flowers suchas blue and other dark colors if you would like

your Feng Shui garden to be a place where youcan find some calm. This would also be anappropriate place to allow some flowing water,such as with a fountain. You can find a FengShui fountain quite easily at home decoratingstores.

Fill your garden with light colored flowers such as white or other palecolors if you would like your Feng Shui garden to be a place where youcan clear your mind and search for clarity. Accessorize the garden withmetal accoutrements.

Fill your garden with vibrant colors such as red and other vibrant colors

if you would like your Feng Shui garden to be a place where you canconcentrate on your professional goals. Candles or a fire pit areappropriate for this type of garden.

Don't fill your garden with specific Feng Shui colors and materials if theydon't appeal to you personally. Don't stock your garden chock full ofdeep red roses if you don't really care for the color red or roses, even ifyour main goal is to have a garden that allows you to reflect on yourprofessional goals. With such a wide variety of flowers available, youshould be able to find something appropriate to your desired garden.

Sometimes, just having a garden is good enough. In other words, if youadore light colored flowers but you're not necessarily looking for a place

to search for clarity, you may still want to fill your garden with the flowersyou love. After all, a beautiful outdoor spot where you can sit and relaxcan be a fantastic thing to have, whether or not the flowers arenecessarily placed according to Feng Shui principles. Make your gardena beautiful place that you love to be in.

Choose an appropriate focal point and direction. Most Feng Shui expertssuggest that a garden is best placed facing the southern direction. This not only

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adheres to Feng Shui principles, but it also will let the plants within your gardensoak up the maximum amount of natural sunlight unless the sun is blocked byyour home or another structure. No matter how decorative a fence you have,you should avoid making a fence the main focus of your garden area. Youshould do your best to make sure that the garden is a welcoming area and that

visitors do not feel inhibited in entering the garden. If your garden is surroundedby a fence no matter how small or decorative many people will not feel asthough they can walk into the garden without first being granted permission. Forthis reason you should not begin your gardening process by picking out a fence,unless you live in the type of neighborhood where there is simply no gettingaround the need to block off your private property. If you are unable to let yourgarden face the south as well then you should try your best to plan the garden ina direction that allows the plants to receive some exposure to the sun atdifferent times of the day. Even if you use plants that are designed to thrive withvery little sunlight, Feng Shui principles employ the use of natural sunlight as awelcoming and soothing element. The plants may not necessarily need the

sunlight, but you and the visitors to your garden do.

YOUR WORKPLACE

Check to make sure you're allowed to change things. You may have grandplans to create the perfect work environment that will allow your creative juicesto flow within your office, cubicle, or some other form of work space. Before youstart your project, however, you will want to make sure that you are actuallyallowed to make these types of changes at your work. Some managers andbusiness owners frown upon major changes made within their workplace, andmany actually put regulations in place that limit the number of decorations or

furniture rearrangements made within the work area. In other words, before youplaster Feng Shui symbols all over your desk or start moving your cubicle soyou can get some natural light filtering in, make sure that these are changes thatyou're actually allowed to make. Otherwise your newly renovated calm spotmay have to revert right back to its previous non-calming environment, and thiswill probably be doubly frustrating for you. Be aware that although you spend anawful lot of time at your work, this doesn't necessarily mean that you can changethings as you wish without consideration for your coworkers. Don't make yourFeng Shui project at work something that will make things inconvenient foreveryone else. For example, don't insist that you need to switch spots withsomeone else because you dont want to be right next to the huge communal

printer that messes with your energy flow. Unless someone is willing to tradespots with you happily then don't force the issue. You may wind up with a moreFeng Shui friendly work area, but if your coworkers are all upset with yourrearranging then your energy is undoubtedly going to be interrupted by all thedirty looks you get.

Sometimes it 's hard to make a calming environment at work. Not everyoneworks at a desk all day. Some people work on assembly lines while others drive


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a truck all day. Unless your workplace is a private nook within a qu

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