Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) means wind and water. It is an ancient Chinese art of creating balance between heaven and earth through the proper flow of qi (pronounced chee), which means energy.
Feng shui also focuses on yin and yang (opposites) and the 5 elements of water, earth, fire, metal, and wood.
Good feng shui will bring good luck and happiness while bad feng shui will bring bad luck and disorder.
Many westerners may find some feng shui principles to be a bit odd, but many feng shui principles make a lot of sense.
Here are some basic feng shui principles for beginners that you may want to incorporate into your home.
photo courtesy of ANNAHAPE GALLERY flickr.com/photos/annahape-gallery/2795265911/
Remove Clutter
Clutter symbolizes stuck energy and you should remove it from your home.
An organized home allows the positive qi to flow freely.
Yin and Yang
If you have white it your home, balance it with a little black.
Offset a hard wood piece of furniture with some soft fabric.
Create a balance of items in your home to create equilibrium.
Live Plants
Add live plants (not fake ones) to your home to stir up the good qi and bring nature inside.
5 Elements
Add the 5 elements of feng shui into your home.
You can add water in a fountain or aquarium. Also consider adding something wavy and blue to symbolize water.
Add wood furniture for a wood element and metal accessories as a metal element.
You can add a few candles for fire or use the color red or orange to symbolize fire.
Earth can be represented by earth colors, such as brown and yellow. You can also have a bowl of decorative rocks.
Furniture Placement
When placing furniture in a room, you should place it opposite a door so you can see people entering the room and you are not startled.
This is especially true for your bed and desk.
If locating your furniture opposite a door is not possible, use a mirror to allow you to see the door from your location.
