Using Feng Shui In Your Decor

The Basics:

Feng shui is the Chinese art of placement to balance and enhance your environment. There are many techniques and remedies associated with this art. Generations have believed in it and practiced it. Today, feng shui is out there on many levels. There are the true believers who practice it whole heartedly, those who toy with the idea like it's a parlor trick, and lastly there are the people who practice it in hopes that it actually works, even though they aren't believers, yet.

The Art Of Feng Shui

Just like the bible, this too has many interpretations by many people. But regardless of who interprets it, the basics remain the same. And it all revolves around Ch'i.

According to Dictionary.com the definition of Ch'i is: The vital force believed in Taoism and other Chinese thought to be inherent in all things. The unimpeded circulation of chi and a balance of its negative and positive forms in the body, are held to be essential to good health in traditional Chinese medicine.

Feng Shui applies this belief to all things

There are five elements - wood, water, fire, earth & metal. These are associated with color, seasons, directions and more.

For example, water relates to black because the deeper the water the darker it is & also think North as well as winter. Naturally you'd associate fire with red, hot summer and South.

Think of it as rock, paper, scissors. Each of the five elements in a certain order can create or destroy each other.

How It Works

If for instance you have an odd corner jutting out into a room which would be considered a "poison arrow", you could correct this by either placing a tall plant to soften it up, or hanging a wind chime there, or even placing a small round table with a statue on it.

These are just guidelines and a primer so to speak on the art of Feng Shui. If you're truely interested, find yourself a good book on the subject. Whether you believe in it or not, what harm can it do to give it a try?

Oh, and guys? Keep the toilet lid down. When it's left up, it's like flushing your good Ch'i down the toilet. Hey ladies, we gotta love that!

My favorite book on the subject is Interior Design With Feng Shui by Sarah Rossback. She has written it in an easy to read and understand format. There are also several websites with other ideas on using it to improve your Ch'i.

There are three basic ch'i techniques:

1. Balancing ch'i: this is a matter of keeping things in balance. If you have an odd shaped house or room, you would make some adjustments to the landscape or your interior to balance it out.

2. Outstanding ch'i: can modify the flow of ch'i with certain corrective techniques that will help bring in the positive ch'i and move the bad ch'i away.

3. Connecting ch'i: works with ch'i that is distant, far from your house or deep in the earth and brings it to you. Like making a connection via a path to a garden shed that sits away from the house.

The Ba-gua Map

Download the Ba-gua and save it or print out the pdf file that has a larger image so it's easier to read.

Don't let the octagon bother you. Just think of it at a square, and I've marked each section as to what area of your home, property, room or office it applies to. I guess I could have drawn it as a square, but I chose to stay with the traditional octagon ba-gua.

Lay the map over a floor plan of your house, or just stand at the front door and imagine the sections. Look at the map to see what each area of your home applies to.

There are nine cures for improving ch'i.

1.Bright or reflective items, like a mirror, an assortment of lights or even a crystal ball.

2.Sounds like bells and wind chimes.

3.Living things like plants (live is preferable, but artificial will work), flowers, fish bowl or an aquarium.

4.Moving things like a water fountain, mobile or whirligig.

5.Heavy things like rocks and statues.

6.Electric items like the TV, stereo or computers.

7.A bamboo flute.

8.Color in most anything can make corrections to bad ch'i or make good ch'i better.

9. Other miscellaneous items that practitioners use to improve ch'i.