Ancient Design Philosophy with Buzz: Feng Shui *

Recently, a California McDonald’s franchisee turned to Feng shui as a strategy to boost sales. When Disneyland opened in Hong Kong in 2005, company executives consulted with a feng shui master to shift the angle of the theme park's main entrance by 12 degrees to maintain good energy flow and to maximize the prospect of prosperity. What is this esoteric concept of feng shui that is redefining modern living and work areas around the world?

Literally translated, feng Shui (pronounced “Fung Shway”) means “Wind Water” in English. It is the ancient Chinese practice of arranging a harmonious environment to improve well being. Chinese believe that energy is a natural force that pervades all areas of our environment and affects our daily activities. Yang is positive energy that is bright, and active; yin energy is negative, dark and inactive. Abundant yang energy yields good health, prosperity and spirituality. Too much yin energy translates into stagnation and misfortune. By balancing the opposing energies in a physical location, feng shui enhances the inter-relationship between the macrocosm of natural environment and the microcosm of human body. It helps create a place that actively utilizes the natural healing force to nurture its residents, and harmoniously aligns with the residents’ internal energy for wellness maintenance.

While large corporations may seek feng shui advice to secure economic advantages, individuals apply it in home settings to sooth energy and enhance health. Try the following feng shui tips for your home and you will be amazed by the positive changes that follow.

Entrance
The entrance is one of the most important locations to attract good energy to your home. Keeping it clean and open allows positive energy to circulate inside your home and increases the change of receiving golden opportunities in life. If the entrance is blocked by clutter, it creates negative energy and affects the normal energy flow of the entire home. Make sure the path to the entrance is wide and well lit. Place a beautiful painting on the wall opposite the entrance to welcome positive energy into the home. If the entrance faces a dark area or a staircase, make sure to keep the entrance door closed or place a screen between the door and the living area. This can repel negative energy trying to gain entry inside the home.

Living Room
Being the center of family life, living room is one of the first rooms to greet guests and symbolizes a connection to potential career and relationship opportunities. A well designed living room reflects homeowners’ characters and attracts energy synchronized with the homeowners. In general, subtle color coordination creates a peaceful atmosphere in the room. Brighter colors tend to uplift people’s moods more than darker ones. Furniture should be arranged in such a way as to not impede traffic flow in the living area. For example, round coffee table encourages free energy flow. Placing sofas farther away from doors preserves energy since people usually sit upon them for extended periods and energy may be drawn away by the doors when opened.

Bedrooms
The bedroom is the one room in the house that is most aligned with one’s overall health. It serves as a restorative sanctuary for sleeping and energy rejuvenation. To reduce distraction during sleep, remove things with electromagnetic fields such as TV, telephones and computers. Place the bed’s headboard against a solid wall and opposite the door. The wall creates a safe haven for the sleeping mind. If the home residents are able to see activities outside the bedroom door, they are in control of the home. Even though new home construction tends to offer spacious bedrooms, feng shui practice prefers a small bedroom to a big one because the small room consolidates its resident’s energy, while the big room consumes both natural and human energies to maintain a balanced environment.

Kitchen
The proper placement of the kitchen helps produce sufficient positive energy. The ideal location for the kitchen is in the rear of the house, where resources are stored in abundance without easy identification by outsiders. As with other rooms in the house, the kitchen should be uncluttered and kept clean to prevent the accumulation of bad energy. It is very important to keep the stoves working at all times because non-burning stoves imply a distress with home resources.

Historically, feng shui is thought to have had ramifications beyond domestic serenity. To millions of practitioners around the world, an old Chinese saying reveals the essence of feng shui: “If there is harmony in the house, there is order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.” Be patient as it will take time for the harmonious magic of feng shui to materialize. For the moment, put it into action and experience how it transforms your life.



* This article was first published in Yellow Magazine May 2008 issue.