Feng Shui Harmony in your home with Feng Shui

About Feng Shui

Feng Shui (wind and water) is an ancient art and science that was born in China. From the observation of nature, the Chinese sages discovered that there are a series of energetic currents that decisively influence our physical and mental state. Controlling these energies so that they bring us benefits and teach us to respect our environment to live in harmony are the objectives of Feng Shui.

I am going to try to explain in an entertaining way the basic concepts to understand this philosophy. I believe that once understood we can instinctively harmonize our habitat spaces without needing to take a crash course in "Feng Shui, learning how to decorate your home"

In fact, you have all visited a friend's house and said to yourself internally "this place gives me peace, I feel good" and you don't know why. On the other hand, you will also have experienced the opposite, a house where you get something of unrest, disorder and chaos.

Well, in these cases, Feng shui is totally out of control, and no matter how much we buy expensive and latest design furniture, if we do not respect the behavior of nature, it will not help us to have invested a lot of euretes.

Let's start with Yin and Yang (energy sources)

The Yin is the inner part of the house and the Yang the outer part

Yin is everything that can resemble water, such as coldness, darkness and the downward. On the contrary, Yang would be fire, warmth and represents the upward trend. These two halves are opposite and at the same time inseparable and complement each other. These energy poles are classified into three types:

Terrestrial chi: it comes from the flow of the earth, it forms the scenery in which we develop daily, the mountains, the streets, the smells, sounds...

Celestial Chi : it comes from cosmic energy, it is made up of the changes of seasons, the state of the moon...

Vital Chi: it is related to our immediate environment and constitutes an important source of energy since it is the only one on which we have the ability to maneuver.

Now that we have analyzed the main sources of energy that act on our daily lives, we are going to investigate The Five Elements:

The METAL element: it is characterized by being a symbol of elegance and seriousness. Its shapes are circular and oval and its colors are white, gray, gold, silver. It manifests itself in autumn.

The WOOD element: it is characterized by having an expansive and long-lasting energy. Its shapes are rectangular. Its colors are green. It manifests itself in spring.

The EARTH element: its energy moves in a stable way. Its shapes are square and flat and its colors are brown, beige, yellow and ochre. It manifests itself through the passage from one season to another.

The element WATER: has a liberating energy. Its shapes are wavy, irregular and asymmetrical and its colors are black, blue and green. It manifests itself in winter.

The FIRE element: its energy is hot and radiant. Their shapes are pyramids, cones and triangles and their colors are red and violet. It manifests itself in summer.

These elements are related to each other. In the process of creation, fire produces earth, earth produces metal, metal contains water, water nourishes wood, and wood feeds fire. We must therefore facilitate this energy and let it flow.

Feng Shui (wind and water) is an ancient art and science that was born in China. From the observation of nature, the Chinese sages discovered that there are a series of energetic currents that decisively influence our physical and mental state. Controlling these energies so that they bring us benefits and teach us to respect our environment to live in harmony are the objectives of Feng Shui.

I am going to try to explain in an entertaining way the basic concepts to understand this philosophy. I believe that once understood we can instinctively harmonize our habitat spaces without needing to do a crash course in "Feng Shui, learning how to decorate your home".

In fact, you have all visited a friend's house and said to yourself internally "this place gives me peace, I feel good" and you don't know why. On the other hand, you will also have experienced the opposite, a house where you get something of unrest, disorder and chaos.

Well, in these cases, Feng shui is totally out of control, and no matter how much we buy expensive and latest design furniture, if we do not respect the behavior of nature, it will not help us to have invested a lot of euretes.

The environment in which we live

It also influences us according to Feng Shui art. Since we cannot act directly towards it, we can control those forces within us.

Let's focus on the internal harmony of our homes.

Something that is of vital importance to me is the layout of the house.

In this map illustrated below, a "chaotic" structure can be perceived.

Windows facing doors: They cause a rapid entry and exit of vital Chi and prevent a harmonious flow of vital energies

Rectangular spaces: It is not advisable for the floor plan of the house to be rectangular in shape

A corridor facing the window: A long and straight corridor should never end at a window to prevent vital energy from leaving too quickly

Intense colours and aromas: The use of strong aromas and garish colours enhance the poor flow of Chi, saturating the environment and causing feelings of unease throughout the house.

This plane below represents a harmonious structure:

Square space: Ideally, rooms should be square

Never facing windows: This will prevent energy from escaping easily

A Feng Shui aisle: A straight and long aisle that does not end in a sale is the most appropriate

Pleasant colors and frames: We will try to choose tones that invite relaxation and soft aromas. It is also important to have good ventilation.

Now let's move on to what most people can surely put into practice when they finish reading this article, since it does not involve any additional cost.

We will go to parts of the house.

The main entrance:

This stay is the invitation to the house and the "temple" of its owner. From the outside it is advisable to put a doormat, which is always clean. The doorbell must be pleasant to the ear and the door must open without squeaking or sagging. You must be able to make a 90-degree opening. This will symbolize a good welcome message.

The living room:

The living room is the part of the house that is most closely lived. To encourage communication, the TV will be hidden in a cupboard and accompanied by books, flowers and music. In no case should the center of the room be empty and it is recommended to place a vase with flowers, candles, or a low table.

The stairs:

Long and steep stairs should be differentiated with different colors or patterns.

Stairs with steps "in the air", the violence of the current increases and to give it more stability we can put plants at the ends.

Spiral stairs are not advisable and placing them in the center of the house either.

The best material to cover the stairs is wood or terracotta and thus we will achieve warmth.

The corridors:

Almost all of us have long, narrow corridors. This causes energy to flow quickly and unbalanced. To avoid this, we will use "obstacles" to make this energy more wavy and calm. We can color plants, lamps, cover the floor with rugs and if we have enough space we can place a chest of drawers. Likewise, it is advisable to paint the walls in colors related to the earth element to provide stability and security.

The bedrooms:

Here I must clarify something first about the situation of the estancias. All rooms that require rest and relaxation must be placed in the deepest part of the Ying of our house. If, for example, we talk about the work studio, it can be in the outermost part of the house (Yang), since this will invite us to be more in contact with the outside and will activate us. But, on the contrary, if we want to rest, such as our bedroom, we would resort to locating the room in the innermost area.

The rooms do not need a large number of windows, as this will protect us from noise and light and we will be able to have more restful dreams. The bed must be in an upright position and from it the door to the entrance of the room must be visible. It must have a headboard to give us stability and protection. It is advisable not to place electronic objects, such as televisions, radios, etc. and if they could not be done without, they would be covered at bedtime with a sheet. Mirrors are not recommended, it is better to put them on the inside of a closet door. You should not overload yourself with objects, remember that it is time to rest and you need nothing but tranquility to sleep pleasantly

Children's bedrooms:

They must transmit serenity and where the little ones feel safe and confident.

The play area is recommended to be separated from the sleeping area. It should not be overloaded with toys and after playing or studying it must be picked up and tidy. It is recommended to change the decoration according to the child's life phase. Once the child grows up, he or she should move to a more adolescent stage

The kitchen:

There are three types of unfavorable distribution according to Feng Shui. The first would be the one that is in line with the door, the second the one that forces the cook to have his back to the door and finally and the most unfavorable would be the one that is cornered in the work area.

The most appropriate distribution would be for the work area to be on an island. If we cannot afford to change the distribution we can activate the Chi by placing a mirror.

The elements of the kitchen are of considerable importance. For example, the sink stopper should be placed, as this philosophy believes that wealth could escape down the drain. Ovens and the stove should be away from windows and doors so as not to startle whoever is cooking with their backs to the door. The pantry must be well cleaned and tidy and throw away expired food. Brooms and vacuums and mops should be stored or hidden as well as trash cans that should be emptied daily.

The office:

This room in the house must be well located. If we need concentration we will look for a Ying place in the house, if on the contrary our activity requires more sociability we will look for a Yang place. It should not be too big or small. The idea would be that through the window we would see a peaceful landscape. In the event that the view is not pleasant – we see the neighbor's window, a ruined building, electrical cables, etc... - We will place curtains. The desk should be clear and dust-free. Even if the clutter is "hidden" in drawers and cupboards, we will still feel the uneasiness that this generates. It's wise to take some time to rearrange everything.

The bathroom:

This room is not considered very favorable from the point of Feng Shui, since it has too much presence of water. To mitigate its effect, earth or metal elements must be placed to neutralize excess water and also excess Ying.

The office:

This room in the house must be well located. If we need concentration we will look for a Ying place in the house, if on the contrary our activity requires more sociability we will look for a Yang place. It should not be too big or small. The idea would be that through the window we would see a peaceful landscape. In the event that the view is not pleasant – we see the neighbor's window, a ruined building, electrical cables, etc... - We will place curtains. The desk should be clear and dust-free. Even if the clutter is "hidden" in drawers and cupboards, we will still feel the uneasiness that this generates. It's wise to take some time to rearrange everything.

The bathroom:

This room is not considered very favorable from the point of Feng Shui, since it has too much presence of water. To mitigate its effect, earth or metal elements must be placed to neutralize excess water and also excess Ying.

Feng Shui is extensive and offers us many possibilities, seeking to solve possible "mistakes" and giving us alternatives that to a greater or lesser extent we can all apply it.

I will continue to expand this section and of course talk about the Feng Shui garden.

In this article I hope I have managed to get some of you to apply a little bit of this art and leave me your comments on the changes you have perceived.

Lots of Feng Shui for everyone! ;·)

Thanks to the publishing house Susaeta ediciones

Unoediciones Graphics

Photos : Architecture H