A Place for Everything
Feng Shui Tips for Prosperous Results

by Christine Gaan

The home buying process can seem complicated when there are many aspects to finding the right home. Starting with selecting a community or neighborhood that provides access to desired schools, shopping centers and public amenities, and ending with a home that fits your personal taste and lifestyle needs. Then come the questions: Does the price fall within your budget? Are the bedrooms, bathrooms and garage spaces sufficient? Is there adequate closet and storage space?

These considerations are essential when determining if a home can comfortably fit you and your family. But an equally important thing to remember is how to tell whether a home can promote financial prosperity, improve health and enhance relationships? By bringing the principles of Feng Shui into the home, you can create a place to manifest your dreams and enhance the quality of your life.

Feng Shui, which literally translates to “wind and water,” is an ancient Chinese scientific study of how the natural and built environment influences people. Rooted in architecture, astronomy, physics and design, traditional Feng Shui optimizes the movement of air, or energy, to promote harmony, prosperity and health. Purposeful organization of a home is essential to productivity and by implementing Feng Shui, you are setting yourself up for success.

More than a First Impression
Walk through the front door of any home and, within seconds, you know whether or not you like what you see. A front entrance typically provides the first impression of a home’s interior. Similarly, in Feng Shui, the entrance is one of the primary locations for energy, or qi (“chee”), to enter into a home. Keep in mind that attached garages can also be considered entrances since these, many times, are used more frequently than front doors.

Once qi enters into a home, the objective is to enable it to circulate throughout each room to promote a comfortable, healthy and harmonious environment. When searching for your ideal home, consider these Feng Shui concepts as you walk through each front door:

A home with the main entrance situated at or above street level attracts positive qi. A home where the front door is located below street level can collect negative qi and debris, which can permeate a home. If the front door is below street level, it’s best to find an alternative entrance point.

A home with a straight path from the front door to the back door creates a slingshot effect for qi. Although seen in many floorplans, this allows qi to rapidly enter and immediately exit a home. Again, the goal is to facilitate a steady flow of qi throughout the home. If selecting a home with facing front and back doors, position furniture or plants in between the doors to help qi meander throughout other portions of the home.

A front door with a spacious entranceway enables qi to move fluently. Qi cannot sufficiently enter a home if the entrance is blocked by a structure, hallway or wall. Selecting a home where the entrance leads directly into open living space is the best solution.

A front door that does not face the entrance of a staircase is beneficial for qi. When a front door directly faces a staircase entrance, the result is an overwhelming rush of qi into the home and straight up the stairs. This scenario can drain personal energy and financial prosperity. If using an alternate door is not an option, strategically place a bushy plant at the bottom of the staircase to help absorb and slow down qi.

Bedrooms, stoves or toilets seen directly from a main entrance can generate unfavorable qi. Additionally, bedroom occupants may experience discomfort if their room is directly in line with a main door. To improve the quality of flowing qi in these circumstances, simply close the doors to those rooms causing the negative qi.

Bedroom Geometry
When in the market for a home, you determine the number and size of bedrooms you need as well as each room’s key purpose—whether a bedroom, playroom or home office. However, it’s also important to evaluate the shape of each room and the position of each room’s doorway.

Similar to entrances, bedrooms are very important in Feng Shui since these rooms absorb the most qi. As you sleep, you absorb more oxygen than you do while awake. The same is true with respect to qi. It’s essential to absorb the best possible qi in order to maximize rest and relaxation.

Your bedroom environment should facilitate a stable flow of qi. Too much qi or erratic qi can negatively affect your sleep patterns. In contrast, stagnant qi can potentially drain your personal energy and leave you more tired than before.

While finding a home that provides the perfect sum of bedrooms with the right square footage for your needs, consider these Feng Shui concepts:

Square- or rectangular-shaped bedrooms support good health and positive relationships. A room with four 90 degree-angled corners provides the best environment; it allows qi to steadily flow throughout the room uninterrupted. For couples, a square or rectangular master bedroom can promote a harmonious relationship or marriage. On the contrary, an odd-shaped bedroom or one with too many angles can lead to adverse health and marital issues. If a bedroom has odd angles, position furniture or room dividers to help stabilize the flow of qi.

Flat bedroom ceilings are ideal for enhancing health, wellness and relations. Ceilings with large exposed beams or sloped ceilings can bring qi downward onto occupants, disrupting rest and negatively affecting relationships and health issues. If your ceiling is sloped, consider a canopy bed with fabric to create a barrier between the ceiling and bed.

Bedroom doors that directly face each other set off a clashing flow of qi. This clash can cause conflict or argumentative behaviors between room occupants. If moving one occupant to another bedroom within the home is not an option, keep one of the facing doors closed to alleviate the clashing qi.

Two or more bedroom doors in a single row can funnel qi too quickly. Equally, a long hallway with a bedroom door at the very end can create a tremendous flow of qi. To help absorb and slow the flow of qi, strategically place bushy plants throughout the long hallway.

Toilets seen directly from a bedroom can generate unfavorable qi and health issues. To improve health and wellness, keep the bathroom door closed to improve the quality of flowing qi throughout the bedroom.

It takes substantial time and effort to find just the right home for you and your family. With Feng Shui, you can maximize your efforts by finding a comfortable home that supports good fortune, health and relationships.

Christine Gaan is a certified Feng Shui Consultant at Balance Feng Shui.

Infolink:
Balance Feng Shui, LLC
www.balancefs.com
480.650.6137