Each season, homes begin to gather clutter as generated by the family’s activities. When the summer comes to an end, it is common for straw hats and beach shoes to be found strewn across the building’s interior, while in the garden withered blooms and rusting barbecues cry out for attention. As cathartic as a clearing out can be, it is the greater alternatives that prompt response from Feng shui consultants. According to Holmes, Feng shui is an art of creating harmony within a living area. From the traditional Chinese perspective, Feng shui aims to create balance between the areas of stillness and movement, soft and hard, dark and light, and balancing yin and yang.
The Home Comforts
According to HL Decorating, a seasonal clearing should extend beyond the minor home irritations to larger issues at play in one’s house. All items are said to have an impact on the energy in a room; for example, a large electric fan could be an obstacle within the balance of the room. In terms of creating a difference in the space, these items are considered something of a red herring. Holmes suggests it is the factors that affect the flow of ‘chi’ energy – the relationship between the house and the roads, the placing of furniture or the alignment of doors – that deserves full attention. She argues that spiky plants will provide a ‘sha chi’ or negative energy experienced by most people; however, these individuals are unlikely to consider them significant elements in the Feng shui of a person’s house.
Improve The Feng Shui of Your Environment
For Holmes, improving the Feng shui of an environment is to present a harmonious and comfortable sensation into the area. For example, imagine the bed’s position in the bedroom. One would not arrange things in the bedroom to make your head point to the middle of the room; it is most common that the head would point against the solid wall. By placing the bed between the window and door, the flow of chi will not be restful and the aim is to create good chi – a sense of harmony, beauty, balance and connection to the subtle energies within the place to bring it to life.
The five classical elements within Chinese culture (fire, wood, earth, metal and water) need to be balanced for an area to be at peace. Feng shui consultants, such as Holmes, believe that invoking the energies in significant areas can make positive changes to a person’s prospects for wealth, health and overall happiness. According to Holmes, this should not be taken literally. Water energy refers to something that is flowing, while wood energy refers to growth and earth energy involves nurturing. This is all about providing the best potential of the area to ensure you take advantage of what you have and reduce any negative energies.
Employ a Feng Shui Consultant
Addressing specific concerns or intentions utilising Feng shui will require the assistance of a Feng shui consultant; however, there are certain types of Feng shui offering detailed guidance on how to arrange one’s living space and can be considered pragmatic approaches. Feng shui can be a truly holistic approach to an environment when integrating ecological awareness with mindfulness; thereby, creating a space that supports the area’s inhabitants and nourishes the beings. Practical suggestions include placing stone sculptures or large stones in a garden to improve ‘earth’ energy; as well as a mirror or a fish tank to encourage connectedness between people.
Similar to Holmes, Anjie states that people should assess how well the house supports us. As a holistic interior architect, Anjie has encountered numerous people who wish to integrate eco-friendly designs with feng shui as part of their businesses and homes; however, they wish to wait until the environment is clean, they have more time or they are relocating. Of course, these are the most suitable times to redecorate or renovate and implement feng shui attributes; however, it is possible to incorporate feng shui principles at any time. It is more than merely moving furniture in a room; it is about shifting the environment and energy to support your new life.