This is a contributed blog post from HouseTipster
The proper use of Feng Shui has been in existence since ancient times. It basically is living in harmony with natural surroundings and all of nature. Homes in China were built with the understanding that there should be a natural flow and rhythm throughout the house. Nature was studied to figure out the natural flow of positive energy which determined the position and location of furniture and other items throughout the house. The emphasis was to help with the flow of positive energy in the house while blocking or redirecting the negative energy. The purpose was to help attract wealth, reduce stress, and keep the occupants healthy.
The Elimination of Clutter
Clutter corresponds to one of the five elements of Feng Shui. These elements refer to Earth, metal, water, wood, and fire. Clutter is a form of low or stagnant negative energy. Even if your house looks neat and tidy, a closet could contain a lot of stagnant energy. This type of energy should be removed to help your home become stress-free. All items should be removed from the closet and the things you no longer use need to be discarded. The closet needs cleaned from top to bottom so the flow of positive energy can resume.
The same goes for your kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Everything should be taken out of the cabinets and thoroughly cleaned. Ensure that the items you will keep are in an organized and efficient manner. Items used most should be handily located at the front of the cabinets. Broken and unused items that no longer serve a purpose should be discarded. Tangled cords should be straightened to remove stagnant energy stored there. Your living space needs to remain free of clutter to help with the reduction of stress and increase the flow of positive energy again.
The Path to Your House
The entrance to your home is a very important part of Feng Shui. Doors that are improperly aligned can cause health issues and other problems. To help keep your home stress free, careful planning of door locations should be done. The sidewalk should not be a straight path leading to your home. It should meander up to the doorway. A straight path causes the chi energy to rush through the house without having a chance to slow down.
Facing doorways should be aligned perfectly or completely out of alignment. A framework that is aligned with another doorway can cause problems with health and disharmony for the people living there. If there are three or more doors in complete alignment, the chi energy will not have time to slow down which will create more complications.
Mirrors in the House
The placement of mirrors in the house is very important for proper energy flow. Placing them incorrectly can create obstacles to a happy life. A mirror should not be put where you can see your reflection as soon as you enter the front door. The belief is that it will reflect your good luck back outside. Mirrors can be positioned to reflect nature from outside. This is supposed to help bring harmony to the household. The use of mirrors should be limited in the bathroom. It should not be situated across from the open doorway or a view of the commode. The bedroom is another room where it’s not recommended to place mirrors in. It can affect your sleep which can lead to stress and other health problems.
Relieving Stress with Flowing Water
Installing a water fountain inside your house can help everyone be more relaxed and peaceful. The placement and materials of the fountain play a crucial role in it working properly. A water fountain should be made of wood, metal, or stone, which are natural materials that play an important part in keeping people calm. These fountains work best when placed in the north, east, and southeast section of the living space. A water fountain should not be placed below a stairway. It could possibly bring illness and bad luck to the occupants.
The Use of Wind Chimes
Using wind chimes has long been a very popular way of suppressing bad energy. A wind chime should be carefully chosen for a specific area. Depending on the placement of the chime will determine what material it should be composed of. A wind chime made of metal should not be placed in the east since this is the place of the wood element. The number of chimes and the symbols inscribed on the wind chime all determine the proper location for the chime to hang. Properly used, wind chimes can bring peace and prosperity to those living in the house
Plants Are Beautiful
Keeping plants indoors gives you a part of nature to love while you are indoors. They help promote the positive energies of chi. The placement and types of plants can increase the flow of positive energy which will help produce a calming effect in your living space. Most plants are a good source of chi energy as long as they are properly cared for. The exceptions could be a type of spiked cactus plant, which emits a source of negative energy.
Most plants you keep indoors should be located in the area of the wood element. This is the Southeast, East, and South portions of the house. They should be planted in beautiful containers and given a lot of love. The other areas of your home can have plants kept in them as long as there are not so many that it overwhelms the elements in the area.
Room Colors
The color you paint rooms can have an effect on the quality of chi in your house. A kitchen benefits greatly from being painted a yellow or white color. This helps bring a feeling of happiness and increases the positive flow of energy. This makes for a stress-free cooking area. The kitchen is one of the most used rooms and preparing meals cheerfully will definitely make the food better.
Painting rooms according to the matching elements can help keep a home at peace. The wood element colors are brown and green while earth is yellow and brown. The corresponding colors of water are black and blue. Matching white and grey to the element of metal will help positive chi flow in that part of the house. The fire element is any variation of red. This will go a long way towards keeping harmony and peace in a home.
The Living Room
This is the most important area of the house where family and friends gather for social events and entertainment. It should be a large room where two of the walls are facing the exterior of the house. A couch should always be placed against a wall with no windows or doors to make the space more Feng Shui and reduce any unnecessary stress. You should also have a chair and loveseat to provide ample seating for guests and family.
If there is to be a fireplace, it should be installed on a south wall to balance with the fire element. The north side of a living room can have a fountain, aquarium, or paintings of calm water flowing towards the room.
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