Feng Shui can positively affect our health by helping us to select and arrange a harmonious living space that will enhance and support our mind and body.
Do you feel a little run down, or not quite right? Dont just blame it on the latest virus that’s going around. It could actually have something to do with your home. Feng shui is the ancient Chinese science that studies the influences of our environment on our health, relationships and prosperity. Literally translated, it means wind and water. Janene Laird is a feng shui consultant from ShengChi-Feng Shui. "Feng shui can positively affect our health by helping us to select and arrange a harmonious living space that will enhance and support our mind and body.
"In feng shui, we believe that different kinds of natural life force energies, or qi, exist in our environment and that they affect our physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual wellbeing. Some of them bring us good fortune while others may cause ill health and misfortune. We call these invisible energies ‘flying stars’.
"The ‘water stars’ govern our wealth and prosperity, but it is the ‘mountain stars’ that are actually the most important aspect in our home as they are critical to our ‘human fortune’ and govern our health and relationships. People who live in a home that has good mountain star energy will feel more settled and secure. They will enjoy better health and their relationships will be more harmonious. Their careers are also likely to be more stable as their power, status and authority are enhanced. "In this corner of the room the element of wood is needed – so there’s a wooden sideboard, wooden furniture, I’ve even put a wooden placemat there. I’ve decorated with elements that are either completely wood or are dominated by the element of wood. The tapa is from Fiji, so you can include things from other cultures. It’s made from the bark of a tree."
It is a given that certain conditions around the home affect its feng shui and therefore the flow of qi. One of the most important is clutter as it is an obstacle to the flow of energy within the home and can make you feel as if your life has become stuck or stagnant. Clearing clutter is essential to creating a healthy and harmonious environment and feng shui can, at best, be only minimally effective until it is done.
But what is the purpose of feng shui?
"The aim of feng shui is to balance yin and yang energies within the home. If a house is cluttered, the windows are shut, the curtains are drawn, the air is stale, the garden is overgrown and the house is dark and obscured by trees, then it has too much yin energy. The qi becomes stagnant and cannot flow, and the occupants will feel unmotivated and depressed."On the other hand, if a house has too much hot sun pouring in through the windows, loud music is blaring, it’s sparsely furnished and it has no trees to offer any shade or protection, then it has too much yang energy. The qi flows too fast through the house and it cannot settle and, therefore, the occupants will feel aggressive and find it difficult to relax."
It is a good idea to engage the services of a feng shui consultant when first applying feng shui principles to the home, but there are some principles that you can apply yourself. Ensure that your home is free from rubbish, clutter and unpleasant smells, and keep up to date with your housework. Get rid of any unwanted clothes or goods. Open your windows and doors on fine days so that fresh air can circulate through your home and clear out any lingering or stagnant odours. Keep your home well maintained and check for any structural problems. Keep your kitchen cupboards and pantry clean and well stacked. Get rid of out-of-date food and broken crockery. Never sleep next to electrical equipment, such as a TV, cordless phone, computer, electric blanket or meter box, as the electromagnetic fields can harm your health. Also keep your home as chemical-free as possible and go organic where you can.
So by following these simple tips, or seeing a feng shui practitioner for advice, you can banish that ‘not quite right’ feeling for good!