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Nine Feng Shui Tools
I have read a lot about Feng Shui. I have moved furniture, bought crystals, cleaned windows, and rearranged many things in the name of Feng Shui. But yet, sometimes I wonder if I am doing it right at all. Feng Shui tools also add great curb appeal and interior organization which is never a bad thing.
Feng Shui means “wind” and “water”, and together they represent the flow of energy or chi in the universe. Although the practice was established over 6,000 years ago, it is in modern times that people are using it and companies are marketing it, all in the name of more money, more love, and more happiness.
So maybe you’ve read all of this. Maybe you have diligently divided your house up into nine squares (called a Bagua), and you’ve decorated accordingly.
And yet, you still feel like there is no change. I have been there. I remember standing in my kitchen one day and thinking this is nice but what is it doing?!
Through trial and error and reading A LOT (Feng Shui for Dummies anyone?!), I have come up with a list of nine (a significant number in this ancient art of placement) simple ideas to help the positive energy flow.
9 Excellent Feng Shui Ideas
#1. Fix any squeaks
Got a squeaky door or stubborn window? Fix it. This applies, particularly to your entry door.
#2. Use the front door
Many people use a side or garage door, but it is believed that Chi enters the home through the front door, so it is important to use it sometimes. Plus, how are you going to know if it squeaks if it’s never opened?
#3. Add a water fountain
But please make sure it’s one with a sound you can tolerate. I had one once that sounded just like a boy peeing in the corner. I spent more time looking around confused and less time relaxed than I care to admit.
Feng Shui Tools
#4. Fill any spaces above kitchen cabinets
In Feng Shui, it is believed that spaces that are useless and collect dust are where energy is dead. You can revive this energy without a major cabinet makeover. Simply place either some plants or a few cherished, beautiful items up there, and make sure to dust regularly!
#5. Close the bathroom door!
Not just when you are in there but all the time. Water represents money in the world of Feng Shui, and the bathroom is where water exits your house. Also, it is suggested that the toilet seat be kept down. This is particularly true in a house with kids or teenagers. I joke. Kind of.
#6. The bed
The biggest piece of furniture and one of the most important. Always try to have it facing but not directly across from the door. Being able to see the door is key. If this is impossible, buy a mirror and place it in a spot that allows you to see the door in it while lying in bed.
Feng Shui Tools
#7. Cover the TV in the bedroom
I keep a pretty scarf from my travels over it. The active energy of a TV can interrupt the flow of calming energy. A better option for the bedroom is, of course, no TV but in my house, that will mean a major argument, and that is far more disruptive to Chi than a pretty scarf I got in South America.
#8. Clean all of the windows
Pretty self-explanatory this one.
#9. Declutter
Clear the space Get rid of unnecessary or unloved items. “Stuff” blocks energy and energy is chi.
So there it is. For me, this list does two things, one it applies the art of Feng Shui in an efficient “anyone can do it” kind of way, and two it keeps me neat, organized, and rested.
But what if you have tried all these things and STILL feel like an area needs to be activated even more?
Well, I have an answer for that as well. Enter the nine tools for Feng Shui. These are a straightforward list of items that can be added or repositioned to activate chi or eliminate negativity in any one of the different sections of your Bagua.
Feng Shui Tools
A. Colour
Simple right? It is straightforward. We associate color with events, times of year, and memories. Color represents light, and too often areas that need activating are starved of light. Color is also used to represent and balance the five elements of Feng Shui.
Wood is represented by green; fire is red, the earth is yellow, metal is white, and water is black.
Although color can be a complicated subject to manoeuver in Feng Shui here are a few basic tips to get you started. Green is excellent for improving health and balancing family life when used in your Family and Health section.
The color blue is an excellent Feng Shui choice in the Career area to support the energy of your career growth or in the Health and Family or Wealth and Money, areas to water and nourish the Wood element. Having some strong yellow color in the Fame section and white is always an excellent choice in the Creativity and Children area to bring strong supportive energy to everything creative.
There are plenty of great websites and books that go further into this, but these are the basics that helped me.
B. Sound
Music uplifts the soul, and wind chimes attract chi into the house.
C. Light
Windows and sunlight are the best of course, but candles and fireplaces can do the job nicely as well. Lightbulbs are excellent as long as they mimic natural light. An outdoor lantern can be used to mark a missing Bagua section as well.
D. Art
The art you display should be something you love. Anything that makes you feel positive.
Feng Shui Tools
E. Living things such as plants and animals
Always make sure fish tanks and animal cages or beds are kept clean and neat (both for the animal and the chi it attracts! No one likes to live in a mess.) If real plants don’t grow very well, silk is always an option but never use dried plants as they represent dead energy.
When using a cactus plant, remember that they represent fire so they can’t be used in every area of the house. Cactus use can get complicated so make sure you read up on it before adding one to space.
F. Water
Fountains, fish tanks, and the like stimulate energy movement or movement of chi in your house. Just make sure you find one that is pleasing to the ear and doesn’t annoy or alarm you every time you walk into the room.
G. Wind-sensitive objects outside of the home
Wind chimes, banners, flags, and whirligigs all move energy around and send chi toward the house. They can also be used to mark a missing section of the Bagua.
Feng Shui Tools
H. Mirrors
They can be used to symbolically correct a room’s shape inside and outside they can be used to deflect a negative structure.
I. Crystals
One of my personal favorites. They represent energy from deep within the earth and can help an area of the Bagua be grounded. Crystals that are hung in a window reflect a full spectrum of color into the area.
I have, over the years, tried all of these approaches in the different areas of the Bagua. Sometimes I have noticed a huge difference, and other times less so.
I have found me that when using any Feng Shui guideline, the most important thing is to love the result. If I like a room or a Bagua area, I am well on my way to activating it and attracting positive energy to it. After all, love attracts love.
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