Feng Shui Tricks
When you come across the topic Feng Shui for the first time, you might be full of confusion and contradictions. There are many different opinions on the subject and it is difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. In this article, you will find some basic Feng Shui rules which can be easily adapted to your day to day life.
Today, it is common sense that a good Feng Shui in a house or working space can help people to feel more relaxed and work more efficiently. No wonder that this science of experience from old China continues to spread out over time. Unfortunately, quite a lot of publications on the subject don’t bother with a correct translation of the traditional Feng Shui rules, and this has led to a lot of misunderstandings. The following basic rules are based on classical Feng Shui which should enable everybody to bring more balance into his or her life.
Finding the right spot
What is a good place for me? Have you ever asked yourself this question? If not, you should give this some deeper thought. You will probably find out that your intuition has told you a lot about Feng Shui already. For example, imagine you enter an empty restaurant and have to pick a table. Do you take a table on the edge or do you prefer to sit in the middle of the room? 99 per cent of people would decide to sit on the side with their backs to a wall – simply because it feels more secure. Why is this so? Let’s look at it from the modern psychology point of view: our brain is still tuned to observe our surroundings and to distinguish important from insignificant things. The important penetrates up to our consciousness, while insignificant things will be filtered by our subconsciousness. This process takes place in every second of our lives. Depending on how much information our subconsciousness has to run through, we feel more or less tension. Usually, we relax best in a situation with little action and if we are in a protected area. This is why a protected place which relieves our subconsciousness is the key for all situations in Feng Shui. If we exclude disturbing factors – like in our example waiters walking around, whispers behind you, people passing through etc. - we create more space for the essentials. Therefore, the places where we stay longer should be adapted accordingly to this rule.
Here are some basic Feng Shui rules for resting areas:
What is a good place for me? Have you ever asked yourself this question? If not, you should give this some deeper thought. You will probably find out that your intuition has told you a lot about Feng Shui already. For example, imagine you enter an empty restaurant and have to pick a table. Do you take a table on the edge or do you prefer to sit in the middle of the room? 99 per cent of people would decide to sit on the side with their backs to a wall – simply because it feels more secure. Why is this so? Let’s look at it from the modern psychology point of view: our brain is still tuned to observe our surroundings and to distinguish important from insignificant things. The important penetrates up to our consciousness, while insignificant things will be filtered by our subconsciousness. This process takes place in every second of our lives. Depending on how much information our subconsciousness has to run through, we feel more or less tension. Usually, we relax best in a situation with little action and if we are in a protected area. This is why a protected place which relieves our subconsciousness is the key for all situations in Feng Shui. If we exclude disturbing factors – like in our example waiters walking around, whispers behind you, people passing through etc. - we create more space for the essentials. Therefore, the places where we stay longer should be adapted accordingly to this rule.
Here are some basic Feng Shui rules for resting areas:- If possible, always sit down with your back against a wall.
- Never put sofas in the middle of a room or under a window. Put them against a wall in such a way that you can see windows and doors.
- Working spaces like desks should be close to a window, so that you can use as much daylight as possible during your working time. An L-shaped installation with the window is recommended. In that case you would get enough light and most rooms allow a protected sitting area with a wall behind you.
- In the bedroom, the bed should have its head against a wall. Never put a bed under a window. It should be possible to overlook windows and doors from the bed, so that the subconsciousness is more relieved during the sleeping phase. Reflective surfaces like mirrors or television screens make the room seem bigger than it is. Subconsciously we have to observe additional virtual rooms which do not exist in reality. This puts unnecessary stress on our backs. If you don't want to move mirrors, TVs etc. out of your bedroom, simply cover them with something (like a blanket or some sheets for example), while you are sleeping.
Yin and Yang
The concept of Yin and Yang stands for all oppositions such as bright – dark, loud – quiet, warm - cold. Feng Shui experts distinguish between yin and yang areas in a house or a flat. Yang represents the more active rooms like the living room or the kitchen, while Yin is assigned to the more passive rooms like the sleeping areas. In the active parts we need light and warmth, while the bedroom may be darker, cool and quiet.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the sunny sides (the southern directions) are considered to be Yang, while the northern directions are Yin.
In Feng Shui we have rather natural subdivisions for the rooms by assigning them to their appropriate directions:
- Bedrooms are best in the north and north-east where it is a little cooler.
- The kitchen is well placed on the southern side.
- A dining room facing the southwest offers daylight for the whole family until the sun sets.
- A sitting room facing the west offers a nice view of the sunset after work. A home office or study room is also recommended to face the west or the northwest, or also facing south.
- Children's rooms are multifunctional spaces which have yin as well as yang areas. The east or the southeast are suited for it rather well.
- The bathroom is best placed facing north.
What else should you know...
- Don't try to work against nature – it is simply stronger than you.
- Go along with the natural strength of the elements and include them when you plan a house or if you are searching for a new place. This affects not only your well-being but also your purse. Reducing heating costs are one side effect of good Feng Shui. Big south facing windows provide more light and warmth during cold seasons.
- Which direction does the wind come from? This is an important factor for the outside places. A windy terrace is not very comfortable.
- Give your home a structure.
- Smaller rooms assigned to a certain purpose make more sense than a multifunctional space which is used for everything. Particularly if you live as a couple or in a family, the subdivision of the rooms is really important.
Muddle makes trouble!
That's what my grandmother always said, and proved that she was a real Feng Shui expert. A certain basic order makes life easier. A chaotic desk constantly disturbs us, because it continually reminds our subconsciousness of what has still to be done.
Order your thoughts as well
Take care of the unpleasant things straight away. They must be done anyway and once they are done, we don't need to waste our energy thinking about these subjects any more.
One more before we finish:
Even if you read about them in many books and articles – mirrors, crystals, spirals or other Feng Shui items can't really improve your life. Put up whatever you like and rely more on your intuition than on the arguments of a salesman.