Feng Shui

By Sarah Kulkens

Sometimes we find that regardless of how hard we work and what we do, it seems success, love, and money are far away and almost unattainable. Is it bad luck, karma, our parent or even our horoscope that's to blame? Perhaps it is- but what if your living space and workplace are causing the trouble? If you could change your whole life by simply hanging a mirror in the right place or buying a pot plant for that dark corner, I'm sure you'd do it today. Every week, I get asked to go to a home office or business to remove negative energy and help increase prosperity and love in people's workplaces or homes. I find this part of all the work I do rewarding.

If you walk into a dark, dingy food place, you know you will not feel like eating there. First impressions, feelings and vibes all contribute to the success of your business and your life. We spend a lot of money making ourselves feel and look good yet often neglect the home, workplace or car. A simple repositioning of something at your front door can make a difference in how people feel. A few years ago, I was asked by a large company's CEO to help as their new office building was not productive, and no one wanted to work there. With the suggestions I made, the new office building became the top office within Australia and overtook every other state for productivity. Feng Shui helped.

What is Feng Shui?

The principles of feng shui- pronounced 'Fung sway'- go beyond mystical interior design and are based on the principle that how the fixtures and fittings are placed in our environment can dictate our well being.

I won't get too technical here because feng shui is an art that takes some time to understand and appreciate fully. It's split into two groups: Chi, which radiates positive energy, and Sha, which carries negative energy.

Chinese people avidly believe in feng shui and rarely make a move without consulting it. They believe the space we inhabit is alive with energy and that the energy influences what happens to us in life. Power is around us all the time, and when the power is positive, life is good. Life is terrible when the energy is negative, and anything can happen because of our negativity.

Restoring Positive Energy.

Using the art of Feng Shui helps to restore positive energy, which in turn establishes and creates luck and harmony in our life. Power is like our friend: it has both a personality and a behaviour pattern, as we have. It has to be nurtured, encouraged to grow, directed and guided through our space. According to Feng Shui, energy prefers air circulating; light; reflections; and living matter, such as plants and animals. It doesn't like dark, cramped spaces that can't flow freely; dead or dying plants; dirty and messy places. One of the best things you can do to restore the positive energy in your life is clean up and organize the spaces in which you live and work.

Discover how to arrange your home and office according to the principles of Feng Shui.

The Entry

Ensure that the front door isn't in a straight line with the back door; if it is, any negative energy will flow straight through and taint everything in its path. If you face this problem, hang either a chime or a mobile from the hallway ceiling halfway between the two points, which will confuse the bad energy's path and redirect the energy out again.

Hang a wind chime near your front and back entrance doors to redirect the bad energy. Ensure that the entrance door opens inwards, enabling the sound energy to enter. If your doors don't open inwards, either re-hang them or use another door as the main entrance. If you have stairs approaching a door, place a talisman either at their head or on the half landing.

Place a mirror directly opposite your front door to reflect the bad energy and push it straight out again.

Place a 'gloom guardian' such as a lion, tiger or dragon in the front and back entrance or any part of the home to guard it.

Ensure that a path that leads directly to your front door isn't straight: it should be either curved or Zig zag instead.

The Lounge or Dining room.

Ensure that the head chair doesn't have its back to either a window or a door: if it has, the person is vulnerable to intruders. You can, however, place the chair sideways to the window or door. If you can't do this, position a mirror to see the door from the chair.

Ensure the lounge room furniture follows the lines of the wall to enable the incredible energy to circulate.

Ensure that your dining room window faces a direction different from the dining table to stimulate the tremendous energy flow.

The Kitchen

Ensure that your kitchen stove, which represents the element fire, doesn't adjoin either the element wood or the element water.

A stove placed near wood enhances the chance of fire, and if it's set next to the sink, the Chinese character of disaster is produced.

The Bedroom

Ensure that your bed doesn't receive direct sunlight; otherwise, the excess energizing forces will disturb your sleeping. Don't put too many mirrors in the room; an over-abundance of stimulating energy will be produced, and the bedroom will no longer be a place of rest.

The Bathroom.

Although most new houses have an en-suite bathroom, the bathroom shouldn't lead into the bedroom according to strict Feng Shui principles because the bedrooms require a smooth and gentle flow of energy. In contrast, the dark energy must be replaced as quickly as possible in the bathroom.

Ensure that all drainpipes aren't visible.

The Office.

If a room has no window and only one door, use it for storage because the incredible energy can't circulate in this type of room and is therefore stagnant.

Place a jade pot near the office's entrance door with a round leaf plant to radiate good money opportunities. Look after the plant, and money will flow.

General Directions.

If your house is a terrace or semi-detached so that one or more walls adjoin other premises, note which walls are joined because they block any Feng Shui influences, both good and bad.

In a dark corner of any room, install a mirror that will reflect the sun to brighten up the room's energy.

Place a large potted plant at the front premises' southernmost window for protection.

Install potted plants to keep the incredible energy alive.

Avoid having unused or unoccupied corners by filling them with cabinets, large pots or ornaments because areas where the current cannot flow, are dead.

Sarah Kulkens