Feng shui decorating guidelines

The importance of following feng shui decorating guidelines.

Feng shui decorating guidelines show us the correct way to place objects, furniture and how to decorate in order to achieve harmony. Living and working spaces and their decorations affect the people inhabiting them, and feng shui decorating knowledge studies the way to make that factor affect in a positive and harmonic way.

If you want to learn and be able to follow feng shui decorating tips, the first thing to do is to learn about feng shui in general and its main concepts. By learning this, you will find yourself naturally acquiring information on how to decorate any different spaces according to feng shui.
According to feng shui decorating guidelines, the way and the position in which we place our furniture, the colors we choose, the different objects and places we choose for them, everything can be done in a way that ensures harmony. Actually, in China people are used to look for a feng shui expert to guide them in occasions such as when they buy a new house.

Following feng shui decorating guidelines is not the same as decorating in order to make a space pretty or nice looking but it is about making it be in harmony with us. Actually, many times a decoration done by following feng shui would not look nice or be esthetically correct at all. By following feng shui, we could end up doing some of the things we would never have thought to do in our decoration.

For example, the position we place a bed can have main importance according to feng shui decorating tips. A bed should be placed in a position that allows the person to easily look at the door, but at the same time it should not be facing it directly and it should be against a wall. Even if this leads to an option which you wouldn?t have thought of for you to place your bed, you should do so in order to be able to sleep well and comfortable.

Feng shui does not see decoration with the same eyes a merely esthetically based decoration does. Feng shui decorating guidelines are meant to help people make their spaces as much harmonic and positive for their inhabitants as possible, even if esthetics have to be sacrificed for it.

By Jakob Jelling
http://www.fengshuicrazy.com

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.fengshuicrazy.com. Please visit his website and learn all the feng shui tips you'll ever need!

More Feng Shui Tips!

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What is Feng Shui?

While a feng shui master, or geomancer, would need to analyze a specific problem for a proper diagnosis, some basic tips can be followed to keep your house in balance.

Energy, qi, (pronounced "chee"), should flow freely through your home, entering through the front door and exiting out the back. Clutter, sharp angles, nooks and crannies, and storage areas can slow down energy, causing it to stagnate and become unhealthful.

Energy should not disappear so quickly it has no time to do any good, so if your front door has an unimpeded view to the back door, consider blocking it with screens.

Busy streets, train tracks, and airplane flight paths all generate energy that may move too fast to enter your home. A wall, trees, shrubbery, and hanging plants are often used to slow down or to screen out fast-moving or negative energy. A weathervane or water, such as a fountain in the front of the house, might also help.

Intersections create lots of qi. If your front door is not well situated, it could become bombarded with energy, making relaxation impossible. A mirror on the front of the house can deflect energy.

Balance is a cornerstone of happiness and good design. Everything from exterior lamp poles to inside decorations might need balancing to generate harmonious energy.

Sharp, jutting angles need to be softened by placing plants or statues in front.

Furniture in the living room should facilitate movement and conversation. Since the living room is a yang area, consider adding yin influences with plants, soft cushions, and perhaps a fish tank.

The foot of a bed should not be in a direct line to the door since in ancient China the dead were laid with their feet toward the door of the death house for easier access to heaven.

Mirrors should not face a bed because the spirit leaves the body in the night and might get upset at seeing its reflection, causing a disturbed sleep.

Round dining room tables are best since the circle symbolized heavenly blessings. Dining room chairs should be of an even number and should be comfortable. Décor should be simple so as not to distract from the food.

Food represents wealth to the Chinese, and therefore the kitchens can generate general happiness. Kitchens should be balanced because of the presence of two major elements—fire, with its yang energy, and water, which is a yin force.

The bathroom is the most yin room in the house because of the presence of water. Yang elements, such as bright colors or candles may be added.

Gardens create a pleasant view. They should contain balance and have a natural look. Flowering plants will bring good luck.

By David Johnson at: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/fengshui2.html

Feng Shiu Introduction

Highly recommended video in Youtube about Feng Shui basics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UfNp6OBnPg&feature=related

Feng Shui Bedroom

Your bedroom is the most important room in your home. It has the greatest effect on your health and well-being. While you sleep, your energy fields are particularly receptive to the effect of any imbalance in your surroundings. Feng Shui can help you create an environment where your well-being is enhanced, not compromised. These secrets will enhance the energy in your bedroom, improving your health and impacting romance in your life.

1. Create A Sanctuary How does your bedroom feel? Does it nurture your soul? Remove anything that isn't related to the purpose of the bedroom. It will be creating a conflict of energy.

2. Remove The Television From Your Bedroom A television will affect your relationships, and also your sleep. The television is a more vibrant, yang energy, than the yin energy of your bedroom, which can make it a less relaxing environment for sleep. Also, the television, whether off or on, is emitting electro-magnetic fields which affect your health. (Read more about EMFs below)

3. Position Your Bed The ideal bed position is as far away from the door as possible, and with a clear view of the door from where you lie. If you cannot see the door easily, this will set up an unconscious vulnerability that will affect the quality of your sleep. If it's impossible to see the door, set up a mirror so you can see the door from where you lie.

4. Treat Yourself To The Best Bed For YOU. Considering you spend a third of your life in bed, it's worth investing in the best bed you can buy. Try out several until you find one that works for you. Your bed holds the energy of whoever has slept in it, so buying a new bed is a good way to support a new beginning in your life. This is especially important after the breakup of a long relationship or after a long illness.

5. Remove Mirrors If you're having trouble sleeping, check the mirrors. The bigger they are, and the closer to you, the more effect they will have. In Feng Shui, mirrors are used to increase the energy. They are not always suitable for bedrooms, where you want a more peaceful energy. If in doubt - try covering the mirrors at night for a month to see if it makes a difference.

6. Eliminate Sharp Corners Lie on your bed and look around your bedroom. Do you have corners of walls or furniture pointing towards any part of you as you sleep? They will be affecting your health, and specifically the part of your body they cut across. Remedy this by softening the edges. For the corner of a wall, you can hang a spherical crystal from the ceiling, a few inches out from the corner, to disperse this cutting energy. You could also hang a plant. Soften the edges of a dresser with fabric or by placing a tall plant in front of that corner.

7. Don't Let Clutter Bog You Down! Clutter affects all areas of your life more than anything else, and your bedroom is no exception. Clutter in your bedroom will be affecting your health, your relationships and your prosperity. Clutter prevents the energy from flowing smoothly around your room and in your life. Clutter is anything unfinished, unused, unresolved, tolerated, disorganized. This can be physical clutter, and can also be unresolved issues with your partner. That's one reason why it’s recommended to resolve any differences before you sleep.

8. Get A Fresh Perspective On Your Art Art is a powerful enhancement in creating the life you want. Is your art saying what you want it to be saying? If you want to be in a relationship, yet have pictures of single women on your walls, this will not be helping. If you have an image that’s disturbing in any way, this will be affecting the peaceful environment you need to create rest for your soul.

9. Remove All Electrical Items Electro Magnetic Fields from electrical appliances are becoming a worldwide health concern, with studies showing they can contribute to various types of cancers and autoimmune diseases. A good way to create a space that nurtures your health rather than harms it, is to remove all plug-in clock radios, TVs, answering machines, electric blankets and any other electrical appliances. At the very least, move them 12 feet away from you and unplug them. Your long-term health will be affected in direct proportion to the amount of electricity the item uses, how close it is to you, and how long you are exposed to it.

10. Create a nourishing view from your bed What's the view from your bed? Do you look straight into a bathroom, or worse still, into a toilet with it's lid up? Keep your bathroom door closed, or create a barrier with a screen. Make sure what you see when you wake has a sensuous and nurturing feel. Your health is at the core of your quality of life and your body is your home, while you are here on earth. By applying these Feng Shui tips, you will be protecting your most precious asset. What do YOU need to do to, to create an environment that works FOR you rather than against you?

© 2002, Vicky White. All rights reserved. May be duplicated with attribution and copyright notice intact. http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/

More info in: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/White23.html

The Role of Trees and Plants in Feng Shui Theory

The Role of Trees and Plants in Feng Shui Theory

Any living plant or tree is considered the Wood element in Five-Element theory and if Wood is needed to correct an imbalance within the home, then the live plant is more appropriate than wood furnishings. The plant has a nervous system and it can absorb or re-direct chi in a room as well. An example might be the common front door alignment with a back door. Having a live plant somewhere between the aligned entrance and exit could help slow down and buffer chi flow (air currents).

The effect is that occupants can be healthier and save their money easier. Right now there are not a lot of houses which specifically need the Wood element to correct the Flying Star combination of elements in a room. (Unseen influences). But here is an example of where a live plant may be helpful: A house which was built between 1944-1963 AND facing North or South, will have energy at its center which translates: water dominating fire. The way to mitigate this imbalance is to weaken water and strengthen fire and it is done with the Wood element. (Wood makes fire stronger.)

If someone had a floor plan, where the center of the house was open enough to place a live plant (big hallway, living room, etc.), then a plant may help with this imbalance. The problems which can result from water dominating fire include heart or eye problems. Some practitioners debate about whether or not you can treat the center of a structure, unlike other directional areas of the floor plan, but it certainly can’t hurt! Large, tall trees behind or in front of a property can become "virtual" mountains if they are substantially taller than the structure. Some houses and buildings specifically benefit from having a real or virtual mountain on one side of the house, so the tall trees can act as a substitute for a real mountain or hill.

Trees, bushes, and thick plantings surrounding a property can also act to shore up energy which would otherwise flow away. An example of this is a house with significantly lower land level on some part of the property. Planting a hedge or even positioning a row of potted plants can help keep the chi on the property and close to the occupants. This can improve both health and finances. An old-age Feng Shui belief is that a house with a severe slope behind it will be a difficult house to conceive sons in. Some Feng Shui books refer to trees as possessing spirits and the need to be very careful in terms of what type of tree is planted and whether or not it should ever be uprooted.

In many Asian neighborhoods, residents often unnecessarily remove trees in front of houses because of an oversimplified and superstitious way of relating to Feng Shui. There is a notion that a tree in front of a door will block chi or be bad luck. Obviously, if the tree is huge and literally blocks easy access to the door, then there is a problem. If the tree casts so much shade that an area inside or outside the house is chronically dark, then a good trimming is in order. If the tree is buckling pavement and threatening to damage the house’s foundation, then you have problems which supersede Feng Shui theory--or create other Feng Shui problems which are much worse (like a cracked foundation or strangled plumbing.).

Dead or dying plants should be removed as quickly as possible, although I have never promoted the theory that dried flower arrangements have bad Feng Shui. One client has her wedding bouquet mounted to her bathroom wall and it not only looks nice, but also provides her with the happy memory of her wedding day on a regular basis. I can’t believe that this is bad Feng Shui in any shape or form. An odd-shaped lot, like a pie-shaped lot which narrows in the back, can be partially remedied or squared out with proper landscaping. When it is difficult to grow healthy greenery on your property, it may be an indication that the chi in the ground is lacking healthful energies.

Some Form School Feng Shui Masters will note the moisture and dark richness of the soil as a routine part of their evaluation. One type of plant which tends to attract ghosts (don’t ask me why!), is the banana tree. They often seem to be on the properties of clients who complain of ghosts. Popular Feng Shui books also like to make a fuss about plants with sharp leaves, as though they were the worst manifestation of "poison arrows."

Except for an actual cactus, I have not seen many plant leaves that I would be the least bit concerned about. For those of you who live near West L.A., drive by a house on the corner of Bundy and Exposition Blvds. You will see large cactus all around the outside of the house close to the windows. I think it is a perfect natural security system.

For more information contact:
Kartar Diamond
PO Box 67354
Los Angeles, CA
90067(310)842-8870
kartar@fengshuisolutions.netfengshuisolutions.net

More Info in: http://www.fengshuinews.com/articles/kartar-0107.htm

Feng Shui Principles

Feng Shui Principles That Annoy Architects (http://www.fengshuinews.com/articles/kartar.htm#annoy)

It is often said that good design is also good Feng Shui. Generally speaking, I totally agree. However, Feng Shui principles of how ch'i moves in and around a building, and what kind of effect that has on people, will sometimes be in conflict with interesting architecture or landscape.

1. Does symmetry = balance? I have seen many floor plans where the architect deliberately placed doorways or windows directly opposite each other. Sometimes there is a whole succession of windows along a wall, and the opposite wall will be a mirror image. I have seen entrances or exterior facades where columns, hedges, and pathways create long straight lines toward a main door. In looking at these designs, the symmetry is obvious. But from a Feng Shui stand point, this is not necessarily harmonious or balanced.

Think about nature, and winding meandering paths through gardens, and groupings in odd numbers. This is very different than the perfect pairing of windows, doors, or other architectural features. Two windows exactly opposite each other may feel like balance through symmetry from a designer's training. But this arrangement allows for ch'i (air currents) to either move too quickly through a room and/or the room leaks its vitality too soon.

2. High ceilings: A room may feel dramatic and larger (intended effect) when the ceilings are high. Most people initially feel good in this kind of room. But the function of the room will determine the appropriateness of high ceilings in Feng Shui theory. It may be hard to concentrate in a room with high ceilings, and it may be difficult to get good sleep as well. Sometimes the good energies which need to be cozy and contained in a small room, will get dissipated in a room with high ceilings.

3. Beams: The look of exposed beams can also bring personality to a room from a design point. But open beams in a bedroom are known to cause health and relationship problems in Feng Shui theory (in all schools of Feng Shui.)

4. Views from front to back: A major selling feature in many homes is to create a spectacular view from the entrance, all the way through to the back (showing a garden, or views of a valley or ocean.) But this is not the home you will sell to an adherent of Feng Shui. Once again, the premise is that incoming energy will make a bee-line for the back, escaping too quickly. The mundane result of a house losing its energy is that the occupants will have a hard time saving their money.

5. Angles and odd shapes: When a building or a single room has an odd shape, (not a square or rectangle) this can make the ch'i boomerang around the room, causing lack of focus, ill health, or arguments. I have often been in very odd-shaped buildings or houses, where the real orientation (of what is the front and what is the back) is also very confusing.Just because a building looks striking from afar doesn't mean it is a comfortable place to work in. I once saw the design for a new building by some famous architect and it honestly looked like a crumpled piece of paper! This can't possibly be good Feng Shui.

**Keep in mind: there are some buildings which get classified as being good for money, but not good for health and relationships. The ideal is to create a building that is good for both, but given a choice, the priority should be more in favor of people over money.

6. Staircases: Sometimes the design of a grand, swirling staircase can make a huge statement for the room or entrance. But energetically, a staircase is a conduit for energy. It will swirl and activate whatever it is around. If the stairs are located in a positive section of a building, they can make it even more positive. If they happen to be in a bad location, then the movement they stir up will only further irritate the area. This can only be understood by Feng Shui practitioners who can calculate the "unseen" influences.

7. Aesthetics: Sometimes a home or commercial property just looks and feels great, and all the visual features are in sync with good Feng Shui principles as well. But every structure has been built facing a particular compass degree, and within a certain time frame, and those two coordinates may produce a house-type that can attract tremendous misfortune, even though it "looks" good. This is the level of Feng Shui that architects find most startling. How could it be that their gorgeous new home can create lawsuits? Or miscarriage? Or accidents? Or divorce?

The good news is that more and more architects are considering working with Feng Shui practitioners, so that the blending of their talents can truly create a superior space-- visually, functionally and energetically.

More info: http://www.fengshuinews.com/articles/kartar.htm#annoy

The Feng-shui of Building Characteristics

The Feng-shui of Building Characteristics

The Building Characteristics branch of feng-shui studies the flow of energy within a structure, where it is carried in architectural features, exterior and interior.Exterior FeaturesThe feng-shui practitioner evaluates a building's overall shape using three main criteria: Stability Generally, a building's shape is thought of as stable if none of the levels is significantly larger than the others and if the structure doesn't rest on pillars.Balance A building is said to be balanced if it has a regular (i.e., symmetrical) shape.

Smoothness A building is said to be smooth if it has no harsh, protruding features, whether vertical or horizontal. Houses shaped like triangles and those with knifelike edges also lack smoothness.A building's appearance is also evaluated according to the principle of "resemblance." Buildings that resemble prisons, fortifications, and weapons are undesirable, as are buildings that appear to be falling down, burning, or getting chopped up.

More Information About Feng Shui, and Examples of Stability, Balance, and Smoothness... in http://www.shambhala.com/fengshui/fundamentals/principles3.cfm/