10 things you did not know about Feng Shui

What do you know about Feng Shui? I’m interested in everything that makes a home feel nice and welcoming, so I’m very curious about Feng Shui, a practice that helps to improve the quality of the energy flow in our homes.

Feng Shui is quite complicated but in today’s guest post Michael Schnippering – founder of Feng Shui at Work – sheds some light on this ancient discipline and shares with us 10 important principles of Feng Shui. I hope you find them interesting and helpful. Enjoy!

10 Things You Did Not Know About Feng Shui

Many people have found that their lives have benefited from using the concepts of Feng Shui. While some have a basic grasp of what this beautiful art entails, here are ten things you may not have known about Feng Shui:

1. It’s About Balance – Often, people think in extremes, especially when they are trying to learn something new and follow it closely. But Feng Shui is not about extremes. Balance is one of the key tenets of Feng Shui. You never want to go overboard – for example, it is good to have living plants in your home, as it promotes good energy, but you don’t want to turn your house into a jungle. Always keep balance in mind.
2. You Can Be Creative – Again, so much of Feng Shui depends on the interpretation of the Feng Shui principles. You do not have to adhere to the same examples as are put forth in some Feng Shui guidelines. You don’t have to use paintings on a wall – you can hang a decorative bowl or even use an ornamental blanket if you are trying to bring a certain colour in.
3. Hide Your Cables – You probably know that cleanliness and de-cluttering is important, but take a look around. If those computer cables are a big snarly mess like so many snakes writhing around, that is bad Feng Shui. Hide your cables or at the very least invest in some cable ties so they can be bound together in a mostly straight line.
4. Fix Broken Things – You may think that your dripping tap doesn’t fall under the auspices of Feng Shui, but it does. It symbolizes your health and money leaking away. Repair things in your home that need fixing.
5. Display Your Wealth – At first this may seem ostentatious and crass, but when you examine what wealth and health mean, it makes more sense. In the kitchen, use clear containers for all of your bulk food items, as it shows that you are healthy. Keeping some coins or your chequebook in your money corner will increase wealth.
6. Hide your Poverty – This actually means that you should take care not to display signs of poverty. Empty bowls can be bad, or lots of empty or almost empty spice containers in the kitchen. Anything that does not reflect bounty can be a negative element.
7. Smell is Important – That’s right, don’t neglect your olfactory senses in Feng Shui. If your house has a musty or dusty odour, open up some windows, clean, use essential oils, do whatever you have to in order to get your home smelling clean and fresh.
8. Check Your Bagua – This is a word that describes how your home is in relation to directions on the compass. If you know your home’s Bagua, then you can figure out if you have problems like your bathroom/toilet being in your wealth area, which can be very negative.
9. The Home’s Entrance is Extremely Important – The entryway to a home or office is very significant and must be incorporated into the Feng Shui of a house. The entrance is where energies come into your home, and as such it must be welcoming to good energy.
10. Animals – Certain animals represent different energies in Feng Shui, and can be used for different things. Frogs, dragons, and other creatures can help or hinder your home’s Feng Shui.

Now that you know these things, you can broaden your understanding of Feng Shui. This amazing science and art has hidden depths to it, so make sure to keep on learning.

Michael Schnippering is the founder of Feng Shui at Work. He is committed to the true art and science of Feng Shui. Over the years his Feng Shui practice has taken him to various parts of the United States, Germany, France, Spain, Colombia and Argentina. If you’d like to learn more about Feng Shui,  read Michael’ blog and follow him on Twitter @fengshuiatwork

Image credit: iStock Photos

Questions? Doubts? Ideas? I love hearing from you, so please leave a comment to let me know your thoughts about this post, and if you like it share the link with others.
If you’d like me to feature a particular recipe, or an interior design question, just send an email to cristina@positivelybeauty (dot) com and I’ll do my best to accommodate your request.
Subscribe to Positively Beauty here to receive your free updates and make sure you don’t miss any post. You’ll also receive a free copy of my e-book “Sweet Delights – 21 recipes for mouthwatering handmade gifts”.
Thank you!

Tagged as: feng shui, interior