What does health (body-mind-spirit) and feng shui have in common? Feng shui asserts that our homes are a reflection of our lives; what is working and what is not working. Looking at our homes from a feng shui perspective is that powerful.
When we are ill, we usually turn to the medical profession to be “cured.” By whatever means you approach it, either traditional or alternative therapies, there are many other influences that have a significant impact on our health that should be explored in addition to medical treatment.
Our homes have a profound subliminal and unconscious effect on us.
One such influence is our home environments. Our homes have a powerful impact on how we feel and behave. But when we are in any place (or life situation, for that matter) for a great length of time we become numb to it. It does not matter that we are numb we become; negative influences will still wreaking havoc on our physical, mental and emotional bodies.
Consider this scenario: You walk into a room where the lighting is very dim and there is a strong pet odor. You would immediately feel uncomfortable in this space. However, if this is where you lived you would not notice those environmental triggers to such an extent. You would become used to the energy of that space.
In Places of the Soul: Architecture and Environmental Design as Healing Art architect Christopher Day says, “Most of the time we do not notice our surroundings and then they can work on us with no conscious resistance on our part.” If our homes have poor feng shui – lacking balance and harmony – they will contribute to stress and impact our immune system.
What is inside is expressed on the outside.
The influence goes the other way as well. One teaching of Feng Shui is that what is inside of us is expressed in our surroundings. Our homes mirror our well being, or lack of it. For example, if you lack clarity, energy, or motivation, your home probably has very low chi (life force energy), which may be expressed as lots of clutter or other issues relating to stagnation. Psychotherapy is a great step toward healing, but if we return to an imbalanced home we will revert to a pattern of imbalance. We need to resolve the issues within the home environment in addition to therapy in order to truly heal.
Here are some tips so that you can create a better healing space:
1.Conquer the clutter – Clutter is probably the biggest offender on health. Clutter contributes to stagnation in the flow of energy in our homes – therefore making us feel drained. At the same time, clutter impacts our immune systems by making us feel overwhelmed. This leads to great imbalance.
If you read this article you will know that I had a major clutter challenge in the center of my home. It was filled with my daughter’s clutter. https://www.luminous-spaces.com/imperfect-feng-shui-home/ I knew that this clutter was contributing to a sense of stagnation in the house and was frustrated after repeated attempts to get her to clear it up. But shortly after I wrote the piece my daughter, completely unprompted by me, de-cluttered and organized this space!
Lots of clutter (paper clutter is the worst!) contributes to the accumulation of dust and mold, which has an obvious impact on the quality of air. Poor air quality contributes to issues with allergies and asthma. In addition, if we have to step over piles of stuff just to get to the front door or to our bed that certainly isn’t going to make us feel positive.
What is considered clutter? It is often as simple as too many objects in a small space. It can be piles of items that we do not need. It can be stuff that we need but is unorganized and messy. It can be projects that are left in a state of being unfinished. It can be furnishings or items from a family or friend that we do not love but feel guilt about getting rid of it.
Some clutter clearing experts define clutter with a simple phrase, as “things you do not need, use or love.” For some de-cluttering tips if the culprit is someone else in your home, check this article. https://www.luminous-spaces.com/making-peace-someone-elses-clutter/
2. Remove “poison arrows” – Poison arrows are anything that is sharp (like a knife edge) or something that represents very low, negative energy, such as a cemetery next door. Poison arrows can overwhelm us on a subconscious level and therefore, impact our immune systems.
Psychology research has shown that we have an aversion to sharp things – obviously a deeply-embedded notion for protection. We prefer curves and rounded edges and shapes so that we can more fully relax.
A sword hanging from the mantle is an easy fix (remove the sword). However, there are poison arrows that are less obvious in our homes. Anything that creates a sharp 90-degree angle, pointed toward a place where we spend at least four hours a day, is a poison arrow and will create unease. For instance, in my master bedroom I have two walls that create a 90-degree angle. The angle is pointed directly at my bed. In fact, it points directly at my husband’s knees which were acting up. Once I remedied this “arrow” my husband insisted that his knee joints felt better.
These arrows can also contribute to insomnia and will make it hard to recuperate from illness.
To remedy most poison arrows, we can either remove them or soften their edge. A wall as I mentioned above can be remedied either by placing a plant at the base or hanging a multi-faceted clear quartz crystal from the ceiling a few inches from the angle.
3. Move yourself into “command position” – Being in command is an important consideration for health. When you are not in command you are then vulnerable to attack. Research in restaurant environments shows that people prefer sitting in spaces where they have a full view of the room, can easily see the door.
The two most important spaces for being in command are the bed and desk. Move these furnishings so that (1) you can easily see the door into the room; (2) you have a solid wall at your back; and (3) you are not directly in line with the door into the room (it’s best to be on a diagonal from it).
When I started my feng shui training, I was working in an office for an international nonprofit organization. I worked in cubicle and had my back to the door all day long and had a few situations where I was startled. Once I learned about command position, I placed a mirror so that I could have an easy view to the open doorway behind me and it made all the difference!
This positioning (or a well-positioned mirror) will give you the best opportunity to fully rest in bed and be most productive and creative at work!
4. Check EMFs – Nearly ninety percent of adults have at least one piece of electronic equipment in their bedroom, including a television, cable box, modem, laptop, ipad, iphone, printer, etc. For some, the bedroom doubles as their home office, too. These devices often emit strong electromagnetic fields (EMFs) which seriously weaken and damage the immune system.
It is best that we remove any electronics that we can. Whatever we cannot (or will not) remove, should be plugged into a power strip and turned off at night, to eliminate EMFs while we sleep. Digital alarm clocks have very high EMFs. Place a clock at least three feet from your bed.
Also, we need to check the wall on the other side of our headboards. If there is a circuit box or refrigerator, we should definitely move the bed! Those items create a tremendous, continuous influx of EMFs while sleeping.
A client that was complaining of insomnia had nearly every form of electronics possible not only in his bedroom, but next to or on his bed! Once I explained the effects of the EMFs, he made some major changes in his technology habits and greatly improved his sleep.
5. Create a calm center – According to the feng shui Bagua (a map that is overlaid onto a home that connects our spaces with nine life aspirations), the center of the home is the area associated with Health. It is important that the centers of our homes are calm and harmonious. If there is a closet there, we can de-clutter and organize to allow the chi to flow better here.
If there is a bathroom in the center, be sure that the Earth Element (one of the Five Chinese Elements) is represented well here to avoid an erosion of Health. Some suggestions to enhance the Earth Element are the colors of beige/brown, stone and ceramic tile, and square shapes.
In my home, the stairs are in the center. Stairs can potentially be very unbalancing if we are not mindful of safety. Before my feng shui training, I placed items on each step to remind myself (or family) to bring them up. After I understood the importance of stability and creating a calm space, I used a wood crate which I placed next to the stairs, to place all the items to be put back in their proper place. For more on the center of the home, check my post here: https://www.luminous-spaces.com/feng-shui-center-home/
With these tips we can improve the health of our homes and create a place for greater restoration to health and well being!