Free Tips for Feng Shui Decorating

What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui is best described as the relationship between you and your environment. All Feng Shui philosophies are based upon the flow of Chi, which means vital energy. These Feng Shui philosophy basics will help you learn more about Chi:

• Everything possesses Chi – In Feng Shui, every object inanimate or not, has Chi. This means you are alive with Chi and so is your pet, your books and even the lamp on your bedside table.
• Chi connects all things – Though most of us find our strongest connections with people and animals, we are also connected to things we possess and our abstract relationships. Here's an example of an abstract relationship: Money and finances are a huge factor in just about everybody's life. Our relationship with money directly affects our lives. If you don't have enough money, you work harder. This creates more stress in you life. High levels of stress affect your health and your personal relationships.
• Chi is constantly changing – In life, everything is in constant motion, therefore, constantly changing. Our children grow into adults as we ourselves age, saplings mature into trees, flowers bloom and our possessions that were once new, become old.

Free the Chi: Free Tips for Feng Shui Decorating

When using the Feng Shui philosophies for decorating, begin with color. Feng Shui color design is based on the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.

• Wood – This element encourages creativity. Use stripes and blue or green tones to spark your creativity.
• Fire – The Fire element fosters leadership qualities and helps to promote positive relationships. Use items with any red tone, including pinks and oranges if you are looking to cultivate positive relationships and enhance you leadership skills.
• Earth – Representing practicality, physical strength and stability, the Earth element is easily symbolized through all earth tones. Think of items like plants or earth-toned picture frames.
• Metal – Keep your mind sharp and strong by introducing the Metal element. Find items that are made of metal, like a small metal statue or items that have the whites and pastels in their color design.
• Water – Water elements are inspiring. Use dark blues and grays or artwork that portrays a water scene to represent the Water element.

Furniture Placement

How you arrange your furniture in you home or office is essential to the Chi flow. The wrong furniture placement will block positive Chi, resulting in stagnation or worse, invite Sha, also known as negative Chi, into your space.

• Have a view of the doorway or entrance – Position your living furniture in a way in which you can see the entrance when seated. When arranging the rest of your seating, make sure that none of the items completely block the view of the door from the couch. The couch doesn't have to be directly in front of the entrance into the room, side or peripheral views are fine.
• Storage is key – If your family room is where your children play, store their toys and other playthings when they are not in use. It doesn't have to be a toy box -- think of neat storage ideas, like an old steamer trunk.

Plants and Feng Shui

Plants in your home are important for a number of different reasons. Increase your Chi with a few well-placed plants.

• Camouflage Chi depleting "poison arrows" - Poison arrows can be sharp corners on furniture or empty corners in a room. Sharp corners on furniture deplete Chi and empty corners cause Chi to stagnate. Place a plant on a table with sharp corners or a large floor plant in the empty corner of the room to keep the positive Chi flowing.
• Consider silk flowers and plants – If you are challenged in the plant growing area, buy beautiful silk flowers and plants as an easy-to-care-for alternative. Don't allow these silk plants to become dusty. Dusty plants drain Chi.

Final Feng Shui Tips

These final free tips for Feng Shui decorating are simple to incorporate into your home decor and into your life.

• Decorate with items you love – Get rid of paintings, knick-knacks or anything else you don't like. Surrounding yourself with the things you love creates postive energy.
• Organize, organize, organize – Chi cannot flow through clutter.
• Place "Symbols of Welcome" at the entrances of your home - Wind chimes, flowers and statues are a few examples of Symbols of Welcome. These symbols encourage positive Chi flow from the outside, into your home.
• Perform a House Cleansing or House Blessing – Burn Sage, incense or candles after someone in your family has been ill, after an argument or any other type of emotional upset. Doing these things neutralizes negative energy.