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 sick, we often turn to the medical profession to “cure” us. Whichever medium you approach, be it traditional or alternative therapies, there are many other influences that have a significant impact on our health that need to be explored in addition to medical treatment.
Reading: Feng shui healing
Our homes have a profound subliminal and unconscious effect on us.
One of those influences is our home environment. 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 long period of time, we become numb. it doesn’t matter if we are put to sleep we become; negative influences will continue to wreak 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 wouldn’t notice those environmental triggers to such an extent. you would get used to the energy of that space.
In Places of the Soul: Architecture and Environmental Design As curative art architect Christopher Day says, “Most of the time we are unaware of our surroundings and then they can work on us without conscious resistance on our part.” If our homes have poor feng shui, lacking balance and harmony, they will contribute to stress and affect our immune systems.
what is inside is expressed outside.
the influence also goes in the opposite direction. A feng shui teaching is that what is within us expresses itself in our environment. our homes reflect our well-being, or lack thereof. For example, if you lack clarity, energy, or motivation, your home may have very low chi (life force energy), which can express itself as too much clutter or other issues related to stagnation. psychotherapy is a great step towards healing, but if we return to an unbalanced home we will return to a pattern of imbalance. we need to resolve problems within the home environment in addition to therapy to truly heal.
Here are some tips for you to create a better healing space:
1. Beat Clutter: Clutter is probably the biggest aggressor to your health. clutter contributes to stagnant energy flow in our homes, leaving us feeling drained. At the same time, clutter affects our immune systems by making us feel overwhelmed. this leads to a great imbalance.
See also: Feng Shui Kua Number 2 – Understand The Meaning of Your Kua Number
If you’re reading this article, you’ll know I had a major problem with clutter in the center of my house. it was full of my daughter’s mess. https://www.luminous-spaces.com/imperfect-feng-shui-home/ knew this clutter was contributing to a stagnant feeling in the house and was frustrated after repeated attempts to get her to clear it up. but shortly after writing the article, my daughter, without my asking, she messed up and organized this space!
Too much clutter (paper clutter is the worst!) contributes to the buildup of dust and mold, which has an obvious impact on air quality. poor air quality contributes to allergy and asthma problems. Plus, if we have to step over loads of stuff just to get to the front door or our bed, it certainly won’t make us feel good.
what is considered disorder? it’s often as simple as too many objects in a small space. it can be lots of items that we don’t need. they can be things that we need but that are disorganized and messy. they can be projects that remain in a state of being unfinished. it can be furniture or items from a family or friend that we don’t love but feel guilty about getting rid of.
Some clutter-cleaning experts define clutter with a simple phrase, like “stuff you don’t need, use, or love.” For some tidying tips if the culprit is someone else in your home, check out this article. https://www.luminous-spaces.com/making-peace-someone-elses-clutter/
2. remove “poison arrows”: Poison arrows are anything that is sharp (such as a knife edge) or something that represents very low negative energy, such as a graveyard next to it. poisonous arrows can overwhelm us on a subconscious level and therefore affect our immune system.
Psychological research has shown that we have an aversion to sharp things, obviously a deeply ingrained notion of protection. we prefer curves and rounded edges and shapes so that we can relax more fully.
a sword hanging from the mantle is an easy solution (remove the sword). however, there are poison arrows that are less obvious in our homes. anything that creates a sharp 90-degree angle, pointing toward a place where we spend at least four hours a day, is a poison arrow and will create discomfort. For example, in my master bedroom I have two walls that create a 90 degree angle. the angle points directly at my bed. in fact it points right at my husband’s knees which were bad. 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 harder to recover from an illness.
To remedy most poisonous arrows, we can remove them or soften their edge. A wall like I mentioned above can be remedied 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 into the “command position” – being in command is an important health consideration. when you are not in command, you are vulnerable to attack. research in restaurant settings shows that people prefer to sit in spaces where they have a full view of the room, they can easily see the door.
The two most important spaces to be in charge of are the bed and the desk. move this furniture so that (1) you can easily see the door to the room; (2) you have a solid wall behind you; and (3) is not directly in line with the room door (diagonal is best).
When I started my feng shui training, I was working in an office for an international non-profit organization. I worked in a cubicle with my back to the door all day and had a few situations where I was startled. once I learned about the command position, I placed a mirror so I could easily see the open door behind me and it made all the difference!
This position (or a well-positioned mirror) will give you the best opportunity to fully rest in bed and be more 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, a printer etc For some, the bedroom doubles as their home office, too. These devices often emit strong electromagnetic fields (EMFs) that severely weaken and damage the immune system.
It is better that we eliminate all the electronic devices that we can. anything we can’t (or won’t) remove, should be plugged into a power strip and turned off at night, to remove 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 headers. if there is a circuit box or a refrigerator, we should definitely move the bed! those items create a tremendous and continuous influx of emf while you sleep.
a client complaining of insomnia had just about every electronic device possible, not only in his room, but next to or on his bed! once i explained the emf effects to him, he made some major changes in his tech habits and it greatly improved his sleep.
5. create a calm center – according to feng shui bagua (a map overlaid on 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 tidy up and organize to allow the chi to flow better here.
If there is a bathroom in the center, make sure the earth element (one of the five Chinese elements) is well represented here to avoid an erosion of health. Some suggestions to enhance the earth element are beige/brown colors, stone and ceramic, and square shapes.
In my house, the stairs are in the center. Stairs can be very unbalanced if we do not take safety into account. Before my feng shui training, I placed items at each step to remind myself (or my family) to mention them. After I understood the importance of stability and creating a quiet space, I used a wooden box that I placed next to the stairs, to put all the items in their place. For more information on the home center, check out 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 further restoration of health and wellness!