Feng Shui Made Simple

House Beautiful has an interesting section in their magazine entitled Feng Shui Made Simple Feng shui (pronounced "fung shway") is the Chinese discipline that teaches us how to attract and enhance our life energy (called chi) according to how our homes are arranged. Do you know how to attract or enhance the Chi in your home and life?

1. What is a bagua and how do I use it?

A bagua is a feng shui road map. It divides your home into nine sections (called guas) that correspond to the nine main areas of your life. The graphic below is a representation of a bagua. Your front door opens up into the skills & knowledge, career or helpful people gua. From there, you can divide your space up into nine parts and find each of your other guas. Learn more about the bagua here.

2. What part of my life would I like to change?

This is the easy part: Just click on the area you need help with below.

So I clicked on the Prosperity gua and I was amazed at some possibilities of prosperity ch'i zappers:

Clutter: Michael's office is especially cluttered. Get rid of it and the dust that has collected.

Leaks and peeling paint: If the ceiling is leaky and peeling away, so is your money.

Toilets: Toilets pull energy down and away. Be sure to keep the lid down as much as possible.

Broken stuff: If it's broke, you probably are too.

Dead or withering plants: Anything obviously decomposing is not holding the energy you want in this area.

Trash can: Like the toilet, takes energy away.

Improper prosperity symbols: Art that depicts items in a withering or decomposing state (old rusty chairs, sad or poor people) or reminders of your college days when you were flat broke should not be displayed here.

Now let's look at chi enhancers:

Purple, red and green:

Symbols of wealth: Actual money, gold or stock certificates all play well in this corner of the house.

Jewels:

Symbols of "having it all": Pictures of the kids or pets if they make you feel like you have it all work well here. Collages or photos of items that you would like to have do as well -- just place them here and pretend that you have placed your order for them. When the order is up, you will receive them. Just remember ... be careful what you wish for!

Healthy plants: Grow money in your accounts by growing a plant here.

Moving water: Get money moving by creating a flow in this zone.

This feng shui thinking just feels right to me. Check out the guas of your life and let me know if the chi zappers and enhancers seem right to you.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

Feng Shui Home Decor Self help