Zen and the Environment

Your environment is basically everywhere you are. So it is logical to make your surroundings as pleasing as possible with the positive flow of energy and Zen.

Following the principles of Feng Shui, you can give your environment the harmony and Zen you should have. Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is just some sort of Oriental interior design philosophy or some new age mumbo jumbo.

While it may look like that on the surface, it is actually much deeper than that, and in reality it is a combination of several schools of learning going back many years.

It isn’t difficult to understand and you can apply this in your own home and or office without having to spend a lot of money refurnishing or a lot time trying to figure out how to make your space become more harmonious.

The first advantage is it will bring a sense of balance to your life in your living and working space. Using the principles of Feng Shui in your personal spaces will actually give you a feeling of control when everywhere else outside your space is out of control.

If you bring order to chaos in your personal and professional space you will find that even though you are focused on the big important things in your life, as you should be, you will also be more mindful of the small details in your life like how your home or office should be arranged to create better harmony and more peace.

You probably spend most of your time in your personal and professional space and it should be arranged in such a way that makes you feel the most comfortable.

Following the principles of Feng Shui in your home and work place can give you a new outlook in regards to your surroundings. You may very well feel more positive and find that your new arrangement will serve you better.

Once you have this new perspective in your home and office you’ll probably wonder how you every managed before. Having a fresh perspective on your personal space may give you a sense of emotional well being and that can also be a Zen experience.

Feng Shui can help you feel more successful because you will better organized, and at the same time create aesthetic appeal. We all could use more beauty in our lives and in your home and work place you will have absolute control over the beauty in your personal space.

Do you sometimes feel that you have too much stuff? Do you feel like you have stuff everywhere or you can’t seem to find what you are looking for?

Believe it or not, when your home and work place is disorganized and you don’t know where half your stuff is, it will disrupt the flow of energy and that can have a negative psychological impact on your emotions.

The first thing I would suggest is, if you don’t need it, then get rid of it. Be sure you really don’t need it or want it anymore and that it’s just taking up space before you pitch it. Also just don’t throw it away, if it’s still good and someone else can use it, then by all means donate it. It may make you feel good as well as give you a feeling of Zen.

Do you let your mail, junk mail and otherwise, stack up? Sort through your mail as soon as you receive it by setting up a mail system, keep your important mail in a specific place so you’ll always know where it is, and recycle the junk mail you don’t need.

I have found that if you don’t clean your personal space, whether it is your home or work place, it can really affect the energy and balance, so the best thing to do regarding Feng Shui is to clean regularly and often. An excessive amount of dust affects the flow of energy plus you will probably sneeze a lot less too. Cleaning as you go works well everywhere whether it’s the kitchen or the work shop or anywhere in between.

Feng Shui is a philosophical lifestyle and yes it does concern arranging your furniture and other belongings for the optimum flow of energy and balance. You can create better balance in your personal living and working space by using complimentary colors in combination with the arrangement of your décor.

By placing items in your work area and in each room in your home in a specific way so that they complement each other, you will achieve optimum balance, and create emotional harmony. Realizing that you probably spend most of your time at work and home it only makes good sense that you feel positive when you are in those environments.

When you think about all the negativity that surrounds you when you are away from your work and your home you will have a tremendous appreciation and love every time you walk in the front door. I absolutely love it when I’m home. I feel very comfortable, very creative, and very balanced.

Feng Shui is all about choosing the right color combinations to influence positive energy in your surroundings, so it is vital that you choose the colors that create the kind of energy you desire.

Red is a color that should be used sparingly as an accent like small décor pieces. Red inspires confidence, passion, and courage but if it is done to excess, like say an entire wall, then it can have a reverse effect.

Blue is a very flexible color as lighter shades of blue can create a feeling of serenity and darker shades can help increase the quality of your sleep. Blue is most advantageous when used in the East and Southeast areas of your home.

Yellow creates the feeling of sunlight and warmth, but it should be used sparingly because over use of this color may cause anxiety.

Orange is a great choice for the dining room and living room. It promotes creativity and its brilliance attracts a fun and interactive playful energy.

Green represents nature and provides a fresh and healing environment. To use this color to its maximum advantage is to use a few shades of green to promote new creative inspirations and peace.

Purple is a wonderful color that promotes spiritual healing and mental health but it too should also be used sparingly. If you enjoy meditation, use purple as an accent color in the room where you meditate, and it may help you reach a deeper meditative state.

Pink is an excellent choice to create a soothing feeling and will help you feel calm and relaxed. Pink is the color of love.

Black is another color that should be used sparingly. Although it may give off a feeling of heaviness, if it is used for small décor items or as part of a color scheme in a piece of furniture, it will add definition and sophistication to your space.

White creates brightness, peace, tranquility, and innocence and can be used everywhere. It is especially functional in the East and Southeast areas of your home.

You most likely spend a great deal of time in your home, for me it is my sanctuary, and my own personal world away from the world outside. That is all the more reason why you should consider the use of Feng Shui in your home. The best way to start is create a drawing or layout of your home indicating where all the North points are.

If the front and back door of your home are directly across from each other, the energy will come in one entrance and leave through the other, and that won’t do you much good. The best way to manage this according to the philosophy of Feng Shui is block the path with an object, perhaps a plant, and then place a small rug near the object angled in such a way to divert the energy path to the other areas of your home. Of course if you are building a new home take the strategic placement of your doors into consideration.

On bright sunny days keep your curtains and drapes open inviting the energy of the sun into your home. Also keep several green plants in various rooms to promote freshness and happiness. Remember, plants give off oxygen, and this is especially beneficial in the winter months when your home is closed up most of the time.

Even in cold winter months on those days when it may be a little warmer than others, open your windows for a few moments to exchange the air in your home. During the winter months on nice days open a window in each room, turn on a fan for five or ten minutes, and this creates an exhilarating exchange of fresh air.

When you have determined where the North end of your home is then you’ll easily know where the Southwest end of your house is. This is important because you’ll want keep this area clear of any clutter and only use small accents in addition to the furniture you have in this area of your home.

This will stimulate the flow of energy throughout your home. Don’t place anything in this area made of wood, and don’t use the color green as it will disrupt the flow of Chi.

A good idea to help promote the flow of energy is to have an indoor running water fountain. Water is a great conductor of energy and refreshes the energy flow throughout your home. If you decide to use a fountain in the Southwest part of your house, it would be best if it were made of stone, but you could use a fountain in just about any area you please, or you can use more than one if you desire.

Keep your living room simple, elegant, and comfortable. Your living room should be used for socializing with family and friends. Keep your television, stereo, and other electronics out of here, keep those in your family room or recreational room. If you use red in here, use it sparingly, because too much red may promote a feeling of restlessness.

Your dining room should also be simple and elegant as well. Use light pastel colors for your walls and ceiling, white or off white is best. This room is designed to have an enjoyable meal while socializing with family and friends so keep the décor simple and you won’t be creating distractions.

Depending on how your kitchen is arranged, specifically the appliances, it can be a bit of a trick optimizing Feng Shui, and the reason for this is because the five elements can easily clash with one another and negatively affecting the flow of energy.

Place your stove away from the door but you should be able to see the doorway when standing by the stove. Don’t position the stove on the opposing side of the refrigerator, sink, and dishwasher as this creates a huge clash between the water and fire elements. It is better if you can position your stove at the side of a window instead of in front of it. Keep your refrigerator and food pantry well stocked and this will invite a positive energy of abundance and wealth.

If your bedroom is opposite your bathroom then always keep your bathroom door closed. It is wise to see the entrance to your bedroom from your bed but position your bed as far away from the door as possible. Paint the walls in your bedroom blue to promote healthier sleeping habits. Don’t use a mirror on the opposite side of your bed this will interrupt the positive flow of energy.

The bathroom should not be opposite the kitchen as this will create a negative flow of energy between the water and fire elements. Position the toilet as far away from the front door as possible. Place a large mirror behind the bathroom sink but don’t use the type of mirror that has a split in the middle like you see in most vanities or medicine cabinets.

If you have stairs it is advisable to have an odd number of steps to enhance the flow of Chi. If your stairs lead directly to your front door, that may be one reason why you may feel unsettled and always rushing around, so to prevent this, hang a wind chime from the ceiling above the stairs, or a heavy figurine or large plant at the base of the stairs to slow down the rush of energy.

Your hallway, or lobby if you are considering your office, should not have any obstructions and should be well lit making it clear where the lobby or hallway leads. It’s nice to have an art décor piece hanging in the hallway or lobby, but hang it at the end of the hallway, and don’t use a mirror because it will only reflect the Chi that enters in a reverse direction.

According to Far Eastern philosophy the earth is made from five elements and Feng Shui is deeply rooted in this philosophy. All of these elements actually complement each other and to achieve excellent Feng Shui you’ll want to work towards a balance of the five elements. Because the five elements do complement each other and  they philosophically represent the circle of life.

The five elements are water, wood, fire, earth, and metal, and the ideal balance in the circle of life is created when water makes wood, wood is used to create fire, fire forms the earth, earth produces metal, and it comes around in full circle when metal produces water. These five elements can also be in opposition to each other destroying their balance and this happens when, for example, wood overpowers earth, fire destroys metal, earth prevents the development of water, and of course water kills fire.

While some methods of Feng Shui can be sophisticated and somewhat complicated, it doesn’t have to be that way, and using simple or easier methods when you are just starting out can do wonders when it comes to increasing the flow of positive energy

There really is an excellent way to promote the positive flow in your home or work place that actually incorporates all of the five elements. Would you believe me if I told you it is an aquarium? Well it’s true because in Feng Shui water is where energy is stored and an aquarium will provide an excellent balance of the five elements.

First of all there is the water element, that’s obvious, next put some plants in your aquarium and that will provide the wood element, adding gravel or rocks will represent the earth element, the lighting attached to the top of your aquarium represents the fire element, and of course the frame of the aquarium provides the metal.

A good number of fish to have is less than ten and make sure one of them is black. It is essential that you perform regular maintenance on your aquarium. Keep it clean, remove and replace any dead fish, and keep all plants green and healthy. Place your aquarium in the Southeast area of your room, home, office, or work area. All this will insure balance, harmony, and the optimum flow of Chi.

A garden is a wonderful place to spend some time on warm sunny days, whether it’s working in the garden, or just spending some time meditating and enjoying a cup of tea.

Using the right combination of flowers, plants, and décor can help you feel balanced and more at peace. In addition to being ornamental and a place of beauty, it can also be functional as well, and a place where you can cultivate fruits and vegetables for your own personal consumption and the quality will be far greater than any you could get at the local market. As a matter of fact having a garden that is beautiful and practical will give it a great sense of balance and harmony.

Plan your garden so that the entrance is open to the South providing it with the most amount of sunlight. If your garden is fenced and you feel you need to have a constructed entrance, don’t use a gate as that would only restrict the flow of energy. Use an arch or an open entry way, and that way you’ll be able to add an element of beauty to your garden by adding flowers and decorations.

Keep your vegetables and flowers separated, and keep your flowers and other ornamentals separated according to the colors that complement each other. Brighter colors will increase the energy flow in your garden so separate those from the cooler colors that will promote a calming relaxing effect.

When you first plant everything you want, your garden may look somewhat sparse and bare, and actually that’s what you want in the beginning. Each planting should have its own space so that it can grow and thrive and if you plant them too close together, when they do grow and mature, it may end up looking cluttered like a rain forest with everything growing everywhere.

When creating your garden you’ll want to give specific attention to the five elements I discussed earlier and this can be fun and at the same time as well as adding a wonderful aesthetic appeal to its overall appearance.

An all weather outdoor fountain or a birdbath is a great addition adding the water element to your garden. Garden lights or torches you can light in the evening will create the fire element and adding wind chimes will provide the metal element.

A bench for viewing or for perhaps meditation would be excellent for the element of wood and using decorative stones and clay pots work very well for the earth element.

When creating paths in your garden, try not to make them straight, go for the curvy look to give it that leisurely appeal, and use rounded stones for the walkway to create a more aesthetic appeal.

When your garden is complete you will have a place where you can go and feel the energy, the flow of Chi, a place where you can feel peace and harmony, and a wonderful place to spend a few relaxing moments of a lazy afternoon perhaps meditating and feeling very Zen.

The principles of Feng Shui also uses symbols, and if you are interested I would encourage you to research the symbols on your own. I will give you some information on where to start your research.

Feng Shui uses crystals and before using them you will need to understand their compatibilities because different crystals have different properties. Essential oils is another symbol, and like crystals they have different properties as well.

Mandarin ducks and cranes in Asian culture are symbols of togetherness and marital happiness. There are other symbols in Feng Shui as well.

Remember, the essence of Feng Shui is all about balance, so if you decide to incorporate symbols you would be wise to learn more about them, and how to use them properly before actually using them in your home. Also when using a Feng Shui symbol you should feel an emotional connection to that symbol and you most certainly should establish that connection right from the start.