When setting up your home, make sure than there is a free flow of energy
Natural Harmonies

Inspirational and informative, I am dividing your journey through Feng Shui into two parts. The first being the principles I have so far explained:
* Chi-the energy that animates everything and is the common bond connecting all the exist as in the universe
*Yin and Yang-representing the dual forces and their ever-constant, ever changing activity to achieve balance and harmony.
*Five elements –their constant interaction gibing us the cycle of generation and the cycle of destruction
*Bagua –the template which highlights the energies reflecting the state of our life aspirations
In the second part I shall elaborate on how to assess your space and make necessary Feng Shui adjustments.

What is the difference between a house and a home?
A home is more than a structure made of walls, doors, windows, and a sturdy roof. It is more than the carpets, furniture, TV, refrigerator, clothes, etc. home is a feeling-a state of mind. Deep in the heart of every person there’s a longing ‘to go home’ Like a supportive friend, a home embraces you from the moment you walk in through the front door. What ever a home be, it shoal aspire to be alive, lively energetic and liberating. For many, home may represent a safe respite and escape from external pressures and conditions beyond one’s control.

However, creating a perfect home is a never ending process. You may experience ‘being home’ for a while at a certain time and place in your life, but then things change. Either you change, your family make –up changes, your needs change, your priorities change or the energy field in your environment changes… and the search for home starts again.

Have you ever really considered the vast number of emotional, physical and spiritual changes you experience in just one twenty-four hour period?

The congested road you travel on the way to your workplace, when you clear off your desk or allow papers to pile up, the places you go shopping, the people you meet, the new chair placed in the lobby of your home the flowers that just bloomed on your balcony-each of these trigger unique sensations and reactions. Creating a direct link between the inner world and the outer is the power that Feng Shul provides. To understand better and sense the energy that exists in your home, do the following mental exercise.

Visualize your home, Begin at the main entry door and start your tour. Do you feel welcomes? Where down your mind take you next? Are you moving easily from the entry to the next room and the next?

Where do you hesitate? Where do you get stuck with your thoughts? Those may be indicators that the particular room or space is cluttered or blocked, thus blocking the free movement of Chi as well.

Do any areas feel incomplete or missing? They are likely to be missing in your life as well. After you have completed the tour of your house, write down what you experience, which part of the home stimulated you or where you experience discomfort or were restless, eager to move away, etc.
Now you may appreciate why certain structural details are considered problematic in Femg Shui, they affect Chi and can cause discomfort for the occupants of the home. Some such structural features to consider are given below:

Sharp Edges when pointing towards us will make us feel uncomfortable. Ideally plants, statues or decorative accessories are used to soften the sharp edges of columns, furniture and shelves in the home.

Corners of rooms are often dark. The energy too may not easily circulate in these areas. It is beneficial to place a bright and colourful object like a painting, a lush green plant, a pedestal lamp or mechanical device like a ticking clock, etc, in such corners, which prevent the stagnation of Chi.

Beams can be oppressive and will suppress the Chi of persons, there fore avoid positioning he bed, dining table, your favourite chair or study desk under a beam.

Main entry door is also treated as the main entry point of chi into our homes. Should it be opening to face a dead wall, the inmates may feel over whelmed and life seems a struggle. Similarly the front door should not be opposite a window, at the rear of the house or the back door itself, as the Chi simply funnels out without circulating and nourishing the home. A front door, which opens up into a warm, welcoming and pleasant interior, draws the Chi in.

Doors provide us access to the outside world on the one hand and give us security on the other. Neither of these functions should be hindered as the flow of chi into and around the home will be affected. Fix doors that squeak, do not shut properly, have broken parts or defective locks and handles too close to the edge causing knuckles to be scraped each time when used.

Windows are like the eyes of the home, they afford you a vision of the world and also allow Chi to filter into the home. Fix windows that have broken, chipped or cracked glass. Windows should provide a clear view, and the top of the window should be higher than the normal height of an adult. Avoid windows, which are directly opposite each other. If unavoidable ,use thick curtains.

Staircases are a vital part of the home as they connect one area with another. Therefore, their shape and location are important .In homes where the stars are located directly in front of the main door, the Chi funnels out without having a chance to circulate. It is therefore a good idea to screen –off the view, use a screen or divider, etc. spiral staircases are best avoided as they are considered to act like a cork-screw in the area of the home they are located. The height of each riser should be comfortable and the overall size in proportion to the dimensions of the rest of the home. Staircases should be brightly lit.

Various types of material, aesthetics aside, with which were surround ourselves affect us on the physical and psychological levels through their energy. Like everything else, different types of material have the qualities of the elements they are composed of, which affect the Chi of the home and can also have a profound affect on our health and well-being.