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5 Minute Feng Shui Part 2: Ch’i

by on Jan 2, 2007

At the heart of feng shui is the ebb and flow of ch’i, or life force. The objective is to invite good ch’i into your life, and it’s not as tricky as you might think. Here are just a few quick and easy ways to improve the ch’i in your home to help you start the new year off right.

Check Your Mirrors

Make sure the mirrors in your home are reflecting something you want to see twice. A beautiful view or picture is good; a cluttered kitchen table is not as the mirror’s reflection doubles the clutter in your life.

Although mirrors facing your bed may enhance other aspects of your existence, they’re not helping you get a good night’s sleep. To save yourself a trip to the doctor for a prescription for Ambien, try re-positioning your bedroom mirrors or, better yet, throwing a sheet over them before you go to bed.

Watch Your Step-s

Center stairs, so common in two-story homes, can be problematic. Good ch’i stumbles upon them, gains momentum and tumbles right out the door. Putting a round rug at the bottom of the stairs trips ch’i up, as it were, slowing it down and keeping it in the house, where you want it.

If the round rug isn’t pleasing to your decor, place a potted real or silk plant at the bottom of the stairs, which will achieve the same effect.

Several plant pots of different colors and holding different plants are placed on a staircase, one on each step.

Ditch the Dead Stuff

Speaking of silk plants, they are a great alternative to dried flowers and twigs, which you should throw out immediately as they are a symbol of death and should not be in your home. This also means that maybe it’s time to scatter Sparky’s ashes and return him from whence he came. Yeah, it’s a downer, but it must be said.

Anecdotal evidence: I’ve heard more than one person tell me they’ve experienced a lightening of mood immediately after ditching their dead stuff. So if you’re in a funk, why not give it a try?

Check the Time

All the clocks that are visible in your home should be in working order and keep correct time. A clock that is running behind may represent a life that is running slow as well. So wind up or replace the batteries in your timepieces to keep your life running smoothly.

Ch’i & The Bagua

Applying simple changes like these to the individual areas of your bagua may improve those areas of your life where things are sluggish. For instance, perhaps that dried flower arrangement in your partnership area is keeping Mister or Miss Right from entering your life.

For more information regarding this fascinating subject, pick up Carole Hyder’s lovely little–and accessible–book, Wind and Water: Your Personal Feng Shui Journey, so you can improve your ch’i and maybe your life!