Free feng shui tips: simple mistakes you're probably making

Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese practice of arranging an environment to best suit the lives of the people living in it, is a complex discipline. The elaborate philosophy is prone to misinterpretation and people often make mistakes as they attempt to follow its principles.

Some of the most common mistakes are easy to spot and remedy. Consider the following simple Feng Shui mistakes:

1. Overuse of the color red:

Red is a very active color and invites a lot of energy into a space. It is frequently considered to be the luckiest color. However, red can easily be overused, since large areas of red can agitate and cause harm such as accidents and illness.

2. Overuse of mirrors:

Mirrors are very powerful and stimulate the flow of energy in a space. While active energy flow is critical to a healthy space, it is important to not create an over-stimulating environment. If too many mirrors are used, it can create a frenetic feeling to a room; be especially cautious with the use of mirrors in a bedroom and do not place a mirror facing a bed as it can disturb sleep patterns.

3. Using Feng Shui with no goal:

Since Feng Shui affects every aspect of the people living in a space, it is important to optimize the practice for a specific goal. In other words, if so-called improvements are made without a master plan, the energy will not be properly focused.

4. Getting carried away:

It is easy to get excited about Feng Shui and many people get carried away when they first discover the principles of this art. Remember that even small changes can have a tremendous impact on a space and consider making modifications gradually. Take care with each positioning, attend to the way it affects the other objects in the room and examine the changes it brings about.

5. Optimizing for an individual:

In many homes in which Feng Shui has been practiced, the environment has been optimized for only one of the individuals living in the home. For example, a wife may be happy in the home, while her husband is uncomfortable. Proper Feng Shui takes into account the chi of all of the members of the household.

6. Not honoring personal style:

While many traditional Chinese objects such as red tassels or 'ba gua' mirrors may be used in Feng Shui, they may not be appropriate for the decor in your home. Remember that Feng Shui is extremely flexible and can work with your personal taste. In addition, images or colors you dislike will not be as powerful if they are not well-suited to you.

7. Oversimplifying Feng Shui:

People frequently grasp one or two principles of Feng Shui and follow them religiously without regard to the big picture. In Feng Shui all things are inter-related, and the position of one object relative to another may be as important as the fact of its presence. Skilled Feng Shui consultants have completed extensive study of Feng Shui and consider the goals of people living and working in a space as well as the basic rules of the practice.