Feng shui tips: make your home a happy one

Feng Shui Basics: Make Your Home A Happy One

Have you ever wondered about the way some houses seem to be more friendly than others? Perhaps its not just the way that its decorated but the actual architecture that decides how you react to it. This is the ancient art of Feng Shui.

Using such simple instruments as a compass and an ancient tool called the Ba-Gua, you can achieve peacefulness and harmony in your household. This ancient art has existed for over three thousand years and is now becoming popular in the West where more and more Oriental customs and rituals are becoming commonplace.

Feng Shui has been used in homes and offices to create a good environment for people. Using architecture, interior design, Chinese mathematics, and a dash of common sense can help create a world that will produce good health, wealth, and happiness for you, your family, and your workplace associates.

For example, your house should not be situated at the end of a road. The "dead end" means more than just the end of the pavement, it means bad luck for you and your family. Your front door should be easily accessible from the road but should not be in a straight line. By doing, Evil demons cannot gain access to you and your loved ones. You should only have one front door. NEVER have double doors or two front entrances. Your house should also be on a square or rectangular lot of land and be level. You should never build rock gardens or have tall hedges near the front door as well. These will not only invite evil demons but give them a place to hide.

Inside your home you should consult a special tool called a Ba-Gua. It is an octagonal chart that outlines the best arrangement for the rooms. Even though this chart has been around for decades it is still applicable to today's society when dealing with certain rooms. For example, it warns that a kitchen door should not face the stove. At first, this seems rather odd, but ask anyone who has their back door facing their stove how often they glanced over their shoulder at the entrance. A minor health and safety danger, but still one regardless. Thus principles created and realized centuries ago find new meaning and interpretation in the 21st century.

Inside both your home and work space, some common factors apply. You should have high, well lit ceilings and a clear open space wherever possible. Avoid strong overhead lighting as this tends to make everything seem harsh and jagged. Color schemes should also be bright and fresh, encouraging both you and your coworkers. Scientists have now determined that color and lighting have a great effect on the workers; once again verifying principles passed on down through generations of Feng Shui practitioners. Avoiding long narrow corners and busy floor arrangements, will help produce higher creativity and production in your coworkers. Again, a lot of this is based on your intuition--after all, who hasn't been in a room and felt uncomfortable for no other reason than the color on the walls? If you feel more comfortable in the setting, you will enjoy your time there more.

While there are plenty of books available for you to research and study Feng Shui; you can also employ the services of a registered practitioner. Many exist nowadays to provide this service for both homeowners and businessmen who want to make sure that their residence or office building meet certain criteria. In the East, you cannot begin building any sort of structure without the assistance of these special people. They will assist you and the construction workers in creating a pleasant atmosphere for all involved.

Of course, there are people who don't believe in Feng Shui. And, that's understandable, given that it's rather hard to comprehend the concept of evil demons and ghosts affecting your workplace and home. But in the Eastern World where such beings not only exist, but are feared, the danger is quite real.

Feng Shui also works with the Taoist religion in creating the path of least resistance. By having an uncluttered environment, you will be more likely to be able to focus on the task at hand. The Taoist religion treasures the idea of simplicity and lack of complexity in one's life by lessening the amount of mess in one's work area. This will give you a clearer mindset and allow you to be more productive.

While there may not be great amounts of scientific evidence behind the concepts of Feng Shui yet, many people believe strongly in the concepts presented. Already there has been proof of the psychological effect of colors, type and strength of lighting. They are linked to such disorders as S. A. D. D. (seasonal attentional deficit disorder). Perhaps in the future there will be more scientific validation of the beliefs held by millions of people. For now, Feng Shui can be as entertaining or as serious as you want it to be. Just remember that it wasn't so long ago that the concept of herbal medicines were considered to be nothing more than old wives tales--and see where they are today!