Five Things That Make Feng Shui Special

“What makes Feng Shui special?”

This question came up at an event I attended recently entitled “Feng Shui: Is It All In The Mind?”

The hall at the Rubin Museum of Art was packed with folks who wanted to hear about how Feng Shui actually works, or as neuro-sociologist John Zeisel put it, what makes it special.

Why have people been using Feng Shui for thousands of years as a guide to setting up their homes and businesses?

Why do we turn to Feng Shui as opposed to other disciplines like interior design, ergonomics, or evidence-based design, that are trying to achieve the same ends?  Why does it work?

The answer could not be arrived at in one short evening, but it occurred to me that you may be asking these questions, too.  

So here are five ideas that begin may begin to answer them, with links to more information about some of the specifics.  I invite you to add to the conversation by sharing your ideas in the Comments.

1. Feng Shui is unique because it asks you to view your space as an honest reflection of yourself and makes specific recommendations for adjustments that improve the energy of your space and your life.

2. Good Feng Shui helps you achieve your goals and aspirations by setting up a space that nourishes and supports you in ways both tangible and intangible.

3.  Feng Shui employs uniquely effective tools with thousands of years of history including the Bagua, Five Elements theory, and the balance of Yin and Yang.

4.  Feng Shui offers practical techniques that adjust your movement path and the flow of energy in your space.  Concepts like Chi Energy and the Commanding Position make specific recommendations about the use of space and arrangement of rooms for maximum comfort, safety and security. 

5.  Feng Shui’s ancient, time-tested methods emerged from a need to set up environments that maximize safety, comfort and security.  Its original purpose was to help farmers orient their properties to take full advantage of sun, water and prevailing winds while assuring safety and security for themselves and their families.

Do you find Feng Shui useful? Do you have theories about how and why it works — why it’s “special?”

I would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to write me directly by responding to this email, or leave a comment below.

The Feng Shui of London’s new U.S. Embassy

The design for the new American embassy in London presents a wonderful opportunity to evaluate the Feng Shui of a major new building.

As the article in today’s NY Times notes, the building is actually more of a fort, complete with moat, than a welcoming symbol of American ideals. And from an architectural perspective, the plan could, perhaps, be more exciting.

But in terms of Feng Shui this design is actually pretty cool

The plan makes great use of the symbols of Earth and Heaven: a cube representing the stability of Earth, set within a circle signifying the everlasting continuity of Heaven.

This aspect of the design makes it feel “complete.”

In addition, all five of Feng Shui’s elements are present in abundant profusion: Wood in the trees and plantings; Fire in the facade’s angular elements; Earth, as noted above; Metal in the circular pathways and water features; and Water in the surrounding lake as well as the glass of the building itself.

Check out the winner’s announcement on their blog at Kieran Timberlake Associates.

What do you think of this design?

Feng Shui for Babies – Video Released

I’m thrilled to announce that my video about Feng Shui for Babies has just been posted on babybites.com, a new website for Moms and Moms-To-Be.

The full title of the video, Six Feng Shui Steps To A Nursery Full Of Happiness & Good Health tells you all you need to know about how Feng Shui can help get a young child’s life off to a great start.

It’s the first video I’ve ever made so I’d love for you to check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Is there something you’d like to know more about that I wasn’t able to address in 12 minutes?

Wintertime Feng Shui Tips

Wintertime exposes my backyard patio as a place full of squares and straight lines.

Most of the year, the view of tiles and planters, vertical wainscoting and a perfectly straight fence is softened by round pots, tangled vines and colorful, rounded shrubs.

How could I bring the scene to life until spring returns?

Feng Shui’s Five Elements gave me the solution.

The winter patio scene is dominated by two elements: Earth (the squares) and Wood (the vertical lines), so it needed to be balanced with the three missing elements, Fire, Metal and Water.

So here’s what I did (for this winter, at least): my wonderful lion statue, guardian of the patio, brings in the Fire element. I created a curving pathway (for Water) out of my rock collection, adding a glittery Metallic garland for even more sparkle and life.

This setup has a bonus I love: every time it snows the rocky pathway holds onto the clean, bright snow longer than everything around it, lighting up the patio and softening my view.

Do you need ideas for softening your views this winter? Have you come up with wonderful solutions for your winter views?

Q. of the Week: What if the Command Position is Impossible In My Office?

This week’s question comes from Lisa, who asks about what to do about her office, where the desk has to face a wall, or cubicles where her co-worker’s back is to the entry.

This is a fairly common situation in offices with limited space or built-in furniture.

Facing away from the door as you work puts you in a vulnerable position; you may feel a distracting urge to keep turning around to check behind you, interrupting your flow and negatively affecting the quality of your work.

Feng Shui puts you back in Command with a feeling of safety and security, and the solution is both simple and effective: place a mirror on the wall or desk in front of you, making sure it reflects the doorway behind you.

In the photo above you may be able to see the small mirror mounted on my bulletin board. When I sit here working the mirror gives me a clear view of anyone entering the room behind me.

Please let me know if you have any other questions about this!