A Feng Shui Kitchen (Feng Shui’s Three Important Areas, Part 2)

Why does Feng Shui consider your kitchen to be one of the three most important areas in your home?

Because your kitchen — especially your stove — is where you cook up health, wealth and abundance for yourself and your family.

This all started in ancient China where it was key that the head of the household stay strong and healthy to ensure that his or her family would enjoy an abundant lifestyle.

Anything that went amiss in the kitchen had a direct impact on the family’s health, and therefore their wealth.

A leaky sink could cause contamination; feeling startled by unseen activity behind the cook might cause a recipe to go wrong; burners that didn’t work could cause ingredients to be undercooked … and so on.

Of course, the same kinds of things are true today, right?

Take good care of your kitchen and you’ll be taking the best possible care of your finances, career and the future prospects of your family.

You’ll come to love keeping it clean and filled with healthy things to eat since it has such a direct impact on the rest of your life.

Here’s one of my favorite posts, loaded with tips for creating great Feng Shui in your kitchen.

And for more on this topic take a look at Your Front Entry — Feng Shui’s Three Important Areas, Part 1.

Part Three to come!

A Feng Shui Entryway (Feng Shui’s Three Important Areas, Part 1)

Feng Shui looks at every part of your home inside & out, but it considers three areas particularly important for your health, prosperity and relationships: your Front Entry, your Kitchen and your Bedroom.

This is the first in a three-part series about these key areas: why they’re so important, and what you can do to give yourself their best Feng Shui benefits

Your Front Entry: The “Mouth of Chi”

As the “Mouth of Chi,” the Front Entry of your home — or office — welcomes in Chi energy and gives the first impression of what is happening in your environment.

Chi is made to feel welcome when it enters through a front door that opens up completely to a clear, uncluttered entryway with no obstacles to block its path.

When Chi is blocked or stumbles over clutter it receives an immediate bad impression and will start to carry less auspicious energy.

This bad impression has a negative impact on your health and prosperity.

Create a beautiful Front Entry with good Feng Shui: clutter-free, well-lit and nicely appointed with lovely art, a mirror, a healthy plant.

When you give Chi a good first impression, you and your family reap the benefits.

photo courtesy of beltwayexteriors.com

Nine Feng Shui Tips For Tough Times

When times are tough, Feng Shui provides a unique and powerful kind of support that isn’t offered in any other place. 

It helps you set up an environment where you feel safe and secure, and guides you to create a positive and comfortable place to live or work when you’re feeling challenged or anxious. 

Feng Shui’s Bagua Energy Map identifies and addresses nine of the most important parts of your life: Wealth, Family, Career and so on.

After you map your space using the Bagua, use this information to give yourself support and energy where you need it. 

This is one of the ways that Feng Shui enhances your life by enhancing your space.

Download the Bagua map here, and discover nine ways to boost your serenity, confidence and sense of abundance. 

Start Here
To begin, align the map so the entry to the space lines up with the bottom of the map where it says “Entry Quadrant.”  You always enter your space through the  “Travel & Helpful People,” “Career,” or “Knowledge & Self-Cultivation” area.

Starting with “New Beginnings” on the left side of the map, here are nine ways to enhance your space with Feng Shui when times are tough.  Give each one careful consideration and use those that apply best to your personal situation.

1. New Beginnings:  If you feel stuck and want a fresh start, the perfect symbol to place in this part of the Bagua is a healthy, vigorous plant with an upright growth habit.  (If you’re not a “plant person,” see my recent post about plant alternatives) No spiky (ouch!) plants, please!

2. Wealth & Abundance:  In Feng Shui the source of Wealth is Gratitude.  Place something here that symbolizes prosperity to you and for which you feel truly grateful. 

This may be something with monetary value, something personally meaningful (such as a photo of your family), or anything that reminds you of how much you have to be grateful for.

3. Fame & Reputation: How do you wish to “shine your light” in the world?  Place something here that symbolizes that idea: it could be as simple as a bright light or beautiful candle.  Whatever it is, be sure to invest it with positive energy.

4. Love & Marriage: This area is about loving your partner (if you have one) as well as loving yourself.   It’s associated with the Earth element, which represents the nurturing, physical side of life. 

Make yourself comfortable, create a cozy spot for yourself, and set yourself up to feel nourished in every way.

5. Children & Projects: This area is about having confidence in the future. It’s the ideal place for representing your hopes with a vision board or other symbol of optimism.

6. Travel & Helpful People: This area of the Bagua also means “synchronicity,” the amazing and wonderful coincidences that change your life for the better.   Place a photo or piece of art here that honors the people who have made a difference in your life.

7. Career:  The element of Water corresponds to the Career area, representing your life’s journey.  Water also symbolizes cash flow in Feng Shui, so watery artwork or water feature is ideal for this area.

8. Knowledge & Self-Cultivation:  Make time to keep learning and growing so you’re ready for the changes ahead.  Symbols of calmness and inner growth — books, a serene piece of artwork, something to meditate on — are perfect here.

9. Center: The Center of the Bagua, representing vitality and health, brings everything together.  A clear and open Center helps keep all the other areas connected and in balance.  

The Center is where Yin & Yang come together, bringing your entire space into harmony.

Given the special challenges in today’s world, it’s important to consider how every area of the Bagua may be influencing your life, for better or worse. 

So take a deep breath, use your imagination, and put Feng Shui to work to enhance your life in nine different ways.