Feng Shui Part 2

Last week I introduced you to the ancient Chinese art of space planning and placement,  Feng shui.

was to de-clutter and rearrange a mantle in your home.  Did you try it?  Did you feel your "Chi" shift?  Chi is defined as universal energy, or the energy that surrounds us.  

Once you start noticing Chi in your space, it will become something you can feel daily and will want to pay attention to because it really does make a difference in how your home feels, both to you and to your family and guests.

Let's try another exercise with plants.  Feng shui teaches us that plants are "auspicious," which means plants help create favorable circumstances in the areas of prosperity, or negative energy deflection.

Feng shui also teaches that plants in your office can bring about increased luck in your career.  You should place plants in the east, south or southeast corners of your office for maximum luck, and use asparagus fern to deflect negative energy from your computer.

Don't place thorny plants inside your home. Thorny plants form a protective shield and could be placed outside the home, but inside their sharp points create negative energy.

You should keep your plants healthy, watered, and trimmed.  Overgrown plants promote bad energy as they represent neglect.

Our local florists will be glad to know that the teachings of Feng shui recommend that fresh flowers bring luck and fortune in your home.  Place fresh flowers in your living room on a regular basis.   However, once they die, throw them out right away and replace them with new ones.

You should definately avoid placing dried flowers in your house.  They are believed to bring misfortune.  Artificial flowers are a preferable option but not nearly as powerful as live plants and cut flowers.

These are just a few of many tips regarding using plants and flowers in your home.

From a practical standpoint in interior design, there is really something to the energy of plants.  They can warm up a cold corner quicker than anything else and are often the perfect finishing touch in a room.

During winter my husband brings all our potted plants in from the garden, porches and patio and places them throughout our house.  Having them inside our home keeps the winter blues away, as every room has a nook or cranny of green life.  The physical act of caring for them during the winter keeps us in touch with nature. They are so close to us physically that they begin to feel like friends!  I reallly miss them when it's time for them to return to the garden.

Try plants in your home, or, if you already have plants, pay some attention to them and notice how you feel when you do this.  Perhaps you will want to move some of your plants to a different location in your home and see what that physically feels like to you and watch how the plants react to the change.

If you don't have a green thumb or perhaps you just don't have time for one more thing to take care of, treat yourself to a bouquet of fresh flowers when you grocery shop this week.

I promise you, you will feel the positive Chi!