I continue with my series on the false beliefs associated with Feng Shui expertise.
“When you harmonise a place in Feng Shui, you have to put in chinoiseries and I don’t like 3-legged toads or dragons!”
When talking about Feng Shui, many people immediately imagine traditional Chinese decorations and symbols such as three-legged toads, dragons and pagodas. However, I’d like to dispel this belief that Feng Shui can only be practised with typically Chinese decorative elements.
Let me reassure you straight away, it can be practised by adapting it to Western preferences, using our own symbols and colour codes, without compromising the effectiveness of this age-old practice.
Many people have an aversion to traditional Chinese decorations and don’t want their home to look like a Chinese restaurant. Fortunately, it’s perfectly possible to combine harmonising energies with interior design – in fact, it’s my speciality!
Feng Shui is based on fundamental principles such as the quality of chi, the yin-yang balance, the cycles of the 5 elements… But it’s also based on more subtle things, like the management of flying stars. These are invisible flows of energy, whose adjustments cannot be seen at first glance. For example, we’re going to exploit the opening of doors and windows or the placement of everyday objects like the TV or the big clock.
If you read my blog posts regularly, you’ll know that Feng Shui goes far beyond visual appearance. Like acupuncture, which uses needles to stimulate the Chi, Feng Shui can work with elements that cannot be seen directly. Instead, it’s about sensing energies and creating a harmonious balance in our environment. Subtle adjustments to colours, shapes and materials can nourish energies and improve the balance of our space, even if these changes are not easily visible to the naked eye.
In the context of professional spaces, where decoration may be more restricted, it is entirely possible to apply Feng Shui in a light-hearted way. Discreet adjustments can be made to encourage positive energies and create an environment conducive to productivity and prosperity. For example, more powerful symbolic pictures can replace existing ones, and slight variations in colour can be made to the walls. Even if these changes are subtle, they can have a significant impact on the energy of the space without requiring a complete transformation of the environment.
Sometimes I’m asked for before-and-after photos, like the ones in interior decorators’ books. But as you can see, sometimes the changes are too subtle to make the comparison of images meaningful.
So it’s time to look beyond the clichés associated with Feng Shui and realise that it’s not just about traditional ‘chinoiserie’. Feng Shui can be adapted to suit the tastes and preferences of our Western world, while retaining its age-old effectiveness. It is not just a question of decoration, but rather a holistic approach to space planning and energy management. By embracing this philosophy, we can harness the potential of our home and create a harmonious environment that promotes our well-being and prosperity.