Change is Coming
Now that autumn is here, you’re probably spending more time in and around your home. That’s a good thing if you feel nurtured there. If not, take a look at the Feng Shui of your surroundings to see if there are improvements you can make. We all know how the foods we eat and lifestyle choices we make play an important part in the quality of our physical health. But from a Feng Shui perspective the quality of energy (ch’i) around us plays just as important a role in our well-being and quality of life.
We have all been to places with bad Feng Shui. Dilapidated buildings, chaotic roadways, poorly tended homes and ravaged landscapes. Sadly, the flow of ch’i in these places has been disrupted, resulting in deterioration and stagnation. These once thriving communities become more yin in nature, with closed schools and businesses and residents who seem to dwell in the past. Time stands still until someone comes along to rebuild, revamp and revitalize the community, and the pendulum swings back to yang.
The quality of energy in our own surroundings can impact psychological health even when the picture is less dramatic. A dead end street, blocking wall, leaking pipe or dreary room creates stagnation that affects every person in the home and should be remedied quickly. For starters, light and air movement are good indicators of healthy ch’i. On a recent walk through historic Charleston, South Carolina, I learned that many city homes were built with expansive sleeping porches or piazzas on the southwest side of the building, facing the prevailing winds and open water. Even though streets followed the old Roman grid system and homes were built close together, piazzas capture cool and benevolent breezes (ch’i) in this subtropical climate. The front door dictates the building’s address but the mouth of ch’i is definitely through the piazza.
Before autumn yields to winter, take a walk through your home and determine where the most dynamic areas are located. Where do people congregate and which rooms are avoided? Are there spaces that are cluttered, dark or sad? If so, remember that in Feng Shui even these areas represent a part of your life and may just be the part that needs revitalizing. Try opening windows and doors and using color, light, sound and inspiration to lift the energy there. In nature, wind and water flow through, around and over stagnant areas bringing life-giving ch’i to the landscape. If you are receptive to growth and change, you might just be part of your own solution.
Wishing you good ch’i,
Diane Gallin, CFSC
