Enhancing Bathrooms Through Feng Shui

“Where the eye goes, the Chi flows.” Chi is your vital life energy, and this old Feng Shui saying especially applies to all bathrooms in your home. Can you see open toilets from your entrance, your bed, or anywhere else in your home? Is this the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning? If the answer is yes, you can bet that some of your energy is being drained.

Bathrooms are classically considered potential threats in Feng Shui because more often than not they are unadorned places with open plumbing that pulls your attention, your energy – your Chi – down the drain.  The bathroom and your home’s plumbing correspond to your elimination system.  It is here that personal cleansing rituals take place and where wastes are flushed away. However Chi can also be flushed out of your home via toilets and bathroom drains. Although there are no ideal places for a bathroom to reside, some locations are worse than others. If possible avoid homes with bathrooms in the back left (wealth) or back right (love and marriage) as these can cause drains in prosperity and relationships.

At the same time bathrooms are a necessary part of your home.  Therefore it is important to minimize opportunities for Chi to flow out of your home too quickly, taking with it your prosperity, health or relationships. All is not lost!  It is easy to correct a bathroom’s pull on your energy and enhance your life

Bathrooms should take on the qualities of the Bagua area they reside in, with these important rules:

•   Keep your bathroom clean, neat and orderly.  Make sure you dispose of shampoo and other cosmetic bottles that are almost empty or too old to use. 
•  Close toilet lids, sink stoppers and shower curtains to conceal water outlets, or cover the drains with small rubber mats used for that purpose. 
•   Repair leaky faucets, shower heads, and toilets to prevent waste. 
•  Install adequate lighting for convenience and balancing the watery energy. 
• When all else fails, at least keep the door closed. 
•  If your bedroom leads to a bathroom without a door, make it a priority to install a door, curtain, or screen to visually separate the bathroom from the bedroom. 
• Ideally the toilet is placed so you don’t see it from the bathroom door (located in its own “water closet” or behind a wall or screen). When this is impossible, hang a round faceted cut-glass crystal from the ceiling between the door and the toilet to help lift and circulate the Chi.

This bathroom unfortunately resides in the Wealth corner of the house, but very successful enhancements have stopped the drain on finances. As you can see it is enhanced with the color purple, lucky bamboo, a lavender hanging crystal, and a picture of  9  Koi fish representing wealth. A purple tree was planted to anchor the corner on  the outside. The drains are always kept closed when not in   use. 

                                                                            

 

While this bathroom is is the Children and Creativity area of the house and contains many pictures of 

 children, metal and whimsical objects. Guests love to be entertained by cute baby pictures while using the facility.

 

Amimals Can Enhance Feng Shui Energy

Do you own a pet?  Did you know that as well as offering comfort and companionship, when well cared for, animals represent the element of Fire and  are natural producers of lively Ch’i;  vital life force energy? As usual, with anything in Feng Shui animals need to be treated with respect, dignity and be well cared for. This way they will add “spark” to your life.

Some important recommendations for ensuring good Ch’i in your home when living with animals are:

• Make sure your indoor pets have their own special place in your home.   This lucky cat has his own perch in the bedroom where he can sleep or look out at the world. 
   
                    

  

                                                                                                                                                             

• Keep pet homes fresh and clean to assure the health and vitality of your animals and the quality of Ch’i flowing through your home.
  
• Pet boxes can be drains of energy in the particular Bagua area they reside. To avoid this, keep them extra clean, made attractive, hooded and out of the way in laundry rooms, garages, large bathrooms or basements. This cat box in the laundry room is enhanced with flowers and whimsical items for the Children and Creativity area.
                                                   
                                             
  
•  For outdoor pets also ensure their homes are clean, dry and that they have adequate space for exercise.

Taking these steps will help you achieve years of love and pleasure with your pet, as well as healthy, vibrant energy blessing your home and your life.

The Zen of Feng Shui

Feng Shui is built on three principles:

1) EVERYTHING IS ALIVE
The first principle is that every person, place and thing is alive with the vital energy called Ch'i. Along with being molecularly alive, our material possessions are also alive with our thoughts, feelings and associations. We want to be surrounded by possessions that strengthen our well being and nurture us. It is important to assess your material possessions. What are they saying to you? The quality of your inner life is constantly influences by what you're keeping alive in your surroundings.

2) EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED
The second principle is that every person, place and  thing is  connected by Ch'i. We are intimately connected with everything that surrounds us. We cannot separate our health from our finances, our finances from our creativity, or our creativity from our relationships. Therefore, it is crucial to simplify, organize and properly house our possessions (including closets and garages). Your material well being tends to increase in the presence of order. Just let go of anything you don't have a great relationship with because external order and harmony create internal harmony, and energy.


3) EVERYTHING IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING
The final principle is that every person, place and thing is constantly changing. The one constant thing in the universe is change. Change can be a gift when we understand it as a force that can improve our lives and embrace it.  Change happens! When we fully embrace the dance of change we grow in wisdom and experience and allow our homes to reflect the changes within us. There is an old Chinese saying: "If you want a change in your life, move 27 things in your home." Make changes and enjoy the moment!

Feng Shui Balance - Yin and Yang

A harmonious life is all about balance; not too hot or cold, not too dark or light, not too small or large. In Feng Shui these extremes are defined as Yin or Yang.
Yin is  associated with curved shapes and small, dark and/or ornate settings.

 

Yang on the other hand is associated with angular shapes, and/or large light, open settings.

The more extreme our home designs are, the more uncomfortable they may feel. People tend to be happiest and most comfortable with a balanced mix of Yin and Yang features in their environments.

Use the chart below to analyze and help you balance any room:

Yin -  Yang Home Balance Analysis

                                                                        

                                                           Yin                                            Yang                                                                                           

Room size	Small	Large
Location in House	Quiet/Private	Noisy/Busy
Room’s View	Intimate/Private	Grand
Room’s View	Natural	Houses/Buildings/Street
Ceiling	Low	High
Natural Light	Low	Bright
Electrical Light	Dim	Bright
Open  Floor Space	Small Amounts	Large Expanses
Floors	Carpeting/Rugs	Tile/Cement/Stone
Wall Colors	Medium/Dark/Muted	Light/Bright
Furniture	Many Pieces	Few Pieces
Furniture Colors	Medium/Dark/Muted	Light/Bright
Furniture and Décor	Small	Large
Furniture and Décor	Low	High
Seating	Soft/Padded	Hard/Unpadded
Furniture Shapes	Curved/Rounded	Straight//Angular
Patterns	Floral	Geometric
Fabrics	Textured	Smooth/Shiny
Design	Elaborate/Ornate	Plain/Uncomplicated
Display Collections	Many	Few/None
Art	Many Pieces	Few
Art	Small	Large
Pillows	Many	Few
Books	Many	Few
Mirrors	Small	Large
Plants	Many	Few
Storage Areas/Closets	Organized	Chaotic/Disorganized

When Yin and Yang are balanced, you experience each room  in your home as comfortable and beautiful. The idea is to create a personal paradise that nourishes and protects your health, and happiness. Go for the balanced Human Comfort Zone!