Informed By Feng Shui
Feng Shui /fŭng′ shwā′/
noun
The Chinese art or practice of positioning objects, especially graves, buildings, and furniture, based on a belief in patterns of yin and yang and the flow of chi that have positive and negative effects.
An ancient Chinese system of designing buildings and space arrangement according to special rules about the flow of energy, aimed at achieving harmony with the environment.
In Chinese mythology, a system of spiritual energies, both good and evil, present in the natural features of landscapes.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Feng
“wind” or “movement”
Shui
“water” or “current”
Collectively, they make “flow.”
Fish, especially goldfish and betta fish, are considered positive symbols in feng shui and can be used to create balance and harmony.
What are benefits of Feng Shui?
Results in your home or office that flow into the rest of your life.
Nervous System Regulation - Dysregulation of the nervous system is at the root of so many of the problems that even the most successful people encounter in the day-to-day with the constant stressors in professional and personal matters haunting us from looming recessions to aging parents. With better nervous system regulation, our health gets better and so does our ability to think and solve problems, handle difficult people, and make timely but wise decisions. We rest more deeply and live more passionately when our nervous system feels happy, safe, and free. Good feng shui helps to promote this through mindful and intentional design choices that promote the right energy and opportunities in any given space. Folks even claim to have better results in manifesting and magnetism as a result of this nervous system re-regulation and energetic recalibration.
Coherence & Cohesion - I create harmony, unity, and flow using the methods offered in feng shui. They help me to make sure that everything complements the space’s purpose and aesthetic. It helps to reinforce traditional design wisdom and tactics by improving upon them.
Sustainability & Deeper Connection With Nature - Feng shui often utilizes natural elements like plants, stone, crystals, water, and wood to create harmony and balance. In today’s world of plastic, vegan leather, and other synthetic materials it is refreshing and grounding to retreat to your own temple of sustainable and beautiful natural materials. When possible, I opt for sustainable products. This alone is worth its weight in blessings!
Improved Functionality & Organization - It’s a misconception that you have to sacrifice functionality or convenience for feng shui. Feng shui is actually the pinnacle standard of intentional design. Everything has a home and a purpose in this method. In fact, feng shui should aim to make everything as easy, convenient, and purposeful as possible, sparing you every possible frustration.
Improved Focus & Productivity - When applied in an office, kitchen, or studio feng shui can be an absolute game-changer for focus and productivity. There are a lot of major mistakes that I see time and time again even from the best designers. Lucky for you, I know how to avoid these critical errors that can destroy your focus, strain your productivity, and deny you opportunities that are right before you. It’s amazing how the mind works, and there is nowhere that it is more important to be cautious of this than in the spaces we work in. With feng shui as your friend, you will have strategic ergonomics and time- and space-saving tactics deployed everywhere it matters most helping you to work smarter, not harder, for better results.
Openness & Flow - The energy flow that opens up in a feng shui’d space resonates far beyond the confines of four walls. A home that is feng shui’d on the inside radiates on the outside, and a person who lives in a harmonious, feng shui’d home radiates harmony and magnetizes all of the highest offerings in life through their contagious radiance.
“Your home and your office are affecting you—24 hours a day, whether you are in it or not. All the images, the colors, your furniture, the positioning of yourself in that space affects your mindset and brings you from [the brain’s] beta state into the alpha state”
How does
Feng Shui work?
Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese design theory that helps to inform interior (and exterior) design decisions so that they holistically benefit everyone who lives in the space. The theory works on the quantum level and considers the subconscious effects your environment has on your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being regardless of whether or not you are aware of them.
These theories can be seamlessly integrated into any space and nearly any design style. Despite being intentional, they do not feel forced or superimposed. The integrations simply fit in as character, interest, and decor to improve the overall mood, harmony, and impact of the space. It elevates you subconsciously to a better place that will help you live your best life and show up in the world as your best self.
How do you integrate
Feng Shui?
I can integrate my knowledge of Feng Shui in one of two ways:
1) General Considerations - I can just focus more on what not to do to make sure your space has optimal flow and balance and doesn’t break any major rules, but without putting too much emphasis on the theory’s nuances if it will compromise your vision or you just prefer something else.
2) Overall Considerations - I can let Feng Shui heavily inform the overall design and mood of the space rather than purely being an accent or factor. This is ideal if you are really looking to make a major difference in your life, rather than just having a beautiful space that represents you and your lifestyle.
One example of a consideration I might make is the direction or area of the space and its associated elements, themes, and/or colors according to Feng Shui theory, like placing gold in the wealth area to help you attract an ever-increasing and abundant flow of prosperity or a painting of two pink flowers in your love area to promote a happy, healthy love life.
Schedule a consultation if you are ready to experience the life-changing impact of feng shui.
A bronze Buddha statue at the Abbie Aldrich Rockefeller Garden in Northeast Harbor, Maine. Chinese culture and philosophy had a surprisingly strong influence on many Rusticators that visited Maine in the 19th and 20th century, and even to this day. This garden is a spectacular example of this influence and interest.