| Bonnie Johnson of Price, holds a hummingbird nest she found in their front yard. Behind her is a very welcoming and balance scene of aspens, along with several rocks and postive art pieces. |
For thousands of years people in the Far East have used feng shui to improve their home and family lives and live in harmony with the earth.
Although I am sure that feng shui has been practiced and experimented in homes in Eastern Utah for years by more progressive folks, the past couple months, through the efforts of local entrepreneur Melissa Holt, several classes have been held by feng shui expert Jerry Jacobs from Salt Lake City.
“People who practice feng-shui achieve a deep contentment that is denied most others,” reports Robert Webster in his book Feng Shui. Jacobs, who was in Price last Thursday working with several women analyzing their homes and giving them suggestions to help with the balance of energy. Feng shui is a timeless, unique combination of ancient Chinese wisdom, intuitiveness, and practical common sense. It focuses on the energy flowing around people in their homes, offices, and environment. The principles of feng shui affects ones well-being, relationships, and career whether or not one is aware of the chi (energy) around them.
Feng Shui principles assist people to calculate the most auspicious personal locations and to plan the interiors and exteriors of their homes in the placement and arrangement of plants, mirrors, and furniture to obtain the best chi in sinc with the human body.
Holt asked the following questions. “Do you know that you can arrange the layout of your office or organize a business meeting in feng shui to increase your success and prosperity?
Do you know that feng shui alignments can encourage romance?
Do you know that hanging wind chimes can boost one’s popularity?”
When using Feng Shui, the goal is to create harmony and balance within first. Then, one can take what has been created and felt within and create it outwardly in their homes, gardens and yards. When enough people join in applying the simple principles of feng shui, it creates a mass consciousness and then it affects on people. “A whole community could change and prosper,” says Holt.
She outlined some feng shui tips people could apply in their space. “We are affected by positive chi and negative chi. You want to create positive chi (energy) in your home and yard. When cactus plants are put the garden they give protection to your home. But, do not keep them inside as bad energy is thought to be created by the sharp thorns. Especially, avoid putting cactus’ in the home or office because, they always create tiny slivers of poisonous energy that over time, causes illness, misfortune, and losses.”
She also pointed out that Bonsai plants, when placed in the home, represent stunted growth. “It is not a good idea to plant these in your home. Artistically pruned shrubs and plants bring good energy to the home and office.” she adds.
The feng shui of a floor relates to the foundation of people’s lives. This principle has an important feng shui connotation when it comes to personalized interior decorating. “Your carpets can create a solid foundation,” explains Holt.
She also suggests hanging feng shui coins or bells on door handles. “This attracts auspicious money luck to your home,” she points out but warns never to hang any coins or feng shui energizing symbol on the back door. In feng shui, the back door represents the way out for people.
| Jodi and Ed Linn built their log home on the Old Wellington Road, along with their son in 1997. Recently feng shui expert Jerry Jacobs visited their home and made several recommendations that create more balance and positive energy in their log-style home. One change included the living room furniture, which opened up the living room and made it more inviting. |
In the living room fresh flowers create refreshing yang energy which brings good vibes into the home. Remember, fresh flowers should be thrown out as soon as they start to fade or die. Dead or decay flowers creates an excess of negative yin energy, or dead energy. However, fresh flowers in the bedroom does not create a peaceful sleep because they bring too much yang energy.
Holt says, “Always create a restful peaceful energy in every bedroom. You will sleep better.”
Happy family portraits bring togetherness. Displaying a family portrait in a living room is a good idea.
In feng shui folklore the turtle is regarded a as most auspicious and celestial creature which brings extreme good fortune, and also is a symbol of longevity.
It is a very good idea to have some flowering plants in your front garden. “You can also use any shade of red to dominate at the front of your home. Placing red flowers, pots, or even painting your front door red helps the chi to know where to enter your home. Make sure your front door is visible,” recommends Holt. She added that blocking the visibility of the front door with a tree is bad feng shui and should be avoided if possible. Trimming the tree may be enough to correct this problem.
The presence of healthy green and growing plants welcomes the vital energy that brings auspicious luck. “If you don’t have a green thumb it is good to have silk flower bushes, and trees in your home,” she concluded.” This invites the energy of life to be present within you and your home.”
Feng shui principles can enhance one’s health, wealth, and happiness.
Two homes that were recently evaluated by Jacobs were the Jodi and Ed Liin home on the Old Wellington Road and Bonnie and Parley Johnson in the Westwood area. Jacobs walked through each home and made several suggestions that would help with the flow of energy and balance of the elements.
Jodi made four major changes following his visit, including rearranging the furniture in the living room. We made it more inviting for guests and family members to sit in rather than just head to the kitchen, the way the old arrangement was designed. They now stop and congregate. amother change was painting the inside wall in the living room by adding more green, which brought our the earthtones of the room. “This is more calming, and fits in nicely with the logs, the rock fireplace, and lots of red and peach tones.
Jodi also brought out more family pictures and placed them in the center of the home between the living room and dining room.
She also redecoated their bedroom to keep the balance between male and female or ying and yang.
Bonnie Johnson has been reading and studying balance and feng shui for some time now and welcomed the changes Jacobs recommended. The Johnsons had the wall in their entryway decorated with a mural depicting aspen trees in the fall. They opened it up, added some rocks ande healthy plants and the whole room came alive. A small fountain, along with several rocks and Native American artifacts bring a soothing feeling to the home.” I love nature,” says Bonnie, who wants their home to bring the element of the outdoors into their home.
Since feng shui means wood and water much of the design centers around these elements and colors.
Mirrors in the hallway widen the hall and a grouping of family pictures near the center of the home also add togetherness in the family energy.
“It’s not just about decorating,” says Jody, It’s how things make you feel and how energy flows in your home. I am amazed at how the few changes make such a difference already.”