Feng Shui

Feng Shui, meaning wind and water, is an ancient system implemented by many cultures, but made currently famous by the Chinese, as a way to build a bridge of communication between the land, the home and it’s occupants in order to create a supporting and harmonious environment to live. The bottom line is that we are all affected by our environment and what surrounds us in either a beneficial or non-supportive way.

As a 13-year practitioner of Feng Shui and a Realtor, I have often been asked to evaluate a property's “Feng Shui” to see if it would be a beneficial place for a home to be built or for buyers to thrive in before the purchase is made.

I would like to share with you some of the many factors to assess when evaluating a property so that you may begin to educate yourself in what elements to look for before you buy a home. The first thing to note, using geomancy, is how the land feels, where the water elements are, power lines and the health of the vegetation on the lot. An abundance of dead or dieing trees could be an indication of a problem. Also, studies in bau-biology have shown living too close to power lines that emit a strong electro-magnetic field can be harmful to the occupants.

The next thing I note is the arrangement of the home on the lot, called “Landscape Feng Shui”. The Chinese look for the best placement where one can be protected by the mountain from behind and nourished by the waters in the front. The mountain behind you is of most importance because it represents your backing, financial and emotional support in life. Without this landscape feature (which can be created), you could be in jeopardy of loosing wealth and support, or even suffer from lower back problems. The view from the front should open up beautifully, called “Ming Tang” meaning beautiful view. This will represent all the positive energies, or Chi that will be coming to you and into your home. The theory is that the more we can attract, align and harness these beneficial energies, the better our health, relationship, and financial life will be. Most of the times in Sedona we need to create the water element in the front of our house with the addition of a water feature. Water represents the flow of abundance into our lives, so make sure that the water flows toward, not away from the front door.

The home’s entrance is also very important. The entrance represents the “mouth of chi”, or how things come into the body of the home. Keeping in mind our overall goal of harnessing and aligning ourselves with the beneficial chi of the natural environment, step back, look at the entrance and note how you feel. The entrance should be open, bright and attractive. You can create this if it is non existent through the use of color, décor and plantings. This is an area that you do not want blocked by over grown trees and shrubs. I have seen many beneficial changes happen from new jobs, financial windfalls, and the relief of chronic TMJ through just the adjustment of this entrance area.

Once inside the house, we are in the “body” of the home and the symbolic body of the occupants. I look for design elements like ceiling heights, beams, color, windows and other building elements that affect the flow of chi throughout the home. Optimum arrangement would be open and free of clutter, light and bright rooms, higher ceilings and a balance of decorative finishes. I also evaluate the level of what is called “predecessor chi”. This consists of the physical and emotional residue that is left by the former occupants. This comes in to play as a difficult aspect needing rebalancing if there has been sickness, sadness, disease, separation or financial struggle. We have all felt this natural phenomenon whenever we have entered into a room and interrupted a heated argument or a hospital room. You can feel the tension in the space. There are many effective tools I use to rebalance an environment if I find negative predecessor chi. Many times if the past residents have thrived and live a joyous life in the house, this kind energy translates to the new occupants in a beneficial and welcoming way.

I have covered some of the basics of the Feng Shui of home buying that you can use when looking at purchasing a home. I have over 13 years experience in Feng Shui, Geomancy and Interior Design and own my consulting company, Sanctum Design. I am an exclusive Buyers Agent with Buyer Brokers Realty specializing in finding unique properties that support balanced lifestyles. If you would like more information, a consultation or to be part of my mailing list to inform you of my monthly classes, please e-mail me or contact me at 800-282-2959 or 928-300-0180.