Qi Shui

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Aug 5, 2024, 3:08:04 AM8/5/24

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Infeng shui, the doorway is a gateway for life energy, or chi. And you can do a lot to affect how energy flows through it, says Cliff Tan, an architect and feng shui enthusiast with nearly 3 million followers on TikTok. One way is to make sure the doorway is as unobstructed as possible. Malaka Gharib/NPR hide caption

When decorating, you want to consider the flow of energy in your home and create "an environment that makes you feel good and supports whatever you're doing," Tan says. That might mean rearranging your existing furniture, being intentional about the purpose of each room and adding more light to your space.

In feng shui, the doorway is a gateway for life energy, or chi. And you can do a lot to affect how energy flows through it, says Tan. One way is to make sure the doorway is as unobstructed as possible.

Find ways to keep the area clear. Put items back in the shoe rack or the coat closet where they belong. Or repurpose a table or bench from another part of your house to neatly store your recycling (in a cute bin if you can find one) and your keys.

Before decorating a space, "deal with the worst things first. That's where the impact is greatest," says Tan. It will free up your energy to make more balancing adjustments to a room. Malaka Gharib/NPR hide caption

"With the ugliest things in your life," says Tan. "Deal with the worst things first. That's where the impact is greatest. There's no point in creating a cute shelf in the kitchen when every time you walk in, you see this shoe rack and it makes you angry."

Walk through your house and ask yourself, "Which is the nicest part?" says Tan. The most pleasant areas are usually by a window. As a source of light and natural ventilation, they can help circulate light, air and energy.

For example, some people who work from home tuck their desk away in a dark corner because they don't want to be reminded of work when they're off the clock, says Tan. "Even though they spend eight hours a day working, they'd rather have their empty couch in the beautiful sunlight."

In a bedroom, always put your bed against a solid wall, says Tan. It's nice and sturdy and makes you feel in charge of the space. And don't put your head next to a door. "I will do anything I can to keep my head safe from all that movement." Malaka Gharib/NPR hide caption

In a bedroom, always put your bed against a solid wall, and try not to point your feet toward any openings in the room, says Tan. Too much energy comes through doors, and that can make sleepers feel vulnerable. And don't put your head next to a door. "I will do anything I can to keep my head safe from all that movement."

To mimic the varying lights and shadows in our natural environment, use multiple sources of indirect light to illuminate a room, says Tan. A big, overhead light glares "down the floor" and casts strong, unnatural shadows. Table lights and spotlights, however, create depth by giving you more control over the direction and quality of light. Use these smaller lights to highlight areas of focus, like a piece of artwork or a reading nook.

To create a sense of warmth and consistency in your home, "make sure all your bulbs are the same color temperature," says Tan. He recommends bulbs between 2700 and 3000 kelvins. They offer a cozy, relaxing glow.

What may work in one room may not work in another. That's how people end up with a beautiful round table that looks lost in your long, rectangular dining room, says Tan. Your furniture should showcase the best qualities of the room and "make the space as good as it can be." Malaka Gharib/NPR hide caption

Social media can be an exciting place to find interior design ideas, but what might work in one room may not work in another. That's how you end up with a beautiful round table that looks lost in your long, rectangular dining room, says Tan. "It's too fat, it's too short and it doesn't fill up the space."

When designing a room, the goal is to optimize flow, says Tan. You want to keep energy from moving too quickly through the space, but a room that's too stuffy or cumbersome to navigate around can also feel stagnant.

So pick furniture that interacts well with the room. You don't want a coffee table so large that you're always barking your shins when you try to get up, and you also don't want two small armchairs in a zone that would be much better for a full-size couch.

This episode was produced by Sylvie Douglis. The digital story was edited by Malaka Gharib. The visual editor is Beck Harlan. We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at Lif...@npr.org.

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I am always so shocked when a student or client asks me if feng shui is a conflict with their religious beliefs. And, I am always so grateful because the question gives me an opportunity to share my perspective and clarify any concerns.

I am fascinated with what people believe, so I studied theology for four years at the university level. I was taught that religions require a belief in a superhuman power like god or gods. They require a particular system of faith and worship of the superhuman god or gods. They require a commitment or devotion to the religious faith. And typically the religion has a set of rules and dogma that the believers adhere to and follow.

Feng shui is not a religion. It originated in China over 4,000 years ago, and it is a massive body of knowledge centered on the study of energy. Many of us were taught that energy is something that can be reduced down to one simple formula: E = MC2 (energy equals mass multiplied by the velocity of light). This formula for energy has imparted little if any true relevance for most of us in our day-to-day lives.

The ancient Chinese, on the other hand, have expanded upon that simple formula and turned it into a 4,000 year-long study about the transformational powerful aspects of energy, how it affects us, and, most importantly, how we can use it to our benefit. There are no geographical, cultural, or religious boundaries for using feng shui. Because energy is universal, feng shui is rendered neutral; it supports everyone, each with their own unique set of life goals and aspirations.

The problem: every class started with a lecture on safety, especially the need for ventilation to pull the fumes from hot wax away from the workspace. My worktable in the middle of the room was far from the window where an exhaust fan could go. Moving the table into that space would also mean moving mountains of art materials, equipment, unfinished projects and books accumulated over decades.

Fantastic thoughts, Patricia,I always seem to have to redo my studio; purging things, reorganizing - according to the MORE important"ingredients" I currently choose for making art! Thanks so much! Great article!

The most common number is five, it is usually preferred,because each rod represents one of the five elements.This article is about applying the methods of feng shui to just one room in the home. Buying this type of property may cost you more as you may spend more money for renovation to correct the bad interior Feng Shui.

Feng shui stems from the Taoist belief in chi, or the life force that inhabits everything. Chi is made up of yin and yang elements. These are opposing but complementary forces that cannot be separated. Taoists believed that by balancing yin and yang elements, people can improve the flow of positive chi in their lives and keep the negative chi away. Feng shui is a method of balancing yin and yang, and improving the flow of chi by arranging furniture, decorations, buildings, and even whole cities in a beneficial way. The ancient Chinese people believed that arranging things to create positive chi would ensure good health, improve interpersonal relationships, and bring luck and prosperity.

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For over 25 years, Dr. Cheryl Crumpler has taught classes on behavioral medicine, mindfulness, anxiety and depression management, stress reduction, mind-body medicine, parenting, and burnout among healthcare workers.

Dr. Jill Seladi-Schulman is currently a freelance medical writer and was previously a project setup manager for clinical trials. She specializes in microbiology and infectious disease, having written her dissertation on influenza virus morphology. Dr. Seladi-Schulman has publications in peer-reviewed journals. She also has had her work featured on the cover of the Journal of Virology.

Overcrowded living spaces have been shown to have an effect on our health, acting as a stressor. Research shows that spaces and our environments play a huge role in how we feel and perform. This logic is kind of what feng shui is all about.

Chinese feng shui masters also devised a tool called a Bagua map that lays out various life areas, or stations. They include health, wealth, marriage, and fame, to name a few. These areas correlate with various parts of a building or living space.