So if there aren’t any hard and fast rules of feng shui, how can one go about applying it to your life?

No Rules of Feng Shui, Just Principles

What is the difference between a rule and a principle?  Simply put, a rule is very harsh and rigid, and rarely allows someone any type of freedom for their own personal choices, judgment, or expression.  It’s also something that you must do, like it or not.  A stop sign is a rule, not a suggestion.

On the other hand, a principle is more of a guiding thought which allows for a great deal of latitude for someone to make up their own minds about things.  Principles are like a ceiling under which there is a great deal of movement.

So if someone is thinking that there are certain rules of feng shui to be followed, they need to understand that feng shui is about making things in your home and your environment work for you, and you personally.  What you appreciate and enjoy and what will bring energy and vitality to your life is not something that’s going to work for someone else.  Trying to dictate “rules of feng shui” is something that’s actually counterproductive to the entire art overall.

However, the principles of feng shui are much different.  For example, consider the use of color.  Feng shui teaches (as do many designers and decorators) that bright colors add energy and vitality to any space, and encourage you to use yellows, oranges, and shades such as these in an area of your home where you need that added energy, such as your kitchen or breakfast nook.  However, the way you apply this principle and to what degree is up to you and your own individual taste.  Imagine if the “rules of feng shui” demanded that you paint your kitchen orange, and it was your most hated color!  Many have also found that what works for them is to introduce these elements in small doses, in accent items, artwork, and so on, rather than coloring a room completely in one particular color.

Making Up Your Own Rules of Feng Shui

How you apply feng shui in your own home is going to be up to you.  Again, it needs to work for you personally.  So if you are looking to work with a feng shui expert or advisor, and he or she insists that you follow so-called rules of feng shui, be wary.  Remember, there is no such thing.

When speaking about things such as feng shui crystals, many people may be upset to learn that there really is no such thing in the true application and science of feng shui.  As this practice came to the western parts from ancient China, it began to be intermingled with New Age “hocus pocus,” which really adulterated the true art form.  Many unscrupulous individuals realized that they could slap a “feng shui” label on virtually anything and sell it to unsuspecting customers, and one popular item along these lines is the so-called feng shui crystals.  But before you start to feel hurt or betrayed the way you did when you heard about Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, let’s talk a bit about the true use and history of “feng shui crystals” and see if perhaps some logic and reasoning might help you out a bit.

The True Principles of Feng Shui

Many people don’t understand how truly simple feng shui really is.  They believe that you need a feng shui reader or expert to explain every minor detail of its application in their home or life, and from this belief sprung the sales of so many items, including those feng shui crystals.  When people believe anything that some “expert” tells them, then of course it’s easier for them to be taken advantage of.

Feng shui really is all about balance, harmony, peace, and positive energy.  There is no magic bullet or talisman that can bring these elements into your life.  For instance, if you and your spouse refuse to talk to each other or if you’re hiding a secret affair, all the crystals in the world are not going to give you a peaceful marriage.  Hang all the feng shui crystals over your bedroom mirror that you want, and there will still be disharmony and chaos in your relationship.

De-cluttering your life is an important part of feng shui, as it’s true that sometimes the negative elements in our lives have more of an effect than the positive.  Removing old and useless things that bring nothing positive to us, and that just simply drain us and make us feel guilty or depressed, can do much to usher in that positive uplifting energy that we’re looking for – more so than any feng shui crystal could do.

When Feng Shui Crystals Are Useful

Of course, some people simply like the look of crystals, whether they are by themselves or are crystal ornaments.  They do reflect light and can add a certain brightness to an otherwise dark corner or room.  If you enjoy your crystal knickknacks for this reason, or just like looking at that crystal dangling from your rearview mirror, then there’s nothing in feng shui principles that says that you must get rid of it.

Feng Shui Candles and the Five Elements

Feng shui teaches the use of five natural elements, namely, wood, earth, metal, water, and fire, and that there should always be a balance or harmony between these elements in any space or room of your home.  What is meant by that?  Simply put, you can think about how different elements either feed or destroy one another.  Wood feeds fire, but water destroys it.  Earth feeds wood, but metal destroys that.  Destruction is not something that’s taught in feng shui, but balance is.  So, if you have a room that has very strong elements of earth, such as the warm tones of your living room or bedroom, you may want to introduce some balance by bringing in the element of fire – and this is where feng shui candles come into play.  Obviously you can’t set up a bonfire in your home, and not every room has a fireplace, but candles are a small and affordable way to accomplish this.

Feng Shui Candles and Energy

Additionally, fire is an element that represents strong energy and vitality, and any room or corner of your home that needs this energy can benefit from this element.  For example, many couples who are needing to add some spice or energy to their love life are encouraged to introduce feng shui candles to the bedroom.  The fire is an encouragement to have that energy and revitalization.  Of course, you do need to exercise safety precautions and be sure to extinguish those candles before going to sleep!

Feng shui candles are a good idea when you are looking to create energy in any other room of your home, such as the family room or dining room, when you want the family to gather and be open to one another.  The fire is an encouragement for everyone to have some energy in their conversation.

Where You Shouldn’t Use Feng Shui Candles

Because fire is such a strong element, it does need to be tapered somewhat.  If you have a large fireplace in your home, you are probably already bringing in enough of this element already.  Be wary of overdoing it by lining your fireplace mantel with your feng shui candles.  Instead, keep these candles for a place in your home that’s far enough away from the fireplace that the two will not compete with one another.

And of course, you do need to exercise all cautions when using feng shui candles anywhere.  Avoid using them in your children’s rooms, or around pets who may knock them over.

By applying all these principles when considering the use of feng shui candles, you can then begin to enjoy the energy and vitality that they will bring to your home and your life.

While Chinese feng shui is no “magic bullet” that will cure any of your ailments or that will somehow cause a big bag of money to appear on your front door, there are many positive benefits one can receive when applying its principles to your life.  Let’s take a look at a few.

For one, Chinese feng shui encourages peace and harmony in the home, and along those lines, encourages people to de-clutter their environments and their lives overall.  Of course, it’s absolutely impossible to decide what exactly can and cannot be considered clutter in your home and your life; as the old saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”  However, the application of Chinese feng shui is meant to encourage positive energy and to get rid of anything that drains you of this energy, or that introduces negative feelings and energy in your life.  This is how the thought can be applied to not only your material possessions, but to your life overall.  For example, if you have a so-called “friend” that only calls you when he or she needs something, and has a tendency to be so overly emotional that you feel drained and empty when you’re done talking?  This person can be considered clutter in your life – adds nothing, and take everything.

It’s also true that the Asian cultures value hard work and applying one’s self to your family and your career.  Chinese feng shui encourages you to use your energy in these types of positive ways; by doing so, you will be only encouraging more positive energy in your life.  Think about how that might apply in your own family.  Do you use your time, your resources, and your energy to encourage strong family bonds?  Do you see your family as an investment opportunity for that energy?  If you understand and apply the principle being taught by Chinese feng shui that positive energy begets positive energy, then you won’t hesitate to work hard at making your family bonds as strong as possible.

It is true too that Chinese feng shui puts a great deal of emphasis on the use of color in one’s home and environment, however, be careful that you don’t fall for folklore and myth when it comes to this aspect of the art.  There is no real basis for thinking that a red front door is lucky or special in any way, or that certain colors will bring prosperity and wealth when used abundantly.  Colors used in rooms and areas of the home are simply meant to create certain moods; bright colors will energize you while darker colors will calm and soothe.

In these few ways, you can see how Chinese feng shui can add positive energy and vitality in your own life.

Feng Shui’s Use of Colors

When you analyze feng shui and its use of colors, you need to first of all understand how color affects your mood and your overall feeling.  Bright and lively colors do energize you; imagine trying to be upbeat or perky in an all-black room.  Doesn’t that harsh and stark color instead make you feel brought down, even depressed?  Many kitchens, on the other hand, are painted bright shades of yellow or orange; when you analyze feng shui’s encouragement of the use of these colors for this room, you realize that they are upbeat and considered clean and sanitary.

Feng Shui’s Lack of Clutter

When people really begin to analyze feng shui, they see that this art encourages the lack of clutter or excessive items in the home or any other place where you are quite frequently.  This is because clutter has been shown to make a person feel stressed and anxious.  It is like a constant reminder of things that need attending to – clothes than need mending, appliances that need fixing, laundry that needs folding, and so on.  This nagging voice in the back of one’s head does nothing to encourage positive energy.

Analyze Feng Shui for Your Own Home

How can you apply these two basic principles in your own home?  Well, you don’t need to be a decorator or an interior designer to understand color.  Take a good, honest look at each room of your home.  How do you feel when you stand in the doorway?  Are you energized, do you feel drawn into that room?  Or does the overall look and feel depress you; do you avoid this room for any particular reason?  When you analyze feng shui, you need to be able to have that overall look for your home’s rooms as well.

Also, there are no hard and fast rules about what constitutes clutter in any one area, but again, honesty is the key.  Do the things you’re holding onto add value to your life, or just depress you and bring you down?  What type of energy do you feel when you look at these things?  Don’t think that you need to keep anything “just in case.”  The negative energy that you’re introducing into your home far outweighs any supposed uses you think you might have for these things.

So if you take a few moments to analyze feng shui and its use in your own home and your own life, you will see that there are some great benefits you can derive just from these simple principles.

It may surprise you to know that decorating and feng shui are a true blend of not just art, but some science as well.  Why do we say this?  For one thing, there are no hard and fast rules about applying feng shui to your life.  There are many so-called experts who can give you advice, but in the end, it will be up to you to make the decision of what you like and what you don’t.  This is the aspect of decorating and feng shui that can be considered art; everything is subjective, and there are no real right or wrong answers.  What appeals to one person may not appeal to another.

Additionally, there are many pieces of advice when it comes to de-cluttering your house and using color to create mood, tension, and energy, but again, there are no hard and fast rules here either.  One person may breeze through your home and declare certain items and knickknacks as being cluttered and unnecessary, but to you, these are prized possessions.  When applying the principles of decorating and feng shui, you need to exercise caution and show balance.  What someone else sees as a lack of clutter, you might see as being cold and sterile, and vice versa.  Again, no hard and fast rules, no right and wrong answers, just some principles that you need to interpret for yourself.

Decorating and feng shui is also part science, however.  There are some real, biological facts behind its teachings regarding clutter, color, entryways, and so on.  Scientists have researched how tense and anxious people feel when surrounded by a cluttered environment, and how color can and does affect one’s mood.  Bold and bright colors are a great “pick me up,” while warmer colors make you feel soothed and relaxed.  Softer colors can also be a calming influence, while those bold colors make you feel energized and in control.

Additionally, the entryway to one’s home and to every room in your house also does much to set a mood or tone.  This is like the first impression you get when you meet someone, and that first impression can set the entire tone for the rest of your relationship with them.  When applying the principles of decorating and feng shui, it’s important to think about that first impression you get when you walk up to your home or when you walk into a room.  It helps to sometimes stand right in the entryway of your home or of each room and do a quick, honest evaluation.  What is your impression of the atmosphere?  How do you immediately feel?  Does your home and each room therein feel warm and inviting, or are you somewhat “put off,” so to speak?

By applying these basic principles of decorating and feng shui, you can begin to experience both the art and science of this ancient practice.

Feng Shui is About Calm and Order

This is probably the most important principle that feng shui beginners should consider.  Feng shui is not about a rigid placement of furniture or about thinking that a red front door will bring wealth to your home; it’s about ushering in peace, calm, order, harmony and balance to your life.  For example, one of the first things that feng shui beginners are told to do is to de-clutter their home as much as possible.  Why is this?  Because clutter has been scientifically proven to cause stress and chaos in a home.  When your environment is cluttered, you feel constant guilt and disappointment over unfinished chores and projects.  You are also frustrated and angry when you can’t put your hands on an important document or other such item.

Some feng shui beginners may immediately dismiss this important element of the art, but give it some thought.  If your home is very cluttered and messy, how do you feel?  Do you feel good about yourself and positive about your home?  Chances are that you don’t.

Feng Shui is About Creating Mood

Color is a big part of feng shui, but not because certain colors are considered “lucky” or more desirable than others; this is a big misunderstanding that most feng shui beginners have.  Instead, color is used to create mood or to enliven and energize a room or a home.  Bright, vibrant colors can be an instant pick-me-up, while warm and soothing colors can relax and calm you.  Strong colors like red and purple are seen as fiery and bold, and are used sparingly.

There is of course scientific data to back this up.  Biologists understand that humans react to colors around them, and apply this to many situations.  Taxi cabs are yellow so that they’ll be easily noticed, car brake lights are red for the same reason.

So if you’re a feng shui beginner, don’t get overwhelmed with the concept, and don’t dismiss it that easily either.  You need not believe in the superstitious, hocus pocus bunk that some people have mistakenly attributed to feng shui, but you can appreciate the aspects of this art that are effective as well.  If you still need more proof, just try cleaning out your closets and repainting your bedroom, and see if those changes don’t bring some positive energy to your life as well!

Feng Shui Tips #1

Probably the most basic and most important feng shui tipsis to start de-cluttering.  There is no more potent energy drainer in your home than excessive clutter.  Old clothes that you know you’ll never wear again, broken appliances that you know you’ll never fix, all of these things are just reminders of unfinished projects and unmet goals, and are a drain on you mentally and emotionally.

This feng shui tipsabout de-cluttering is also applicable to larger items, such as furniture, car parts, and so on.  If you have more than two main seating pieces in your living room, ask yourself why that is.  If you have a garage that’s strewn with car parts that you have no use for, again, ask yourself why that is.  If the answer to any of those questions is, “Just in case,” then you know that these things are clutter.  Get rid of them.

Feng Shui Tips #2

Be aware of the color around you, in your home and your place of employment, and understand how color affects your mood and your emotional state.  For example, a good feng shui tipswhen you want to increase your energy is to use bright, bold colors in rooms you use before you head out for your day, such as the kitchen or breakfast nook.  Darker and warmer colors are good for when you want your mood to settle down, such as the living room or bedroom.  Using warm colors of brown or green is good for these areas.

However, there is need for caution when applying this particular feng shui tip.  Some people are under the mistaken impression that if a little bit is a good thing, then more must be better.  But too much of any bright color can overpower you and make you feel tense and anxious.  Too much of a dark color can bring your mood too far down, even depressing you.  Sometimes it’s good to take a step back from your room, stand at the entrance to it, and be honest about the color.  Is it a bit too much?  Consider toning down the shade, or using something neutral throughout with your other colors as an accent.

By applying these two very quick, very simple feng shui tips in your own home, you can begin to feel the power of positive energy as it is welcomed and ushered into your surroundings.

These things are actually incorrect assumptions about the use and application of feng shui colors, however, this doesn’t mean that there are no real principles to following when it comes to the colors in your home or office.  To really understand these, here are some simple tips to remember.

Real Feng Shui Colors Create Mood

Even scientists and biologists agree that color can and does affect your mood.  When you are surrounded by bright, cheery, energetic colors, you feel more upbeat and enthused.  When you are surrounded by darker, warmer colors, you feel more calm and relaxed.  When applying the principles of feng shui colors, you need to remember this and consider the mood you are trying to create in each room.  For instance, if you want your living room to be a place of restful relaxation, then those dark and soothing colors of warm browns, tans, shades of cocoa, and deep greens may work well, as opposed to the bright and frenetic colors of yellow and white.  However, if you have a room where you are trying to create energy, such as the kitchen or family room, then brighter colors would work well.

Real Feng Shui Colors Are Balanced

Some people make the mistake of thinking that if some is good, then more is better.  This cannot be further from the truth when talking about feng shui colors.  Bold, bright colors are good for creating energy and enthusiasm, but too much can be overpowering and make you tense and anxious.  Also, while those dark and warm colors can soothe and relax you, too much can make you feel depressed, closed in, and even smothered.  Harmony and balance are essential elements of feng shui in all its applications, and certainly this is true when applying the use of feng shui colors in your room.  Avoid using all of one shade or color family, but dress up or dress down your colors with accent items of opposing shades.  If your living room is a warm brown or cocoa, have accent pillows, afghans, and artwork that introduces the brighter shades of yellow or white.

Real Feng Shui Colors Make You Feel Positive!

Whatever your choice of colors when applying feng shui techniques, take a step back and ask yourself how that color makes you feel.  If you absolutely hate it, then it’s not for you, regardless of what some so-called “expert” tells you.  Real feng shui colors are meant to encourage positive energy, and using colors you hate will do just the opposite.

So by learning these simple truths about “real” feng shui colors, you can better understand how to apply these in your own home and place of work.

Feng Shui Bedroom Tip #1

The first and most important thing you can do before making any changes to your bedroom is to ask yourself what type of atmosphere you are trying to create.  For example, do you want to feel warm and relaxed at night, and have a room that encourages you to drop off to sleep immediately, or are you looking to add some spice to your bedroom, and perhaps create some sexual energy as well?

When deciding on the changes that one is going to make to create a feng shui bedroom, it’s important to have this thought in mind first, as these two types of atmospheres are obviously diametrically opposed to one another!  You don’t want to create a relaxing atmosphere in room that’s already lacking energy, and you don’t want to bring in any more energy and tension to a room where you simply want to sleep.

Feng Shui Bedroom Tip #2

The next step you want to take when creating a feng shui bedroom is to de-clutter the room completely.  The bedroom is not an exercise room, it’s not a laundry room, it’s not an office.  Whether you want the room to be peaceful and relaxing or you want some energy in this room, clutter is going to keep you from achieving either one.

Take a look at any picture of any decorating magazine, and notice their rooms.  How many are cluttered with all these excessive things?  Obviously the answer is none of them.

Feng Shui Bedroom Tip #3

The use of color is so important in feng shui, and the bedroom is no exception.  Bright, bold colors usher in energy, while dark and warm colors relax and calm you.

Depending on the decision you made above about the atmosphere you want to create in your feng shui bedroom, you can choose a bold and energetic color such as red or purple to create energy and tension, or warm and soothing colors such as brown and dark green to relax and calm you.  However, with either decision, don’t go overboard and make either choice overwhelming.  Nothing drains or depresses you faster than feeling overwhelmed by the color of a room the moment you walk in.

So if you apply these three simple tips that we’ve given you, then you too can have a true feng shui bedroom that will either calm and soothe your jangled nerves, helping you get a good night’s rest, or that will introduce some spice and energy to your life.