| The
Chinese have a saying:
“A clean and beautiful bathroom is the key to health, peace,
and wealth”
but it’s not quite as simple as that.
The bathroom poses an
interesting
problem because the basic element — water — plays
two roles. It represents
money and it washes away dirt. This means that every time you flush
water
down your drains you are in danger of sending your family’s
fortune with
it.
|
|
Your bathroom
should be spacious
enough to be functional but not too large. It should be a retreat
— a place
where you can relax and pamper yourself.
Pale colors are
restful —
green promotes digestion and aids health; blue will keep the water
moving,
help avoid plumbing problems, and encourage a good cash flow.
|
Associated with the
element
water, the bathroom shouldn’t be next to the fire of the
kitchen (because
water destroys fire). Nor should it be in the middle of the home which
is associated with earth (earth destroys water by absorbing
it).
Ideally, too, the
bathroom
and toilet should be separate because they serve different functions
—
one is for external cleansing, the other for internal. Each needs a
window
to keep the air fresh and to connect the room to the outside.
Balancing the Bathroom
If your bathroom faces or
is above the front door, place a small mirror at the base of the toilet
to stop the Qi and the family's wealth from going down the drain.
If it is next to or
above the kitchen, hand a mirror outside the door to deflect negative
energy.
Colored
ribbons and wind chimes near
artificial ventilation devices will flutter and make music and enliven
Qi. |
|
|
THE
MOST YIN IN A ROOM
IN THE HOUSE, THE BATHROOM IS OFTEN DAMP AND DARK SO ADD YANG FOR
BALANCE
— SOME BRIGHT SPLASHES OF COLOR OR LIGHTED CANDLES.
KEEP
DRAINS COVERED AS
MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND THE TOILET SEAT CLOSED WHEN NOT IN USE.
IF YOU
FLUSH THE TOILET WITH THE LID OPEN, CHANCES ARE YOUR MONEY WILL GO DOWN
TOO.
USE
GREEN INDOOR PLANTS
TO HELP ACTIVATE STAGNANT QI.
|
|
Feng
Shui
How to Create
Harmony and Balance in Your
Living and Working Environment
by Belinda
Henwood
"An
ancient Chinese theory of design and
placement, Feng Shui grew from observations that people are affected --
either positively or negatively -- by their surroundings, with some
places
being noticeably luckier, happier, healthier or more peaceful than
others,"
writes Belinda Henwood in the opening chapter of her book, Feng
Shui.
While
some homes and offices are designed
with feng shui concepts in mind, it is just as useful for making
modifications
and adaptations to existing dwellings. The right colors, a well-placed
houseplant, or a mirror can make a world of difference.
Henwood's
guidebook offers dozens of tips
and solutions for every room in the house as well as offices, yards and
landscaping. She even provides a chapter of "cures" for combatting
negative
energy and enhancing the life force, or Qi.
|