Literally meaning wind-water, Feng Shui exemplifies the art of placement and the balance of flow (or lack of it) in an environment. The goal is to enhance chi energy with placement architecture that respects the four directions and the elements in a given space. Mostly used to enhance the mood of a home or office, Feng Shui is also very conducive to creating a harmonious atmosphere for barns, kennels and veterinary hospitals.

You know what it is like when you walk into a room and the energy feels peaceful, bright and able to move. There is a sense of flow, no sharp angles or arrows pointing to you, adequate space around doors and windows, a nice balance between wood, metal, glass and rock materials. The room pulses with life force, it seems to breathe and subconsciously you feel a connection to nature, our natural world.

You probably also know what it feels like to be in a cluttered area, or one that is dark or dense with elements out of balance such as all wood furniture and floors, or all metal decor. The energy feels stagnant and irritating or aloof and ungrounded. Over time this energy creates negative flows of energy, discomfort and dis-ease.

There is also another philosophy in Feng Shui that says if you don’t love it get rid of it! Objects retain the energy of the person or event it is associated with and it radiates that memory into the environment. You may be doing a disservice to yourself if you are hanging on to an item you got in a divorce but yet every time you see it, you think of the failed marriage, an upsetting event or the struggle to retain ownership of the item. You may also hang on to clutter because it belonged to a deceased relative and you don’t know what to do with it. Choose a few special items and sell or donate the rest. Of course it may sell faster if you smudge and cleanse the objects of their associated energies.

The practice of reading objects is called psychometry and if you ever have any doubt what kind of chi your object is holding on to, it may be insightful to have a reading from a person with a neutral perspective.