The 9 Tools of Feng Shui

Many questions are being asked by each one of us. "What will our future bring?" "How will this affect my family, my children and my friends?" "What can I do to make my home and workplace safer?"

We can do many things to create the positive flow of Chi. In previous lessons we have gone over the importance of understanding Chi- what it is and how it affects our health, fortune and relationships- these are the three most important things in our life. There are nine tools of Feng Shui you can use to fix or "cure" negative situations and achieve harmony in your home or office.

1. Color adds context to our lives. We are conditioned to associate certain things with color, such as holidays, cultural events, and emotions. In Feng Shui, color is also used to represent and balance the Five Elements.

2. Sound, specifically music, is a powerful way to uplift the chi in any environment and to soothe stress in the home or office. Other sound makers such as wind chimes attract, or "call" the chi into your home or workplace.

3. Lighting, especially full-spectrum light bulbs that simulate natural light, is a simple way to bring more chi into your environment. Fireplaces and candles are also a source of light. Outside, garden lighting can be used to anchor a missing bagua area.

4. Art of any kind, whether it is a painting, sculpture, or textiles, can enhance the chi. The selection of art should reflect positive images and feelings. The placement of your art depends on the area of the Feng Shui bagua (or mapping chart) you want to enhance.

5. Living Things like plants, flowers, and animals add active chi. Use silk if your light is too limited to grow healthy plants or when you have allergies, but avoid dried flowers because they represent stagnant, dead energy. Pets bring wonderful energy, just be sure to keep the fish bowl and pet cages and sleeping areas clean.

6. Water features such as fountains, fish tanks, and waterfalls stimulate the movement of chi in and around your home or workplace. It is important to choose a sound of moving water that is appealing rather than disturbing.

7. Wind-Sensitive Objects outside of your home, like wind chimes, mobiles, whirligigs, banners, and flags attract positive chi toward your home. They can also be used to mark missing areas of the bagua.

8. Mirrors can be used inside to reflect a pleasant view into a home or to symbolically move a wall and correct its shape; outside, they can be used to deflect a negative structure or unpleasant object.

9. Crystals represent energy from deep within the Earth and can help you feel grounded. Hanging a clear faceted crystal in a window will attract the sparkle of the sun and its full color spectrum into your space.