The Feng Shui Forum:
The Importance of Welcoming, Part 2
Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) is the ancient Eastern art of placement and design.
by Joani Nunez
Welcome to the second installment on welcoming and its importance to good Feng Shui.
Starting where we left off last month, take just a moment to conjure up in your memory a
few of your favorite places. These can be places in nature, homes that you’ve
visited, or businesses, restaurants, and galleries. I’ll bet that the one thing each
of these places has in common is a lovely and unique way of welcoming you and inviting you
to continue within and stay awhile.
With this in mind, let’s look at some commonly encountered problems in the realm of
welcoming. One is the wide-open space where nothing contains the chi, or you, once
you’ve stepped through the door. The front door directly lines up with the back,
which typically is glass and opens up to the outdoors. This can be the sky and panoramic
views of penthouses and office spaces, or the typical pool and garden of a home.
Either way the result is the same. The chi flows in and rushes right back out. It
isn’t contained or welcomed upon entry, and therefore never has a chance to gently
flow through the space and enliven it. You’ll notice that your energy is pulled out
as well. There’s a restlessness that accompanies this kind of situation, and you
never really fully settle into the space. Those living and working in this kind of
situation will eventually experience exhaustion, health problems, and financial
difficulty.
This is simple enough to fix, and you can do so in a variety of ways. The traditional
transcendental cure would be to hang a crystal half way between the front and back
as well as to place a mirror opposite the front door along the open back, to redirect the
chi flow. The mundane cure would be to place objects, such as plants, a circular rug, a
table with a beautiful centerpiece, in front of the wide open back that would contain
the chi, inviting it to stay, linger and circulate through the space.
Another common challenge is the direct opposite of the one above. You open the door and
step right into a wall; the proverbial dead-end. You’ll find conflicting
information with regard to curing this. One suggestion would be to hang a mirror on the
wall directly opposite the door, thus transcendentally creating an opening. You could also
place a small shelf under the mirror with a simple vase and flower, or other objects that
create a sense of pleasure and beauty. Others would disagree with this, saying that the
mirror would bounce the chi right back out the door! What to do?
I experiment with everything before I draw any conclusions. If you find that life does not
expand, open up and become easier with the aforementioned mirror, then we can conclude
that, indeed, the chi is being reflected back out. Stay with the basic notion of
expansion. That’s what’s called for with regard to the adjustment. Hang a
piece of artwork that represents openness, infinity and expansion. The
adjustment requires an opening up of the energy and there are many different
ways to accomplish this.
And finally, although I optimistically encourage Feng Shui’s most traditional
teachings, I’m also a realist. With that in mind, let’s say that you still use a
garage or laundry room as your primary, personal entrance. What kind of welcome home are
you experiencing, day in, day out? This affects you in very profound ways. We know
you’re not going to stop using this entrance, so let’s embrace it! Clean it
up, paint it, make it gorgeous. Stencil affirmations on the wall, hang art, decorate, and
give yourself a loving and beautiful welcome. The first thing you see upon entering sets
your intention and experience for the rest of the stay. What you see upon leaving is
what you take with you out into the world. So go ahead and choose beauty, joy, and love.
You’ll be glad you made the effort.
And so, until next month, I wish you many blessings and great happiness. Please feel free
to fax me at 713-861-9243, e-mail me, or call me at
713-861-0903 with your questions, feedback, or personal experience. I look forward to
hearing from you soon!
More articles by Joani Nunez
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