Home Life

As I was taking in a home design trade show at a suburban hotel recently, I was approached by a smiling woman. “Do you feng shui? she asked, clearly anticipating a positive reply. Huh? was my initial reaction. I answered that I knew little about it, so she was very happy to expand on the benefits of this ancient Chinese philosophy.

While learning all about feng shui cannot be done in a day, the woman impressed upon me its benefits to insure health and good fortune. I listened for a while before moving on, somewhat baffled. As one Chinese woman once told me, just like Chinese medicine, feng shui is deep and complex with many layers to study and understand. 

Followers of the ancient art believe that properly positioning furniture and light in one’s home insures there are no blockages that could hinder energy. I understood it to mean that clutter in all its forms has to be minimal. Something many people fail to see. Case in point, a friend who was looking for a condo asked me to accompany him on one visit. Before we went in, the agent said, “Lots of furniture,” and he was not kidding. It seemed that pieces of furniture of every kind, from bookcases and cabinets, to chairs and tables occupied every inch of the available space. I felt overwhelmed and remembered that it went against the principles of feng shui, however I never did find out if the sellers felt that the energy in their home was blocked.

But they did have an aquarium which according to feng shui can attract more happiness. Although I enjoy watching fish swim in the large aquarium my dentist displays in his waiting room, I remain skeptical that they could influence how I feel because I would worry about feeding the fish properly and cleaning the aquarium.

Like most things in life, feng shui should be approached with a spirit of positivity.