Summer, the season for beachwear and flip flops, is over. It’s time to refresh your energy and prepare for winter. Did you know that the entrance to your home or business affects your attitude towards life? What you see when you walk in can influence how you feel about your private life, and what you see when you walk out determines your attitude toward public life.
I like to take a photo in both directions, one facing in and one facing out. It’s amazing how a two-dimensional image will reveal something you didn’t notice while looking around in three-dimensional space. Ask questions! Is there a focal point? Catch the look? Is it uplifting?
The GPS told you that “you have reached your destination”. Does the image of your ticket confirm it? Are your house numbers legible? In feng shui we like to create the feeling of having arrived. Ideally, we encourage the notion of three gateways, either physically or symbolically. In my house I had two trees leaning towards each other, thus forming a natural front door. He also had two planters standing guard as sentinels. And I’ve always found it interesting that Islamic architecture adds extra space at the top of an arch to make room for your aura or spirit, maybe your higher self, to come in with you.
An entryway area should feel like shelter and shelter with superior protection from inclement weather. Feng shui also recommends that each of the five elements be represented, and we know from scientific research that humans feel more fulfilled when all five senses are active. Armed with the feng shui wisdom of the ancients and the science of the modern age, we can create a feng shui checklist for our home or business entrances.
• Shelter and shelter can be a porch, a loggia or simply a roof or awning over the front door.
• A beautiful doormat invites you to clean up outdoor dirt and debris. It is a symbol of cleanliness when entering an interior space.
• A place to sit creates comfort and gives a feeling of support. This could be a bench or a rocking chair with a side table for your coffee or tea.
• In China, a pair of fu dogs or lions may flank the front door as protectors.
• Here we recommend pots with multicolored flowers to stand guard as sentinels.
• In Chinese tradition, feng shui practitioners prefer a water source somewhere near the entrance, as they equate flowing water with money coming in.
• Hearing enhancements can be the sounds of bubbling water, a wind chime, or a pleasant doorbell.
• Aromatic flowers like jasmine or honeysuckle add olfactory stimulation.
• A flag, windsock or banner will flutter in the breeze and catch the eye.
• Add lights for nighttime safety, eg solar devices to light your way.
All of our tips aim to create positive qi in your environment. We want to avoid negative qi, that is, sha. As we walk around a property, we try to identify anything that might be threatening or irritating, something blocking your view, something pointing at you, spiky or thorny plants in your path or near the gate, dense vegetation that needs to be cleaned and trimmed . Qi should feel free and easy as we move down a winding path.
Our connection with nature is deeply satisfying to our well-being and should be considered as the ultimate feng shui goal.
