greenliving
“Feng shui is the original eco-science.” ~ Will LeStrange
places to support all aspects of life. Rec- ommended alterations typically start with furniture placement, color choices and key accessorizing. Sample bagua maps are available online for referencing. While a complete feng shui treat-
ment may require major revamping, we can also take some low-cost steps to immediately create more harmony while eliminating toxins that are unhealthy and disrupt the energy flow.
Eco Feng Shui
Tips to Bring More Positive Energy into Your Home by Sarah Tarver-Wahlquist
W
hen we’re hungry for change, we may feel the impulse to spruce up our living spaces.
Rooms that feel cluttered, drab and un- appealing drag on our energy. Applying the basic inspired tenets of the ancient Chinese art and science of feng shui can transform and re-energize any space, improving the way we feel. Translated as “wind and water,” feng
shui—which has been creating healthy and harmonious environments since its
origins 3,000 years ago—can activate our rethinking the arrangement, uses and tone of each room while bringing benefi- cial green changes home.
Feng Shui Basics When considering how to apply feng shui principles, it helps to have a trained practitioner make a map, or bagua, ana- lyzing how energy, or chi, moves through a building. They will determine ways to help chi flow and settle in appropriate
Bring in Green “Bringing natural elements into a space will aid the circulation of chi, help achieve a balance and yield an indoor environ- ment of peace and calm,” says feng shui practitioner Maureen Calamia, owner of Luminous Spaces, in St. James, New York. Feng shui categorizes the natural
elements as water, metal, fire, earth and wood, reflected in items like stones, plants and water features, as well as art and wall decorations and paint colors. Filling a home with living plants is fa- vored by many feng shui experts. “Surround yourself with green plants, including cuttings from the yard,” advises Debra Duneier, a feng shui master practitioner, certified eco-design- er and author of EcoChi: Designing the Human Experience, in New York City. “They bring energy and life force into your home, while also filtering the air you breathe.” If adding plants isn’t feasible, she recommends picking up some fresh flowers each week. Remember to change
20 Twin Cities Edition
NaturalTwinCities.com
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