The Five Elements of Feng Shui

Feng Shui is the art of affecting change in your life based on purposeful use of space. Unless you have specific goals to address, such as adding more yin energy or instilling energies of wealth, then you will seek to create balance. Balance in Feng Shui means that energy is following smoothly through your space and is comprised of both yin and yang forces. It also means there is a balance of the five elements: wood, earth, fire, metal and water.

Wood

How to incorporate it: Wood can be introduced with wood furniture or shelving. Bare wood will add even more to your surroundings. Plants and tree branches will add to your space. Even greens and browns will add to this element, as they represent growth and groundedness respectively.

What it represents: growth, organic changes and natural vitality.

Earth

How to incorporate it: Adding stones to your living space is the easiest way to incorporate this element. Stones can obviously be individual gems and rocks you have collected. However, stones can also come in the form of planters, pottery and sculptures. Water Feature Pros sells stone planters, benches and fountains for your living area.

What it represents: Nourishment and sound stability.

Fire

How to incorporate it: Adding candles will give your space the fire element it needs. Simple tea lights placed in ceramic holders will do the trick. Or you can go big with a fireplace or fire fixture. If you have children or cats, you might not want to have open flames in your house. Circumvent that issue by adding firey colors such as fire, yellow, and orange.

What it represents: Passion, creativity and energetic tendencies.

Metal

How to incorporate it: Going to any antique store will lead you straight to plenty of metal decorations. These might be vases, sculptures or mirrors. Ornate metallic jewelry that you might not ever wear could be a great wall decoration. Relevant colors are white, gray and ,of course, metallic finishes.

What it represents: Austerity in the form of independence, strength and composure.

Water

How to incorporate it: We will suggest a water feature, either a water panel or fountain. These features add the flowing water element and the stone earth element together. Pick a fountain that is right for your space. Even small condos or apartments can benefit from a table top water fountain. Water also adds negative ions to the air and really purifies the energy in your space. If you cannot add water to your space, the colors blue and black are representative of the water element.

What it represents: Abundance and prosperity. In fact many emperors and monarchs commissioned large scale fountains to show off their power and wealth.

Are you excited to add these elements into your living space? Leave a comment with your final thoughts on how you will add the elements to your home.