The ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui asserts that the energy in a space is affected by the way the space is designed, furnished, and decorated -- and that people absorb this energy, which affects their mental and physical wellbeing. A poorly planned space can cause negative feelings, stress, and even poor health, while one carefully designed to follow certain positive energy guidelines can provide the desired type of energy. The bathroom is a room for self-care, cleanliness, and rejuvenation, and is an ideal place to employ the guidelines of Feng Shui. Follow these five Feng Shui rules to invite a perfect variety of clean, renewing energies into your bathroom.
1. Don’t Place Personal Photos on Bathroom Walls
According to traditional Feng Shui, the bathroom is a place strictly for purification. Placing photographs of friends or family will only pull these relationships down the drain and wash them away. Some even go as far as to suggest keeping bathroom drains closed when not in use, so as to avoid them sucking the energy of wealth and good fortune down as well.
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2. Utilize Blue, Green, and White
Blue represents water, which cleanses and purifies both our minds and our bodies. Green represents plant-life, growth, and new beginnings, encouraging us to start each day anew. And white has, of course, long been associated with purity and cleanliness. Some combination of blue, green and white will create the ideal flow of clean, restorative energy through your bathroom space.
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3. Implement Wood to Balance the Water Element
Water and water colors are a great way to represent cleanliness and purity in the bathroom. However, you don’t want to have too much water energy flowing through the room without another element to ground it. Adding a few wood touches will anchor the space and stabilize the flowing energy. This could mean anything from a wood floor to a simple wooden shelf or twine wrapped candles.
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4. Decorate With Metaphors for Purity and Renewal
Keep the renewing and purifying energy circulating throughout your bathroom by choosing décor that represents natural purification and cleansing. Photographs and paintings of rivers, oceans, and trees provide a feeling of rebirth and renewal. Add live plants to encourage this healthy and sanitizing vibe further.
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5. Provide Adequate Ventilation
No amount of meticulous design or careful Feng Shui wisdom can save a bathroom’s energy from the disruption caused by foul bathroom odors. Letting these smells become trapped and linger in the bathroom invites unpleasant, diseased energy into your home. Install a ventilation fan in your bathroom ceiling, if possible, to quickly remove the fumes. Also, consider adding a fragrant houseplant or two to combat odors naturally.
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Feng Shui and its many interpretations can appear immensely intimidating to decipher. But, with an open mind and patience, we can break down these age-old philosophies into simple and attainable guidelines for our modern homes. Incorporating these five simple Feng Shui rules into your bathroom design will encourage and maintain the cleansing, purifying atmosphere you and your guests feel and absorb there, resulting in better health and a more functional home.
