Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Are There Real Rules of Feng Shui?

By Kyle Richey

Do you like rules? If you are like most people, you won't. In general, people appreciate guidelines to keep them on track but we all like to have some room for free expression rather than feeling restricted in what we can and cannot do.

This is one reason that many people enjoy practicing feng shui. While it has a number of important principles and guidelines, there aren't any hard and fast rules of feng shui.

So if there aren't any rules to feng shui, how can we apply it?

There Are No Rules of Feng Shui, But There Are Principles

A rule is something rigid and harsh and does not allow for freedom, judgment, expression or personal choice. It is also something that you have to follow, whether you agree with it or not and whether you like it or not. A stop sign, for example, is a rule and not a suggestion.

On the other hand, a principle is more of a guiding thought which allows for a great deal of latitude for someone to make up their own minds about things. Principles are like a ceiling under which there is a great deal of movement.

That means that if someone tells you there are certain rules of feng shui you must follow, they have a faulty understanding of this art. Feng shui is really about making sure that things around your home and in your workplace are right for you. It's important to remember that the things that bring vitality and energy into your life are what you enjoy and appreciate. They might not work for anyone else. Anyone attempting to dictate rules of feng shui are actually working against the basic ideas of the art.

However, the principles of feng shui are much different. For example, consider the use of color. Feng shui teaches (as do many designers and decorators) that bright colors add energy and vitality to any space, and encourage you to use yellows, oranges, and shades such as these in an area of your home where you need that added energy, such as your kitchen or breakfast nook.

The way you use this principle depends on your personal taste. Imagine if the feng shui "rules" dictated that you have to paint your kitchen yellow and you hate yellow! What works for many people is to introduce the color in small amounts rather than painting the whole room. You might want some yellow or orange accents, such as chairs in that color or kitchen units or even the flooring. You can do whatever appeals to your sense of beauty and makes the kitchen a vibrant place.

Creating Your Own Rules of Feng Shui

It is up to you how you use feng shui in your own home because it has to work for you personally. If your feng shui advisor insists that you follow the "feng shui rules" be cautious because there is no such thing.

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