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Energy enhancers

By on February 1, 2011

Photo © Elena Derevtsova

 

Everything in your home impacts your energy. Feng Shui aims to help individuals improve the energy in their home, and therefore their experience, by using objects and images that create a desired impact. While there are many traditional (and dare I say tacky) objects used for such means in Feng Shui, the true goal is to enhance energy in ways that resonate with the individual. Here are some objects that can positively influence the energy in your space.

 

Let There Be Light

Light does more than just enable us to see: it creates warmth and brings conscious awareness as it illuminates. The lack of light or poor-quality lighting can adversely impact the energy of a space. I opt for warm incandescent or halogen bulbs, avoiding cold fluorescent lighting, which doesn’t cast a shadow and thereby restricts depth perception (and consequently depth of consciousness). Using lighting with a dimmer switch helps you set the mood of your space for all kinds of scenarios (wink wink, nudge nudge). It is especially important that light sources be placed in corners, where energy tends to stagnate.

 

Candles are a wonderful source of light, as the movement and direct heat that they provide brings vital energy to any room. It is of course essential that they be kept away from curtains and other flammable, movable objects (including children) and that the surface they are placed on be stable. Lighting a candle at the dinner table can help set the mood for a relaxing meal (Swedes do this in the most wonderful way, and I’ve seen them do this even at lunch time). From a Feng Shui standpoint, it is important to replace candles once they have burned out, lest you yourself feel burned out. If your candles have accumulated dust, it is time to dispose of them or finally light them!

 

Music To My Ears…

Sound is a powerful energizer that has a profound impact on our state of being and the energy in a room. The impact of the music is of course dependent on its quality and your appreciation of it. It is worth noting that mp3-quality music has a lot of information missing, and your brain has to work in order to fill in the gaps in data, so do your best to use lossless audio when transferring music to iTunes (it will take up much more space) or to use CDs (if not vinyls, which are warmer). Speakers are best placed in corners facing into the center of the room in order to bring the music into the whole space, though of course it will depend on your furniture arrangement – having at least some extra speakers from a surround sound system in the corners, for example, will help bring more life

to the space.

 

Natural sound makers are of course ideal room energizers. Chimes, Tibetan bowls, gongs, bells, and other sound-producing objects can bring incredible vibrancy to a room – provided they are well used (if you don’t use them, you don’t get much benefit). Develop a ritual: strike a gong before dinner, ring a bell when starting or finishing work, resonate a sound bowl while meditating. Because sound carries thought forms, being clear on your desired state of being as you create the sound can help fill the room with that intention.

 

Crystal Gazing

Crystals have powerful properties and come in a multitude of varieties and forms. Historically in Feng Shui, faceted crystals have been used to help disperse energy and revitalize a space. I advise against using such crystals anywhere other than hanging them in a window where sunlight can bring vibrant rainbows into you space – hanging them in a hallway or bathroom to disperse ‘negative energy’ speaks to wasted potential, as these crystals are designed to have light shining through them. If using quartz and other natural crystals, consult an expert about their properties and ensure that you have one that is right for you. Such crystals are powerful energy conductors, and using too many or the wrong ones could have results that are different than your intentions. A safe bet is a salt crystal lamp, which provides a warm glow and is not only an excellent source of soft light but also helps transform the energy from computers, wireless routers, and other electromagnetic frequency sources.

 

May your home and objects in it constantly nourish your energy!

 

Mark Ainley is a Contemporary Feng Shui Consultant based in Vancouver. A former resident of Tokyo, he consults internationally for home and business owners.

 

Contact him at markainley@gmail.com or visit www.markainley.com

About Mark Ainley

Mark Ainley is a Contemporary Feng Shui Consultant and Emotional Stress Consultant living in Vancouver. A former 5-year resident of Tokyo, Mark consults with clients internationally to help them design living and work spaces in alignment with their goals. He also provides consulting in emotional stress management, as well as in the connection between facial structure and innate behavioural and communication patterns. He can be reached through his website: www.senseofspace.com and www.markainley.com.