Feng Shui is a study of the environment; specifically the living spaces we call home or work. When we are at home, we need a restful environment. Many times though, homes are designed and built in a shape that is not conducive to rest. Rather, it stirs you up or it is unsettling. A well-designed house should allow the owner to enjoy a comfortable experience within the house.
Have you ever seen an unusual house with an odd design? How did the house make you feel? Were you confused or have a dizzy sensation? Did you get lost inside the home? Often in an effort to make a statement or to add a personal uniqueness, architects play with the shape of a house. Depending upon the design, these unique floor plans can have a significant effect on the people who occupy the home. In Feng Shui, shapes can have a profound effect on the Feng Shui within a home or building, thus helping or impairing the occupants and their well being.
One such case was a house where people entered at a right 45-degree turn. Without fail, everyone who entered that house tripped over his or her own feet. Another house was designed in a half circle. The house had circular walls and had almost triangular rooms. The owner of this home suffered from health and relationship problems.
The reason many Chinese restaurants use circular tables rather than square is that circles create unstable qi that is constantly circulating. Square tables create restful qi. People tend to linger longer at a square table. The same goes for a circular house. The qi is not still. It does not create a restful home. People do not tend to want to stay long in a circular home.
Triangular shaped homes and lots are not preferred either. There is an imbalance in this shape. One side is open and the other very closed. Inside the house, odd angles are created in the rooms. In Feng Shui, odd angles are not preferred, especially those that point at you. They direct the qi at you. Often this is called “poison arrows.” Also called “sha qi,” this is simply a flow of qi that is too strong. Just like sleeping directly under a ventilator, and awaking with a cramp, sha qi can affect your well being. Triangular rooms, homes, or lots can create a lot of these sha qi.
Alternatively, a square or rectangular house is ideal. These are stable and solid. People naturally feel at home. The qi can settle in a square room. The floor plan for a square or rectangular house is usually logical and easy to navigate. Whereas the floor plan of a triangular house is often confusing with 45-degree turns and oddly placed doors.
While the home shape is important, the lot that the building sits on is very significant. Triangular lots can restrict either the well being of the people or the financial success of the home. This is another area where a square or rectangular shape is very important. If the lot has a triangular shape, use bushes or a tree line to square off the lot.
When looking for a home or even selecting an office, try to find the home that is square, or rectangle and allows you to walk through it without getting confused. If you have a home with angles, try to block those angles using nice plants that cover the angle and block the sha qi. If you have a circular house, you can also use the plants to slow down the qi and to create lines within that feel more natural.
The next time you find yourself in an unusually shaped building, stop and notice the feeling you get from the building’s design. Are you confused? Do you know where to go? Do you have any sensations such as dizziness? Notice your environment and its effects on you. This is Feng Shui! Buildings designed with Feng Shui in mind, while perhaps architecturally plain, can promote one’s success and well being.