Feng Shui: Health

“There is no good fortune if there is no health” 

The aspiration of health is represented in the East sector of a given area, this possibly being the most important of the eight aspirations as it is the only one that has a direct effect on the others, especially when health is absent.

All traditional Chinese practices, from acupuncture to physical exercise, massage and, of course, Feng Shui itself, focus on nourishing energy (the “chi”), both in the external as regards our surroundings and in the internal, through meditation and breathing exercises, for example. These techniques are based on the belief that all things in the universe, the tangible and the intangible, the living or the inanimate, have the awareness of energy. So that each room of a house, in exactly the same way as each cell in the human organism, has its own intrinsic energy and it is by keeping this energy in good condition that we manage to keep in good health.

But there are more recent studies, conducted by the Wayne State University School of Medicine (U.S.A.), that show how the area in which we live and work has a direct effect on our health. So by achieving a good arrangement in the area concerned, we can reduce levels of stress, of cholesterol and even cut down the risk of cardiovascular accidents. This study has been led by Professor Bengt Arnetz, renowned worldwide for his work on how hospitals should be designed in order to encourage curing the sick.

Apart from our surroundings, there is another series of internal factors affecting our health and which, in terms of Feng Shui, we can identify as the other aspirations that we deal with in this column every Sunday: When our economic situation is looking good, things go well at work, in the family and with friends it is much easier for us to keep up a positive attitude and, therefore, we usually have less health problems. When all is said and done, we are talking about the psychosomatic part that seems to have a direct effect on curing or improving certain illnesses.

The East sector is represented in terms of Feng Shui by the element of wood. So that the best way to enhance our health is by plants and flowers that must be natural and must be kept in good condition. It is taken for granted that artificial plants build up dust, which is why they are not good. At the office, plants stand for good health and the growth of the business. In the bedroom, Feng Shui coincides with our custom not to use natural plants. Here they can be substituted by decorative objects such as paintings or materials representing wood (trees, forests, flowers, wood, the colour green …).

Maru Canales

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