As my recent studies have been pulling me toward the Asian cultures due to their unprecedented health and longevity, it is inevitable that I run across much information about the Chinese system of 'geomancy' believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive Qi (chi). Qi being their name for the energy flow of life. The system is called Feng shui which is literally translated as wind-water in the English language. According to Wikipedia, historically feng shui was used to orient the dwellings of the rich and famous. The information was kept very secret and even suppressed in China for many years as it was reserved for Emperors and Empresses only. After the cultural revolution in the 1960s, the secrets have been let out to the masses, and this way of living is beginning to grow very quickly in popularity. I am someone who strives to keep an open mind, so I decided to dabble in the world of feng shui slightly and watch for any changes so that I could report to you all. The very basic main principles of feng shui are:

1. Eliminate clutter. Well this is a no-brainer. There are plenty of great studies on alpha (good) and beta (not as good) brainwaves that prove to us that when there is limited clutter, the brain can easily balance out into an alpha state. When there is clutter present, such as open closet doors, piled up paperwork, dirty laundry, etc, the brain immediately goes into a beta brainwave state which is not conducive to productivity or quality healing. Feng shui principles recommend you keep garbages under cabinets (so as not to be seen), paperwork filed, beds made, and anything you do not currently need or use, give it away to someone who does need it or can use it. This principle is fairly easy to understand, and it is one that we find throughout many cultures. So far, I'm in!

2. Make sure your bed, main living room furniture, and work desk are facing the door where incoming traffic (or Qi) is flowing in. There are many reasons for this principle, but most go back to treating yourself as the king or queen of your life. Royalty always sits and sleeps where they can see what may be happening and who may be coming to greet them. This is known to give your life empowerment. As for my experiment, I can say that my personal bedroom just 'feels' nicer. It actually flows better and I am excited to go to bed at night! My living room is an open concept already, but we did move the furniture a bit to accommodate for incoming Qi, and I must say that in all the years we have lived in this house, as a family we have spent significantly more time together in this room since the change. Not sure if these positives are just because the rooms are a bit different now, or if possibly our brainwaves are instinctively feeling more alpha.

3. Based on the Chinese birth chart, everyone has specific compass directions that are either positive and life enhancing for them or more neutral. Although astronomy and astrology interest me, I'm not one to put any weight on their effectiveness. But again, I am trying my best to keep an open mind. In the name of experimentation, I decided to put my children's beds in their personal compass directions (as feng shui recommends). One thing that did stand out to me was that my youngest son's bed was facing his 'frustration' direction. Nearly every day he was waking up frustrated, to the point where my husband was asking me what we should do about this daily frustration routine. So here's the interesting part…we moved his bed to face his 'health' direction and from the first morning, his frustration was totally gone. I mean totally! Okay, this must be a coincidence I thought to myself. But, he has yet to have one frustrated morning since. We have implemented a few other small changes such as specific colors to enhance joy, and a few new plants (great for air purification and oxygen) as well. Although we may have had a few interestingly positive changes with our feng shui experiment, it's not enough for me to dive in 100%. It does, however, intrigue me to look into it a bit further. I do know one thing, the Chinese are certainly figuring something out regarding their overall quality of life. Is it feng shui? My jury is still out on that one. Is it a combination of many things? Probably. Is it worth researching further? That's up to you!