Feng Shui that Makes Sense

 

Feng Shui that Makes Sense

 

 

 

Feng Shui that Makes Sense is a new book by Cathleen McCandless, a Feng Shui consultant with over 20 years of experience and an impressive list of clients.  Last night I had the opportunity to attend a seminar featuring Cathleen, sponsored by the San Diego Association of Realtors.  In the seminar, Cathleen provided a great overview of some Feng Shui principals and how they effect a buyer’s perception of a home.

Cathleen explained that Feng Shui started in southern China about 5000 years ago as a set of guidelines designed to keep people safe and secure and in balance with their environment.  These guidelines helped them determine where to build their house and plant their crops, and how to create an environment to help protect themselves against marauders.  Feng Shui is not a religion and there is nothing mystical about its principals, (and no, your front door doesn’t have to be red).

She said that Feng Shui is much like Environmental Psychology, and much of the information she reveals in the book is backed by scientific study.  But it all really comes down to creating living and working spaces that just feel right based on subliminal messages that speak to our primitive selves and our need for safety, security and harmony.

Here’s a few interesting examples she shared:

 

• It is a fact that most people would rather sit in a booth at a restaurant than an open table with chairs.  In an open table with chairs we can’t see what is going on behind us and we are less relaxed.  In a booth, our back is protected.
• A backyard on a canyon with no fence or bushes may have a great unobstructed view, but often people are uncomfortable spending time there because the lack of even a small barrier makes one feel vulnerable.  Adding even low bushes will completely change the feeling of the space.
• Green plants and bright flowers in particular have a strong visual impact on emotions and actually cause a release of chemicals in the body associated with pleasure.
• Humans are attracted to water as we need it to survive.  We are drawn to living in places where we can see water and even better, hear water based on our primitive needs.  We find comfort in having water near us, which is why adding a bird bath or small fountain can increase the appeal of a property.
• Things that are pointed make us feel defensive.  A front yard filled with cactus might be great for conserving water, but is likely to make a visitor feel unsettled and unwelcome. Softer, curved lines make us feel more relaxed than sharp corners and edges.

My interest in Feng Shui began a few months ago when I started to become frustrated with my Chinese clients looking for a rental property….everything I showed them seemed to have the right number of bedrooms and baths, but for each property the Feng Shui was wrong.  They patiently tried to educate me, and along the way, I became fascinated.  Obviously, this seminar barely scratched the surface of this ancient study, but I look forward to reading Cathleen’s book, taking some additional classes and eventually learn enough to provide another real service to my clients.   

 

Cathleen also hosts the TV show Feng Shui Living. For more information about Cathleen please visit her website.

 

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