Go Green with Feng Shui

Your home is your oasis; the place you go to relax, regroup and reenergize. If you desire some balance in not only your life but in the world at large, maybe it’s time to incorporate the principles of both Feng Shui and green living into your design.

The two concepts are compatible, says Cheryl Amantea, chair of both the Advertising and Fashion & Retail Management degree programs at The New England Institute of Art in Boston. “Feng Shui incorporates plants, sunlight, cleanliness and the elements of running water and circulation of air, so it’s not a stretch to put the ‘green lifestyle’ in with Feng Shui.”

“Feng Shui (pronounced fung sch-way) means ‘wind water.’ It connects what is seen (environment) with what is unseen (energy) — often referred to as chi (pronounced chee),” says Amantea.

Chi can be found in your color scheme and placement of objects, with each color symbolizing different characteristics. Aptly enough, green symbolizes life, growth, vitality and energy. Yellow and earth tones represent health, while blue is symbolic of knowledge and red is used for power.

Placement is key to creating a positive chi. “Picture your home as an octagon,” says Amantea. Find the true front door of your home and, according to interior design student Adam Neidlinger at The Art Institute of Indianapolis, ensure air and energy are moving in a steady nurturing manner.

“The flow of the energy or chi through a space can be increased or decreased by the objects being placed in the room,” says Neidlinger. “Wouldn’t you rather get energy from a natural, sustainable, green object than from a manufactured, most likely chemical-filled object?”

Bamboo is a great element because it is natural, clean and it quickly regenerates itself. Live plants are also important according to Neidlinger. “Plants renew the air which is what carries the energy in a room.”

LEED accredited architect and engineer Samuel Hurt who instructs at The Art Institute of Indianapolis agrees with Amantea, but is not exactly sold on Feng Shui as green living. “Personally I’m a bit skeptical about Feng Shui and some of the claims, but that doesn’t mean it is a completely useless way to clean up the environment,” says Hurt.

Through his teaching of sustainable design and his renowned, sustainable work on buildings in the Midwest, Hurt has become well-versed in the green movement. He believes that if Feng Shui wants to combine with sustainable design, however it is defined, we are all better off.

“If Feng Shui can assist in reducing contamination in the world, then that is fine. And good for anyone else who can advance the same cause, no matter what the particular path may be,” says Hurt.

Dr. Peggy Way, adjunct psychology professor at Argosy University, Nashville, considers Feng Shui and green living as a means to promote positive mental health and stress reduction. “Utilize Feng Shui and green living to create a personal space that will help sustain and renew you in the midst of a stressful professional life.”

“Intentionally seek out the ribbons and colors of nature and let the experience restore you. Don’t neglect outdoor space. Consider creating a small natural garden. This is the time of year for garden and landscaping shows where many exhibitors will focus on natural environments and natural forms of growth,” Dr. Way says.

“By all means seek your own groundedness in the natural world so that you can be nurtured and that as you are nurtured in spirit you will find that same nurture is spilling over into the lives of others around you.”

To learn more about The Art Institutes, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.