FENG SHUI and HEALTH

In considering Feng Shui for health purposes, the best place to start is the bedroom and the position of the bed. This has a direct impact on our health, simply because we spent almost one third of our lives in our beds. It will be just as relevant to examine the office if one sits and works in the same spot for hours on end every day.

Placing the bed under large windows will impair our sleep quality and possibly result in ill health in the long run. Other well-known misplacements are putting the bed under a beam, large mirrors reflecting the bed, and the bed placed in a door opening. These will all disturb the personal Chi and result in health problems sooner or later. However they are fairly easy to correct once they are spotted. Sometimes a cure can be as simple as changing the position of the bed or changing the bedroom.

Another example of a disturbance to the health in the bedroom is known in Feng Shui as "knife Chi", also sometimes called the "poison arrows". These are cutting Chi formations generated by sharp edges of furniture that disturb our personal Chi. The nearer such edges are to the body or the head the greater will be their impact. A glass bedside table with 90 degrees corners pointing directly to the head will be enough to give serious migraines to anybody. However the very same table 4-5 meters away from the bed will not have the same impact. Of course these are all easy to remedy by rounding the edges of furniture or covering them up with soft fabrics.

In terms of the Flying Stars, the influences that they cast on our health can be far more difficult to spot and therefore more serious. Whenever there are health issues, it is important to analyse the star combinations in the bedroom and particularly the location of the bed. For example, Earth star 2, called the Sickness Star, should be avoided at the location of the bed. Another star that can cause health issues is Earth star 5. The combination of these two can be dangerous. Of course, the person's Kua number has to be taken into consideration here as well. The easiest way of remedying these problems is to relocate the bed or the bedroom to a health-bringing star. If this is not possible, there are traditional Chinese remedies that will easily cure the problem such as six metal coins tied with a red ribbon and metal wind-chimes.

The influence of the 4 Pillars of Destiny on our health is a very interesting subject. Once the four Pillars Chart is constructed from the birth data, either the dominance of, or lack of one of the five elements will indicate weaknesses or strengths in one's health. For example, dominance of the Earth element can indicate a not so slender and rather large figure, prone to diabetes. Similarly, a too strong or too weak Fire element can cause blood related issues, such as high blood pressure or poor eyesight.

Each element is associated with an organ and body part. The Metal element is related to the lungs, skin, nose and teeth; Water to the kidneys, bones, genitals and ears; Wood to the liver, limbs, neck, eyebrows and hair; Fire to the heart, blood, nervous system, eyes and lips; and, the Earth element to the stomach, muscles and cells. When these elements are in balance perfect health will result. Traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture is based on the very same principles; the way the 5 elements interact, such interactions either being creative or destructive. Unbalanced elements can be brought into balance, once one knows the nature of the problem by investigating the four Pillars of Destiny. Life style changes, exercise and supplements can be useful here as well as traditional Chinese medicine.

To sum up, our health and well-being can be improved considerably by: securing the position of the bed (and the desk in the work place); making sure neither of these are under the influence of health disturbing stars; and, supporting the weaker elements of the four Pillars by our choices of interior design, colours and even choosing the right kind of climate for our home, wherever and whenever this is possible.