Feng shui, pronounced fung shway, means wind and water. Both these energies are the essentials of good health and life itself.
Feng shui principles have existed for several thousand years. With connections to different beliefs, such as Buddhism, Shinto, Taoism, Confucianism, and Vastu Shastra, feng shui is based on regulations laid down in the Chinese classics, specifically the Li Shu or Li Chi, better known as the Book of Rites. This sacred book preserves ancient Chinese religious beliefs.
The focus of feng shui – the ancient practice of geomancy – is on order, especially the harmony between heaven and earth. Feng shui divides the universe into 5 elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, And Water – and guides humanity in ways that help in keeping the balance of nature intact.
Feng shui was first used in deciding the location of burial sites during the Chou (or Zhou) Dynasty period (1046 to 256 BCE). Particular emphasis was laid on landscape features such as mountains and water bodies. The locations of graveyards were believed to safeguard the chi – the universal energy – of the deceased and provide their descendants with support.
Not much is known of feng shui’s origins. However, it’s evident that the Chinese have been using feng shui principles in the design of their homes and towns for more than four thousand years. Today, western cultures are using feng shui more frequently.
- What Does the Bathroom Represent in Feng Shui?
- What Is the Significance of Bagua Map in Feng Shui?
- Where Should a Bathroom Be Placed in a House as per Feng Shui?
- 11 Important Tips to Add Feng Shui in Your Bathroom
- Shop Premium Bathroom Accessories
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What Does the Bathroom Represent in Feng Shui?
In feng shui, a bathroom is considered to have the lowest flow of energy among all the rooms in your home. Thousands of years ago, bathrooms were plain unhygienic.
When feng shui developed, sparkling clean bathrooms – which we take for granted today – were still several centuries away. For this reason, people didn’t have a latrine near their homes, as there would inevitably be bathroom waste close by.
A lot of water comes in and exits the bathroom. In feng shui, this is important because the water element is associated with your prosperity. Pay attention to all the drainage points in your home. Fix all dripping pipes, and ensure there are no water leakages. It’s not just about high utility bills.
Water leaks simply don’t favour the alignment of your energies with your surroundings. With zero water leaks, you can expect higher positive vibes.
What Is the Significance of Bagua Map in Feng Shui?
The bagua map marks the different energy areas of your home.
This feng shui tool is shown in the image below. It reveals the rooms that fall under each sector/quadrant and the specific areas of your life it affects.
Image source: LoveToKnow
There are two types of Bagua maps. The two primary schools of feng shui use slightly different versions of bagua.
Classical Feng Shui, the first school, uses the octagon bagua for determining the different sectors/quadrants. But Black Hat Feng Shui (BTB), the second school, uses the 9-grid square for determining the different sectors/quadrants. This version of the bagua is shown below.
Image source: LoveToKnow
There are some critical differences between the two schools of feng shui.
The characteristic feature of Classical Feng Shui is it uses compass readings. Each sector of the bagua is determined based on the compass readings.
The Black Hat Feng Shui, however, takes a one-size-fits-all approach and doesn’t use compass readings. The BTB feng shui applies the 9-grid bagua the same way for every home or commercial building, regardless of the compass directions.
Both schools use the same remedies. Feng shui remedies attract auspicious chi energy or life force and transform the negative energy.
Where Should a Bathroom Be Placed in a House as per Feng Shui?
According to Ashley Peacock of Peacock Feng Shui, a bathroom is considered “dirty”. Hence, it should not be positioned in a bedroom, near a kitchen, or close to the front door.
Toilets should not be placed in the south. The unstable change in chi energy in the southwest direction makes it unsuitable for placing a bathroom in this direction.
The earth chi in the southwest will destroy hydropower, resulting in the loss of life force of family members. Similarly, the northwest direction is also unfavourable because the hydropower in this direction gives negative energy to the economic power of the house.
Placing the bathroom in the same direction as your home is also not recommended, as it can cause health issues for your family members.
The northeast direction is the right location for the bathroom and toilet. The reason is that the northeast belongs to the earth element. It neutralises the negative effects of water energy, safeguarding the health of family members.
You don’t need to relocate an existing bathroom. Instead, you can apply feng shui remedies to your bathroom, regardless of its location.
11 Important Tips to Add Feng Shui in Your Bathroom
1. Importance of Mirrors
A Bathroom Mirror is a simple yet effective tool for enhancing feng shui. It is an essential tool to ensure that the chi energy flows freely. Remember, the basic premise of feng shui philosophy is all about how positive chi energy moves in and out of a home.
In a bathroom, the wastewater features can easily activate negative chi. The best way to counter this is to hang a full-length mirror on the inside of the bathroom door.
However, one major caveat is that the mirror should not reflect the toilet. Even the mirror you hang on the wall should not reflect the toilet.
Feng shui also favours round- and oval-shaped wall mirrors.
2. Use of Different Colours for Feng Shui
The bathroom is considered unfavourable because wastewater is negative chi energy, and its downward flow symbolises the loss of wealth. Warm accents such as artwork depicting warm landscapes, a teak bench, or a wicker hamper balance the water element.
Choose a soft or light warm colour to direct the auspicious yin energy.
The best feng shui colours for wealth are water-inspired colours, pleasant pastels, and light shades. Light blue, turquoise blue, green, peach, pink, white, creamy white and yellow are all good feng shui colours for bathroom interiors.
3. Keep the Toilet Lid Closed
The first piece of advice that people hear about feng shui is to keep the toilet seat down. But why does feng shui insist on keeping the toilet lid closed?
Toilets are usually the biggest pipe in a home. Chi is the vital life force that embodies and feeds humanity. Would you want to leave the biggest pipe in your home open?
Leaving the toilet lid open would suck chi out of our lives. Besides, looking into a toilet bowl isn’t pleasant. A closed toilet lid is good feng shui in the bathroom and looks better.
4. Regular Cleaning of Bathroom
Since feng shui attaches considerable importance to cleaning, you need to clean your bathroom regularly. Feng shui principles look unfavourably at dirt particles and consider them a serious block to the flow of positive chi.
A poorly maintained bathroom may manifest itself through a feeling of being stuck or not being able to make much progress in life. What’s the solution?
Apart from regular cleaning, deep clean the carpets, floor, windowsills, and the areas in and around the toilet. Boost the positive energy by scheduling a big seasonal cleaning.
5. Decluttering Your Bathroom
Clutter is inevitable in a bathroom. The common culprits include expired bath products, sample products that you may never use, dirty laundry, expired medicines, old towels, and the list goes on.
While getting rid of most of these items is the best solution, storage furniture such as a vanity unit or tallboy can be helpful in decluttering your bathroom. At least you can keep the bathroom essentials you use every day out of sight.
6. Bringing Plants into Your Bathroom
The two major themes of good feng shui in bathrooms are purification and renewal. The best way you could reflect these two themes is to include some alluring plants.
For one, these plants will purify the air. Also, they’ll keep your bathroom fresh. But don’t go overboard and fill your bathroom with plants. Bring in enough plants to complement the decor but ensure they are not too plentiful.
A few strategically placed plants can boost the energy flow in your bathroom. Top feng shui plant choices include the Peace Lily, Aloe Vera, the Chinese Money Plant, and Jade Plant.
7. Bathroom Lighting
The main aim of feng shui in bathroom lighting is to balance the chi energy. Avoid low-suspended light as symbolism can be powerful in feng shui.
In many bathrooms, it’s commonplace to see a light fixture suspended from the ceiling. The problem with this is a hanging light isn’t an auspicious sign for people who live in the home.
The other thing you need to avoid is over-brightness. If your bathroom is too dark, it’s understandable that you need more lighting. But don’t make the room too bright, as harsh light isn’t favourable for achieving a good balance of chi energy.
8. Balance the Water with Wood and Earth Elements
Both the wood and earth elements work to regulate the water imbalance.
The wood element draws the chi energy upwards away from the drains. Therefore, to reinforce the wood element in your bathroom, you can use wood furniture and plants. Wood paneling on the walls is another option.
The earth element will slow the outflow of the chi energy by blocking water. Browns, yellows, and reddish oranges are earth-centered feng shui colours. You can also use square- or rectangular-shaped tiles to bring in the earth element.
9. Ventilation
Adequate ventilation counters bad odours, mould, and mildew – which are all unfavorable for good feng shui in the bathroom – effectively.
The main problem in most bathrooms is eliminating the stale air. Remember, fresh air is laden with positive chi. If your bathroom has a window, let in fresh air by opening it frequently.
Even if you rely on an extractor fan or exhaust ventilation to get rid of stale air, ensure the size of the mechanical device is right. The latest extractor fans provide a high-power function and are perfect for any installation.
10. Adding Wall Art in the Bathroom
A beautiful bathroom nourishes the flow of positive chi energy.
The best way to activate the wood and earth elements and boost the chi energy inside the bathroom is to add exquisite wall art. Check the compass location of the bathroom carefully before selecting the right feng shui wall art.
Consider the type of energy suppression that is needed. For instance, a bathtub located in the north can affect your career negatively.
To counter the negative energy, select wall art images that depict pottery and ceramic.
11. Keep the Toilet Hidden
In feng shui, having the toilet clearly visible through the doorway is considered unfavourable. Nina Campbell, an interior designer, recommends that the toilet isn’t visible as soon as the door is opened.
Hence, it’s worthwhile to do your best to ensure the toilet is concealed from plain sight. If possible, build a partition wall or install a screen to hide the toilet. You can even consider shifting the toilet to another corner if it doesn’t involve a lot of expense.
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