FengShuiMontreal

FENG SHUI: INDOOR PLANTS

by Lydia Pawelak / published in the magazine VIVRE

Plants are one of the most pratical remedies used in feng shui. In general, indoor plants in healthy condition will encourage positive chi to flow where it was absent, slow down too fast-moving energy, or hide sharp corners that emit poisoned arrows, negative chi.

A green plant represents Wood, which is one of the 5 fundamental elements in feng shui. Plants vary from one region to another, and from one culture to another, but there are some plants that are considered to create harmony, as long as they are healthy.

Plants with rounded leaves are very good plants for the house: the money plant (crassula ovata) is considered to encourage prosperity, the peace lily (spathiphyllum wallisii) neutralizes the positive ions emited from a computer or television; the bamboo plant is a symbol of longevity.

Certain plants have a unfavourable effect and should be avoided: desert plants like the yucca, the cactus, and the palm are unhealthy because with their sharp pointing leaves they attack people's aura as a defense for self-preservation. By placing these plants in a business, new clients may be attacked in such a subtle way that they may not be comfortable to come back a second time. Having these plants at home near seating or sleeping areas will encourage the weakening of our immune system.

In feng shui dried flowers or plants need to be avoided, they emit an excessive amount negative yin energy, and represent death. You can however use artificial plants and flowers, they symbolize vital yang energy. Healthy flowers attract cosmic chi and oxygen which enhances our own vitality.

It is very good to have flowers at home, they generate a feeling of love and happiness and therefor enhance our immune system. Once they start to fade we need to change them before they will start attracting negativity. Depending on the colour and shape of the flowers we can boost the energy of a particular sector in our home which is associated with a life aspiration (career, health, prosperity, fame, relationship, creativity, children, travel...) .

Red and yellow flowers have a very high yang energy, while purple and blue flowers have a more calming yin energy.

It is advisable to remove cut flowers from a bedroom at night, because they will use up a lot of oxygen.

Bonsai trees, since they are formed by stunting natural growth, do not represent good Feng Shui and should not be kept in the home.