Why We Should All Feng Shui Our Homes

The following is the transcript of an interview that Priya did for Sai Jurawanichkul, contributor for TryAcupuncture.org website and magazine.

We are so excited to have acupuncturist, herbalist, and feng shui consultant Priya Ahuja, LAc, M.S. Traditional Oriental Medicine here to tell us all about why feng shui is so important to our homes and lives. 

Hi Priya, so what is feng shui?

Hi! Simply put, feng shui is a way of harmonizing your life by harmonizing the flow of energy in your home. Since your home is a reflection of your life, we can use this “outside” environment to influence our “inner” environment.

For those who are familiar with acupuncture, I like to say that feng shui is acupuncture for the home. In Chinese medicine, it’s common to hear that “stagnation causes disease.” So also, if there is stagnation in the home, this can promote disease, which wouldn’t be an ideal environment to live in.

What does feng shui mean?
 

Feng means wind and shui means water. Water in the river flows around rocks, and wind moves around buildings. We want our homes to have flowing energy that moves seamlessly around obstacles.

An example of the “smooth flow of energy” would be to use the front door of your home where all of the qi (energy) enters. If the placement of furniture and adjustment items are ideal, the qi will flow smoothly and optimally into all of the rooms in your home beginning with the front door.

How often do you have to feng shui your home?
 

It’s an everyday process but it usually begins with one big assessment of everything, which involves a lot of moving furniture and items around. It’s powerful medicine, so once the change is finished, it takes time for the qi to settle. Sometimes, you will need to make tweaks as you evolve. We all need tune-ups to adapt to changes in our lives!

Can anyone feng shui their home? Or is only for new occupants?
 

Anyone can do it! I have clients who f eng shui’d their home after living there for 30-40 years. Other clients seek my help while looking for a new place or a place they’ve newly moved into. There is no ideal client and feng shui can be done in any living space at any time.

Can you describe what a consultation with you would be like?
 

We usually start off with preliminary work, where you would send me a brief “biography” describing what’s happening in your life the past 6 months. What are your challenges? What’s going well? Recently married? Recently moved? Why do you want to have your home feng shui’d? I also ask for a floor plan with current furniture placement if possible.

The consultation itself can be as long as six hours, or be as short as two. During this time I get to know you as a person and go from there. It depends on the person, size of the space, and individual needs to determine the length of time for consult.

What are absolute musts for the home?
 

I would always recommend to anyone to choose your surroundings well! Do you enjoy what you see as you walk to and from home? What do you see outside your window? These are things that are harder to adjust or change.

What’s an example of “bad” feng shui that no one should have in their home?
 

There is no such thing, because almost everything can be adjusted. This is why I say it is important to enjoy what’s immediately outside your home since that isn’t as easy to change. But, we can’t control everything so we can try to be as optimal as possible.

About Sai Jurawanichkul
Sai is the manager at Aquarius Healing Arts, an acupuncture and health clinic located in Greenwich Village.