
Feng
Shui Kitchen

by: Stephanie Roberts

Feng Shui (say "fung shway")
associates the kitchen with both health and prosperity.
Couple this perspective with the
role of the kitchen as "the heart of the home," and you
can see that any feng shui problems in this room can have a
significant impact on your family. Here are some quick tips for
improving the feng shui of this important area of the home.
- Good housekeeping is good
feng shui! Keep your kitchen shiny and clean for the best
possible energy. A cluttered, dirty kitchen will have
stagnant, dirty energy, which interferes with your
ability to cook and enjoy healthy, nourishing food. When
you are poorly nourished, your ability to work hard and
earn a good income will suffer.
- Hidden clutter counts. An
excess of stored food in the pantry or freezer can become
clutter if it far exceeds a reasonable amount for your
family. Old, stale food has old, stale energy, even if
the expiration date is still months (or even years) away.
Clean out your food cupboards and refrigerator regularly.
- Good nutrition is also good
feng shui, so try to add more healthy, organic foods to
your diet, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. Start
thinking of junk food as clutter that you are putting
into your body, and maybe you'll be able to resist that
next cookie or donut.
- A stove that is not in good
working order implies a problem with financial resources.
If any part of the stove (burners, oven light, fan, etc.)
does not work, get it fixed as soon as possible.
- An unused stove implies
untapped resources or ignored opportunities. Even if all
you do is boil water for tea, rotate which burner you set
the kettle on so that all of them get regular use! And
use the oven, too, from time to time, instead of always
relying on the microwave.
- If you stand facing the
wall while you cook, this leaves your back exposed, a
position that is considered weak in feng shui. Hang a
mirror on the wall over the stove so that you can see
what's going on behind you while you cook.
- Hanging a mirror so it
reflects the stove burners visually doubles the number of
burners. This symbolizes doubling of your income; more
good food = better health and strength = ability to earn
a good income.
- Fire and water fight each
other, so the placement of the stove and sink is
important. If they are directly opposite each other, this
can lead to arguments and conflict within the family. Fix
this by placing something green between them, such as a
green rug on the floor or a living plant on a table in
the center of the room. (A sink and stove that are side
by side also weaken the energy of the kitchen. Again,
place something green between them.)
- The stove is symbolic of
wealth, so it is important to keep its fire energy strong.
Wood feeds fire, so plants or plant imagery (or again,
the color green) are all good to have around and near the
stove.
- Fresh flowers bring
beautiful uplifting energy to the kitchen. Place a bowl
of fruit, a vase of flowers, or a living plant on your
kitchen table, windowsill, or wherever the layout of your
kitchen allows. (In feng shui, dried flowers have no life
energy in them, so they are not recommended. If real
plants are impossible, you can use very lifelike fake
ones, but the effect will not be as strong.)
- Since nine is a feng shui
power number, and oranges symbolize good luck, you can
bring good luck energy into the kitchen by placing nine
of the biggest, roundest, most perfectly orange oranges
you can find in a bowl in the center of the room, on top
of the stove (yes, you can move them while you are
cooking!), or in the far left corner of the room. Always
keep some oranges on hand, so each time you take one from
the bowl you can add another to keep the total number at
nine. Be sure to use the older oranges first, so none of
them rot or dry out; if it's not good to eat, it's not
good feng shui!
When your kitchen is clean,
bright, and welcoming, the heart of your home is filled with good
feng shui. The care and attention you give to enhancing this
important area of the home creates a powerful, positive energy
that supports the health and prosperity of your family.
Copyright (c) 2003 Stephanie
Roberts
