FENG SHUI CAN HELP ENERGIZE YOUR FRONT DOOR AND ENTRYWAY

Winter is not too far away now, and already the days are getting cooler and shorter. If you’re like most of us, the fall season causes your mood to droop a little. And, our energy-levels can slide even further during the cold winter months when there's not much sun and the green trees, flowers, and grass are long gone. Those are the times we seek the shelter and comfort in our own homes. And, an upbeat home will help keep our spirits up during the long winter.

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of chi or universal energy flow. Feng Shui involves the placing of objects and the use of space to enhance our lives, and we can use these principles to energize our homes in the months to come. The theme of this post is how to use Feng Shui rules at the entrance of the house to increase the positive energy throughout the home.

According to Feng Shui, the main door and the front entryway are very important parts of the home because that’s where most of the positive universal energy, or chi, comes in. That’s also the space that you, your family and friends see first when entering the house. Your choice of decoration at the front door and entryway show something about you and contribute to your attitude toward life. If you feel bad energy entering your home, it will have a negative effect on your psychology.

While other parts of the house may be used by just a few people, all members of the family and visitors alike enter through the main door. So, you’ll want the entrance to your home to be inviting and filled with good energy. Now your main entry to the house may be a side door, through a garage, or a hallway door, if you live in a building. If that’s your main entryway then the energy flow principles that apply to a front door are the same for your entrance. So, start now to analyze what Feng Shui solutions can help you energize the entryway to your home.

Main door
In the outdoors, chi moves mostly uninterrupted in gentle curves – straight lines are human artifacts and often are unfortunate when it comes to energy flow. The outdoor chi flows relatively freely, like water or vapor, coming in through the main door, drifting through the house, and finally exits out of windows and any other doors.

According to Feng Shui, the main door should be a solid construction. It is the “mouth” of the house, taking in nourishing chi. Glass panels in the door and windows that are too close to the door on either side can pull the good energy back out of the house right after it enters. A green potted plant on the windowsill or a hanging decoration on the window help keep the energy from escaping.

You want the “fresh” energy that comes through your door to wander around the rooms unhurriedly before exiting. That is why you don't want to see an exiting door from your entryway. The worst possible position for the back door is in a straight line (shot-gun style) from the front door. Potted plants or folding screens that “bend” the energy to one side can help this problem - that way not all the flow will be in one door and out the other. Crystals, wind chimes, screens, curtains, and water displays can also be used to the stop rapid energy loss through an exit door.

Foyer or front hallway
The entrance area, traditionally called the foyer, is the transition from the outside to the inside personal space. It’s important that energy that comes into the front of your home isn't obstructed. Your entryway should be open and easy to move around in, allowing you free access to the rest of the home. The main door should open into an uncluttered, clean front room or hallway. A wall that’s too close to the front door blocks the flow of energy into the home.

Lighting is important in the entry, so use an overhead lamp that’s attractive and gives off sufficient light. Make sure that the walls are painted a light or bright color in the front area. The first things you see when you enter your home should be friendly to the eye and bring peace and joy to your heart. You'll feel much more at ease and comforted when the entryway is an attractive part of the home.

A hanging mirror opposite the door is not such a good idea because it will “reflect” the energy back out of the house. Instead, let the eye see an attractive painting or wall hanging, preferably a landscape, facing the doorway. Mirrors can be used on the walls to the side of the main door, where they reflect the light and make the entrance feel larger.

Clutter stops energy from flowing. Remove anything that is blocking the flow of chi in your entryway. Keep your entrance hall clean and organized by including only a few essentials, such as an umbrella stand, a console table, or a coat rack. The entrance hall should never be a storage room. Don't leave items, such as shoes, clothing or any other unnecessary items lying around. Decorate the area with just a few beautiful objects, plants or flowers. Crystals, devotional figures, good luck pieces, and ceramic eggs are also commonly used in Feng Shui as a means of amplifying the energy in the home.

There is a particular problem when the front door opens directly into a living room or kitchen. While we usually can’t redesign the layout of our homes, Feng Shui remedies can still be of help. If possible, try to differentiate the entryway by hanging curtains or placing a divider or a tall plant near the front door, thereby creating a visual stopping point between the door and the rest of the living space. The addition of rug that’s in proportion to the entrance can help create the feeling of a separate entry space. The most appropriate rugs for the entryway have simple designs - suggesting stable, grounding energy that creates positive energy for the transition from outdoor to indoor space.