The type of artwork you decide to hang on your walls can go a long way toward supporting a positive, harmonious lifestyle.
As a client walked me through her home, she felt comfortable enough to discuss a topic that had been troubling her.
“I feel as if I can’t get away from my in-laws,” she told me. “They drive me crazy and constantly meddle in our marriage!”
Entering the master bedroom, I immediately saw why. On the walls, a series of photos of her husband’s family hung haphazardly — most noticeably, a large picture of his parents facing her side of the bed.
The problem may seem obvious to you, but she did not see the correlation between the placement of the photos and her feelings. Family photos are fine, but the bedroom is your sanctuary, and in feng shui, the relationship area of your home is probably not the best place for pictures of your in-laws.
The chicken or the egg
In instances like the one above, the question that always comes up for me is, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Did my client always feel her in-laws were intrusive or did she hang the photos and consequently “invite” the in-law-meddling into her marriage? The photos were a visible clue to what was going on beneath the surface.
Your pictures are “speaking” to you
When we are out in the world, the sights and sounds around us “speak” to us, and we consciously and subconsciously take everything in. In our home, the artwork on the walls “speaks” to us, constantly pouring the energy of what is depicted into the environment.
When you want to improve the energy of your environment, make sure the pictures on your wall support, not work against you. Do the images in your home depict what you want in your life? If not, consider replacing them with images that make a positive, uplifting statement in line with your visions and goals.
Where images are concerned, here are some general guidelines to follow:
• Let go of old times. If the images on your walls remind you of a time you would rather forget or from which you would like to move forward, take them down.
• Avoid violence and turbulence. Scenes of battles, storms and raging waters are unsupportive, unless you enjoy never-ending conflicts and chaos at home.
• Let go of fine art that is “negative.” If you have expensive art that has unsupportive connotations or an unpleasant past linked to it, ask yourself if sacrificing the energy of your home for this “investment in negativity” is worth it.
• Use images that are positive. When in doubt, hang inspiring and uplifting artwork that has personal meaning — images that depict life force, abundance, vitality, peace, happiness and harmony.
• Balance the size of the wall with the size of the image. The size of the image should be proportional to the area where it is placed, so place large paintings in areas with a lot of space or group small paintings to fill a larger wall, balancing the yin and yang, or the passive and dynamic energy in a room.
Here are some location-specific guidelines:
• Entrance. Water is associated with the entry because it enhances the flow of energy through the front door. Represent the water element with mirrors, images of flowing water or abstract art in an undulating shape, making certain that the images appear to be flowing into the home.
• Blocked walls. If a wall is within six feet of the entry to your home, open up the space with an image that has depth perspective. For example, landscape paintings draw the eye past the wall by symbolically “breaking it down.”
• Top of stairs. Use bright artwork depicting fire colors (red, bright pink, orange), on the wall at the top of the stairs, to help the energy “climb” the stairs easier. Frame your children’s artwork using bright colors and let the image “call you” up.
• Behind the bed. Mountain and nature scenes and stationary images depict stability and are supportive. Avoid too much moving water (represents emotions) in the bedroom and incorporate harmonious pairs for peaceful relationship energy.
Our homes are a reflection of our inner selves. So bring your dreams and wishes from inside your heart and display them on the walls of your home to better support your life.
For more information about life guide and feng shui expert Alice Inoue, visit the website www.aliceinspired.com.