09 Sep The Heart of the Matter: Creating a Feng Shui Core

Whenever I ask an audience “How many of you love your home?”, a few people enthusiastically raise their hands. If I ask the opposite question, many people sadly admit that they either don’t like their home at all or there are certain parts that they don’t like. The contrast in response is telling about who lives in a place that speaks to them and who doesn’t.

Moving may not be an option for those people who do not love their home for many reasons. Besides it’s my professional theory that moving away from a home you don’t like doesn’t get to the root of the problem. It’s always better to leave a space on good terms and with no regrets. One way to change an unpleasant experience with your home is to discover its heart.

A heart in a home operates just like the heart in your body—-it keeps things alive and vital. The heart is often a visual centerpiece, front and center for all to see, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be tucked quietly away to be appreciated only by the eyes of the occupants. Whether sitting by the front door or placed in a private room, it has a specific job to do—-keep the house alive.

The heart is a reminder and indicator of the life that lives within the walls and all it asks is that you tend to it. This means keeping it clean, in order, and pleasing to look at. It should not be a place where stuff starts to accumulate ; it is not the depository for the mail, books, homework, etc. If you want to create a heart in your own home or workplace, there are some specific points to keep in mind:

1. In most cases, your heart will be created on a horizontal surface (the top of a dining room sideboard, the top of a dresser, a table in the front entry, a shelf in the bookcase, etc.). It may not be an entire room, however, I have seen a meditation room that would qualify as the heart of the home. Nevertheless, size isn’t all that important.
2. A true heart needs a connection to nature. This can be accomplished through the use of plants, flowers or pictures. High-quality silk flowers or plants would also work.
3. An object with a round shape should be included because it represents wholeness and balance. This could be a round candle, a bowl, or fabric with round designs that could be used as a runner or table-cloth.
4. The presence of water (real or otherwise) is vital to keeping your heart alive. This might be a fountain or it could be a picture of water. Anything that feels flow-y and moving will fulfill the element of water.
5. Finally, you want to have something with magnetic eye-appeal. One of the objects above may offer the drama needed for this: red flowers for example, red or bright-colored circles on the fabric, a photo of someone you love, a special momento, or a statue. This element could very well be the central piece to your heart—-something that pulls your own heart into it.

You may have some other ideas and other pieces you want to include—-you can create your own heart in any way you want. But there’s one thing to remember:
You’ll know if you’ve done it right if it speaks to your own heart. When you look at it, if you feel inspired, uplifted and moved, then you have definitely created a heart for your space. You just need to keep it beating strong.