How to Use Plants in Feng Shui

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Plants as feng shui solutions for your home are simple, yet powerful ways to improve the wellness of your home. They can invite energies like healing, growth, and kindness into your life.

Feng shui adjustments don’t need to be overly complex. There are misconceptions that more complicated things are somehow better or more effective. Consider the concept of the butterfly effect, where one small flap of a wing can create a huge impact: even the tiniest shift can make a huge difference.

Plants Invite Life Energy

Qi, pronounced “chee,” is the unseen life force energy around us that gives life. It’s also known as chi, ki, and prana. Feng shui is the study and practice of improving the flow of qi in our environments and homes. The placement of plants is one of the most effective ways to improve the positive qi in your spaces.

Plants and Wood Element

Plants also welcome wood energy. Wood is one of the five elements in the feng shui philosophy. The others are Earth, Metal, Water, and Fire. Wood energy cultivates restoration, life, growth, flexibility, kindness, family harmony, and new beginnings. The addition of living green plants in the home can attract all of these positive qualities into your life.

As we work with the plants in our home, we begin to become aware of our deep connection with nature and others. Plants require the same things as humans to thrive. These include sunlight, air to breathe, water to drink, and nourishment and love. If plants are ignored, they will wither, just like humans. This is just one way in which plants begin to create kindness and new beginnings into our lives.

The wood element also teaches us about nature’s generosity. Nature gives freely and abundantly. The trees and plants bear fruit and create seeds, more that one person or family ever needs. For example, a simple house plant can flourish and provide many cuttings. You can propagate plants to share with your friends and family. We learn to share with joy and true generosity. In turn, we begin to embody the characteristics of nature and the plants that we care for.

Best Plants for Feng Shui

Here are some guidelines in selecting the best plants for a home feng shui adjustment:

• Light requirements: Be sure you have the appropriate plant for the light that is available.
• Care requirements: Be honest about the time and ease of care that the plant you select requires.
• A new plant: ideally you don’t want to repurpose a plant you already have in your home. It is better to purchase or receive a new one for feng shui use so you can invite in a new energy. It takes more effort, and that’s part of the process.
• Select a plant that is in good health.
• Look for a plant that is an appropriate size for the space.
• Soft, rounded leaves are preferable over pointy, sharp, or thorny leaves.

Remember, not every plant in your home is a feng shui adjustment. But the vibrant green plants in your home do contribute to more life energy in your space. Also, ailing or neglected plants are not recommended for feng shui.

Plant Feng Shui Solutions

Here are just a few ways that you can place plants in your home for feng shui adjustments.

Healing 

Plants create healing energy. Place nine new living green plants throughout the home. Be sure to include the entry, bedroom, and living room. You can connect them energetically with matching pots, or by using only one species of house plant.

Harmony for Family

Activate the Zhen / Family area of the Bagua map by placing a new living green plant in the Zhen position of your home.

Cultivate Prosperity

Xun is the Bagua area related to wealth, abundance, and prosperity. You can place a new living green plant in the Xun position of your home. This will create growth and new beginnings for your prosperity.

Ignite Inspiration

If you need a little more inspiration and passion in any part of your life, you can activate the Li/Fame position of your home. The wood element offering of a new living green plant will fuel and ignite the fire you’re seeking.

Balancing Bathrooms

A living green plant in a bathroom can help to balance the water energy that is depleted with the plumbing. A plant transforms the downward water energy into uplifting life qi.