Going green with feng shui

A great way to start is by using plants that have wonderful aromas, do not have thorns and can be used in the home for seasonings or decorations.

by Lisa Montgomery — 

Today we hear and read a lot about “green” designs, buildings, products and lifestyles. The following are some hints for green living from a feng shui perspective, which will have the added advantage of creating a more prosperous, balanced home environment.

A great way to start is by using plants that have wonderful aromas, do not have thorns and can be used in the home for seasonings or decorations. Rosemary and sage both fit that bill. They flower nicely, meaning they are ornamental, and their scents are welcoming and cleansing, adding an extra feng shui punch.

Fruit trees in the back left-hand corner of the yard help create financial and food abundance, along with helping conserve water used for other plant growth. Fruit can also be used for food or compost, so very little of the trees’ bounty is ever wasted.

Another great feng shui tip is to use solar tubes, which will create light, save on resources, and keep areas bright that may otherwise have a slow or negative chi, or life energy flow. Bathrooms and hallways are excellent places for solar tube lighting. Using any solar alternative to create light and energy allows us to harness one of the greatest chi resources available — the sun.

Create an area for composting. The less you throw away and send down the sewer, the more good chi energy will come back to you. Composting allows you to recycle yard clippings, weeds, dead plants, peelings, eggshells, etc. Compost can be used to feed other plants, creating a higher chi energy with dirt that is alive and full of fuel, which then creates new life.

Use a salt lamp instead of an air cleaner. Salt lamps are helpful for taking allergens out of the air without creating a large electromagnetic field like air cleaners do. They also use very little electricity, as most use a night-light bulb.

Feng shui can be good for the environment and for the soul.

Lisa Montgomery is a certified feng shui consultant and owner of Feng Shui Arizona and the Feng Shui Education and Resource Center, in Mesa, Ariz. 480-854-6961, fengshui@fengshuiaz.com or www.fengshuiaz.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 27, Number 3, June/July 2008.