10C THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
APARTMENT GUIDE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26. 2006
the Way to Feng Shui
Bringing peace and positive energy through decoration
BY PATRICK LUIZ SULLIVAN DE OLIVERA
ENTITUD KANSAN.COM
KANSAN CORRESPONDENT
eng Shui has been characterized as exotic and mysterious, but it can be more accurately described as a way of living.
Every culture, from Native American to Japanese, practices some form of it.
Feng Shui literally means "wind and water" and according to Laurie Bornstein, a Feng Shui practitioner and founder of Harmony Life, "water symbolizes the energy you can see, while the wind the energy that is unseen but that you can feel."
Feng Shui is about simplifying your lifestyle and environment, and making both of them more pleasing. she said.
Contrary to what many people believe, Feng Shui is not only a form of design. Sure, it involves decoration, but to someone like Bornstein, it is much deeper.
"Feng Shui involves understanding how the energy in an environment moves." Bornstein said.
Everything around you affects you, she said, whether it is the color of your walls or how a certain rug is positioned, by applying Feng Shui principles you can make it affect you positively.
You don't have to decorate your house with fountains, rock gardens and bonsais to successfully integrate Feng Shui into your lifestyle. Feng Shui is adaptable to your personal style. The main objective of Feng Shui is to make you feel good and to make your house a welcoming place.
"People should practice Feng
Shui because it provides a sense of comfort and helps you achieve a life of balance. It provides you with a welcoming environment so that you feel that you belong there, and that can't help but look good," she said.
When you go home,whether to your dorm room or your of campus apartment. Feng Shui is supposed to help.
College students live under a lot of stress. The environment that you live in shouldn't put you under more stress, it should be a relaxing space.
Not to mention that you need an organized and welcoming study environment where you can concentrate and not feel bothered by the things around you.
A common misconception is that applying Feng Shui principles to your living environment is expensive. The truth is that Feng Shui can be as expensive or cheap as you want it to be.
"Most people have the things they need, but in the wrong places. Rearrange the things you have. Can the things you have be supplemented? Yes. Do you have to? Most of the time, no," Bornstein said.
In theory, just by rearranging your furniture you can feel the benefits. But one basic concept people need to grasp before decorating is themselves. There is no use in reorganizing, rearranging and even buying new things to make your life easier if
you do not understand your living patterns. Those are the little things that add up.
College students
Color is an inexpensive way of improving the environment you live in, because it changes your relationship with space. Bornstein said. Have you ever noticed that a white room feels bigger than a
black room? Color is multisensory. One thing to pay attention to is that you should never use colors you don't feel comfortable with. If you find blue to be a soothing color, use it, but if you patently dislike it, don't use it. Another point to focus on is clutter.
"Clutter wastes time, money and is stressful," Bornstein said.
How many times have you found yourself going through clothes you never wear just to find that one piece you adore? Clutter occupies
space that could be taken up for useful purposes.
In the end, what really matters is how you feel about your house, Bornstein said. Don't go with the newest decorating trends; do things that make you like your house is a warm and embracing environment. You should look forward to getting back home after a long day on campus, not unexcited about all the mess you need to organize.
FIVE INEXPENSIVE WAYS TO USE FENG SHUI IN YOUR HOME
Remember, make your house feel like a home.
Your bed should have a full view of the room and not he directly
and not be directly aligned with the door. If that's impossible put something between your bed and the door, it can even be a small rug. The reason behind that is because there is a constant flow of energy coming in through your door and you do not want to be distracted by that while you are in bed. The bed is supposed to be a spot for relaxation.
2 incorporate color. It is always nice to be surrounded by colors that you like. That can really change the feeling of a room. The problem is that most leases have restrictions regarding painting walls. If that is the case curtains or bedspreads can make some difference.
3 Pay attention to your artwork. Posters, paintings and sculptures are valuable assets, but don't surround yourself with aggressive artwork. That can make the environment unwelcoming and stressful.
4 Plants are good as long as you take care of them. Plants are a great source of positive energy, but there is nothing positive about a dead shrub.
All you need is love. Surround yourself with things you love, need and find useful.
Eddingham Place Apartments
Close to campus on KU Bus Route
2 bedrooms various floor plans
pool and workout center
(785) 841-5444
1501 Eddingham Dr
www.eddinghamplace.com
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