KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2010 / NEWS
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LIVING
Stressed students might find peace with feng shui
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Valley Bayles, a sophomore from Lenexa, turned on the desks and chairs in her freshman room form they faced a window. She found this feng shui pointer in a magazine article.
BY KELLY MORGAN
kmorgan@kansan.com
There is one item that Ronaa Reinke recommends for all students moving into new dorm rooms; a fresh bundle of sage.
While not a typical item on most students' packing lists, Reinke, owner of Happy Healthy Homes in Lawrence, said sage played an important role in the cleansing process of feng shui.
"When you move into a new space, the dirt and dust in the room holds the energy of the person who lived in there before you," Reinke said. "You really want to clear that out and make a fresh start by wiping the walls down with sage or even holy water."
Originating nearly 5,000 years ago in China, feng shui is the belief that the location and material of the items in a person's room has a direct effect on that person's well-being.
"Depending on their birthday, a person can be one of eight different elements," Remke said. "This element will determine how they should arrange the furniture in their room to obtain the best energy."
While it's difficult to give a general answer for how KU students
and arrange their rooms,
Reinke believes that the best thing a student can do to ensure a balanced life is to cut back on clutter.
"Leaving clothes on the floor, not putting paperwork in the
"Too much clutter makes you tired and lethargic and adds to the congestion in your body."
"There's a lot to be said for keeping your space organized," Reinke said. "You want to be radiant and clutter can make you pro-
Reinke suggests that students invest in storage containers, such as baskets, to keep their visual space clear.
RONDA REINKE Feng shui expert
right place, it all builds on each other," Reinke said. "Too much clutter makes you tired and lethargic and adds to the congestion in your body."
crastinate, affect how people treat you and can even affect your body weight."
While not experts, some KU students have started to incorporate feng shui into their furniture arrangements.
"I don't follow it to a 'T'," Veronica
Boyle, a senior from Wichita, said. "I read a magazine article a few years ago that gave some pointers for how to make a feng-shui-
friendly dorm room."
One of those tips was to turn all of the desks and chairs in a room so that they faced a window. Boyle said she was pleased when the minor change resulted in a less claustrophobic atmosphere.
"I really started to notice that the area became a lot more comfortable and just a friendly and relaxing place to hang out," Boyle said.
Despite its growing popularity, there are still many who question feng shui and its impact on a person's life.
"I don't quite see how arranging furniture can create energy in a spiritual way," Mallory Bayles, a sophomore from Lenexa, said. "But I believe that there are ways to arrange your room to create an environment that benefits you and your lifestyle."
Edited by Dana Meredith
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