Feng Shui for the Holiday Season
Glance around the room and consider each seat. Is a buffet table or china cabinet with sharp corners pointing directly at a guest? Corners create “poison arrows” known as Sha Chi or “killing energy.” In the short term, these could make the person sitting in their path feel uncomfortable. You can drape live greenery across a sharp corner to lessen the negative energy.
Arrange chairs so that no one has his back to the door. You can move the table out into the center of the room if necessary. The host should sit in the command position, which is at an angle from the entrance into the room. This position allows the host to see the door but not be directly in line with it.
Feng Shui Colors for a Dining Room
If you’re considering redecorating your dining room in time for the holidays, the best colors for a dining room are pinks, greens and blues to encourage conversation and stimulate the palate. Many restaurants have green decor because it stimulates the appetite. Avoid blacks and whites unless the goal is to lose weight.
For a classy look for the holidays, however, consider a black table cloth with brighter, seasonal shades for cloth napkins and tableware. This will ensure your guests don’t get so stuffed they feel uncomfortable, and will permit the night to continue with good conversation rather than having everyone fall asleep after eating too many carbohydrates.
Creating a Feng Shui Menu
Speaking of food — what to serve? It’s always nice to share unique dishes that have significance within your family. You might even share the recipe with everyone (if it’s not a family secret!) on 3×5 printed placards. You can also ask your guests to bring one of their own “signature” dishes and share the recipe, and the story behind it, with everyone. You can also make healthy alternatives of holiday classics, perhaps using locally grown organic produce. Using local produce ensures you’ll serve foods of the season, since it’s fresh off a nearby farm.
Positive Energy at the Table Unscented votive candles placed around the table create a sense of warmth and joy. A lively centerpiece of fresh flowers, pumpkins, gourds and fruit activates the energy at the table. A creative arrangement will also spark conversation. Make sure centerpieces are low to the table so they don’t block your guests’ view of each other and inhibit conversation.
Hanging a mirror on the wall next to the table “multiplies” your feast, encouraging abundance in the year ahead. Enhance the atmosphere with fun holiday music or a playlist of your guests’ favorite songs. Keep music low so it doesn’t interfere with conversation.
After-Dinner Activities It’s okay if everyone wants to retire to the living room and watch the football game, but consider other social activities you can enjoy while the game plays in the background. You can arrange your living room with the furniture in comfortable clusters to encourage conversation rather than place an emphasis on the television set. Do not place seats parallel to each other, but instead, in a casual, curving pattern to enhance the soft, meandering flow of chi through the room. You can read more about Feng Shui living room arrangements in this article.
