Feng shui is an ancient science and practice that originated in China thousands of years ago. Also found in other cultures by other names, feng shui involves “decoding” a space based on common sense and basic human needs for the purpose of creating balance and harmony with its nature and our own. By bringing balance to a space, feng shui creates both calming and energizing sensations to those who enter it, which allows them to better envision and manifest their dreams.

Color is one of the most fascinating feng shui tools. Children are drawn to colorful clothing, colorful rooms and colorful toys. They have no filters directing them to like red versus green or to match colors. They just devour what they love, and they love most of it. Adults, on the other hand, have been indoctrinated with rules about color. However, the physical body still senses the power of color. The calming blue of the sky or the sea cues relaxation. The green of vegetation inspires the energy of growth and the fiery reds call forth passion and a drive to live fully.

One part of a feng shui consultation is choosing colors, but it is never the first part. Function, form and then color: that’s the sequence. Who cares what color your room is if you don’t have a place to share stories from the day, cuddle, help the children with their homework, have family gatherings or put your car keys? Function has to come first, and then form supports the functions, meaning arranging the furniture and artwork and maybe even the walls.

Is there a formula for choosing colors for a home or office? Never! Blues might be the perfect color to balance a couple whose energies are full of get-up-and-go or who are high achievers and have difficulty relaxing. But for dreamy people who have a difficult time making decisions or sticking with them, blue might be too much of a good thing.

Homes with sickness have an entirely different requirement, as do homes with power struggles. Each color has a frequency, and so do individuals. Establishing a balance is tricky and often made easier with a professional, neutral eye.

For example, a client who sells organic bedding, towels, clothing, beds and numerous other things made from wood was preparing to build a retail store in a shopping mall. Wood is one of the five elements in feng shui (and in acupuncture, a sister science from China), all of which should be in balance for a feeling of peacefulness. The client wanted all the walls to be green—the color associated with wood.

Many of their products, made from wood, physically appear as neutral beige colors. Beige represents the element of metal. Without balancing these colors, the store would be dominated by the energies of metal and wood, with no regard for the energies of earth, fire or water. In a session with this client, a long, relaxing lavender-blue wall was added, some grounding brown for earth energy, and a hot pink section for fire. The resulting balance was fantastic.

In another example, the owner of a yoga center wanted walls of pink, which is fire energy. The burning passion for a yoga practice certainly is the energy of fire, but people also emit fire energy, and pink walls, combined with a room full of people, do not balance and are not conducive to mindfulness.

A concept to keep in mind is: “That which we desire is often what we know quite well and have grown to love. What we avoid is our growth edge, our opportunity.” What would you invite into your life? Color and feng shui are one means of manifesting those dreams.

Linda Mundt practices feng shui throughout the United States and Europe through her business, Creating Space for a Peaceful Mind. Trained in a professional apprenticeship, she considers 40 years of yoga and meditation to be her primary teachers. Mundt is available for consultations in the Naples area the last week of May. Contact: [email protected] or visit LindaMundt.com