Decorating With the Five Elements of Feng Shui

About the Author

Tisha Morris is a feng shui consultant, interior designer, certified life coach, energy healer, and yoga instructor. She is also the author of Feng Shui Your Life (Turner Publishing, 2011). She is based in Los Angeles, California, and can be found online at TishaMorris.com.

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

Decorating with the Five Elements of Feng Shui © 2015 by Tisha Morris.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Morris, Tisha, author.

Decorating with the five elements of feng shui / Tisha Morris.

1 online resource.

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN 978-0-7387-4706-4 -- ISBN 978-0-7387-4652-4 1. Feng shui in interior decoration. I. Title.

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contents

Preface

introduction

Part One: Discovering the Five Elements

of Feng Shui

Chapter One: The Duality of Yin and Yang Energy

Chapter Two: Characteristics of the Five Elements

Chapter Three: The Cycles of the Five Elements

Part two: The Five Elements and You

Chapter Four: What’s Your Element?

Chapter Five: Wood Types: The Pioneers

Chapter Six: Fire Types: The Manifestors

Chapter Seven: Earth Types: The Stabilizers

Chapter Eight: Metal Types: The Organizers

Chapter Nine: Water Types: The Philosophers

Part three: Using the Five Elements

in Your Home and Property

Chapter Ten: Incorporating the Five Elements in Interiors

Chapter Eleven: Incorporating the Five Elements in Outdoor Areas

Chapter Twelve: Integrating the Five Elements Using the Bagua Map

Chapter Thirteen: A Room-by-Room Guide for Using the Five Elements

Chapter Fourteen: Integrating Your Personal Element for Optimal Balance

Chapter Fifteen: Using the Five Elements to Heal You and Your Home

conclusion

bibliography

recommended resources

appendix

Figure 1: Characteristics of Yin and Yang Energy

Figure 2: Yin and Yang Characteristics in People

Figure 3: Yin and Yang Characteristics in Outdoor Areas

Figure 4: Yin and Yang Characteristics in Interiors

Figure 5: The Five Elements

Figure 6: Properties of the Five Elements

Figure 7: How the Five Elements Work Together

Figure 8: Constructive Cycle of the Five Elements

Figure 9: Destructive Cycle of the Five Elements

Figure 10: Insulting Cycle of the Five Elements

Figure 11: Personal Element According to Chinese Astrology

Figure 12: Five Element Personality Traits in People

Figure 13: Examples of Five Elements Found in Interiors

Figure 14: Examples of Five Elements Found in Outdoor Areas

Figure 15: Bagua Map with the Five Elements

Figure 16: Bagua Map with Crystals>

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.

Don’t resist them—that only creates sorrow. Let things

flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."

—Lao Tzu

preface

When I first began practicing feng shui, the five elements were a very overlooked part of my practice. I understood the concept from an academic perspective, but I didn’t have a particular appreciation for them. And then, like most things in my life, a house changed that for me.

On the day of closing the sale of my home, a contract snafu came out of nowhere that ended up delaying the closing for almost a year. The stress during this time started to take a toll on me physically and so I visited an acupuncturist. As it turned out, I had an excess of the Wood element and needed more Earth with a dash more Metal, a typical imbalance for Wood element people.

Not coincidentally, there was also an overabundance of the Wood element in the home’s finishes, furnishings, and décor. Based on feng shui principles, I found ways to bring more Earth and Metal elements into the home. These changes helped shift my energy and the home’s energy. I ended up falling back in love with the home that had caused me so much angst, which finally led to a successful closing. This experience showed me how we can use the five elements in our interiors to balance not only the energy of our home, but ourselves. From then on, using the Five Elements with clients took on new meaning and took my feng shui practice to a new level.

Working with the five elements has also allowed my passion as an interior designer to come out and play in a new way. It’s one thing to create beautiful spaces, but it’s quite another to create beautiful spaces that heal and support its occupants. This is what I call conscious design—where spirituality meets design. We will begin to see this integration more and more in all creative arts. In essence, it is the resurgence of sacred geometry that architecture once had. But it is no longer just for cathedrals and sacred sites. Conscious design is now available in our homes and in our everyday living—from the items we purchase to the placement of them in our spaces. Using the five elements in our spaces is the conduit through which we can live in harmony with the earth and create our own sacred spaces.

This book was about to go forward with no acknowledgments until I found myself sitting in a very sacred space at Esalen in Big Sur. I wrote this book during a solitary time of my life. In hindsight, I was in a Yin phase, specifically Water phase, and I fought it the entire time! There are seasons in all of our lives. These seasons are the five elements and a necessary part of our growth and evolution. What I was really fighting was the Tao.

The Tao called for this season of my life to be Water, even though I so badly wanted it to be Fire. The Tao had other plans for me. To find the flame of your heart you must sit in the stillness, in the dark night of winter. We teach what we most need to learn. This book taught me that you can only fight the Tao for so long. It is after all your divine plan. Notice which way the wind is blowing and surrender to it. For it is the only Way, or at least the way of least resistance.

When I walked out of the meditation space at Esalen, I noticed a plaque on the side of the building inscribed, Tao follows the Way of the Watercourse as the Heart Mind through Meditation Returns to the Sea. The universe keeps giving us opportunities to learn until we eventually get it. This book would have been incomplete without a special Thank You to my mom and dad for truly being the Earth below my feet and a grounding support as steadfast as the force of gravity. I also want to thank my publisher, my editor, and everyone at Llewellyn for believing in me and in this book. It is a blessing to have a good Metal element around for editing so that my inner editor (critic) can stay quiet.

And finally, this book is dedicated to you finding your Way, the Tao. My hope is that these pages help you find beauty and harmony in your home and in your life and that you find your Way with grace and ease.

[contents]

introduction

Our existence is a delicate and intricate balance of energies. From the earth as a whole to our physical body, even to our relationships, balance is essential to not only our peace and happiness but also our survival. It is crucial to the survival of all things living on our planet and the primary ingredient for our continued existence on the planet.

It is easy to forget that we humans are only part of a bigger macrocosm that also includes plants, oceans, animals, rocks, and Mother Earth herself. Nature is always striving to find balance, and with minor adjustments or cataclysmic disasters, she will always find a way, and whether it seems "good" or "bad" to us is irrelevant to Mother Nature. The duality, the intertwining of yin and yang energy striving for harmony and balance on the planet as a whole, is the basis of the Tao.

Taoism is a philosophical way of life that focuses on the relationship between humanity and the Universe. Tao means the way or the path and within the context of its philosophy is considered the primal energy of the Universe. To be in alignment with, or in the flow of, Universal energy is Taoism’s goal. Taoism is widely considered more of a philosophy than a formal religion, and its principles have been infused into Zen Buddhism and folk religions of ancient China. Taoism recognizes the human body as a microcosm (mini-universe) manifested from the union of the creative yang energy and receptive yin energy. The human body is an exact small-scale model of the Universe comprised of the same principles, matter, and laws.

According to Taoism, it is the mind that creates the illusion of separateness. Similar to other Eastern philosophies, through Taoism we can achieve Oneness, that is, not only to reunite the mind, body, and spirit within ourselves, but to also dissolve the separateness we have created with nature and the Universe as a whole. By living more in harmony with nature, we can begin to see and appreciate that we are all One and break down the barriers that create separateness in our minds.

Chinese Medicine, also known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is heavily based in Taoist principles. Chinese Medicine is being integrated more and more into Western medicine, most commonly in the form of acupuncture, qi gong, and the use of herbal tinctures. These modalities are used to help balance the physical, mental, and emotional bodies in tandem. In accordance with Taoist principles, Chinese Medicine views the human body as a microcosm of the same energies seen in nature and in the cosmos and treats accordingly. These energies are known as the five elements.

Using Feng Shui to Live in Harmony with Nature

Not only do the five elements apply to our mind and body, they apply to our living spaces as well. Feng shui was first practiced in China approximately four thousand years ago, and like Chinese Medicine, has its basis in Taoist principles. It began as a science to locate auspicious burial grounds based on unforeseen energy and forces connecting humans with the cosmos. Feng shui is now used to bring homes and living spaces into balance and harmony with nature and Mother Earth. The idea of living in harmony with nature may sound idealistic, but you will learn practical ways to do just that. In doing so, you will experience more balance and harmony in your life.

We naturally feel better in nature. On a nice day, most people would prefer spending time outdoors usually for enjoyment, such as going to the park, spending time at the beach, going for a hike, or even opting for outdoor dining. When I moved to California, I was amazed at the quality of outdoor living. Due to the mild climate, low humidity, and few bugs, most restaurants, coffee shops, and homes are designed to accommodate outdoor living. When it comes to living spaces, I had always been of the mindset of bringing the outdoors in, but now it is how to bring the indoors out. Patio furniture is of equal importance as living room furniture. As much as I love outdoor living, my crab-like self still craves a cozy room with walls and a roof on occasion. For those who live in harsh climates, it’s quite a challenge to enjoy outdoor living, which is why it is so important to incorporate the principles of nature into our spaces through the five elements so that there is a seamless bridge between our own energy and that of nature.

The word "harmony" is often used in conjunction with feng shui. Harmony is another word for living with ease, whereas "disharmony" would be equivalent to disease. All disease in the body is rooted in dis-ease, mental, emotional, and physical. The more harmony we can incorporate in our lives, the more ease we will experience. Our homes are second only to our body as a space that we have control over and can positively affect and create harmony within. By bringing more consciousness to creating a harmonious environment, the benefits will carry into all areas of your life. Our home is a mirror of our own energy. The harmony of your space will have a direct correlation with the harmony within your mind and body.

Our living spaces connect us with nature, the planet, and beyond. If it weren’t for our built environment, humans would be living among the animals, insects, and flowers. We would be in harmony with nature but also living at its peril—friend and foe.

Living Spaces as a Bridge to Nature

Most of us agree that we would gladly trade our four walls and a roof over our heads at the expense of living in total harmony with nature. In fact, the built environment not only has provided us with more comfortable lifestyles but has also paved the way for our evolution and expansion. The built environment can be a positive connector or disconnector to nature, depending on the integrity of the architecture and design. By intentionally using the five elements, we can strike a beautiful balance of living in comfort, living in harmony with nature, and also living in an environment supportive to our personal energy. The five elements are the bridge connecting our living spaces with nature.

The concept of the five elements is integral to the practice of feng shui and for that reason most feng shui books include a section on them. However, my intention for this book is to provide you with a comprehensive and practical approach for incorporating the five elements into your home. Until now, you may not have been familiar with the five elements and yet everything in your living space is comprised of one or more of them.

I have taught several feng shui courses in person and online over the years. The five elements portion is a popular component and the inspiration behind this book. For example, one of my students commented:

I have long dabbled in interior design classes, to little avail. In contrast, my mother just has that intuitive touch. I know what I like but couldn’t connect or present it …until now. Just using the principles of balancing the elements, colors, or rooms works like a dream. This kind of work is such an anchor to an otherwise overabundance of choices for the home we live with for a long time once made.

In my own experience, the five elements concept has been the common denominator between my background in interior design and my experience as a feng shui consultant. When I discovered the five elements while studying feng shui, I realized that I had been intuitively working with them as an interior designer without being aware of it. Any time you are pairing furnishings, materials, finishes, colors, shapes, and textures together, you are working with the five elements.

In addition to the aesthetics the five elements provide a space, each element embodies a particular energetic quality that affects the energy of a space and therefore that of the occupants. For example, I have observed that my energy shifts in certain restaurants depending on the five elements present. In one particular restaurant in Los Angeles, I noticed that I became irritable every time I went there. I finally realized it was because the décor is primarily comprised of Metal elements. Being dominant in the Wood element, I am not the most compatible with spaces that have a lot of Metal elements. Despite having amazing food, I have to be careful with my energy when I go there or warn my dinner companion.

As you become familiar with the five elements and learn about your own elemental constitution, you will start to see spaces through a different lens. You may also notice yourself shopping for home furnishings in a new way. It is my hope that you will be able to take what you learn from this book and create your own sanctuary—a space that feels great and looks fabulous. In doing so, you will experience better health, more harmonious relationships, an improved flow of happiness, and a boost in your prosperity.

What Are the Five Elements?

The five elements are Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. Throughout this book, you will learn how each element is expressed not only on the planet but also