# 43 Feng Shui, First Element "Wood"

Feng Shui principles claim to make your bedroom a peaceful haven to retreat to for rest and romance, so you will emerge feeling refreshed and renewed.

Feng shui — which literally translates to "wind and water" — is the ancient Chinese art of placement. The goal is to enhance the flow of chi (life force or spiritual energy), and to create harmonious A red area rug with a bamboo pattern introduces warmth, color and the feng shui aspect of fire and passion to the hardwood floors. Environments that support health, beckon wealth and invite happiness. At its most basic level, feng shui (pronounced fung shway) is a decorating discipline based on the belief that our surroundings affect us.

Feng shui divides the world into five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. If you have a room that doesn't feel quite right, try balancing the elements to make it more comfortable. Each element invokes a different mood, creating a customized space that's beneficial for your personality and goals


1. Wood. Wood harnesses the power of creativity and expansion while representing traits such as growth, birth, strength, flexibility and intuition. Too much wood can make you feel overwhelmed, rigid, stubborn and inflexible, whereas too little can show up as a lack of creativity or depression, ambivalence and stagnancy.

When designing with the wood element, use shapes that mimic the vertical, column-like shape of tree trunks and the softness of leaves and flowers. Like the leaves and sky, wood's colors are green and blue. Consider incorporating the following types of objects:

• fresh and silk flowers
• plants and trees
• cotton and other natural fabrics
• wood furniture