Health and Harmony in the kitchen ....the Feng Shui Way!!!

Feng Shui (Chinese translation wind and water) is a tradition, a Chinese belief in which the coordination of opposites, or yin and yang is believed to bring peace and prosperity. Quite similar to yogic meditations, the channelling of the outer energy of the environment and the inner energy of the individual is said to create harmony.

In today’s fast paced world most of us depend on the take outs and ready to eat food more than preferring to actually cook a meal. Food is a source of energy and when we do not use the proper food to satisfy our hunger, we mess up the balance of our bodies severely. Today US is one of the leading countries in dietary problems. Feng Shui gives us some simple yet effective methods through which we can regain the balance that we have lost.

What does Feng Shui Mean?

Feng shui believes that the five elements, if balanced in the individual and the house will in turn bring a lot of harmony to the household. Feng Shui practitioners use a tool known as Ba Gua which is actually an octagon depicting the basic elements needed in a person’s life. Each side is known as a “gua” and when the “guas” are in perfect balance, the individual enjoys the life force “qi” in totality. Even the way the food is cooked or served makes a difference in the balance of the guas resulting in a change in qi.

Placement of and inside the kitchen

According to Feng Shui, the kitchen should always be on the eastern side of the house. It should be as close to the dining room and as far away from the bathroom as possible. It is believed that if the kitchen is near the bathroom, the abundance depicted by the kitchen is flushed away in the bathroom.
Inside the kitchen the stove should never be near the sink or the refrigerator. This is because there is a conflict which arises between the elements of fire and water inside the kitchen. Each of the burners should be used in rotation to avoid burnout of any singe burner. A wooden chopping board next to the stove is a sign of permanent supply of fuel. A picture or statue of the kitchen god should always be hung in the kitchen.
The kitchen sink is best placed on the north wall according to Ba Gua. The sink should always be in a good condition because free flow of water, without any clogging or obstacles, means good fortune in feng shui.
The kitchen should always be well lit and should have big windows to let in as much sunlight as possible. The colours of the walls should preferably be white which depicts purity and cleanliness.
Crowded and Cluttered kitchens subconsciously make the cook restless and frustrated affecting the harmony in the house. If you want your partner to be more involved in the kitchen, Feng Shui has an answer to the problem. According to Feng Shui, the southwest corner is the partnership area. Colouring that area red or pink helps in motivating the partner to help in the kitchen. If you want your family to be more helpful in the kitchen the northwest corner should be accentuated with white, grey or black.

Feng Shui in Food

In her book on Feng Shui, Elizabeth Miles gives a chart of the Yin and Yang of food.
Yang (Warm-Hot): Red Meats, Alcohol, Coffee, Chocolates, Ginger, Butter, Shrimp, Spices
Neutral: Pork, Milk, Sweet potatoes, Peanuts, Rice, Figs, Carrots, Honey
Ying (Cool-Cold): Crab, Chicken, cucumber, sesame seeds, water or broth, most common fruits, ice cream
A yin lunch will help you to fight stress whereas a yang lunch will help you to gear up for a productive afternoon. Normally the recommended course of action would be to follow a yang lunch with a yin dinner to maintain the balance.

The nature has given us a lot of balance which we have disturbed through out unquenchable thirst for more and more and more. Feng Shui gives us a chance to restore that balance and live a life where both the environment and the body receive peace and harmony.