Flushing your Luck?

After two clients asked me the significance of Feng Shui and the bathroom this week I thought I should expound on it a little bit. After searching the web I see that there are many, many misconceptions about the bathroom, specifically the toilet, and Feng Shui. I saw everything from keeping your toilet lid closed so you don't flush away luck and wealth, to placing an odd number of plants in the room, to tying a red ribbon or red tape around outgoing pipes to keep energy from flowing out. I don't know about you but I want what ever energy is in my bathroom pipes to continue traveling out! Why all the confusion and misconceptions?

If you think about the fact that Feng Shui was developed thousands of years ago, well before modern plumping existed, many of the early suggestions imposed by Feng Shui Masters, were dealing with trying to keep people healthy in an environment that wasn't as sterile as ours is today. Even a hundred years ago having your bathroom near where you were preparing food would've been a health hazard. Many of the misconceptions seem to be coming from ideas forged during those times.

So what do we need to think about as far as bathrooms and Feng Shui goes. It is true that where your bathroom is placed matters. Each house has a unique energy pattern based on the year it was constructed and the direction it is positioned on the earth. I have had clients whose bathroom was located in the area of the house that had the best energy; the most prosperity and creativity was being "lost" in the bathroom area. Unlike our bedrooms, we just don't spend enough time in our bathrooms to absorb much of the energy there, so if much of our houses beneficial energy is found there it is hard to take advantage of it.

What can we do in general to give our bathrooms good Feng Shui? Keeping them clean is the most important. Dirt and grim is very yin and we want to keep it under control as much as possible. Adding plants is a good way to keep the air fresh in a room that is usually closed off. Also, do keep the toilet lid shut. If you don't need a water element in that room then closing the lid will minimize the effect of the water. Lastly, keeping your plumbing working well will keep the negative aspects of a bathroom flowing away from the house. This is just common sense, if your toilet is backed up, your not going to be having a good day and certainly your home will not be welcoming and supportive to you.