Feng Shui & Awakening the Senses

This week I went to the opening of The Senses: Design Beyond Vision at the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum in NYC. The museum is housed in the Andrew Carnegie mansion on 5th Avenue and worth the trip just to see the magnificent interiors.

The introduction to the exhibit’s book states, “Sensory design activates touch, sound, smell, taste, and the wisdom of the body. Sensory design supports every one’s opportunity to receive information, explore the world, and experience joy, wonder, and social connections, regardless of our social abilities.”

It goes on to say, “We have allowed two of our sensory domains – sight and sound – to dominate our design imagination. In fact, when it comes to the culture of architecture and design, we create and produce almost exclusively for one sense – the visual.”

I so relate to these statements as I am presently teaching a 5-part webinar to

architects and interior designers on feng shui . We started with the premise that feng shui is grounded in the theory that all living things are dependent upon their environment and that ‘good’ feng shui supports the flow of ‘universal energy’ or ‘chi’ to the built environment. This in turn supports the well being, productivity, prosperity and harmonious relationships of those that live or work there.

The 5 Agent of Change or the Five Elements – Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal, are the major ‘tools’ of feng shui design. They relate to many things in nature, the body, the personality and the senses. The 5 Elements not only produce a vital experience in the environment but when used prescriptively, move chi and thus we perceive things differently and positive change happens.

A number of years ago a wrote a book for a home study program for architects and interior designers, a chapter of which was devoted to ‘accessible’ or ‘universal’ design and how it interfaces with feng shui and the senses. I hope to share some of that information in a future newsletter.

As spring finally approaches the east coast, I encourage everyone to open your senses (all of them) to the beauty that surrounds us. Let yourself be nurtured by nature’s unstoppable renewal. If any part of your life feels ‘stuck’ or in need of refreshing, let’s discuss the options feng shui and a space cleansing ritual can offer.

“It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know the sense of wonder and humility.”