The FIVE ELEMENTS (Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood) work best when blended together in a harmonious way inside your home. Today, we are focusing on the element of wood (a.k.a plants,flowers,trees, bushes, etc). Not only do they help to spruce up the overall ambiance, they are also scientifically proven to reduce stress, purify the air, improve learning, compassion, speed up the healing process, memory, and communication!

Incorporating wood element could be achieved through the arrangement of real plants, plant inspired artwork or artificial flowers. How about wood flooring, panels and furniture, do they count? Yes. Yet, when it comes to feng shui we are even more interested in replicating or actually using real natural elements inside the home. Below is a list of 4 plants you could include into your home.

Aloe Plant:

This plant offers great healing properties. Not only does it soothe skin burns and cuts, it can also help to monitor the air quality in your home, including; air of pollutants found in chemical cleaning products. When the amount of harmful chemicals in the air becomes excessive, the plant's leaves will display brown spots.

From a Feng Shui Shamanistic perspective, if your home is effected by spiritual activity, Aloe is said to help ward off that energy and protect the home.

English Ivy:

NASA scientists listed the English ivy as the number one best air-filtering houseplant, as it is the most effective plant when it comes to absorbing formaldehyde. It’s also very easy to grow and adaptable.

Rubber Trees:

Rubber trees are good for cleaning the air and are one of the easiest plants to grow, as they thrive in low lighting and cooler climates. Theses plants are a powerful toxin eliminator and air purifier. In feng shui the rubber tree is commonly referred to as the “money tree.”

Snake Plant:

Can I have a plant inside my bedroom? The response to this question will vary from feng shui expert to expert. From a scientific perspective, the plant absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen at night. Why does this matter? When sleeping, this could a plant exception to the principle of ‘no plants inside your bedroom.’ Its advised not to add too many, as the purpose of plant metaphorically is to stimulate the energy. Perhaps one, maybe two, at the most and keep them at a distance from your bed. 

Some other pointers to keep in mind:

1. Do your best not to overwhelm your home and office with too many plants. Looking to the five element theory of feng shui, we are always establishing a harmonious connection with all the elements. If you have too many plants, this could produce the opposite effect of ‘growing’ and stagnant the energy flow. In regard to how a person could react to that energy they may feel; sluggish, impatient, slow and inflexible.

2. The size of the plant can depend on the size of the room. When it comes to the shape, follow the energy principles of ‘sheng’ vs ‘sha.’ In short, Sheng is life nourishing chi (rounded and curved designs in the physical world) and Sha is share edges. 

There are many more plants to list, yet this is a great start! 

Laura Cerrano is a Full-time Certified Feng Shui expert with 20+ years of experience. She provides bi-coastal consultations and workshops for residential, real estate developments, Fortune 500 companies, and healing facilities. She is currently conducting research for her upcoming book that focuses on bridging the gap between the ancient wisdom of Feng Shui and modern day science to establish the practice of Feng Shui as a credible form of health care.