Science Proves the Benefits of Using Curved Designs in Feng Shu

A foundational suggestion in Feng Shui is to select furniture that has rounded designs or soft edges. Why is that? In the terms of Feng Shu, rounded designs and soft edges help to generate "Sheng Chi." This type of ch'i mimics the natural designs of nature and offers a stronger opportunity for life force energy to flow throughout your home with ease.  

For the more analytical minds we now have scientific proof that supports the importance of this tangible Feng Shui suggestion.

Experiments conducted in 2010 and 2013 by neuroscientists from the Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute at Johns Hopkins University and the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, the University of Toronto at Scarborough and a study published in the National Academy of Sciences have all concluded the same results with quantifiable data.

The Question: 

What shapes are most pleasing and what exactly is happening in our brains when we look at them?

The Answer:

“We wanted to be rigorous about it, quantitative, that is, try to really understand what kind of information neurons are encoding and…why some things would seem more pleasing or preferable to human observers than other things. I have found it to be almost universally true in data and also in audiences that the vast majority have a specific set of preferences,” says Charles E. Connor, director of the Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute.

The studies concluded participants viewing organic forms (like artwork from Jean Arp), architecture and interior decor with rounded shapes demonstrated increased brain activity. Verbally, participants used words like "beautiful" and "pleasing" to describe what they saw. 

 

So why do humans prefer rounded shapes vs sharp and jagged edges? 

Scientist share their thoughts:

“Shallow convex surface curvature is characteristic of living organisms, because it is naturally produced by the fluid pressure of healthy tissue (e.g. muscle) against outer membranes (e.g. skin). The brain may have evolved to process information about such smoothly rounded shapes in order to guide survival behaviors like eating, mating and predator evasion. In contrast, the brain may devote less processing to high curvature, jagged forms, which tend to be inorganic (e.g. rocks) and thus less important.” 

Does this mean your entire home needs to be full of rounded things? No. Yet it does mean, it's strongly suggested to have a balance of rounded designed items and furniture to generate a more positive feeling and brain stimulation.

Smithsonian Magazine - Do Our Brains Find Certain Shapes Then Others?  

Feng Shui for Men and Women Who Do Not Want to Use Pink in the Bedroom

I am working with a client from Santa Monica, CA who is in the process of Feng Shui-ing his bedroom. It's usually suggested to use pink in the bedroom because it associates with the energy of "partnership." It's important to note my client's bedroom is located in the wealth section of his home. This creates a double connection between partnership and wealth. Using the suggested accent colors of wealth was no problem, but using pink to acknowledge partnership did not fit his aesthetics. Taking this into consideration we came up with flexible remedies.

Accent colors of purples, greens, golds, silvers (metallics in general), touches of blues and/or splashes of red help honor the life section of wealth. Each color relates to an element that nurtures the growth of wealth which includes wood, metal, water and fire. Even though none of colors mentioned are pink, when used mindfully they create a soft feeling. This is another way to associate with partnership.  

                                  before                                                                                           after

Looking at the before and after photos you can see the simple changes he made. The small cowboy image was replaced with the "flower of life" drawing. The flower of life has a softer presentation, deeper meaning and displays some of the traditional accent colors of wealth (blues and metallics). He also kept the purple cloth and snake plant, which are wonderful contributors to wealth energy. 

The above photo illustrates his final steps. He removed any additional objects that really had no meaning and reason for being displayed on the dresser top. The two red candles were left as a symbolic gestures for partnership. He also kept his lucid dream journey and the large white candle for ambiance during evening hours. Looking from start to finish, you can see he took his time observing this section of his bedroom. He intuitively and intentionally made changes, while editing as needed until his choices reached its optimal blend of textures, colors and meaningful objects based on the Feng Shui suggestions provided to him.