There’s a lot of information online about Feng Shui for traditional or site-built homes but I’ve never found anything specifically for manufactured homes. I thought it was time to change that! In 2003, I took a class about Feng shui at the Sarasota Community Center. I learned about Feng Shui history and the basic concepts behind it. The instructor gave each student a red envelope, a crystal, and a few other small objects and taught us where to place. Of course, I’ve forgotten most everything I had learned, but I read an article recently that got me interested again. I thought it would be fun to research Feng Shui for manufactured homes and see how mobile and manufactured homeowners could use Feng Shui to their advantage. I don’t know if Feng Shui really works but I’ve always figured if there’s something I can do to help myself be a better person or have a better chance of spreading happiness and positive energy to my friends and family (and myself), then the least I can do is give it a try. Plus, I figure a practice that is still going strong after 3000 years may be worth looking into. You never know!

Crystal Adkins

Editor, Mobile Home Living

What is Feng Shui? Even experts have a hard time coming up with a single definition for Feng Shui because it is such a complex subject. In its most simplistic form, Feng Shui could be described as the harnessing of Qi (pronounced chi), the cosmic energy or life force that flows from every object. One expert provided a more complex description of Feng Shui: “Feng Shui is a metaphysical science where one learns to recognize and tap into the Qi (cosmic energies) of the living environment to help the many endeavors in life.1” Feng Shui, in the architectural and interior design sense, fuses scientific approach, common-sense, and ancient wisdom to determine the best techniques of proper placement of buildings or objects, along with the use of certain earthly elements. This creates a better flow of positive energy which brings forth harmony and prosperity. Feng Shui is not magic or superstition. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme or an answer to all of your problems. I believe it is simply an ancient study to make people more aware of their environment and to use it to their advantage. Some of the suggestions seem so elementary that a 5 year old could probably come up with them, but there are a few that seem to make complete sense. The very foundation of Feng Shui states that our environment affects every aspect of our lives. Whether the object is living or man-made, it possesses energy. Positive energy is referred to as Chi and negative energy is called Sha Qui. Relationships, careers, wealth, and even family dynamics are said to be improved by harnessing the positive and getting rid of the negative. Elements such as wind, earth, water, and fire are important in the practice of Feng Shui. In fact, Feng means wind and Shui means water! Both of these forces are a requirement of all living things. Wind is air, a substance that most every living thing must have and water is the very base of life itself. In addition to harnessing Chi, another goal of Feng Shui is to balance the elements in an effort to increase Chi. Feng Shui can help you design your environment in a way that enhances your positive energy and create health, harmony, and success. You can apply it to practically every aspect of your life! Since there are so many ways to implement Feng Shui, this ebook will cover only a few of the basic principles of Feng Shui and show you how to implement them into your manufactured home.

Does It Really Work? The Chinese have been using a some form of Feng Shui for more than 5,000 years so something has to be happening for it to continue through the generations, right? I found no scientific study regarding Feng Shui outcomes but there are plenty of personal testimony. Karen Rauch Carter, a Feng Shui consultant, tells a story of one of her clients on her website karenrauchcarter.com. The client was in the senior board and care home business. She had bought a new home but had no boarders move in, even after several months, so she called Mrs. Carter for a Feng Shui consultation. Mrs. Carter found a few issues with the facility, most noticeably how the home looked as if it had 2 front doors - a French door from a bedroom opened out onto a balcony on the front of the home that competed with the true front door. This isn’t optimal for Chi (positive energy) or Qi (cosmic energies) so the Feng Shui expert placed a table and chair set in front of the French doors to block the energy and added chimes and other decor to put focus on the front door. The business owner had a new boarder within a week. So, perhaps there is something to Feng Shui. Perhaps, there isn’t. As long as you view this practice with an open mind, and have little to no expectations, it can be a fun way to incorporate an ancient art into your home.

The Basics

OF FENG SHUI

Yin & Yang The easiest way to begin incorporating Feng Shui into your home is to learn its most basic principles. Since Feng Shui is about enhancing and balancing Qi in your environment, we’ll need to start with the very foundation of balance - the Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang incorporates 2 components of opposite, but complementary energies. Yin is the energy of passion and aggression. It could be considered the strong energy. Yang is more nurturing and creative and could be considered the weaker energy. Together, they balance each other.

Arrows Arrows are often referred to as poison arrows. They are negative energies that emanates from sharp objects pointed toward a door, your body, or your home. It can also emanate from sharp corners furniture or walls. Arrows are associated with loss, whether it be a loss of job, health, or money. You can stop arrows with barriers such as mirrors, wind chimes, or stones. You can also use hanging cures to dissipate the negative Qi. The 5 element theory can also be used to remedy your home of a poison arrow. We’ll cover that next.

5 Element Theory The 5 element theory of Feng Shui involves wind, earth, wood, fire, and metal. The Chinese use the 5 Element Theory when deciding how to initiate Feng Shui practices in a home or area. The ultimate basis of the 5 elements is connection. It is used to explained how everything connects to everything else and is related to each other in one way or another. The Ba Gua is one of the most important tools used in Feng Shui to analyze the energy of a space, whether it be a home, office or garden. Match the direction of the modern Ba Gua below with the your home and you’ll find the corresponding area of your home. Understanding which areas of the home correlates to the element on the Ba Gua and the life area (money, fame, love, etc) you can put the right focus on the areas of your life that need the most help.

Life Areas

Understanding the Feng Shui life areas is paramount to proper utilization of the art. If you are suffering from money issues you may want to use Feng Shui techniques in the Southeast area of your home. If you career is an issue then the middle North of your home could use some attention. On the next page is another chart to help you locate the various life areas in your manufactured home. Remember to point the image in the direct south position in order to locate the correct life areas. Not only can you use the chart for your entire home, but you can also use it to break down the life areas for each room. Therefore, you will have a money life area in one area of your home but also in each room.

Popular Cures If you do find that some of your life areas could use some help there are popular cures that can help you. About.com’s Feng Shui expert shares a few tips about cures for Fung Shui:

Bamboo

Bamboo is also a symbol of good luck in Feng Shui and symbolizes ultimate wisdom.

Water Fountain

Fountains are a water element and can help bring balance in any area of the home.

Red

The color red creates energy and is perfect for any lethargic issues you may have in your home or room.

Art

Art can help you create a soothing energy or an energetic one depending on the style you choose.

Wind Chimes

Wind chimes makes beautiful sounds which is a useful Feng Shui cure for many issues.

Mirrors

Mirrors are referred to as the aspirin of fen Shui because it is so useful in the practice. Mirrors work with energy the same way it works with light - bouncing it around into the areas you need it most.

Buddha Statues

Serenity and calm can be achieved in chaotic areas of your home or room with the proper placement of a Buddha.

Crystals

Crystals and stones create a specific energy based on type. They are best known for the vibrations they bring to your home or office.

Chinese Coins

These coins are used for money issues. They are typically round coins with a square hole in the center. You can add 6 coins in the Northwest to avoid bad luck as well as in the East to protect against sickness. They are also good in the West area to increase the beneficial career success energy.

Wealth Vase

The wealth vase is widely used to attract and strengthen the flow of wealth and prosperity energy in your home.

The Money Frog

The money frog is a mythological creature with three legs. It is said to attract wealth and abundance.

Lucky Bamboo

Lucky Bamboo is a very popular Feng Shui cure. Bamboo has a very peaceful and wise energy and teaches the ultimate wisdom: how to be flexible and open on the inside, so the spirit can freely flow and heal you.

Horizontally placed cures such as a rock crystal wand, for example, or the gold arrowana fish statue. If the item is typically placed in a horizontal position, then finding its best direction is similar to finding the best sleeping position for a person lying in bed. You will determine the best facing direction by the way the most important part (in this case the rock crystal point or the head or the arrowana fish) is pointing to, or facing towards. Seating or standing cures such as the laughing Buddha, a Chi Lin or a Three legged toad (classical feng shui cures). These cures will be arranged according to the same criteria you apply when determining the facing direction for yourself, i.e. direction you look at while standing or seating. Circular energy cures such as a round fountain, a rose quart heart, a plant or a tumbled crystal. In this case, there will be no one specific direction where the energy is directed to. With these feng shui cures it is not possible to place them facing a specific best direction, as their energy is circular, meaning it emanates equally to all directions. As these feng shui cures have a circular energy, they will be placed only according to the bagua criteria. Feng shui use of art often falls into this category.2

Site Selection

for Manufactured Homes

Manufactured homes have so many great benefits! One of the best advantages is the fact that you can place them almost anywhere. As long as the soil can withstand the weight of the home, you can install a manufactured home in places a site-built home isn’t possible. According to Feng Shui there are optimal placements for all buildings, including manufactured homes, based on landforms and man-made objects found around the site. The book titled ‘Feng Shui and the Built Environment’ by covers the subject of Chinese Domestic Architectural Practice Theory and Chinese Geomancy. Accordingly, they cover the basics of site selection very well. By classifying an area based on desirable and unfavorable traits they came up with a list of 10 traits:

Good

Bad

Set the home on high ground.

A house sitting on a triangular lot (in the Y junction) will suffer.

The main road should be on the West side of the home. An open field or garden to the South of the home is best. Lots of windows facing North and South is favorable. Trees on the Northwest of the home provides protection to the home.

A big tree in front of the home is unfavorable because it blocks Qi. A home should not be overshadowed by taller building. A home should not be near places that are noisy or emotional. No glaring lights or headlights should reach the home.

5 Geographical Secrets In addition to the previous desirable qualities best suited for manufactured home sites, there is also a Feng Shui principle called the 5 Geographical Secrets. This practice stems thousands of years back, when people lived in caves. Here are the favorable geographical features:

Dragon

Imagine the outline of a mountain as a dragon and you’ll understand the reference immediately. Feng Shui principles stipulate that one should avoid picking their caves in rocky areas or cliffs as well as windy areas.

Sand

Your cave, or home, should have hills surrounding it for protection.

Water

Water should be close to your home but not have a rapid flow, only meander in a curvy shape. Incoming water should be wider than outgoing water though both should balance with the size of the dragon (mountain).

Cave

Your home should be level and spacious and sit on good, rich soil (yellow soil is optimal).

Direction

Homes should sit facing the South.

Room Placement

You should consider position and placement for each room in your home. The orientation, front door direction, and surrounding landscaping can all impact Feng Shui of your home.

Design

If you are remodeling your manufactured home you can use Feng Shui! Above is a chart on the optimal placement of rooms within a home. There have been many experts to create their idea locations and techniques for optimal Feng Shui but Choy is perhaps the most popular.

Choy’s10 Point Checklist for Optimal Home Design: 1. Building should be slightly elevated. 2. Back of home should be protected by trees, higher ground, or another building. 3. The home should be nestled, or protected, on the sides. 4. The front of the home should be open and uncluttered. 5. Water is very important. If there is no natural water elements in the front and back of the home use an artificial feature. 6. Front doors let energy into the home. You want your front door to be welcoming and friendly. Avoid garages, lamp posts, or power poles that are too close to the front door. There should only be one front door. 7. Create a transitional space between the front door and the rest of the home so that it can filter and soften the energy - making it suitable for the inside. 8. Living rooms and kitchens should look out onto open spaces with plants and water. 9. Kitchens and baths should be on the ends of the building. Kitchens should not be bear the front door. 10. Your home should have a standard shape such as square or rectangle.

Resources: 1 “Feng Shui.” 123HelpMe.com. 01 Aug 2014 2 http://fengshui.about.com/

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