Feng Shui Tips and advice for your kitchen; Say goodbye to the negative Qi that surrounds you.

Feng Shui Tips and advice for your kitchen; Say goodbye to the negative Qi that surrounds you.

Written by Laura Colonnese

Are you prepared for 2024 – The start of period 9 Feng Shui?

I recently wrote an article on how to decorate your home using Feng Shui; I want to now go into more detail about the different rooms in the home to help you clear the negative Qi (aka Chi) that surrounds you and today I thought I would expand on this advice for the kitchen as in Feng Shui this is considered one of the most important areas of the home.

So let’s begin at the heart of the home; the kitchen. In most traditional cultures, our mothers and grandmothers would tell us off if we fooled around in their space, made their floor messy, played around with their saucepans while they were preparing a meal. For the cook, they have the responsibility for nourishing the family and this is where our Qi originates. Cooking is undoubtedly one of the highest expressions of love and the cook needs a space where they can begin to enhance the health of the family in peace and quiet.

The kitchen needs to have no “through draught” of Qi.  The cook needs to have a feeling of focus without distractions and therefore an ideal position for a cooker is away from the door, while at the same time giving the cook a sense of security so that they can actually see the door from where they are positioned. If you are unable to reposition or position your cooker in this way, place a mirror on the splash back behind the cooker, angled in such a direction so that the cook can see the door. Qi not only enters through windows and doors but also leaves that way too. Try to not place a cooker directly underneath a skylight and avoid placing it directly in front of a window. Sharp edges from the kitchen table or other units within this space are obvious sources of cutting the Qi. Another potential source of cutting sha Qi is the hood from the extractor unit which is often at head level or higher. Notice if this is bearing down directly on you in any way and if it does you should place a faceted crystal sphere on the corner of the hood.

Since the day man walked on planet earth, we have cooked with fire and the modern interpretation of this flame is the use of gas cooker rather than electricity or microwave oven. While a flame will not necessarily change the value of the food compared to the use of electricity or microwave, it will certainly change the Qi. I personally dislike the lack of visible control that electricity or microwave cooking provides me with as I cook. The flame is the full expression of fire energy and as such, is a microcosm of what the source of so much of our Qi in life is – the sun. Simply speaking, when we cook we are placing a little bit of sun under our food and with skill and practice; we can adjust this fire to suit our needs. If you have not cooked for a long time on a flame, then consider preparing your food on a gas stove (even a portable camping unit) for a 10 day period and notice how different the food not only tastes but the change of Qi that you become aware of. I know this seems quite extreme but it is worth trying and I always say “the proof is in the pudding” excuse the pun.

There is also the strong possibility of a clash of Elements within the kitchen – namely Fire and Water.  In Feng Shui, it is considered unwise to position water either opposite the cooker or adjacent to it. In this context, water is naturally the sink but can also include the fridge, the deep freeze, the dishwasher or a washing machine. However, the first three are the most important. If this is the case, then the obvious solution is to re-site one of the elements or if they are adjacent to one another and if it is impractical, then put in place the mitigating Element – in this case Wood/Tree between the two features and a perfect cure would be a small pot/through with some herbs growing in it. You can also hang wooden cooking utensils between the water and the cooker or storing a wooden chopping block between the two Elements.

Keeping your cupboard or your fridge well stocked implies abundance, richness and even generosity. We can all recall the experience of Qi when we open an empty cupboard or a poorly stocked refrigerator in search of something to eat! By having plenty and even cooking a little more than is necessary, exudes the Qi of hospitality and friendship. In the same way, serving stingy portions exudes the kind of Qi that is too tight, too Yang and lacks real warmth.

Central cooking stations in the middle of the room are becoming popular in modern kitchen design. From a Qi perspective, this can work for some individuals and not for others. Some cooks prefer the focus and concentration of cooking whereas others would like to be at the center of the room, involved in all the traffic and have the kind of Qi that thrives on this situation. If you have such a feature or wish to design one, make sure that the edges are rounded to avoid cutting Qi and remember the obvious conflict of Fire and Water.

Unlike in traditional times, the kitchen has tended to become the focal point for eating. This makes sense as it is naturally one of the warmest rooms in the house and with a little care, the position and layout of the dining area can bring great harmony and communication to the members of the household. Consider the difference between people eating on stools, with no mountain (support) behind them at a kitchen bar type table which faces a wall. It will encourage little communication and eating in a hurry.

On the other hand, a layout which includes a stable, preferably round or oblong table surrounded by comfortable supportive dining chairs – ideally in even numbers, sets the tone for communication and focus. I personally really value sitting around the table and sharing a meal with my family. It is, for me, the highlight of the day. Communication is possible, sharing is possible, rather than individual members dashing off to their rooms with their plate or sitting in another room in front of the TV. completely out of communication. As with all areas of your home, if you set the tone using the essential understanding of Qi in both the design and layout of space, you are simply supporting and stage managing a healthy, vibrant environment.

Unless you have had a Feng Shui consultation or use our Feng Shui software I would keep the colours fairly light earth tones, like shades of light brown, beige, taupe etc. and unless advised otherwise avoid too many fire colours like shades of red, pink, purple, burgundy etc. as this will create too much fire element in an already fire area.

Feng Shui Tips for the kitchen

• Avoid having dining seats under a beam or hanging pots on a central island.
• Be careful with exposed kitchen knives, there are much better placed inside a wooden block or a draw.
• The kitchen should be kept spotless, make sure drains are cleaned regularly and sinks disinfected. It is considered one of the most important rooms in Feng Shui second to the master bedroom.
• Keep rubbish and recycling containers out of sight. This type of rubbish does not signify health and prosperity! I have always used plastic bags hung on a hook and thrown away each day.
• Replace broken lights especially if they are over the kitchen table.
• Do not clutter your kitchen work tops, causing frustration and inhibiting the cook’s ability to prepare food and this negative energy it creates can be stored in the food. Keep all surfaces clear, storing all food and kitchen appliances not used on a daily basis should be kept out of sight.
• Pay attention to your oven and hob. The food created on a hob is meant to nourish you, affecting your ability to work and earn money, and the Qi of your cooking area will affect your meal. Keep the ovens and hobs spotlessly clean especially at the beginning of the Chinese New Year. We clean ours religiously the day before Chinese New Year (solar and lunar year) and of course regularly throughout the year.
• Hang pictures of fruits and vegetables on your kitchen’s walls to increase the sensation of abundance and good health.
• Hang a mirror alongside your dining table, oven and hob as this is believed to double the quality of food and enhance wealth, health and abundance. Maybe superstition but it something we have always followed and most Chinese homes you will enter, you will normally see a large mirror alongside a dining table.
• Place meaningful objects that reflect positive qi like family holiday images or ones of relatives. The kitchen should be a social area so place positive images and avoid at all costs a TV in this room.

You will never be able to practice good Feng Shui 100% of the time, in my opinion, it is impossible and personally we probably have around 75% good Feng Shui in our kitchen, so do not fret if you have a beam over your dining table or an oven beside your fridge, just follow this advice as best you can and do not worry, remember, the power of the mind is as powerful in my opinion as Feng Shui so think positive and all will be well. Some of the most successful clients we have a beam over there table, broken light bulbs etc and they are very happy, healthy and wealthy, you will find many websites and books making mountains out of molehills and most of the time there is nothing to worry about.

If you have any amazing recipes including any for babies/toddlers (As Olivia is 11 months now) that you want to share with me please comment on them below, I am really into cooking at the moment and this is what inspired me to write this article. I will be writing another article very soon on Feng Shui and children, so any questions you would like answered comment on them below.

Are you prepared for 2024 – The start of period 9 Feng Shui?

The below copyright information does not apply to anyone who wants to copy our content or send to a friend or even store on your computer for their own personal use and development. Please feel free to copy and paste or share with as many people you like. The below is intended for the many people who steal our content and claim it to be their own work. Copyright law protects this material although we are more than happy to share our content, all you need to do is ask our permission and agree to give us credit for our hard work and a link back to our website . © Feng Shui Ltd