Cooking and having a kitchen that works for you are vital to good Feng Shui. Whenever I’m in a home where it’s obvious that the kitchen isn’t used or I learn that a client doesn’t cook and/or eat at least some meals at home, I make a point of stressing the importance of cooking and using their kitchen to at least prepare soup or another simple nourishing meal once a week.
Preparation of food is directly related to both health and wealth!
In ancient times, the cook was honored and the kitchen was considered a sacred place. This is because the process of eating and nourishing yourself (and others) is directly related to health. When your health is good, you will make better decisions, feel rested, and be able to work more efficiently—and, of course, this leads to greater wealth.
Traditionally, the kitchen is where families and friends gather, exchange ideas, and stay connected. Many scientists are now confirming that eating with others and having healthy social connections are directly related to the health of both the brain and body. Families who make it a priority to sit down and eat a leisurely meal together at least a few times a week tend to be less stressed and have a closer relationship with each other.
SEVEN TIPS FOR A HEALTHY/WEALTHY KITCHEN
- Protect Your Back! If your stove is facing a wall or you have a door, window, or large open space behind you while you’re cooking, place a mirror on the backsplash behind the stove.
If that’s not possible, place a metal teapot or something with a highly reflective surface on a burner or next to your stove to reflect the background.
This is important because our brains are hardwired to watch our back for protection and survival. if you’re unable to view what’s behind you, you may subconsciously begin to experience stress over an extended period of time.
Even though you feel safe in your home and are positive that nothing will threaten you from behind, it’s wise to honor this important Feng Shui principle.
- Have some open counter space in your kitchen. Store appliances and other items that you don’t use at least every other day. Open counter space corresponds to your ability to be creative in the kitchen.
- If you haven’t cleaned out kitchen drawers and cabinets lately, begin to methodically clean out each drawer and shelf. Toss duplicates, along with broken items, anything you hate using, and tools that have been replaced by better models. Pitch anything that you never use. Also, recycle excess plastic containers and glass jars.
Whenever there’s excessive clutter in the kitchen, a family member may be struggling with their health.
- Store your knives out of sight. Having knives openly displayed on your counter sets the stage for stress and potential conflict.
- If you can see the kitchen from your front door or the door where you usually enter your home, hang a round, leaded crystal between the door and your kitchen. Seeing the kitchen from your doorway is related to weight gain and difficulty losing weight.
If your stove is visible from the entrance this is especially important, as there is the potential for conflict–even violence in extreme cases.
- Make sure your oven and all of your burners are in good working order. The burners are connected to money and the oven is the wealth generator of the home.
- Add a healthy plant to your kitchen to add vitality.
May your kitchen bring you nourishment, perfect health & wealth
Suzanne
©10/1/16 • Suzanne Metzger • Feng Shui Consulting Services
Q & A
Q – We recently moved into a new home. My oldest daughter’s bedroom is directly over the garage, which is the main Helpful People area of the house. We’ve noticed that she seems restless. She’s 16 and has always been a home-body, but now she seems to want to be away from home quite a bit—even more than other 16 year olds we know. Do you think the location of her bedroom is a problem?
A – Symbolically, the garage represents lots of “coming and going” and also the Helpful People area is related to Travel. Since there’s not an actual room below her room, it’s not grounded. A traditional Feng Shui cure is to paint the garage brown (YUK!) with the intention of providing grounding energy.
Other corrections are to place a heavy carpet on the floor and/or place a mirror face down under her bed to reflect the energy downward.
A big problem with having the bedroom over the garage is that it’s next to a large source of carbon monoxide. Be sure that she has a working alarm in her room and lots of ventilation.