Are you entertaining the exciting possibility of a bathroom remodel? So many of my friends are! We’re also looking at the potential for a bathroom remodel ourselves in the future due to our unexpected water leak; whatever your reason, you’ll experience greater success during the remodel process using the Feng Shui principles.
Bathrooms are classically considered potential threats in Feng Shui because more often than not they are unadorned places with open plumbing that pulls your energy, your Ch’i, down the drain. The bathroom and your home’s plumbing correspond to your elimination system. It is here that personal cleansing rituals take place and where wastes are flushed away. However Ch’i can also be flushed out of your home via toilets and bathroom drains. Although there are no ideal places for a bathroom to reside, some locations are worse than others. If possible avoid homes with bathrooms in the back left (wealth) or back right (love and marriage) as these can cause drains in prosperity and relationships.
At the same time, bathrooms are a necessary part of your home. Therefore it is important to minimize opportunities for Ch’i to flow out of your home too quickly, taking with it your prosperity, health or relationships. All is not lost! It is easy to correct a bathroom’s pull on your energy and enhance your life; and when remodeling, by using this guide you will end up with a bathroom that nourishes your energy rather than drains it.

Bathrooms and the Bagua
The Feng Shui Bagua (Ba-gua) Map, is represented as a grid of nine sectors. The Bagua comes from the Chinese philosophy, “The I Ching,” and literally means “eight trigrams,” with the Center being for grounding.
When remodeling, consider your bathroom as a vital, vibrant part of your home. Make all bathrooms beautiful! You will quickly lift the Ch’i with a fresh coat of paint, new bathroom linens, candles, art, plants and inviting scents, or a total remodel with new tile, flooring and fixtures. Here are some examples of using the Bagua attributes to enhance your bathrooms:

Bathrooms in Knowledge and Self Cultivation Area
* Items in wood, the colors of blues, greens, or black and in the shape of columns or stripes
* Healthy plants with rounded soft leaves
*Art depicting nature scenes

Bathrooms in Friends/Family/Health Area
* Healthy floral arrangements or art depicting vibrant flowers
* Photos of family, friends or representing perfect health
* Items in wood and the colors of blues, greens, or black

Bathrooms in Wealth Area
* Opulent items in the purple color spectrum
* Art representing wealth
* Healthy, round leaf plants

Bathrooms in Fame Area
* Photos or art representing achievements or inspiration
* Items in the colors red
* Items representing the fire element with candles and lighting

Bathrooms in Love and Marriage Area
* Pairs of items (candles, love birds, soaps, etc.)
* Art or photos depicting romance
* Colors of reds, pinks and white

Bathrooms in Children and Creativity Area
* Photos of children or items made by children
* Items in metal and the colors of white and pastels
* Whimsical art

Bathrooms in Helpful People and Travel Area
* Art or figures pertaining to spiritual guides, and/or mentors, helpful people or of places where you have traveled or want to travel * Items that have a powerful personal association with your spiritual beliefs * Items in metal and colors of white, black or grey
Bathrooms in Center Area
*Ceramic, and rectangle shapes
* Colors of yellow earth tones
* Art depicting earth tone scenes such as fields, deserts, sunflowers etc.

You can review any of the areas of the Bagua in greater detail in past columns on my website:
http://www.fengshuibymaria.com/newspaper-columns.html
We want our bathroom remodel working with us. We can design our bathrooms so that the Ch’i remains buoyant; and our health, wealth and happiness flourish!

Other Important Bathroom Recommendations:
* Keep your bathroom clean, neat and orderly.
* Close toilet lids, sink stoppers and shower curtains to conceal water outlets, or cover the drains with small rubber mats used for that purpose.
* Repair leaky faucets, showerheads, and toilets to prevent waste.
* Install adequate lighting for convenience and balancing the watery energy and replace burned out bulbs.
* When all else fails, at least keep the door closed.
* If your bedroom leads to a bathroom without a door, make it a priority to install a door, curtain, or screen to visually separate the bathroom from the bedroom.

Feng Shui at Work
A sample of a remodel plan
Our master bathroom is located in the Health, Family and Friends area of our house. It currently has outdated peach and black tile, white cabinets and is painted a light Mauve with a burgundy accent wall. The Health and Family area is a Wood element area and should be enhanced with decorations that promote healing qualities. Our current design is much too fiery. Using the Feng Shui guide we plan to bring in shades of green and more floral art. I found a beautiful tan tile with light sage veins for the countertop, shower and around tub, and plan to paint the walls a soft sage color accentuating the new rich wooden cabinets. My favorite part will be the subtle bamboo design wallpaper, further accentuating wood. The four other elements will be represented by the large mirrors (water), tan tiles, tub and toilet (earth), art representing red flowers and/or people (fire), the marble and stone tiles (metal). I feel the energy shifting just in the planning and can’t wait to get started!
A client living in a small apartment has her only bathroom in the Knowledge and Self-Cultivation area to the left as you enter her home. Since she’s renting, she is unable to do a total remodel, therefore she turned it into a lovely meditation area by using the color sage green, art depicting cool forest scenes, a shower curtain with brocade leaves, a wooden table holding a small Buddha, bamboo plant, inspirational sayings and books. Her harmony has allowed her to focus on her art. Since then her art business has blossomed showing in galleries in New Orleans and Milan Fashion week.
Years ago, my daughter was diagnosed with a medical condition that required a rather invasive surgery. At the time, she had her bathroom in her Health and Family area also. We immediately set to work adding adorning her bathroom with the Feng Shui principles. Her bathroom was painted a light sage green. We hung art depicting beautiful healthy flowers with a hummingbird. She bought a lovely green rugs and a shower curtain with silhouettes of leaves. She worked hard to keep her toilet lids down, her sinks plugged when not in use and her shower curtain closed. Her surgery went without a hitch and she actually recovered faster than all of her doctors anticipated.

Affirmations and Inner Work
Remember that in Feng Shui, intent plays a significant role in enhancing any area of your home or business. Intent is the inner work that leads you to a move harmonious life. This particular inner work is about draining and cleansing forces in your life. Cleanse yourself of anyone or anything that is pulling you down and “close the drains” on those relationships.

Feng Shui on a Shoestring
Feng Shui enhancements do not have to cost a great deal. If a total remodel is not in your budget, just by closing all drains in your bathroom you can enact an important Feng Shui cure. You can also set a small live plant on the tank of your toilet. The plant draws Ch’i upward, away from the toilet keeping it and your energy from being flushed away. If the area is too dark, a healthy looking silk plant will suffice.
For questions or home consultations email at mtmccull@aol.com and put “Feng Shui” on the subject line, or visit my website at www.fengshuibymaria.com, (where you can read past columns), or Facebook “Feng Shui by Maria,” where I post pictures as examples to enhancements.

I NOW have a BLOG
Just go to the website and click on “Blog”: You can view many pictures and, I will respond to your questions quickly.

Learn more in my nest class
Learn more about the Bagua and the 5 Elements in my next series of 3 classes through Acalanes Adult Ed in Walnut Creek:
Thursday afternoons 1:00-3:00 p.m., Sept. 14, 21, 28 Go to www.acalanes.k12.ca.us/adulted to register.
(Participants will receive $40 off a home consultation.)
Until then…blessings!

Maria McCullough, is the owner / founder of Feng Shui by Maria (www.fengshuibymaria.com), a speaker and educator with over 20 years of experience. She specializes in residential, landscape and business consultations. She is a graduate of the Western School of Feng Shui and has personally trained with Terah Kathryn Collins, founder of the Western School of Feng Shui, specializing in Essential Feng Shui® and author of numerous books including “The Western Guide to Feng Shui.”