Feng Shui (say “fung shway”) associates the kitchen with both health and prosperity. Couple this perspective with the role of the kitchen as “the heart of the home,” and you can see that any feng shui problems in this room can have a significant impact on your family. Here are some quick tips for improving the feng shui of this important area of the home.

• Good housekeeping is good feng shui! Keep your kitchen shiny and clean for the best possible energy. A cluttered, dirty kitchen will have stagnant, dirty energy, which interferes with your ability to cook and enjoy healthy, nourishing food. When you are poorly nourished, your ability to work hard and earn a good income will suffer.
• Hidden clutter counts. An excess of stored food in the pantry or freezer can become clutter if it far exceeds a reasonable amount for your family. Old, stale food has old, stale energy, even if the expiration date is still months (or even years) away. Clean out your food cupboards and refrigerator regularly.
• Good nutrition is also good feng shui, so try to add more healthy, organic foods to your diet, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. Start thinking of junk food as clutter that you are putting into your body, and maybe you’ll be able to resist that next cookie or donut.
• A stove that is not in good working order implies a problem with financial resources. If any part of the stove (burners, oven light, fan, etc.) does not work, get it fixed as soon as possible.
• An unused stove implies untapped resources or ignored opportunities. Even if all you do is boil water for tea, rotate which burner you set the kettle on so that all of them get regular use! And use the oven, too, from time to time, instead of always relying on the microwave.
• If you stand facing the wall while you cook, this leaves your back exposed, a position that is considered weak in feng shui. Hang a mirror on the wall over the stove so that you can see what’s going on behind you while you cook.
• Hanging a mirror so it reflects the stove burners visually doubles the number of burners. This symbolizes doubling of your income; more good food = better health and strength = ability to earn a good income.
• Fire and water fight each other, so the placement of the stove and sink is important. If they are directly opposite each other, this can lead to arguments and conflict within the family. Fix this by placing something green between them, such as a green rug on the floor or a living plant on a table in the center of the room. (A sink and stove that are side by side also weaken the energy of the kitchen. Again, place something green between them.)
• The stove is symbolic of wealth, so it is important to keep its fire energy strong. Wood feeds fire, so plants or plant imagery (or again, the color green) are all good to have around and near the stove.
• Fresh flowers bring beautiful uplifting energy to the kitchen. Place a bowl of fruit, a vase of flowers, or a living plant on your kitchen table, windowsill, or wherever the layout of your kitchen allows. (In feng shui, dried flowers have no life energy in them, so they are not recommended. If real plants are impossible, you can use very lifelike fake ones, but the effect will not be as strong.)
• Since nine is a feng shui power number, and oranges symbolize good luck, you can bring good luck energy into the kitchen by placing nine of the biggest, roundest, most perfectly orange oranges you can find in a bowl in the center of the room, on top of the stove (yes, you can move them while you are cooking!), or in the far left corner of the room. Always keep some oranges on hand, so each time you take one from the bowl you can add another to keep the total number at nine. Be sure to use the older oranges first, so none of them rot or dry out; if it’s not good to eat, it’s not good feng shui!

When your kitchen is clean, bright, and welcoming, the heart of your home is filled with good feng shui. The care and attention you give to enhancing this important area of the home creates a powerful, positive energy that supports the health and prosperity of your family.