Feng shui, the ancient Chinese art of placement within a home or other space, seeks to channel and enhance environmental energy, or chi, to promote abundance and wellness in every aspect of life.

Pronounced “fung shway,” the practice acknowledges the living spirit and energy of a space and seeks to create, or allow, balance and harmony. It is based on the idea that our outer world reflects our inner world of emotions, thoughts and beliefs, and that adjusting the spaces in and around a home will prompt vibrational shifts within.

Animals are highly sensitive to the energies around them. The same positive and negative energies in your home that affect you will affect your pet as well. Colors, lighting, clutter, the location of your pet’s bed or where it spends most of its time are all important considerations when attempting to determine the cause and solution to any health imbalances. 

Feng shui proved beneficial in a case involving a dog that was being bred but failing to become pregnant. It turned out that she had developed pyometra, a potentially life-threatening infection of the uterus for which spaying is the recommended course to cure and prevent recurrence. The areas of her home that, according to feng shui, corresponded with health and fame were step-down rooms, and the flow of energy was stagnating and causing a putrid condition in these areas. The dog had been carrying and manifested the illness of the home, perhaps taking it on so her owner wouldn’t have to. After a feng shui adjustment, the energy was released and able to flow freely. The dog, after receiving veterinary treatment to cure the pyometra, was bred again and delivered a healthy litter. She has been reproductively healthy since. The release of the stagnant energy cleared the path for the creation of new life, for the owner, the dog and her puppies.

In appropriate situations, I may ask you to describe the home environment of your pet. Understanding the feng shui of your home can be useful in improving the health of your pet and you in the process!