Chi will exit through various openings, such as windows in doors. If it leaves happily and with a gentle nature then this is auspicious. Ideally the chi has traveled through and explored the home and had a pleasing journey. Rapid moving chi, such as that which accelerates down a long hallway and out a large door travels with dangerous force that is overly yang and is considered shar chi. Yin chi will settle downwards and nestle in dark corners and soft quiet spaces. The ideal home retains more chi than enters it. Thus it is advisable to have a front door that is wider than the back door, this creates a natural pooling mechanism.

While it is relatively easy to welcome chi into your home, it is also very important to understand how to harvest it and slow the rate at which it naturally slips away.   This is where conservation of chi becomes an important factor.  While chi will naturally want to leave at some point, and is beneficial to do so in order to keep from being stagnant, you will want this divine visitor to stay and enjoy itself and bring its gifts to you rather than rush out of your home through the nearest exits.   This portion of the article discusses how to conserve chi so that it brings the greatest benefits to your home.

Conservation of Chi

Bathroom feng shui

 Bathrooms are generally places of slow chi and are places where water sits stagnant when not in use (such as in the toilet tank or bowl) It is good to remove weak and stagnant chi, but it is also better to remove weak chi than strong chi. For this reason it is important to keep the bathroom clean in order to avoid a buildup of stagnation.

 Generally the bathroom should not be where powerful chi is encouraged to enter in large quantity. Due to its damp nature and pooled water supplies it has very yin characteristics.

As water flows down and through pipes, it takes chi with it. Toilets in particular create a very strong vortex which is helpful for cleaning out waste but is strong enough that it will drain other chi with it if precautions aren't taken. While removing stagnant chi, such as waste, is important, you don't want stronger more energetic and helpful chi to escape with it.

Countering leaks and drains in feng shui  

The simplest method of conserving chi in the bathroom, which is a natural high speed vortex type of exit (a drain) is to simply keep the lid over the toilet when it isn't in use and to have the door closed when it flushes, so that chi from the rest of the house isn't sucked into the draining vortex.

Other drains in the house are in sinks and tubs, these should have lids or covers when not in use. When they are functioning as intended you want the waste chi to flow away (such as when washing dishes and draining the sink), but at other times they should be covered to limit the loss of chi.

Bathroom Remedies  

Earth Element 

Sometimes stones or other heavy earth objects are placed above the toilet to suppress the energy and to slow chi which might otherwise be drained away. This earth energy helps to counter the effect of the rushing and energetic water that is leaving the house.

Fire Element

Red ribbons around pipes will attract the healthiest chi and encourage it to stay, earth elements (such as stones above the tank) will slow the rushing of water, and clean surfaces and other attractors in the area will encourage the healthy chi to stay, while eliminating stagnant "waste" chi. While some ambiance is advisable, you do not want your bathroom to be so full of chi attractors that it draws all of the energy in the house towards it. Balance is important.

Bathroom Mirrors

 Mirrors that are in the bathroom that do not reflect the toilet are generally advantageous as they provide an exit for the positive chi to circulate back into the house. You can be certain that the weaker and heavier chi will be the chi most likely to be taken away as water cycles. If all the chi is trapped in the bathroom and has no other place to escape to it has a higher risk of stagnation.

 Mirrors can also be used to deflect chi, although they must be used carefully. The outside of the bathroom door is often a very good place for a mirror (unless it is bouncing the chi directly back out of the front door, in which case it is better to slow the chi rather than reflect it. Inside the bathroom make sure that your mirrors do not reflect the toilet as mirrors will create a doubling effect, which in this case doubles the problem. Most of the time mirrors in disadvantageous positions can be moved, although if they are permanent fixtures you may choose to cover them. Creative use of artwork, pictures or even wallpaper can take advantage of the mirror frame in this case, although it should be removable if it is a rental.

Locations for bathrooms

The location the toilet is in will effect that sector (or feng shui corner) of the house, this is particularly problematic if the toilet is located in the back of the house where wealth, fame, and relationships make their home. Instead of leaving the home gently a bathroom here will encourage the chi to leave in a violent and restless manner and swoosh much of the good fortune with it.

In terms of application, the toilet is best if located in a place that is lower than important areas of life such as the bed. If the toilet is at a relatively low point in the house, the chi that reaches there will already be somewhat slow moving and likely stagnant, and is therefore better when removed. To help ensure that only the most undesirable chi is escaping, some measures can be taken to reduce the amount of strong chi that is leaving the home.

Auspicious locations

While there aren't any truly auspicous locations for bathrooms in feng shui, there are some that are better suited than others.

health and family sector

One of the better places for the bathroom is in the health and family sector as this is a place where the process mirrors the natural removal of waste and disease from the living body which is your home. Wherever the bathroom is located it is best that it is kept clean and that the appropriate elements to keep it in harmony with the rest of the house are. As a natural wood area, the tree energy here helps to draw the water upwards and ensures that proper filtration of the houses systems are in place.

personal growth and wisdom

Another suitable location is in personal growth and wisdom as proper hygiene and grooming can take a person far in life. The restroom also is a place to relax contemplate and prepare for the day or unwind for the evening. A few books may be well placed if your bathroom is in this sector. Since this sector is at the front side of the house, a toilet situated near the front of the house it is best if the bathroom is not right next to the main door however as chi will rush in the door and right out the toilet, particularly if the door to the bathroom is open and otherwise inviting. If this is the case, leave the door closed and consider using earth or stone elements (objects or colors) to slow chi that is moving that direction and contrast that with a more attractive and brighter place for the chi to magnetize towards that is in another direction.

Adjusting to circumstances

 An unfortunate reality of most homes is that they are built by architects and we have to work with the spaces we are provided with, although it is wise to seek a space which well suits your needs, it is not often possible to remodel your home or find a new one. Part of feng shui is learning to balance your existing situation in order to create the growth that will open better opportunities for you.

  While we cannot always change our home to achieve the ideal of feng shui, we can often work with it to mitigate the weaknesses of its structure. We can encourage chi to travel to areas we want to emphasize and keep all of our spaces clean and tidy. An understanding of the elements can help us bring balance to our homes as well.