Happy and Harmonious: How to Ensure an Argument-Free Family Dinner Table
Happy and Harmonious: How to Ensure an Argument-Free Family Dinner Table
If bringing your family closer together is one of your Feng Shui goals, it’s time to consider the benefits of family dinner time. In today’s fast-paced world, it can be tempting to take your breakfast to-go or to eat your dinner in front of the television, but there’s a lot to be said for coming together as a family to sit down and share a delicious meal at the dining table. Not only does it give you the chance to enjoy each other’s company and catch up on the events of the day, it also helps to re-establish those family bonds and promote harmony in your household.
Even with conflicting work or school schedules, you really will notice such a difference if you make the effort to share at least one meal together. Just in case you need a little push in the right direction though, here are my top Feng Shui hacks for keeping a happy (and drama-free!) dinner table.
1/ Do you find that all too often family dinnertime is punctuated with arguments, disagreements, or raised voices? According to Feng Shui, this could be the result of some major elemental misalignment. For example, when there’s too much fire in a room, this can lead to fiery tempers and explosive arguments! When there’s too much water in a room, this can lead to sadness or feeling “blue”. Not exactly the makings of a dynamic family dinner!
To combat this and to help promote harmony and togetherness instead, make sure that each of the five Feng Shui elements are represented on the dining table when it’s in use:
Fresh flowers to represent wood
Ceramic plates or crystal glasses to represent earth
Silverware to represent metal
Candles to represent fire
A carafe of water or a bottle of wine or champagne to represent water
When the dining table isn’t being used, make sure that it’s wiped clean and keep a bowl of fruit or an orchid in the center to help attract prosperity.
2/ If you’re familiar with the concept of the power position, you’ll know that there are certain rules as to who sits where at the dining table. The parents or the breadwinners of the family must be seated with a clear view of the door because they are at the top of the family hierarchy. Children, teenagers, or visiting guests can be sat with their backs to the door. When children are sat in the power position whilst their parents aren’t, this can lead to problems such as children disrespecting their parents or disobeying house rules. Remember, power position is the way to identify who the most important person in the room is, so priority always goes to the parents.
If you have family members or guests staying for dinner and you find that one person tends to dominate the conversation or steal focus, you can use the power position as a way to help even things out. Set out place settings with each person’s name so that you can position any limelight-lovers so that they have their back to the door. With them no longer sitting in power position, you’ll find that the focus is quickly shifted!
3/ Before a family dinner time or indeed before any special family moment, light a vanilla-scented candle in the living room and, with your eyes closed, put your intention into it to activate it. It could be something like “I am lighting this for my family to enjoy some quality time together” or “I am lighting this for my family to enjoy each other’s company”. Make sure the candle has been burning for at least nine minutes before you blow it out since the number nine represents “completion” in Feng Shui. With this simple candle ritual, you’ll be telling the Universe exactly what it is you want and, in turn, manifesting quality time with your family.
With Love and Joy,
Dame Marie Diamond
Feng Shui Master and Best-selling Author
My latest book “Your Home Is a Vision Board” is available now on Amazon
Executive Producer and Star of the TV Series "Feng Shui your Life", streaming now on Tubi