Feng Shui of a Dining Table

The dining table is an important part of family life. This is where you share a good portion of your life communicating, sharing and interacting with your family.  From a feng shui stand point everything has a yin and yang.  So, from that perspective a round table is yang, very dynamic and active while a rectangular table is yin, more restrained.  The rectangular shape requires someone to sit at the head of the table, immediately shifting the balance of equality amongst those sitting.  The head seat also has the most room so the physically largest person often takes the space too.  It’s amazing to see how the dynamics of a relationship can change with just the shape of a table!

Now, let’s examine the overall size for a dining table. In our family, my husband is six feet and I am five foot two.  We have two dining tables in the house; one in our family room, where we eat all our meals and the other in the formal dining room where we entertain or use during the holidays.   Our family room dining table was purchased when we lived in Japan.  A sturdy wood table made in Germany built Japanese size, which means the table is lower in height and made to suit short people like me.  Obviously, I love it because my feet touch the ground when I am sitting and the table is just the right height.  My poor husband complains that his knees hit the support under that table and he is uncomfortable because the height is too low for his body size.  Finding a good compromise is an important part of choosing a good table.

Our other dining table is made from recycled teak in Indonesia and is heavy, large and chunky but beautiful.  And yes, it is the perfect height for my husband.  For me, I feel like the kid at the adult table, with my toes dangling, barely reaching the floor and the table is just under my chin!  No, not really but you can visualize the issues.  We ended up cutting a a few inches off the legs!  In the past I just used a foot stool for myself.  As you can see, table height is an important consideration. When purchasing a dining table, take the time to actually sit down with a chair to the table to see how comfortable you feel.  See where your hands and feet are positioned in relation to the table height.  By imagining you are enjoying a meal at this table will help give you a better real life assessment.

Lastly, consider what material would work best for your family. I find glass to be cold and stressful because I worry that it may break.  Also, I am not fond of seeing things under the table while eating, as it’s a distraction for me.  Stone and concrete surfaces are also hard and cold, yet extremely durable.   If you have young children, laminate is worry free and a good choice.  But my favorite table top material is wood because it is warm, inviting, and can be easily maintained.   In feng shui terms, this balance provides good qi energy.  What is your favorite table top?

Photo: Pixabay