How to Feng Shui your home: The basics
We all need a lot more Zen in our lives. Fact. But how to get it… that is the question. Well, if you go with Eastern philosophy, it all starts in the home. Enter: Feng Shui.
What is Feng Shui?
Feng shui is a metaphysical discipline that helps you comprehend your place in the world and create harmony in your life and surroundings. It is influenced by the five principles or elements of Taoism, which are based on natural cycles: fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Other principles of Taoism which play a vital role in feng shui are Chi (the vital energy), the commanding position of a room (the area furthest from the door but with a clear view of it, which is where you’ll want to spend most of your time), and the Bagua, an energy map of the room.
Implementing the principles of feng shui in your home is easier than it sounds, and often completely free. Here are the dos and don’ts of feng shui.
You need to make your doorway inviting and aesthetically pleasing. It is literally the first impression visitors get of you and your home, so it needs to look like you’ve made the effort to maintain it. It’s the mouth of chi (pronounced ‘chee’) AKA the energy entry point, so according to feng shui principles, you need to put your best foot forward. Put simply, if your doorway is inviting, you’ll invite the best opportunities into your life.
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It’s not just the entryway to your home for which you need to be wary of chi, it’s your whole place, too. Screens are really popular in Chinese culture for this reason: they help to redirect energy flow, e.g. if there’s a “channel” formed by your front door being directly in line with your back door.
The whole point is to encourage good energy to flow in and keep it there. This is why you should never put your office desk directly in front of a window, as this is said to suck the energy from you and you won’t be as efficient or energized to work as you could be if your desk was slightly away from it. With respect to your bed, if possible, have it in the centre of the wall so there’s equal energy flow around you and minimize blockages in communication. Also, try to position your bed directly opposite the door and never with your feet pointing straight at it.
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Feng shui colours play a vital role in ancient Chinese practice and are associated with numerous ideas and Taoist cosmological schools of thinking. Colour theory is one of the many strategies that feng shui practitioners employ to balance the energy of a space. Colour is also one of the easiest parts of a room to change, from painting a wall to adding a new piece of artwork. In feng shui, green encourages growth; red encourages wealth; blue encourages relaxation; and brown encourages stability.
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Decluttering is fundamental
Having crap piled up around the place never makes anyone feel good. Even if you’re not the neatest of folk, there’s no denying the clarifying effect a tidy space can have on the psyche. This is another key practice of feng shui: anything that takes up space or is broken and needs to be replaced should be attended to. By doing this you’ll free more mental space, too. And no mess hidden under beds or in cupboards! It’s still taking up space.
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Nature is scientifically proven to reduce stress, promote creativity, and restore good energy. A mere pot plant in your office can have a tremendous effect on productivity, so feng shui says. We wholeheartedly agree.
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Keep technology out of the bedroom
Well, as much as possible in today’s techno-centric world. Alarm clocks/phones should be at least three feet away from you and place laptops as far away from your bed as possible.
Why? See the above note on chi. It’s all about encouraging a gentle energy flow, thus tables with soft edges are more ideal than rectangular or square tables.
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When you’re watching TV, you want to let your guard down and really relax. The same goes for when you’re eating. It’s best to not place the sofa and dining table in front of a window/doorway as it makes people feel less safe and slightly vulnerable. The same goes for seating directly in front of a mirror; move mirrors to where they reflect lovely views to attract the best energy.
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Original text and content: Steph King
Updated text and content: Emma Trimboli
