8 tips to bring Feng Shui into your home

It’s a new year, and there’s no better way to get everything in your life off to a fresh and positive start than to incorporate a little feng shui (pronounced ‘foong shuway’) into your home. The ancient Chinese belief of feng shui is based around the notion that the way your house is built and the way you arrange objects in your home will affect different aspects of your life. People who believe in feng shui try to ensure that the energy in their home is always as positive as possible. While you can pay an expert to come to house and show you how to arrange your belongings, there are several steps you can take to incorporate feng shui into your lifestyle.  

1.   The front door

This is where positive energy (chi) enters the house, so why not make it welcome. If your front door squeaks when it opens, then it could be time to oil those hinges to ensure the chi is properly welcomed. Also, if you tend to drive into the garage then enter the house through an internal door, switch things around a bit so you enter through the front door more often. Opening the door gives the chi and chance to come inside.

 

2.   Water elements

Water represents wealth in feng shui, so it’s a good idea to invite plenty to flow in through that now open (and well-oiled) front door. Flowing water is ideal, but if you can’t afford a water feature, then place a bowl of water next to the front door or just inside the entry. If you have a water feature, make sure the H20 is flowing towards the inside of the house, so it takes the water inside, not away.

  [caption id="attachment_3561" align="alignleft" width="690"] Image courtesy of EcoSmart Fire[/caption]  

3.   Keep the chi moving

Now you’ve got all that lovely positive energy inside, don’t let it get stuck anywhere - like above a cupboard! If your kitchen cupboards (or any other cupboards for that matter) don’t go all the way to the ceiling, then fill the void with pot plants or much loved items. Not only will your chi flow free, you’ll have something beautiful to gaze up at.

 

4.   Shut the bathroom door

Apart from the fact that people coming into the house shouldn’t be confronted by the sight of your bathroom, you don’t want the positive energy to flow back out of the house via the toilet.

   

5.   Position your furniture

Important pieces of furniture, such as beds or desks, should be placed in the “commanding position”. This is the position furthest from the door but not in direct line with it.

 

6.   Clean the windows

The windows symbolise your eyes to the world. We want to be able to see and experience everything that the universe has to offer us.

   

7.   Declutter

A clutter-free home has unobstructed positive energy flow that can freely travel around the house. Make sure there’s appropriate and adequate storage for the items that need to be kept—like holiday decorations, out of season clothes, etc. Here’s a starting list:

• Get rid of all the “just in case items”.
• Remove everything from the fronts and sides of the refrigerator to calm down the kitchen.
• Remove nine items of clothing from the wardrobe that you no longer wear. (This makes space for new possibilities.)
• Clear items from under the bed so that dreams can be clear and focused.
• Remove clutter from near the front door to invite in more possibilities.

 

8.   Air and light

Allow plenty of fresh air and natural light into the house by opening windows and blinds/curtains as much as possible. Purify the air with plants including: lady palm, bamboo palm, rubber plant and peace lily.