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More and more people are considering the effects of Feng Shui when they style and build their homes. Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese belief that the way your house is built or the way that you arrange objects affects health and happiness, and is used to create a positive energy in a home or office. Some rooms and homes already have positive Feng Shui, where as others need a bit of a helping hand. Here are some basic tips from Anjie Cho who is the founder of Holistic Spaces and Anjie Cho Architect, integrating beauty, spirituality and green design.
Does your entry door squeak or whine when you open or close it? The entry door is the first and last thing you encounter when coming or going from your home. The sound is as if the door is crying and this can affect your mood and well-being. Many people have become so accustomed to the sound that they don’t even notice it. Oil that door hinge and create more positive energy when you enter and leave your house. It’s also helpful to oil any other door hinges throughout the home, but the entry door is the most important.
Many people live in homes where they drive up into the garage and use the back door to get in. While this is very convenient, from a Feng Shui perspective this may limit good energy and opportunities in your life because again, the entry door represents how chi enters your home and life. The easy Feng Shui fix? Start using the front door at least once week. The more often the better! Just open and close it when you go get the mail, or maybe to take walk. Write it into your regular routine.
3. Where to place that Feng Shui fountain
Water represents wealth in Feng Shui. A lot of people ask me where the best place to locate a fountain for Feng Shui is. According to Feng Shui principles it’s advantageous to place a water element such as a fountain near the entry of your home. It can be just inside or just outside, but the most important part is that the water should be flowing towards the center of your home. That means that the wealth has the opportunity to pour into your life!
Take a look at your kitchen cabinets and check to see if they are built up the ceiling or a soffit. It is good Feng Shui if there is no space above the kitchen upper cabinets. This space above the kitchen cabinets attracts dust and stagnant energy. The chi gets stuck there and encourages dead energy which may hold you back in your life. If there is a space, there’s a Feng Shui adjustment for you! Place some lighting, green plants (live or very realistic looking) or beautiful and loved objects in this location. These objects bring life to this area and transforms the energy.
Many people get concerned about the bathroom when it comes to Feng Shui. The idea is that the water goes out of the home here. Since water is related to wealth, we don’t want our money being flushed away. I have also been taught that water comes back in as it’s being drained, but to be safe, I recommend that you keep the toilet seat cover down and the bathroom door closed to reduce this effect.
In Feng Shui, we use the “commanding position” to locate important furniture such as your bed. The bed is arguably the most important piece of furniture to put in the commanding position because you spend so many passive hours sleeping! To place your bed in the commanding position, you want to be facing the door while not in line with the door while lying in bed. Ideally you can be diagonally across the room from your bedroom door. However, I understand this is not always possible. In that case, find a mirror and place it so that you can see the door while lying in bed. I suggest freestanding mirrors, as they’re easier to move around and get just right.
Most of us have televisions in our bedroom. It happens. If you have trouble sleeping it or even if you don’t, it is a good idea to cover the television when not in use. The active energy of the television as well as the electronic aspect of it may be disruptive to the type of calming quiet energy more conducive to sleep and bedrooms. My suggestion, find a beautiful scarf or fabric and just toss it over the television!
It’s time for spring cleaning, and a good place to start is the windows. The windows symbolize your eyes to the world. We want to be able to see and experience everything that the universe has to offer us. Find some old newspaper, grab a bottle of vinegar and water and clean away the grime. Open your eyes and brighten your space.
Last but not least, do a space clearing. Our homes and environments retain the energetic imprint of those that inhabit the spaces. It is always good to just take a little time and burn off the old energy to welcome fresh and new chi. My favorite methods of space clearing are the following: burn palo santo, smudge with white sage or spraying natural orange essential oil with water. Palo santo is light and great for everyday use. White sage is heavier for the heavy duty space clearing. And the orange oil is great if you also need something to uplift your mood. Whatever you use, make sure to imagine the space being filled with positive energy and your dreams for the future.
