Random tidbits of Feng Shui have stuck in my mind over the years: don’t place your bed in alignment with a door or window (energy will escape). Don’t have a mirror overlooking your bed. Don’t sleep beneath a fan or angled ceilings, don’t have anything under your bed. Remove clutter (yay). Always put the toilet seat lid down. The basic rules of Feng Shui produce a continuous flow of energy or “chi”. When clutter or mirrors or windows block or release the energy, it can cause unfavorable effects in your daily life (not sleeping as well, quick to temper, feeling drained, etc.). The ultimate goal: create harmony with your environment by allowing chi to flow freely. Keep reading to learn how to energize and balance your life through Feng Shui.
Feng Shui from a Professional Organizer
I became familiar with Feng Shui around 2012 and have utilized either the eastern or western practice in each home. For whatever reason, I’ve been in my current place almost 18 months but never did a map! So, at the virtual 2021 National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO) conference, I decided to take, “The Hierarchy of Healing Your Home” by Dorena Kohrs. I was so excited about Feng Shui-ing my environment that I stopped the video partway through to grab my tape measurer and draw my apartment to scale, then overlap the western Bagua map (view below). It’s suggested that the bottom squares align with your front door. So, stand at your front door, and face in. My front door is in the knowledge + self-cultivation square, because it’s on the far left of that long wall.
45 minutes after starting the measurements and placing sticky notes where squares started and ended, I finished the class. 😊
Forced myself to take a break to eat, then watched another class. But after dinner, I went back to it! I went section by section to determine the colors, themes, metals, etc. that were suggested in each square. Surprisingly (or maybe not surprisingly), each area already reflected Feng Shui principles quite well (except my relationship square, ha)! The only jarring decorations I should remove (but haven’t yet): my family photos from my career section and shift my nephews’ drawings from relationships to children + creativity. I changed the theme in my bathroom (aka my relationship square) by buying new towels, shower curtain (with red roses and the word ‘love’ spelled out, instead of a plain teal), bought additional storage bins so I had equal numbers of each type, and finally, placed a photo in my kitchen that reflects love (as that’s partially the relationship square). Within 24 hours, I had two people tell me they loved me (who had never expressed it before). Bam! Already reaping the benefits of Feng Shui. 😊
The following 5 steps are according to Kohrs and is just one method on how to heal and Feng Shui your home. There are many methods available, so feel free to research and find the one that resonates with you.
Step 1: Declutter
I 100% believe that mental clutter manifests into physical clutter. So, the first step would be to declutter. Donate what’s not used, give back what you’ve borrowed, return items to their proper home, and leave in the space only what you use or love.
Step 2: Clean
Time to clean! Once you’ve cleared away the clutter, it’s time to clean the space. Give it a sparkle and refresher. Use scents that you enjoy and maybe play some upbeat music as you go through the cleaning motions. “Where intension goes, energy flows” so as you clean each space, think about what square you’re in and what you hope to achieve with that Feng Shui space. Can use vinegar, baking soda, or essential oils.
Step 3: Organize
My favorite part. Organize! You can also declutter, clean, and organize together or keep it in three separate steps. Put like items with like (all hair products together, or first aid, or books, or make-up, etc.). Bins work great to keep items separate. You’ll need to incorporate the Feng Shui aspect (color, element, design, etc.) if you decide to buy new decor or storage items, so…
Step 4: Feng Shui Your Home
Each square represents an element, shape, colors, crystals, essential oils, and so much more. What’s challenging and fun is that if you have one of the “unfavorable effects” that you absolutely cannot change (such as the front door and back door being in direct alignment, which causes the chi to enter your house and then promptly exit), do a quick google search on what you can do to alter the energy flow and keep it in your house (such as placing a piece of furniture halfway between the two or hanging crystals by the front door).
The heart of Feng Shui: if you think it flows and you like it, it’s good Feng Shui. If you don’t like it, or something feels off, it’s bad Feng Shui.
Here are the nine Feng Shui squares and various properties:
- Knowledge & Self-Cultivation
- Element: Earth
- Colors: dark blue, black, cream, taupe, yellow, beige
- Enhance: image of someone who’s knowledge you admire, books or quotes that support a positive frame of mind, anything that encourages mindfulness and peaceful thoughts
- Family
- Element: wood
- Colors: green with blue and black accents
- Enhance: wood furniture and objects, healthy plants and flowers, images of vibrant green landscapes,
- Wealth & Prosperity
- Element: wood
- Colors: Purple, blue, red
- Enhance: healthy plants (especially jade plant), images of a waterfall with water pooling and collecting at bottom (note: don’t use water objects/images in bedroom, bathroom, hallway or staircases);
- Fame & Reputation
- Element: fire
- Colors: red or burgundy with green accents
- Enhance: candles, fireplaces, triangular pyramidal, conical, or pointy objects, wards or objects related to success; stars; picture of you with a famous person
- Relationships
- Element: Earth and Fire
- Colors: Red, pink, white, orange, yellow, purple
- Enhance: everything in pairs, photos of loving couples, heart object or image, fresh flowers, any symbol that inspires thoughts of love
- Children & Creativity
- Element: metal
- Colors: white, grey, silver, gold
- Enhance: playful décor, art of any kind that you admire, musical instruments or other tools to make art, pictures of children, toy, games, or hobbies
- Helpful People & Travel
- Element: metal
- Colors: white, gray, gold, silver, other metallic colors
- Enhance: round, metallic objects, globes, maps, souvenirs from trips, black and white images, art or objects depicting angels or spirt guides, clocks, watches, and other objects related to time and connectivity,
- Career & Life Path
- Element: Water
- Colors: dark colors, black and blue
- Enhance: asymmetrical shapes, images of flowing, gentle water, a water feature, full mirror, picture of meandering pathway (black and white), anything related to your specific work or life path
- Health (Center)
- Element: Earth
- Colors: earth tones, light yellow and orange
- Enhance: ceramics and earthenware objects, square or cube shaped, terracotta, sandy, earthy landscape images; images and objects that support centered and grounded states of being
Step 5: Space clearing
Space clearing energetically removes the negative energy and infuses positive energy into the room. How do you do this? Multiple options according to Kohrs:
- Open windows to air out or utilize air purifying plants (Boston fern, areca palm, etc.)
- Use ramekins or small bowls: put large salt in corners of room, let sit for 24 hours, then flush down the toilet
- Play uplifting music or use bowl clearings
- Diffuse essential oils (match with intention: vanilla for well being, cinnamon for harmony, lavender for relaxation, citrus for cleansing, bergamot for wealth, jasmine for love and romance).
- Light a candle (or two) (be careful where you place that they aren’t near anything that will heat up or catch on fire)
- Be clear on intention of the space (again, if you’re in the career square, as you clear the space, think about what you hope to achieve with your career and so forth)
Uff. How was that? Are you filled with purpose? Did you already stop to go measure your home so that you can immediately start?
It’s wonderful and freeing to reset your home and add feng shui elements to each space. Plus, our homes all need refreshers every once in a while. I filled TWO bags of clothes that I donated. Trust me, that was a lot for me, considering I didn’t think I’d give away even 1 item. Sometimes, we are blind to the items around us, passing them by every day, until we put hands on every single item and ask ourselves if we want or need it in our lives. Plus even though we don’t consciously see the objects, we subconsciously see it, feel it, and our bodies are bogged down by the blocked energy.
Which square do you feel compelled to start in? Afterwards, did you achieve a phone call from a friend, book a fun trip, receive a promotion? Let me know how it goes!
SFK
In case you missed it, here’s an article and checklist all about spring cleaning: Spring Cleaning Checklist
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