Balance, harmony and space
Feng shui is the ancient Chinese art of arranging objects, such as the internal placement of furniture in a space, to achieve maximum harmony with one's environment. It has been widely documented to have an exceptionally positive impact on your living environment, because at its core, feng shui is a very practical way of organising the items you already own into a clutter-free and practical arrangement.
Feng shui pivots around the concepts of balance, harmony and space. By introducing feng shui into your home, you will need to get rid of clutter, broken items, and so forth. Practically speaking, this can truly open up your living spaces, to create a more attractive, spacious and functional home. The end result of creating a home that is in harmony with feng shui principles is to open the door to a better quality of life.
As mentioned before, balance is a core element of feng shui, and to create balance in your home environment, you will need to assess whether your home or a particular room is overwhelmed by one element (water, fire, wood or metal), and if so, you will need to introduce other elements into the space to create a better balance and harmony. For example, if your bathroom is minimalist and very modern, it may promote a very clinical and uninviting feel. To counteract this and restore the balance, you can introduce some warmth in the form of candles or perhaps some plants.
The beauty of feng shui is that it does not take much money, time or effort to introduce its principles into your home. All you really need to do is to learn the basic tenets of feng shui and then move your possessions around to achieve greater harmony. Other than creating a home that is more organised, free-flowing, aesthetically pleasing and spacious - this ancient art is also believed to improve overall wellbeing by reducing stress, stimulating thought and inviting a good energy into your home. Those who practice feng shui report better health, relationships and overall happiness.
Based on the ancient knowledge and practices, Feng shui offers a spiritual and practical way of life that helps you to absorb the positive forces of the universe. All the spiritual principles of feng shui have a strong scientific foundation underlying it – in essence, it is all about the connections and energy flow between objects and people. Before practicing feng shui in your home, try to understand its principles, its essence and most importantly its spiritual nature, by researching it in books and on the Internet, or perhaps consulting with a feng shui expert. Getting started can be easy – here are some helpful feng shui steps for beginners:
Clutter clearing: Dispose of everything you do not love. Reducing your clutter, although often a difficult task, can be very therapeutic and leave you feeling free and light. De-cluttering your living space is imperative in creating a harmonious and clear energy in your home.
Light and air: An abundance of natural light and fresh air is essential for a good energy, or Chi as it is termed in feng shui. Try and open your windows as often as possible, introduce air-purifying plants and create free-flowing spaces that encourage good ventilation throughout your home. The more natural light that can enter your home, the better it is for good Chi – skylights and big expanses of glass and windows are especially recommended.
Define your spaces: Using the feng shui compass or Ba-Guam, you will need to classify which areas of your home are connected to specific areas of your life. For example, the northern area is host to your home office and therefore a source of wealth and abundance in your life.
Five elements: Study the five elements of feng shui theory to help you find ways of balancing and strengthening the elements in your home.
Your birth element: Learn about your feng shui birth element and custom-design your environment to support it. For example, if your own element is fire, then it would be advisable to introduce the expressions of fire into your home, as well as the element of wood, as wood feeds fire in the feng shui relationship of the five elements.
Your number: Find your Kua number so that you can position yourself for maximum benefit throughout your day. This would entail adjusting the position of your bed, your office desk, and so on. For example, if your Kua number is 1, then you would do your best to face those directions that best suit that number, namely southeast, east, south and north.
Maintain and preserve: Always be aware of the condition of your home and how the energy in your home influences your wellbeing. For example, for good health, it is imperative to pay close attention to what feng shui principles term as the "triangle" – your bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.
Once you have mastered and implemented these seven basic principles of feng shui, then you are in a position to take the art to the next step and explore the deeper levels of this ancient art, and reap ever better rewards from it. – Antonella Desi
For further reading on Feng Shui in the home, click here.
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