In life, we can’t always control what is happening around us, but during stressful times, applying Feng Shui principles to your environment gives you a sense of control within your home. It gives you a peaceful space to process and release your emotions, which inevitably helps to cultivate greater harmony and well-being.
The purpose of Feng Shui is to bring peace, harmony and a sense of serenity, and restfulness to you, your home, and your life. The serenity you create in your home has a great deal of influence on your outlook.
When we create a home that feels good, instead of one filled with anxiety, poor memories of the past, or clutter, it radiates throughout our entire lives and impacts how we show up for ourselves and others.
To that end, think of how you feel after you do a purge of your closet or after your home has been professionally cleaned. It may feel like there is literally more room to breathe. Our environment affects our mental, emotional, and even physical health. By creating harmonious living spaces, we cultivate balance and alignment within ourselves and our environment.
Practicing Feng Shui, clearing the clutter, and adding beauty to your home helps you in so many ways:
1. It helps you release emotional baggage and clear mental clutter, because physical clutter creates mental clutter.
2. It allows you to get in touch with yourself by making you feel present in safe, pleasant spaces.
3. It can improve your relationships, because when you experience a feeling of calmness, and control you have fewer disagreements with others. When you are emotionally connected with others, you have less chance of feeling depressed,
4. It helps you live a more intentional life, by creating space for stillness, meditation and inner Feng Shui.
5. It enhances creativity and intuition by finding ways to enhance your home. Every time you make an enhancement you “move the Ch’i” (the life force energy that flows through your home.)
To achieve all this, I believe that all it takes are for you to “remove” and “replenish.”
First take time to remove any items from your home that clutter your and a stress to your life. For instance, remove all books, equipment, projects and materials from your bedroom that relate to other areas of your life. If you keep objects and equipment that remind you of work or other areas of your life in your bedroom, they can distract you from your intention of enjoying a fulfilling love relationship and relaxing in a nurturing calming environment. Move them to other more appropriate locations in your home. Take time to also remove piles, and objects that you no longer need. Create a decluttered, peaceful environment which nurtures you.
Next replenish yourself by surrounding yourself with items, people and/or experiences which you relish. Flowers, for instance, are a fantastic vehicle to self-care. They represent life, love, beauty, joy, possibility, abundance and transformation. In Feng Shui they represent good health and are particularly enhancing in the Health, Friends and Family area (middle left) of your home.
There are areas in your home that lend themselves nicely to peace and rest; the left front section of the structure is particularly related to stillness, while the middle left side is related to health and healthy relationships.
In the Feng Shui Bagua , represented as a grid of nine sectors, these areas referred to as the “Knowledge and Self Cultivation Area”, and “Health Family and Friends.” They operate under the premise that good health and clarity of mind come from acquiring a peaceful lifestyle. This can be accomplished through meditation, contemplation, and introspection. Knowledge is viewed as the seed of wisdom, therefore when we spend time resting, our field of knowledge will be lush and productive.
There are numerous ways to enhance your home. The most common Feng Shui Ch’i enhancers are: Colors, art, mirrors, crystals, sound makers, natural objects, animals, flowers, lighting, plants, sound makers, water features and wind dancers.
Of all of these, I always feel that colors make the most difference in a person’s environment. Color is a power which directly influences the soul.
The colors in these two areas, are of course the calming colors, shades of blues and greens. The beauty of adding color to your home is that it can be done in a myriad of ways. Painting walls, replacing carpeting and new furniture is the most powerful and striking, but can also be the most expensive solution. If these options are prohibitive now, accents of colors can be introduced through flowers, candles, fabrics, and art. Your choices are endless! Consider your home a blank canvas and you the artist.
Why green and blue?
Green - Some scientists believe that our eyes are at the peak of perception to detect the wavelengths corresponding to green, the shade then calms us down. With less strain to perceive the colors, our nervous system can relax. It also symbolizes nature and attracts harmonious feelings that can diffuse anxiety. It has been proven that walking in a green environment can induce a significant reduction in heart rate.
Blue – Psychologists believe that blue is the color of the mind and is essentially soothing. It is known to lower blood pressure, slow down heart rate, and believe to have a cooling and astringent effect.
In the Knowledge and Self Cultivation area consider blues, greens, and art representing calm wooded scenes. Remember the calming effect nature has on you.
In the Health/Family/Friends area use blues, greens and bring in art representing floral scenes, or add fresh cut flowers, or flowering plants in all colors. Flowers have a healing property.
During these stressful social times, when you feel life is out of your control, removing clutter to free yourself from stress, and surrounding yourself with experiences you relish will keep your spirits up, sustain you and replenish you.
Free yourself from clutter and surround yourself with beauty and feel a shift in how you view life.
Breathe!