4 + 1 Tips for a Feng Shui Household

Whether you have found the house or flat of your dreams or you live in a rented place, you are certainly thinking about how to furnish it so that you really fell at home. One of the ways to organise your home is the ancient technique, Feng Shui. 

It is a system of knowledge and rules focused on nothing less than establishing man’s harmony and balance in relation to space. Space reflects our personality and vice versa: everything around us influences us and determines the quality and degree of energy around us. A change in space also affects our energy and vice versa. The location of the building, the arrangement of furniture and other things, the colours used – all of these factors contribute to whether or not our surroundings are balanced; they can energize us or drain our energy and influence the fact whether the energy is positive or negative. This Eastern art is increasingly finding its place in Western culture because the need to find harmony in life is becoming more and more urgent. If you stick to the principles of Feng Shui, you can use colours, materials, accessories, works of art, plants, shapes of room and location to create a harmonious environment in any building, both at home and in your job.

Just like there are four cardinal points, we are bringing you four tips for the steps you can take towards a Feng Shui household.

1. Harmony = Cleanness

One of the main principles of Feng Shui is cleanness. Its motto could be: harmonised space is clean space. Once you start such cleaning process, don’t neglect any single place. Don’t forget the entryway, the corridor in the house, the floor, windows and each corner. Everything must be clean and free of clutter, which could be a cobweb or a dusty picture. A suitable cleansing agent is ground Himalayan salt dissolved in warm water. Remove any useless things and whenever you are leaving your home, it should be clean and tidy. After all, that will pay when you return – you will not need to do any more work when you are tired and will be able to enjoy your oasis of peace and harmony instead.

2. Colours and Shades

Like words, colours also have their own meanings. The right choice of colours is one of the simplest ways to ensure the right distribution of energy in a room. Each Feng Shui colour represents five elements: fire, earth, water, wood and metal. For example, orange is said to boost self-confidence, which is certainly good. However, it is also said to increase appetite, which is why it’s suitable for restaurants. You can find the meanings of colours on the Internet and in books on Feng Shui, so you can choose the most suitable ones according to your preferences.

3. Don’t Forget the Compass

The cardinal points are not important only when the peace pipe is being smoked but they also play a vital role when you are arranging your home according to the Feng Shui principles. Each cardinal point symbolises different energy and focus. Do you need help in love, work or health? Find the right positions of your furniture and begin rearranging it.

4. Energy is the Basis

Everything revolves around energy. Practising Feng Shui means using the vital force of qui so that its positive effects are increased to the maximum. This energy may have different levels; it can be more lively or calmer. Like every human being, plants or inanimate things also have their element (water, earth, metal, fire, wood), which will give you an idea of how your furniture should be arranged and that will make the flowing of energy easier. Many people think that we mostly get energy in the kitchen or in the dining room and bedroom. However, if our household is organised according to Feng Shui, we can get energy in every room. According to Feng Shui, energy (money) enters the house or flat through the entrance door. Therefore, the entrance areas should correspond to the male element. Kitchens, on the other hand, are arranged according to the female principle. The absence of beams, sharp corners or your legs in bed facing the door are important in the bedroom. When you are positioning your writing desk, it is also good to pay attention and watch the harmony of your element with the recommended cardinal point.

5. Heed Your Feelings

Our additional and probably the most important tip is: trust your feelings in arranging your home. They are based on your mind and they are likely to indicate the right way. So, if you learn that according to Feng Shui your bed should face northwest, but after a few nights you find out that it irritates you, change the position of your bed. The directions are only approximate; everyone harmonises different areas and each person has their own preferences.

These days, it is not a problem to get a lot of advice and observations on Feng Shui in books and on the Internet, or you can ask a specialist for help, such as Ing. Iveta Hrochová – lesborovice@icloud.com. Don’t hesitate to start the transformation of your environment, which will lead to peace and quiet. History can also provide interesting inspiration. Although we think that we are discovering something new, we only need to look at our ancestors’ houses. Houses have always been built for people to feel good and safe in them. In such buildings you can notice arched entrances or rounded corners in the rooms. Nowadays, Western society is returning to this style, which is positive.