If you are interested in exploring ancient traditions regarding the manifestation of human desires, the Chinese philosophy known as fang shun could be a beneficial practice for your daily life. The basics of feng shui involve clearing an obstructed energy flow or changing negative energy into positive energy for the purpose of achieving success in specific aspects of existence.
This is achieved by rearranging physical spaces, such as the rooms of your home, in a manner that brings the flow of good energy into balance. When deciding to apply feng shui techniques within your home, you must first examine the areas in which you wish to transform your hopes and dreams into a successful reality.
According to the classical bagua, or feng shui energy map, specific regions of your home match up with the eight main directions on the compass, which in turn corresponds to an area of life. The eight areas represented on the bagua are: money, fame, love and marriage, creativity, helpful people, career, spiritual growth and health.
Take the first step toward manifesting your dreams by figuring out how your home’s layout lines up with the compass, and then use feng shui in the rooms that lie within your desired area or areas of success. For example, if your wishes relate to financial prosperity, you will want to focus on establishing a clear energy flow in the southeast region of your dwelling.
Once you are prepared to organize your living space in the feng shui tradition, try the following twelve methods for achieving your ambitions.
1. Maintain Living Spaces Free From Clutter And Dust
An abundance of clutter, including old papers, unused housewares and long-forgotten items in need of repair, serves as a physical manifestation of blocked energy. Similarly, the presence of dust and dirt throughout your home is not conducive to the feng shui process. Increase your likelihood of success by cleaning and maintaining living spaces as well as garages, closets and basements.
2. Infuse The Rooms In Your Home With Positive Energy
Energy that brings about the good fortune which you desire flows much more organically through bright, warm and welcoming rooms than dark, dreary and somber ones. Transform your rooms according to feng shui by adding both desk lamps and natural light sources, installing overhead lights, painting walls in vivid colors and decorating with wood and metal furnishings in pastel hues.
3. Integrate Artistic Mediums Into Your Daily Life
If you have a talent for creating art in any medium, such as playing a musical instrument, sculpting, painting or weaving, consider practicing your art within certain areas of your home. The creative energy and emotional bonds associated with unique artistic endeavors bolster a feng shui environment. Make art in ways that bring you peace, motivation and all-around positivity.
4. Utilize The Five Main Feng Shui Elements
Five elements – water, earth, wood, fire and metal – are commonly used in feng shui for the purpose of bringing energy forces into balance and encouraging a flow of prosperity within certain regions of the bagua. Incorporate pieces containing these elements, such as fountains, green plants, metal or wood furniture and fireplaces, in whichever rooms correspond to your desired manifestations.
5. Learn About Your “Lucky Directions”
In the feng shui tradition, some directions are luckier than others, so you will want to find out how and where to place your furnishings in order to maximize the possibilities of bringing your dreams to fruition. Find your “lucky directions” by first using a feng shui chart to learn your Kua number, which corresponds to your gender and the year of your birth on the Chinese calendar.
6. Create An Outdoor Garden Space
Just as the interior of your home should be balanced with feng shui energy, the outdoor area surrounding your dwelling is also important to consider if you wish to change your luck for the better. Try planting a garden near your front door – this encourages a natural flow of earthly energy from the exterior of your home through the entryway.
7. Consider Your Usage Of Certain Shapes And Colors
Colors and shapes play a role in balancing the energy needed to bring about success and happiness in your life. Choose colors that correspond to your choice of feng shui elements (for example, red and orange for fire, green and brown for wood, and blue and black for water). Shapes, such as round for metal and square for earth, also strengthen energy flow.
8. Ensure That Your Home’s “Trinity” Is Energy-Balanced
Your home’s “trinity,” or the region encompassing your kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, contains energy that strongly influences your overall state of health, thereby enabling you to more effectively actualize your dreams. Take care to always keep this trinity balanced in tandem with feng shui principles, staying aware of the fact that rearranging furniture in one room may necessitate changes in the others.
9. Explore Various Scents For Your Home
Infuse pleasant-smelling scents, including lavender, cinnamon, vanilla, sage and citrus, into your home as a method of balancing feng shui elements, promoting positive energy, and boosting your overall well-being. These scents can be introduced through mediums such as incense, candles, essential oils, perfumes and room sprays. Focus on choosing scents for your entryway, kitchen, bathrooms, living areas and sleeping areas.
10. Organize Smaller Areas According To Feng Shui Principles
The practice of feng shui need not be reserved for large-scale decoration inside your home. When arranging the placement of objects in a room for the purpose of improving your life, pay attention to the placement of smaller objects on smaller surfaces as well. For example, determine how the contents on a desk-top within your study can most effectively be arranged.
11. Perform A House Cleansing Or Blessing
Sometimes, despite your best efforts to organize your home in the feng shui tradition, negative energy from unpleasant past events, prior clutter or general misfortune lingers and prevents your dreams for a better life from manifesting. In this instance, consider rituals for cleansing and blessing your environment, such as wiping walls with salt, taking a salt bath or sprinkling rice outdoors.
12. Welcome The Peaceful Sounds Of Nature
The sounds of nature, such as water flowing, birds singing, crickets chirping and wind blowing, provide a harmonious background for your energy-infused, feng shui-oriented home. Open windows in order to allow these sounds to enter your dwelling organically, or play recordings of nature sounds in rooms that correspond to your areas of ambition on the bagua.
Because the art of feng shui entails a number of schools, principles and methods, you can delve quite far into more nuanced techniques for helping your dreams to come true. Approach an expert practitioner of feng shui for assistance in directing positive energy throughout even the smallest elements of your home. Alternatively, you may wish to read books detailing both classical and modern forms of the tradition.
