Feng shui is the ancient Chinese practice of arranging your surroundings in harmony and balance to promote optimal energy flow. With simple changes to your home decor, you can create an environment that energizes, inspires, and supports your goals. In this crash course, we will cover the basics of feng shui so you can begin applying its principles as you decorate.
A Brief History of Feng Shui
Feng shui, which translates to “wind and water”, has been practiced in China for thousands of years. The origins date back over 3,000 years ago during the Zhou dynasty. This system for arranging spaces stemmed from Taoist philosophies about the flow of chi, or life force energy.
According to feng shui principles, chi flows through your environment like rivers and gentle breezes. The goal is to allow this energy to circulate freely without any blockages, which are thought to lead to stagnation and misfortune. Proper feng shui design enhances the flow in a way that promotes health, happiness and prosperity.
While feng shui is complex, the basic concept is simple: create balance and harmony in your surroundings. When designed effectively, your space resonates positive energy that supports your personal goals and dreams.
Key Principles of Feng Shui
There are several main principles that guide feng shui design:
- Flow – Position furniture and decor to allow energy to move smoothly through the room. Avoid clutter or sharp corners that block the path.
- Balance – Arrange items symmetrically and purposefully to create equilibrium in the space.
- Elements – Incorporate the five feng shui elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Each element enhances specific areas of life.
- Chi – Take advantage of areas with good chi and remedy spaces with poor chi flow. Outside forces like weather and traffic influence the energy.
- Symbolism – Use shapes, colors and materials to represent goals like love, wealth or fame. Displays that tie into your intentions activate the desired energy.
- The Bagua – Orient design according to the Bagua map, a grid of eight life areas like career, knowledge and relationships.
When applied properly using these core principles, feng shui allows energy to flow smoothly through your environment to nourish your life and manifest intentions. Even small tweaks can make a noticeable impact.
The Basics of Applying Feng Shui
While advanced feng shui mastery takes years to develop, you can apply the basic principles right away. Here are some tips for improving energy flow in your home:
Remove clutter – Clutter is the number one obstacle to healthy chi flow. Regularly purge unused items and keep surfaces clear.
Let light flow – Open curtains and blinds to allow natural light to stream in. Use mirrors to amplify and reflect energy around the room.
Incorporate living elements – Living things like plants oxygenate and invigorate space. Flowering and leafy plants are ideal for feng shui.
Use calming colors – Cool hues like blue and green promote relaxation. Earth tones like tans and browns cultivate stability.
Display feng shui symbols – Symbols like the Chinese dragon, Buddha and fu dogs activate their associated energies.
Use affirmations and art – Hang art and wall scrolls featuring uplifting affirmations that align with your goals.
Choose positive imagery – Images depicting peaceful landscapes, water or wildlife invite these energies into your life. Avoid violent imagery.
Enhance relationships – Display pairs of items to attract love. Place seats at 45-degree angles to promote harmony in relationships.
Activate wealth areas – Incorporate bold red accents and flowing water features in financial areas to activate prosperity energy.
With a little focus on these feng shui optimizations, you can create an uplifting environment filled with auspicious energy flow.
The Bagua Map
The Bagua map, also called the Feng Shui energy map, is a tool used to orient design according to feng shui principles. This octagonal grid corresponds to eight key areas of life:
- Career – Location of goals, status and life path.
- Knowledge – Area of skills, self-improvement and lifelong learning.
- Family/Health – Abundance and vitality for family and relationships.
- Wealth – Where energy accumulates to enhance prosperity and finances.
- Fame – For those seeking success in reputation or recognition.
- Relationships – Governs love, marriage and important partnerships.
- Children/Creativity – Space to nurture inner child, fun and future generations.
- Helpful People – Energy to attract mentors, supporters and angels.
The Bagua map helps guide placement of items to enhance the corresponding life areas. It provides an intuitive framework to apply feng shui.
Boosting Key Areas with Feng Shui
Let’s explore how feng shui design choices can strengthen these important life sectors in your home:
Enhancing Health & Family
The family and health area governs close relationships and wellness. To cultivate nourishing energy here:
- Display photos of loved ones smiling and embracing
- Select serene art with natural scenes like mountains, lakes or forests
- Incorporate houseplants and fresh flowers to invigorate chi
- Use colors like blues, greens and light pinks to relax and heal
- Place pairs of items like candles to enhance love and partnership
- Display smooth and rounded shapes and designs
Promoting Wealth & Prosperity
For the wealth zone, focus on visual cues to magnify affluence:
- Hang a round crystal chandelier to activate flow
- Use bold red and purple colors in decor and art
- Incorporate natural images of water like fountains or waterfalls
- Show luscious scenes depicting abundance in nature like fruit trees
- Display symbols of prosperity like fish, gold ingots or coins
- Add a small plant with rounded succulent leaves
- Hang a flute to symbolize a surplus
Strengthening Knowledge & Skills
To expand the knowledge zone, decorate to inspire learning and curiosity:
- Fill bookcases with books, arranged neatly
- Hang art featuring mentors like wisdom figures
- Display items symbolizing the elements like quartz, seashells or pinecones
- Use black calligraphy scrolls with inspiring quotes
- Incorporate yin yang symbols and mobiles to prompt contemplation
- Add healthy leafy plants like bamboo or ferns
- Display items showing the beauty of cultivated knowledge like bonsai trees
Use the Bagua map to orient decor and energize every life sector as desired. Even small steps create a big impact over time.
Integrating the Elements
The five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water – are primordial energies with unique characteristics. Integrating the elements brings their influences into your home’s chi flow.
Wood – Represents growth, vitality and expansion. Use to energize new beginnings.
Fire – Embodies warmth, illumination and passion. Use to amplify fame, relationships and creativity.
Earth – Cultivates stability, grounding and balance. Use for improved focus and health.
Metal – Govern self-expression, strength and influence over life. Use to inspire decisiveness.
Water – Flow, wisdom and potential. Use for career, prosperity and life path.
Add touches of each element through colors, shapes, materials and imagery. For example, display wooden items to incorporate wood energy or use blue and white items to integrate water. Blend elements intentionally to enhance different life areas.
Harmony Through Interior Design
Feng shui principles extend beyond furniture placement to the aesthetic style of your space. Follow these interior design tips:
- Select a harmonious color palette that feels uplifting. The best schemes use two colors with accent shades.
- Use soft, natural textures like wool, silk, linen and cotton instead of synthetics.
- Incorporate sensual and flowing shapes into furniture and decor. Avoid tension from sharp corners or points.
- Look for high quality, sturdy and comfortable furniture pieces that serve you well.
- Include soft lighting elements like table lamps, lanterns and natural light sources.
- Display fresh flowers, fruit, houseplants and natural elements to nourish with living chi.
Your home decor choices create an energy field around you. Craft rooms with components that lift your spirit and nourish your soul.
Applying Feng Shui for Balance
Feng shui seems complex at first, but just focus on applying the principles of flow, balance and harmony to your space. Avoid clutter blockages, use calming colors, and mindfully arrange furnishings and decor. Orient design per the Bagua map to amplify different life areas as desired.
Integrate feng shui adjustments gradually over time. As you tune your home’s energy flow, notice how your space affects your mood, motivation and inner peace. A balanced environment resonates positive chi to help you thrive. With practice, you will begin to sense the energetic shifts from even small tweaks. Soon, feng shui wisdom will become second nature.
Frequently Asked Questions About Feng Shui
Here are answers to some common feng shui questions:
What are some beginner feng shui tips?
To get started with feng shui, focus on:
- Decluttering and removing blockages to energy flow
- Incorporating living elements like plants, flowers and water
- Using calming colors like blues, greens and neutrals
- Choosing peaceful art and avoiding violent imagery
- Displaying pairs of items to attract love
- Applying the Bagua map to orient design by key life areas
How often should you rearrange feng shui?
It’s best to make minor feng shui adjustments seasonally, as the energy shifts each season. Large overhauls can be done annually. Avoid rearranging when starting new major life stages.
What room should you do feng shui for first?
Your bedroom and entryway have the biggest impacts, so start here. The bedroom governs health and relationships, so create a serene sanctuary. The entry welcomes you home, so make it uplifting.
How do you feng shui a small apartment?
In small spaces, avoid clutter and use mirrors to expand energy. Convert furniture like ottomans or murphy beds to serve dual purposes. Create defined spaces using room dividers or curtains. Add life with potted plants and flowers.
What are the best feng shui colors for a bedroom?
The best colors for bedrooms are serene and relaxing hues like blues, greens and lavenders. Accent with earthy tones like light sand or cream. Avoid stimulating reds and oranges.
What plants are good for feng shui?
The best feng shui plants have rounded leaves or flowers. Examples include bamboo, money plants, orchids, philodendrons, jade and lotus. Avoid cacti and plants with thorns or sharp edges.
Conclusion
Feng shui offers ancient wisdom to harmonize our living spaces for optimal well-being. By applying its principles, we can craft home environments that unlock creativity, deepen relationships, anchor health and catalyze success in all areas of life. With mindful adjustments, your home can become a sanctuary and source of balance.
As you make feng shui improvements, notice the positive impacts on your mood, motivation and quality of life. Gradually adding small tweaks over time creates an accumulative effect. Soon, you will feel more centered and supported by the energy flow in your home decor.
Use feng shui as a framework for intention. Let it guide you to make uplifting choices that align your space with your inner truths and deepest desires. When you decorate with mindfulness, your home becomes an outer reflection of your highest potential.
