SOLVING THE FENG SHUI ISSUES IN YOUR HOME
When you enter your home, how do you feel? Is it comfortable and inviting? Is it bright and clean? Is there a space in your home that allows you to feel relaxed or perhaps inspired or is it just the opposite? Essentially your home is a direct reflection of YOU.
In these times of change we are being called to address the patterns that aren’t working for us anymore especially in our homes. Recognizing this and making the proper adjustments can shift your perspective on the world and help create positive change in your everyday life. This approach is called Feng Shui. To explain this practice further we partnered with our friend and local astrologer, Shannon Aganza of Moon Gathering. We sat down with Shannon to chat about some Feng Shui issues we’re having in our own homes. In our conversation she helps solve these issues while diving deeper into the benefits and importance of good Feng Shui in our spaces.
“Your space is a living entity that will support YOU”
Shannon Aganza
Listen to our entire conversation below.
What is Feng Shui?
“Feng Shui is essentially the perfect balance in nature… A harmony between how nature flows outside and how nature flows through our body.”
Shannon Aganza
In other words, if there is good energy in your home there will be good energy in your life. There are two factors that need to work together simultaneously for this to work, the bagua (a Feng Shui map that reflects the floor plan of your home) and the five elements (earth, water, wood, fire and metal). Feng Shui works to balance the five elements in each area of the bagua.
Feel free to print out the bagua map below and place it over the floor plan of your home. Situate your front door at the bottom of the map.
Photo via Mindful Design Feng Shui School - https://mindfuldesignschool.com
Solving The Feng Shui Issues In Our Homes
Elaina’s Feng Shui Issue:
What is the best way to create a home office in my master bedroom?
The bedroom is not the most ideal spot for a home office. The bedroom should be reserved for the couple (if you are a couple) and for sound sleeping. The office, on the other hand, needs to feel energizing for creative productivity.
Solution:
Situate your desk in the prosperity corner of the room. This is also known as the wealth section on the bagua map and is a great spot for any workspace. The knowledge corner would also be a good option for placement.
Place a plant between your desk and your bed. Elevate it on top of a stool. The plant will act as a barrier separating your work space from your sleeping space. It’s important to separate the two worlds. Also make sure the plant is appropriate for the room you are placing it in. Certain plants are good for the bedroom as their oxygen output helps you sleep while others are best in the living room or kitchen instead.
Imprint the number 11 somewhere on your desk. Even if you write the number on the underside of the desk. The number 11 represents harmony between two things. In this case we’re creating harmony between the work space and the sleeping space.
Place a mirror near your desk. Mirrors help a space to feel bigger and brighter and depending on the placement of the door can allow you to see who enters. They also attract an abundant amount of energy which is perfect for your workspace. Just make sure the mirror if not reflecting your bed in anyway (another issue explained in the audio interview).
Jess’s Feng Shui Issue:
I don’t have a designated dining space in my small apartment, is it okay that we eat all of our meals in the living room?
The first thing to do is reconstruct your thoughts. Naturally we think of the dining room as a space for eating meals and connecting with family, however the purpose of a space can change depending on your needs. There are technically no rules when it comes to the purpose of a space in your home. Therefore, recognize the living room as your eating space instead of feeling like it isn’t the right space in which to eat because of how you’ve labeled it.
Solution:
This is where color comes in. Add something yellow and something green on or beneath the place where you eat in the living room. The color yellow symbolizes the earth, food and digestion. The color green symbolizes energy and family. This could be as simple as adding a book with these colors in it or a green plant in a yellow pot. Adding these colors will help establish your living room space as your eating space.
If you enjoy watching TV while you eat be mindful of what you’re watching while you’re eating. When we eat we are nourishing ourselves. Try not to watch things that are violent or scary or disturbing in anyway. Stick to the shows that are up lifting. By watching something uplifting and happy while we eat we feel good overall.
“Meal time is cohesive connection time”
Shannon Aganza
Susanna’s Feng Shui Issue:
The front of my house faces east, can I paint my front door black?
In the Feng Shui practice the appropriate color for anything to the east is red, however black is a great color to paint your front door. Black is a combination of all the colors and symbolizes career.
Solution:
It’s important to incorporate red in someway to your entry since it is facing east. Before you paint your front door black, paint a small section of the door red. Paint over this section with black.
You can also add a welcome mat that contains red or even plant something that has red in it.
Jess’s Feng Shui Issue:
I have a mirror hanging over my fireplace that faces my front door.
This is considered bad Feng Shui because the chi (the universal energy in your home) comes in the front door and reflects off of the mirror and goes right back out the front door. The chi never enters the home.
Solution:
There are a few things to consider here. Is the mirror directly in line with your front door? If so, consider putting a chandelier that has crystals on it or install a fan somewhere between the mirror and the door to help the chi bounce around the room. In other words allowing energy to move throughout the space. If the mirror is not directly in line with the front door, rather it is slightly offset, this is considered good Feng Shui.
Simple Tips To Create Good Feng Shui In Your Home
CLEAN YOUR ENTRY
It’s always best to start with the entry. The entrance to your home is how energy enters your home and ultimately your life. This space should be clear of any debris and well lit to allow good energy to flow through your space. A lot of items tend to collect at the entrance of our homes. Take some time to clear this space (interior and exterior). Sweep, dust out the mat and allow for easy traffic flow at the entry.
In addition, add something that speaks to the water element, like a fountain. Most of our front doors are rectangular and to balance this shape we need something round. Round shapes symbolize water. This can be as simple as placing a round pot at the entrance to your home.
CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS
Let’s be honest when was the last time you cleaned your windows? Clean windows bring in more sunlight. Sunlight naturally energizes us and wakes us up. Sunlight also renders color. The more sunlight we bring into our homes the clearer we can see everything and the happier we feel.
REPRESENT THE FIVE ELEMENTS
Use color to represent the five elements in each space of the bagua. Refer to the bagua map above for color reference.
DECLUTTER
“Clutter is cancer to the house and it can metastasize to other things in the home”
Shannon Aganza
Clutter in the home is clutter in the mind. The best way to create good energy and good Feng Shui in the home is to declutter and get organized. Sure this will take a bit of work, but you’ll find that it can also be therapeutic. I’m sure there’s a few places you can think of right now that need a little love. Declutter away!
Below are two great reads with some of the best strategies to help you get organized and find clarity.
The Declutter Code, was written by our good friend Yvette Bowlin and if you haven’t read it already, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.
We understand this may be a lot of information. Take your time analyzing your home. Ask yourself the important questions - does my home make me feel safe, peaceful, inspired, happy or joyful? If you answered no, then take the time to dive deeper into the parts of your home that are not serving you. Curating a balanced and well designed home will change your life.
Good Feng Shui and good design go hand in hand.
“Design is a legitimate way to change your life”
Shannon Aganza
Want more information on Feng Shui? Below are a few more books that highlight the importance of practicing good Feng Shui and the steps you can take to achieve it.
And if you’ve gotten this far but haven’t listened to our entire conversation with Shannon yet, head to the audio clip at the beginning of this blog or click here. It will change your life!
Love, The Sisters