Transform Your Living Space With Feng Shui

Feng shui is making a comeback in the western world, perhaps because of some celebrities using the practice in their homes. It promises more life balance and wellness by decorating your living space according to ancient principles, and the characteristics of your life and personality. Our environments can significantly affect our mental and emotional wellbeing, so it makes sense to pay some attention to how we decorate. 

Although feng shui is a popular modern-day practice you can read about in books, it’s also an ancient philosophy that’s been used for thousands of years in many different civilizations. There is more to it than can be covered in a short blog post, so if you want to get serious about it, it’s a good idea to contact an expert. Here goes: 

The rules of feng shui 

Since feng shui is an ancient Chinese art and belief system that has many rules and techniques, if you’re really serious about it, you can hire an expert to assess your living space, but that’s not necessary if you just want to get started. There are, however, a few things that are best to know from the get-go. 

Always keep your workspace separate from your living space; they have two different energy types. Sleep with your head away from the window to protect your mind and body from outside forces, and don’t locate your bedroom below ground level, it will diminish your Qi. Other basic rules include avoiding aligning the front door with the back as positive energy flows out and don’t live next to a cemetery.

The colors of feng shui

Feng shui operates around two main models, one is Bagua – the three by three energy map for your home – and the other is the five elements. The five elements are wood, fire, water, earth, and metal. These are the elements that make up your Qi and should be incorporated into your home’s decoration. 

Color is very important in this process. Different colors correspond to different elements and different aspects of your Qi balance. For instance, wood is associated with green and brown and symbolizes new energy and rebirth. These colors are ideal for reenergizing old spaces. Similarly, the colors of water are blue and black, which denote wisdom meditation, and calmness – perfect for the bedroom or for Wet Room Kits. 

Feng shui decoration 

The Bagua energy map is a three by three square outline that corresponds to different aspects of your life and different rooms of your home. The eight categories for the map are wealth, fame, love, family, children, knowledge, career, and helpful people, but these can be adapted to suit your own lifestyles, goals and objectives. First map your rooms then decide on the decoration. 

The goal is to enhance the positive energy of your rooms by choosing appropriate furniture and arranging it in the best way. Mirrors can be useful as the help to redirect the energy flows in the house. However, they can also upset the balance if not used correctly. Lucky symbols, such as animal-shaped objects and totems, can also be used effectively. 

Yin and yang

Along with the Bagua map and the five events, feng shui also uses yin and yang. Everyone has heard of yin and yang, and not everyone realizes the power of this ancient philosophy. The symbolism is used in many different art forms and practices, including martial arts, medicine, and feng shui. It’s a dualist symbol corresponds to two distinctive energy types – one is soft and passive, that’s yin; the other is aggressive and bold, that’s yang. 

These two energies are present in life, and so they are also present in the home. What feng shui does is use the decoration of your rooms and placement of objects to control the flow of these energies and bring more harmony to your living space and life. The bedrooms and bathrooms are quite passive areas, so they need yin energy. The kitchen and home office, however, need more yang. 

Feng shui in action 

To illustrate the point further, here are two ways you can transform your living space with yin yang energy. In the home office, you want to be productive, so use the element of fire. Choose bright, lively colors for productivity, or metal colors if you get stressed easily in your job. Don’t forget the positioning of your desk either. 

Another good example is the bathroom or wet room area of your home. The natural thing to do is to use the water element that symbolizes wisdom and tranquillity. Use the colors blue and black for tiles and position mirrors, so they don’t reflect the utilities. The bathroom and bedroom are ideal places for yin energy.