We’ve all heard that living a balanced life is what we should aim for. But as with many things, it is easier said than done. Sometimes you need a little help and one thing that might help, particularly at home, is Feng Shui.

This traditional Chinese art has been embraced worldwide as a way to create balance in our modern lives. If it has been a mystery to you, then this article will help. I will give an overview of what Feng Shui is, some simple tips on how to Feng Shui your home and provide an insight on how Feng Shui might help you.

What Is Feng Shui

Founded in China many, many years ago, Feng Shui is the art of knowing how to create balance. The balance is found by giving energy its proper space in your life.

Energy needs a certain flow – and there is a definite art to Feng Shui for developing the flow of energy. This art is done by moving ordinary items and aligning them so that your surroundings reflect harmony to you and allowing energy to flow.

Chi SymbolUsing the concept of heaven and earth, Feng Shui takes what’s known as wind water and by using the life force (qi or chi), creates positive environments for homes or offices. The Chi actually has six parts to it, all based on weather terminology – light versus darkness, warm versus cold and rain versus wind.

Using this popular belief, that Chi creates positive environments, many buildings and homes in China are built with Feng Shui as a focus and are happy, successful places to live in and work at. It has also gained popularity outside of China with many western homes now applying this simple philosophy.

The reason Feng Shui works is based on the principle that we should be aware of how structures impact nature and we should work to keep a harmonious relationship with nature.

Understanding and using Feng Shui can help to sponsor harmony in all areas of your life – your relationships, your work and even your health.

In places that are perfectly balanced and at one with nature, it pulls the good energy toward the living space. Spaces that are at discord with nature promote bad luck.

The Feng part of Feng Shui (known as the wind) can rid an environment of the positive energy, which you don’t want to happen. Holding on to the Shui (the water part) creates balance.

Our environments can work for or against us. You might have heard the phrase ‘product of their environment’ whenever someone’s life is in turmoil. But good, positive energy or Chi can be created and turn a bad environment into a harmonious one. By using existing energy constructively, you can create an environment to cause the energy to work for you.

There are three parts to the Chi and they’re based on heaven, earth and human Chi. You might have experienced some understanding of Chi and not realized it when you read your horoscope because astrology falls under the category of heaven Chi.
How To Feng Shui Your Home
So let’s now look at some simple tips for using Feng Shui in your home.

The philosophy of Feng Shui can be used to bring many improvements throughout your home. It can work to improve your sleep, feelings, money, relationships and more.

Using Feng Shui will help you be more relaxed, feel healthier and have a fresh start by creating a balance. Feng Shui can also help you decide what you want out of life and how to get it.

To start, you should know that every home has energy and that energy is impacted by the items, including the quantity of items that you have in your home.

Have a think about what you want to happen in your life within your home. Then start to take a look around the house and take a bit of an inventory. No doubt there are areas that are cluttered, neglected and every time you look at them, they bring some negative feelings. These are a good place to start.

Below are some other ideas on what to look for and how you can start to introduce Feng Shui principles into your home.

Disorganization and Clutter


Feng Shui CandleIf you’ve previously always been disorganized, you need to change the negative energy caused by the disorganization (and disorganization often goes hand in hand with clutter) by lighting candles. Candles help rid a room of negative energy.

Walkway and Entrance


The energy begins the moment you walk up the walkway toward your home. A narrow, cluttered pathway depletes positive energy while allowing negative energy. Your front door is the opening for Chi and every time a person comes in through your front door, they bring energy with them.

An entranceway that holds the clutter of shoes or coats can create an abrupt halt to energy. You want your entranceway to be clear. If you have narrow or dark hallways, hang a mirror to bring in light and increase the flow of energy.

Front Door & Back Door

You don’t want there to be a visual line between your front door and your back door, because just as energy arrives through the front door, it also exits through the door. You want the energy to flow within your home and stay.

If you stand just inside your front door and can see the back door, you should place something (according to Feng Shui directions) in the pathway so that it blocks the back door.

Bathrooms


The bathrooms of your home are often very difficult rooms for Chi energy. Bathrooms are usually heavy with moisture and tend to be smaller rooms, which can interfere with energy flow.

To combat this, use live plants in your bathroom so the atmosphere is filled with life. Plants also help keep the moisture level of a bathroom down, helping to combat and problems caused by too much moisture in a room.

Room Direction

Each room of your home has a Chi direction, which will impact how the energy flows. The directions are center, east, southeast, south, west, southwest, northwest, north and northeast.

Using a Feng Shui guide, find the direction of a room and let that be your guide to knowing how to decorate it. Knowing how to decorate and position the items in each room of your home will help unlock the benefits of Feng Shui for your home.
In Summary
Knowing how to feng shui your home has many benefits and will bring a better balance to your life.

The above simple principles and techniques provide a starting point. Take some time to apply them and work on areas on your home where you feel the most benefit will be achieved.