Feng Shui Intro:
Hello Everyone! Happy New Moon in Pisces and Week to you!
What feelings arise just thinking about going to your favorite store? When you enter the store, do you get this feeling…ahhhh…I.Just.Love.This.Store.Take.My.Money!! The lighting is just right, maybe there’s really great music playing, not too loud, not faint. Maybe it has a scent to it; crisp, clean, floral, or of coffee and baked goods….the environment of this store really engages all of your senses, and you feel connected to it in some way. The space is open, you can meander like a little babbling brook, browsing to your hearts content. It is not cramped nor cluttered and the design features tickles your eyes! The staff is friendly and helpful and not pushy, they just have this vibe. You feel alive and energized! You could be in this store all day! Well, that, my friends is how really good Feng Shui can make you FEEL.
To me, Feng Shui evokes so many words: clear, airy, fresh, clean, organized, energized, relaxed, decluttered, purposeful, mindful, intentional, aligned. So.Many.Adjectives! It is living in and creating a space that supports you emotionally, creatively, physically and even spiritually. It’s living with ease and harmony. Nature plays a very big role in Feng Shui as well, as it reminds us to ebb and flow like the seasons and maintain Nature’s balance. What if we could bring this to your home?
Take a look around your home. Go deliberately room by room. What makes you say, ahhhhh, this space really feels great? What about a space that may give you pause, like maybe it feels dark, stagnant, cluttered? What steps can you take to get to that ahhhhh feeling within ALL your rooms? Here are a few ideas:
1.) Let’s start with what may be the elephant in the room. We all have it. Clutter. Is there quick clutter you can clear right away? Think, junk mail to shred/recycle. Shoe pile at the door. Coats/hats over the back of chairs, or even worse, on.the.floor? Take about 3-5 minutes to clear a little at a time. (No, not stuff it in a drawer. I’ve tried that, and while it may seem great at the moment when unexpected guests arrive, this temporary fix is not sustainable, nor good for your wellbeing). Start slow. One countertop/tabletop/end table in a room, a day. Could you delegate a room or task by occupant? Clutter clearing is integral to good Feng Shui.
2.) How do your surfaces look? Could they use a dusting? Bust out your favorite duster implement (mine happens to be a Swiffer cloth, or sometimes just a microfiber cloth attached to the Swiffer rod), then after a quick dusting, bring out the vacuum and do a spin around the room. Dusting and vacuuming in Feng Shui terms is a really great Energy Clearing Activity. It reduces the negative energy that dust collects and the vacuum does its job by sucking up all the loose ends. Just remember to empty the cannister if you can and immediately take out the trash. No one has space for all that negative energy to be sitting around! A fresher, lighter feeling room is what you get to enjoy.
3.) After that dusting and vacuuming, how does the air quality feel? Need to open a couple of windows for a moment? Can you rev up a fan? Get the air moving. In Feng Shui, air flow relates to “Chi”, or energy. You want to keep the energy flowing. Even by adding some plants, it has been scientifically proven that there are particular plants that can help with the air quality of your home, while for the largest impact, you’d have to grow a whole wall of plants, plants in general liven up a space and give us that “life force” energy in return. Oh, yeah, don’t forget to chat up your plants. They love that too!
4.) Speaking of Chi, how does the Flow of your room feel? Can you move around freely, converse with one another easily? Sometimes we get stuck in furniture patterns. You know, the “Well the couch has always been right there, and is just fine”, all the while maybe that couch is blocking the natural flow pattern that the room could enjoy. Also note if you feel an imbalance with your furniture. For instance, you have a huge bookcase on one wall and the opposing walls are empty. Perhaps in this example, you could balance other furniture or add artwork on the opposing walls. Get those little furniture slides or a partner and try moving some items around until you get your ahhhhhh feeling. You don’t necessarily need to buy new furniture or artwork, shop your house, move stuff around, give it a refresh!
5.) Note if there are any small fix-it projects that need to be addressed. Are your blinds in good working order? Do you have a leaky faucet that needs attention? Maybe you’ve been mulling over new paint colors? Don’t pull out the tool belt just yet, however, do pull out a notebook and start making a list from the most important (safety type items) to items that you can get around to later. I didn’t want to say least important, because all of your home is Important. Whether you own/lease or rent. It is foundational to your feeling of security and well-being and should be maintained to the best of your ability.
When we begin to shift our spaces, we begin to facilitate the most beautiful opportunities to creating an environment that not only supports our dreams and intentions, but helps to bring them to life!
I hope you’ve enjoyed some of these ideas. Let me know if you try any, and what your results are. If you want to do a deeper dive, send me a note and we can get started: sheila@omofhome.com.
Peace. Love & Om.
PHOTO CRED to: Thistle Be Perfect. West Chester, PA., Zukin Realty.
