Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy (qi), and whose favorable or unfavorable effects are taken into account when designing and decorating buildings. Basically, it means that placing objects (cures) around your home or office strategically, using certain elemental décor and colors, and honoring certain directions balance the energies of a given space to assure prosperity to the people inhabiting it.

While this can seem to be a bit much for some, feng shui can be free, easy and fun! There are plenty of elements of the practice that are practical and can help your home feel less cluttered, more organized, and intentional. Aligning your home with who you are and where you want to go can bring a feeling of peace, even if you don’t believe all of the hoopla. We’re going to give you some tips to quickly add feng shui elements into your space, but there are a few things you must understand before beginning.

Getting Started with Feng Shui:

- Define the energy map of your home by consulting a bagua (also known as a Pakua or Ba-Gua). A bagua is a feng shui energy map of any space. This serves as a blueprint to see what colors and elements are needed in each particular room. It can also help you decide how to position your furniture for best energy flow, which images to choose, and which elements to focus on.

- Determine your lucky feng shui facing direction. When placing objects according to feng shui, it’s always good to try to face them in your best direction. This can be determined by calculating one’s Kua number, and can be used to attract energies of better health, money, or love.

- Choose your “cures”. Cures are objects that resonate with certain energies you want in your life. These can be crystals or stones, mirrors, sounds, plants, heavy solid objects, color, moving objects, symbols or charms, or personally significant things. These will be placed around your space strategically to invite the desired energy into your home.

- De-clutter, organize, and clear the energy in your home. Set an intention of a clear, calm and tranquil space and not only will your space look better, but the qi will be able to move throughout your space more freely.

Tips for Decorating your Space:

- Place your couch or sofa against a solid wall, if possible the farthest wall from the entry should be used. Make sure there is a clear view of the door from the sofa, and be sure to leave an inch or two between the wall and the couch. If you have a floating sofa, separate the room by putting a bar or console behind it, and place a mirror opposite so that you can see behind you. This will make you feel safe and protected in your space. Put your furniture legs on a rug, as this is said to attract love!

- Circular or oval curves on your coffee tables allow energy to move around more easily and makes the space feel less harsh. Natural materials like wood can create a warm feeling in your space if it fits the décor.

- TV’s in the living room are OK, but TV’s in the bedrooms are discouraged. This is because bedrooms are a private (yin) space, whereas the living room is a public (yang) space. If you want to encourage family bonding, you are encouraged to keep the television in an enclosed cabinet or in a less than central spot.

- Be sure to light up all dark corners of your home. If an area is dark, that symbolizes neglect in an area of your life. Place a lamp in that dark corner, or face a studio light in the direction of a less lit area.

- Choose a few things you truly love for each room that have beauty and meaning. Set these intentionally, but try to avoid cluttering your space. Move your favorite item to a prominent place in the room, and you will feel joy every time you look at it.

- Some areas of your home tend to be a dumping ground for mail, toys, or other messy items that never get cleaned. This can be a dining room table, bar, or an entire room! This can lead to a feeling of neglect in your space, and stress you out when you look at it. Plus, it’s said to attract money to keep your kitchen clean, so that’s a little extra incentive!

- Make sure each of the elements on the bagua are represented in your home in their appropriate places. You will want there to be a nice balance of each element in your home.

- A large mirror reflecting the dinner table is said to bring double the abundance and good fortune to you and yours, not to mention it opens the room up! Find a large one that matches your décor and hang it on the wall next to your table.

- In your bedroom, position the bed on the furthest wall from your door (but not directly across from it). Make sure you have a clear view of the door, as this will make you feel safe. Leave space on both sides of the bed so that nobody is trapped up against a wall. For children, this is okay since there will usually be only one person in their bed. If you are single, and want a partner, leaving space on the side of your bed is said to attract one.

- Decorating in red, purple, or green is said to attract wealth into your life, so use the bagua to determine which room would be best for these!

- Adding plants and water around your home will not only add to the living energy in each room, but is said to attract abundance.

These are just a few of the many, many things you can do to facilitate positive energy flow in their home. Happy decorating!