Feng Shui (pronounced fung shwaye) is an ancient Chinese system of laws that govern spatial arrangements. When these laws are correctly applied, energy — or qi (pronounced chee) — is allowed to flow unfettered through a building, office, room, garden, or any other space, which in turn promotes health, wellness, balance, harmony, good fortune, and abundance.
Whether you are redecorating your home or thinking about office space planning, here are five fundamental Feng Shui principles to elevate your environment, wellness, and state of mind:
1) Get Elemental
Feng Shui recognizes five elements: wood, earth, water, fire and metal. Try and bring each of these — but especially water — into your environment. If adding pieces like a fountain, pool or aquarium is not desirable or viable, then pictures or paintings are good options. You can even take your own photos and have them professionally printed and framed, which is not only cost effective, but adds a unique personal touch to your space.
2) Clutter: Just Say No
One of the biggest obstacles to free-flowing energy is clutter; whether it’s the occasional kind, like a strewn jacket or laptop bag, or the chronic kind like a “to be filed” box that has been in the corner for years. As a bonus, cleaning up clutter creates more usable space, and it can also make the environment safer.
3) Make Entrances Vibrant
In Feng Shui, entrances are not just openings from one space to another: they are gateways that capture and extend the energy of the people who use them. As such, it makes practical sense to ensure that entrances are clean, bright and vibrant. That way, when people arrive into a room their negative energy will be neutralized, and their positive energy will be amplified.
4) Take Command
Orientation is very important in Feng Shui, and as such one of the core principles is to avoid sitting in a way that puts one’s back to a door (or entrance). At the same time, desks should be placed away from a door vs. in-line with it.
5) Dial Down the White
While Realtors may recommend an abundance of white because it makes spaces seem larger and it’s easier for prospective buyers to envision their own décor, Feng Shui consultants have a different view — because excessive use of white can trigger something called “white occurrence,” which delivers too much cold energy. If this sounds like your home or office environment, then don’t worry: you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on painting, curtains and flooring. Instead, simply add some splashes of green, blue, lavender, peach, and other calming earth tones.
