Most readers have no idea what Feng Shui is, so let’s clear that up before making it a must-have in your life.
I first learned about Feng Shui while watching Loose Women during Covid; they had a guest speaker on who explained what it was and the benefits…
I was instantly obsessed
I went straight to Pinterest to start compiling a board of ideas (note: please don’t judge me for watching loose women at 20). Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art form, specifically in-home arrangement, the purpose of the art form is to create an environment that brings harmony and balance within the home.
The roots of Feng Shui lay in the ancient belief of Taoism, but has slowly crept into western culture, like most things do. The belief of Chi operates the idea of yin and yang components that bring flow and positive energy into our lives. Arranging our furniture and décor in a way that’s efficient and beneficial to daily routine. The Taoist beliefs are extremely complex, and I could explain it in a lot more detail but for the purpose of the article it won’t be necessary, however I will leave some helpful reading at the end of the article if it’s something that may have sparked interest.
This style of décor rocketed during Covid, and I can safely say it kept me sane. In a time where the home became a safe haven that we were confined to everyday I focused a lot of energy into how I could make my room as positive and happy as I could, which we all desperately needed.
Feng Shui works of the principle of five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. These elements, if placed correctly in the home, should bring wellbeing.
Now you ask: ‘well how do I know how to correctly place these elements’ … an energy map! The energy map called Bagua tells you where each element should go in the home. Each element brings different benefits for example earth brings stability and nourishment, this can be through the colours of the earth in the home, images of landscapes or perhaps pottery. Bagua places these elements around the home to achieve a full circle of harmony in your life.
Moving away from the technical side of things and onto why this resonated so deeply with me I feel I should share with you as readers. Covid was extremely hard for me, like it was for all of us, I struggled enormously with my mental health. Whilst helplines and the NHS were overwhelmed with mental health support, I knew I had to help myself as much as I could, which I am aware not everybody is able to do. I turned to making my environment a safe haven as much as I possibly could, which goes hand in hand with my previous article ‘How to romanticise your life’.
I felt inspired to share this style with you because I never realised the power something like this had until I did it.
My room is still like it now and let me tell you after hectic day it is my sanctuary. It seems difficult and it is complex, but so worth it! Start with simple things, like decluttering, positive energy can’t run freely in a cluttered space. Then start to think about the colours of the components of Feng Shui and how you can bring them to your space. Create design boards and mood boards throw yourself into. Personal tip: Plants! Plants are a great place to start and have scientific calming effects, you can’t get enough of them!
This is just a whistle stop tour and I tried to keep it as light as I could, but I hope that it has inspired some food for thought about how you could Feng Shui your life… even if it is just a little bit.
Reading Recommendations:
How to Create Good Feng Shui in Your Home – helpful guide.
A book – A course in Real Feng Shui by Althea S.T.
A book- Feng Shui your life by Jayme Barrett.