Times change — 20 years ago, people saw yoga as a strange practice with no tangible physical benefits. Since then, we’ve been so widely exposed to its positive effects both on the body and mental health that it’s become as mainstream as green juice. Similarly, the ancient Chinese spatial laws of feng shui in houses have only proliferated, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Marie Kondo among its most recent enthusiasts.
To the uninitiated, feng shui can feel a little esoteric, but if you take the time to dig into the philosophy behind it, you’ll find out it’s not only based on simple common sense practices that make our homes healthier and more organized, but it also reveals how connected we are to our homes — and in turn, how they can affect our mood and well-being. In practicality, feng shui should feel no weirder or less intuitive than spring cleaning or decorating a comfortable home.
To demystify some of the rules of this ancient Chinese tradition, we tapped New York-based professor, feng shui expert and author of “The Holistic Home,” Laura Benko, to give us simple, actionable tips on how to incorporate its philosophy in our homes. Benko is widely acclaimed for having rebranded feng shui into a more modern, holistic approach while still honoring age-old traditions. To Benko, feng shui is not about transforming the structure of a home, but about making our homes evolve with us. Though nearly imperceptible, these small tweaks can have a “profound impact on your daily life,” she insists. These feng shui house tips won’t just bring harmony into your home, but they can potentially increase the value of its selling price. Now have we got your attention? Read on for Benko’s tips.
SLOW DOWN THE ENERGY FLOW
“When there is a direct line-of-sight between the front door and the back door, it means the chi (or energy) is shooting through the house too fast,” says Benko. Instead of having it fly straight out the back door, “you want it to move in a graceful undulating way that goes around your whole home evenly,” she suggests.
The solution: Slow the chi down with a patterned rug on the floor, artwork on the walls or even a round entry table.
KEEP YOUR HOUSE CLEAR OF CLUTTER
While this may seem like an obvious problem to tackle around the house, we are all too guilty of accumulating tchotchkes that don’t play a specific function in the home. According to Benko, clutter is more than just visually displeasing: “It’s an energetic anchor that impedes the best things from unfolding in our lives,” she says. “An excessive amount of clutter stops us from having clarity of thought, and can weigh us down emotionally.” Feng shui is less about having an overly perfectly styled home, and more about creating a happy and healthy environment.
The solution: Make sure you have the correct organizational systems in place for everything in your life: from paying bills, to recycling, to having a designated spot for your keys. You’ll feel lighter, less frazzled and more efficient.
KEEP THE PATH TO THE FRONT DOOR CLEAR
“The front door is very important in feng shui,” says Benko. After all, it’s the main portal through which energy enters your home, remember? From the outside, she suggests “think of the chi as a first-time visitor trying to find your home — you want to make sure it’s clearly lit, well-marked and the address visible.” On the inside, you want to make sure you’re not walking directly into a wall — “it can metaphorically make you feel like you’re up against a wall every day,” she says.
The solution: Install a mirror. When you hang the mirror, Benko advises to connect an intention to it, like expanding the opportunities in your life, and not allowing yourself to feel limited.
GIVE GUESTS A REASON TO PAUSE
Since energy enters through the main portal (read: your front door), you don’t want to have it shoot straight up the stairs, says the feng shui expert. Remember how you envisioned the chi as a guest? When you invite a visitor into your home, it would be weird for them to head straight to the fridge or the bedroom, right? Instead, you want them to linger in the common area.
The solution: Slow down energy flowing into your home by adding a stair runner, or artwork that causes you to pause and reflect. Another feng shui solution is placing a grounding element that symbolizes heaviness at the top of the stairs, to anchor the chi and force it to slow down.
BALANCE THE FIVE ELEMENTS
The five elements — earth, wood, fire, water and metal — can be present in your home either physically or symbolically. For example, you could bring the fire element with warm tones, like reds and oranges, or you could have actual fire with a fireplace or a burning candle.
The idea, says Benko, is to strike a balance between all elements. “A lot of times, people are drawn to elements that they either need more of, or that’s a great cause of imbalance in their lives.” For instance, people having issues with aggression should be mindful of not having too much fire elements as part of their decor, like a bright red wall. Conversely, personality types lacking motivation should infuse more of the fire element in their homes to give them a boost.
The solution: Look closely at the literal and symbolic elements that are showing up in your home, as they can be a cause of imbalance in your emotional life. The idea is to strike a nice balance between all five.
REMOVE NEGATIVE SYMBOLISM
If you look for it, Benko says, “symbolism is constantly bombarding us on an everyday basis. From literature to traffic signage to movies, we’re always being guided by symbolism. In our homes, it’s enhanced even more, because we are creating these intimate environments that most often represent our fears and challenges.” Often, we unwittingly reinforce the challenges in our lives by having their symbols in our space.
Benko says there is a slew of emotional issues constantly being displayed in her clients’ homes. “Do you have trouble getting clarity? Check if you have stuff all over your surfaces. Do you have self-esteem issues? Check if your mirrors are hung too high, so you can never measure up. Are you chronically single? Assess if you’re loading up your home with single imagery — a single vase, a single chair, a single person in a picture.”
The solution: Evaluate what challenges you are facing in life, and try to identify whether they’re symbolically showing up in your space. Remove the symbols, and replace them with items you want to attract.
MAXIMIZE NATURAL LIGHT
It should come as no surprise that natural light can make us feel happier and more positive. “Mirrors in feng shui are like aspirin,” jokes Benko. “They’re prescribed often to treat many ailments. They’re a quick adjustment when you want to expand a space, and bring in more light.” The key here is to be very mindful of what the mirrors reflect. Is it a stack of bills (i.e. more clutter) or a beautiful view?
The solution: When you hang a mirror, make sure it reflects more light, a serene view or an expansive part of the room.
REBALANCE WORKSTATIONS IN THE KITCHEN
For efficiency’s sake, it’s never practical to have two work stations situated back-to-back. Think about what it’ll look like when two people are cooking. This is why many kitchen experts will suggest a triangular setup between the fridge, stove and sink. But Benko suggests there is also a feng shui reasoning behind it: “There can be a conflict in the house when you have fire right across from water — water puts out fire.”
The solution: If you have that configuration in your kitchen, no need to gut renovate just yet. Instead, put a wood element between the sink and stove — water feeds wood, and wood feeds fire. So in this case, wood acts like a mitigating element between the two opposing forces. Wood is also represented by the color green in feng shui, which can be used instead of the actual material.
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