Comfort And Style: Harmonizing Your Home – Feng shui experts believe the practice can help you create a more positive environment, although scientific research is lacking.Aleksandar Nakic/Getty Images
Have you ever noticed how people use architectural or home terms to describe problems in their lives?
Comfort And Style: Harmonizing Your Home
“The way we talk about our lives is often very easy to describe with words that correspond directly to our surroundings,” says Karen Rauch Carter, a professional Feng Shui consultant and author of Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life in Naples, Florida.
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Your perception of your environment can determine how you think and act in life, says Carter. And that’s where Feng Shui comes in, as a tool to help you design a space that makes you feel good, energetic, and supports your health and wellness goals.
Rooted in ancient Chinese culture, particularly Taoism, feng shui is the arrangement of buildings and objects and the organization of space within a room to create harmony and balance, according to the National Geographic Society.
While balance and the flow of energy or life force (known as “chi” or “qi”) are important in modern feng shui practices, a more modern interpretation of the approach is to use objects, color or placement to reprogram your subconscious mind to align with a healthier mindset, says Laura Cerrano, Certified Feng Shui Consultant from Manhattan. “The external environment of the home or work environment affects the internal environment of the person,” says Cerrano.
So whether you spend time at home, need to set up a multi-purpose space (like a bedroom-office or TV room-gym), or are simply trying to bring positive energy and create a healthy space where you can practice self-care, read on to Learn more about using the guiding principles of feng shui to create a mindful and peaceful home that you can truly feel good about.
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“Feng shui speaks in metaphors,” says Cerrano—and as you learn about feng shui, you’ll likely come across many of these phrases and symbols. Consider this a beginner’s introduction to these concepts that will ideally help you achieve reconciliation.
This refers to the Chinese philosophy that everything is composed of opposites and complementary energies — for example, feminine and masculine, dark and light, or cold and warm, according to the World History Encyclopedia.
Wood, fire, earth, metal and water are the main energy categories in Feng Shui, according to the National Geographic Society. Each element affects how you feel in the space; objects and room features can belong to one or more element classes. For example, when decorating with the element of wood, which represents growth and is associated with wealth, you may choose to use wooden furniture or live plants; when decorating with earth, which represents stability and is associated with relationships, you can use earthy colors like yellow and brown.
“Bagua” means “eight areas” in Mandarin. (For practical purposes, feng shui practitioners will typically divide the room into nine zones, Cerrano says.) Practitioners lay out a grid-like bagua map, or compass, on top of a floor plan or room in your home as a guide for setting up your space. . Each area corresponds to a specific human life experience, such as career, health and family, as well as shapes, elements and colors to focus on within each.
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The bagua map can help you determine what colors to bring into the space. For example, says Cerrano, the “Wealth and Abundance” area of your home (perhaps your home office?) might include purples, greens, and some blues, as these colors are traditionally associated with the energy of prosperity.
This is one of the basic rules. You can use this to decide where to place the desk, bed or chairs in a room. Cerrano says your desk should have a clear view of the door leading into the room if possible. Having a wall free of furniture and directly behind you while you are working is another option. “This wall represents a mountain to support you and give you confidence when making business decisions,” she says.
You can hang mirrors strategically when you might not otherwise follow Feng Shui principles. For example, says Cerrano, if you must set up your desk with your back to the door, you can use a mirror that provides a view behind you, so you can “watch your back.”
There are certain places where you may not want to put a mirror. “Mirrors equal water, so watch where they’re placed,” adds Carter. For example, a mirror above your bed or hung above nose level is not appropriate, because you want to “keep your head above water”; this metaphor refers to avoiding debt or losing money in your home. Bad mirror placement can also make it harder to get up in the morning.
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Feng shui is self-help, she continues. “It’s not about fixing up your house,” she says; rather, it’s about setting up your home to inspire the life you want to have. If you sit with your back to a door, you may feel safe in that space. The idea is that by changing the way you perceive your environment, you can also change the way you think and act in it.
Ultimately, this can help you align your thoughts and actions in a healthier way, says Cerrano. Transforming the energy in the room can thus change or reverse your inner energy force, help you look at life differently and bring benefits such as a sense of security, calmness, peace, support and more power or control in your life.
“At home there should be a recharge. It should be a place where you come in and feel embraced,” says Cerrano. People who follow the principles of Feng Shui testify to creating this welcoming energy in their home, and this in turn is believed to support their emotional well-being. Overall, the goal of Feng Shui is to design an environment that promotes psychological well-being, previous research suggests.
In short, no. There have been several studies loosely linking health care settings (and thus health) and feng shui.
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One study found that a healthcare waiting room designed by a Feng Shui expert was rated as more comfortable than one set up by a doctor or in a traditional design.
Scientists have conducted research on environmental psychology (how people’s environments and environments affect their behavior, thoughts and actions, and potentially health), but more research is needed. Feng shui and environmental psychology share several principles, including that people can control their environment.
But the claims and principles of Feng Shui have not been applied to classical research models, and in those studies where the practice has been analyzed, researchers have questioned the scientific integrity of the papers.
While many people are surprised by the impact Feng Shui has on their lives, it’s not a panacea for problems or stressors in your life, says Cerrano: “There are many layers to the healing process. Feng shui can be one of them, but I describe it as a door opener.”
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In other words, the practice may give you a new perspective on your life or help you see a problem through a new lens, but it is not a complete solution. You will probably have to make an effort to change your behavior, habits or choices – it is unlikely that implementing Feng Shui principles alone will change your life.
Feng shui has many principles, and it can be difficult to understand how to apply them to an existing space (and the furniture and objects in it). You may also be unsure if it is okay to “break” some rules. A Feng Shui expert can offer you valuable guidance. You can search for one in your area via Google and look for their certification credentials. This should be listed on their website, or you can ask about their experience and expertise while asking for advice.
That said, here’s how to start applying the principles of Feng Shui in specific rooms to create a peaceful home with good energy flow. When used in this way, Feng Shui can become a conscious form of self-care.
“The bedroom has two functions: sleep and passion or bonding,” says Carter. To that end, remove exercise equipment, ironing boards, and hobby equipment (such as sewing kits or musical instruments) from your bedroom. Plus, Carter adds, “No one should have eyes in the room, other than the people sleeping there. Remove anything that might represent an eye (such as a sculpture or pictures of your family) out of the room to apply the principles of Feng Shui to your bedroom.
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Also, place your bed in a commanding position, meaning you should be able to see the bedroom door, although the bed should be directly in front of it. Make sure you have a sturdy headboard for proper support. If you live with a partner, two matching nightstands, each with a lamp, will give the impression of two people living there, says Carter.
A position facing a door or entryway is considered empowering (or controlling), and you should arrange furniture in this position, Carter advises. That means placing chairs so that their backs (and yours) are against a solid wall, not floating in the middle