Photo by Şahin Sezer Dinçer on Unsplash
This article was written to accompany a conversation I had with Ingrid Jansen of Declutter Hub to discuss how Feng Shui can affect your clutter. (There are links to the podcast and the YouTube recording at the end of the article.)
There’s been a lot written about Feng Shui since it came to popularity in the early 1990s. However most of what has been published bears little relation to the traditional Feng Shui that was kept secret for thousands of years in the Imperial Courts of China.
At its heart, real Feng Shui is about balancing the energy around us so that we benefit from the good and control the impact of unsupportive energy. One of the key points of good Feng Shui is having a space that feels comfortable and calm. It should make life feel easier and more supportive. It’s about more than where you place your furniture!
It’s not about style
Our homes are very personal to us: what one person feels is comfortable might be unbearable to someone else. But Feng Shui is less to do with personal taste and more about how we connect with the energy of a home. Sometimes you feel really comfortable as soon as you enter a house and other times you can’t wait to leave.
It’s also worth noting that Feng Shui has nothing to do with minimalism. Empty spaces aren’t good for the energy either as they can be too sterile.
To feel calm and in control of your space, you need enough room for the energy to enter your home and flow easily around it.
If your home doesn’t feel comfortable because you feel that it’s too cluttered, where do you start?
It can be a bit of a chicken and egg situation.
I often see clients whose homes don’t have supportive energy. We often perceive this lack of support without realising it. It can cause us to hold on to “stuff” to make up for this lack or because we know there isn’t enough energy in the house to support us.
Conversely you might have accumulated possessions over time, from moving house, relationship changes or inheriting items, so your home has become “fuller”. If there’s no room for the energy to circulate, then energy won’t be able to flow around your house and benefit you.
This “energy” affects health, relationships, money, opportunities, good luck and anything that makes life easier, you can see why you want to make the most of it in your home.
Other times the energy of a room isn’t balanced which makes it difficult to control. This can cause you to feel overwhelmed or unmotivated to spend time in a space. In turn the room becomes cluttered and a source of stress.
Having good Feng Shui can help you feel in control of the energy of your home, rather than in a battle with its contents.
So how can you improve your Feng Shui?
Traditional Feng Shui is very detailed and specific to each individual property and its occupants. However there are some simple points that are effective for every home:
- Your front door is the mouth of the building. Make sure that it is clear and light and there are no shoes visible. This allows in the freshest energy to your home.
- Can you see through your home from the front door to the back of the property or to the WC? If so your home isn’t holding on to the energy. You may be holding on to things because you don’t feel that your home is supporting you.
- Hard to negotiate spaces like narrow hallways full of furniture or possessions stop the energy circulating.
- The door to any room needs to open fully, so that you (and the energy) can get in easily. Don’t have anything behind the door that stops it opening. Also don’t have lots of furniture in front of the doorway, as this blocks energy getting in too.
- Get rid of items that are broken or that you don’t use. (These are negative, old energy and hold you back.)
- Rubbish impedes the flow of good energy. Keep bins away from the door. Light, fresh spaces encourage stronger energy.
- Clearing clutter is fundamental to the energy of a space. If a home is too full, especially of things with no specific place, then there is no room for any more energy to enter. Then you’re stuck with the same old energy you’ve had for ages. This can make things feel stagnant and it’s easy to become exhausted. Getting rid of things you no longer need is a great way to give the energy a boost. You know the buzz you get once you’ve done a clear up? That’s fresh energy! It can be addictive.
Key Positions for Support
The key areas in a home start with the head male and female energy– the mother and father.
- Within a home, the southwest relates to the female. If this area is cluttered or is in the bathroom, you won’t be benefitting from the energy. This area can cause you greater stress than any other. If you can keep it tidy and add some attractive plants, then you should feel the benefit.
- The northwest is the lead male position. This is the strongest energy in a home, so it it is worth looking after.
- You should also consider the north position for a woman’s support from outside the home and the south for a man’s support outside. Check where your rubbish bins and compost heap are located.
Feng Shui is about making space for good energy to help you live the life you want.
Wishing you good Feng Shui!
Would you like to know about the 10 Crucial Feng Shui Mistakes that Affect the Energy of Your Home? Sign up to subscribe to my newsletter and get a free download here
If you would like to listen to my chat with Declutter Hub’s Ingrid Jansen you can find it here.
There’s even a YouTube recording here.
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