Over time, “stuff” accumulates in a home. Depending on who lives there, and on what they like to do, even just one season of life is enough to create clutter in a living space.
It feels good to be able to wipe the slate clean and get everything organised, but it is important to realize that de-cluttering should be about more than just getting rid of things. It is also about achieving harmony in your home and finding a balance between different elements, like hard, soft, light, and dark. This is known as Feng shui, and it is a concept that came out of China many years ago.
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Look at the Big Picture
Of course, you want to clean up and get rid of certain things that you no longer need or want. However, before you start to de-clutter, look at the big picture. All of your items play a role in what the energy is like in the room. You may get caught up with a bulky TV or an unorganised bookcase, but ultimately, those are not the things that matter most. If you have a hard time parting with certain things with emotional value, why not store them away in self storage and keep your home tidy?
You need to pay attention to what is compromising the energy of the space, or your chi. This has to do with the way the furniture is organised, where the doors are at in the home and where the house is respective to the roads around the property.
Chi is a commonly discussed term, so some people have limited knowledge about it. However, what you’ve heard probably does not make up the entire picture, which is why it is important to learn more about what Feng shui is.
Achieving Feng Shui
In order to achieve Feng shui, you want to focus on making your space feel comfortable and in balance. You may innately know what to do, even if you don’t logically realise what is best.
For example, when you put your bed in your bedroom, you likely put the head up against the wall rather than pointing out toward the middle of the room.
You also probably are not going to situate it between a window and a door, because it just doesn’t feel right to do so. You want your room to feel harmonious and you want it to look nice as well. You also want to bring forth the various energies in the room.
The Elements
Chinese culture refers to water, earth, metal, fire, and wood as being the five important energies in Feng shui. The concept is that if you are able to bring forth these energies in different places, you will feel happier, be healthier, and be even be more prosperous.
It is important to understand, for example, that you don’t have to have water in your space in order to bring forth this element; it is more about having something flowing in the space. Energy refers to nurturing. Wood refers to growth. Feng shui involves taking what you have and creating the best possible environment out of your living space.
Professional Advice
If you truly want to achieve something specific with Feng shui, it is important to work with a professional to see that dream come to life. There are styles that are very specific and outline exactly how you should put together the different rooms in your home.
However, in general, experts believe that being practical with this is the most important thing. For example, if you want to introduce passion in your bedroom, pick up a comforter with touches of red. If you want to feel closer to the people in your life, install a fish tank and get plenty of little amphibians to fill it up.
Getting Started
Thinking about whether you are comfortable in your home, and whether your home is supporting you in the way that you need, is crucial. In addition, while you may want to de-clutter and feel that you can’t start Feng shui until the living space is cleaned up, that is not necessarily true.
Certainly, some moments are better than other moments. However, you can bring Feng shui into your life at any time.