Find out how to apply the principles of feng shui in your home or business.

Feng shui is the ancient Chinese art of designing an environment so that the energy of the space is positive and life affirming. You can hire a feng shui specialist when designing or decorating your home or office ? this is the best way to get the full benefit of feng shui. But there are some things you can do to get started using feng shui on your own.

How to Use Feng Shui

Feng shui is all about allowing positive energy to flow freely through your living and work spaces. There are a few steps you can take to give your home a more positive feeling.

De-clutter. Feng shui or no feng shui, clutter is counter-productive and distracting. It can make a home an unpleasant place to be, instead of a refuge and a place of refreshment. Go through all those nooks and crannies, closets and drawers. If you don’t like something, get rid of it. If you don’t use it, dump it. If you don’t need it, out it goes.

Use natural light. Open your blinds, and let that natural light come in. We all need a certain amount of sunlight every day. Some people suffer from seasonal affective disorder, a depression caused by lack of exposure to natural light. Use full-spectrum lights in your home, if possible.

Clean the air. Having plants in your house can help keep your air fresh and clean.

Understand the look and feel of your home. Are there spaces in your home that you don’t like, or that look unappealing? Do you sense any negative energy, or are there places you tend to avoid? Those places need to be changed, and feng shui can help. Concentrate especially on the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.
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The Ba Gua

The Ba Gua is an octagonal diagram that is used to plan a living or working space according to feng shui. The eight compass points (north, northeast, northwest, east, west, south, southeast, southwest) each have corresponding elements, colors, body parts, and life situations.

Use the Five Elements

The five elements of feng shui can help you plan your living space in a way that will bring you increased happiness, health, and prosperity.

• Fire represents passion and high energy. The fire element colors are red, orange, purple, pink, and yellow. Use these colors in the southern, southwestern, and northeastern areas of your home.

• Earth represents stability and nourishment. The earth element colors are light yellow and beige, and should be used in the northeastern and southwestern areas of your home.

• Metal represents clarity and precision. The colors of the metal element are gray and white, and belong in the western and northwestern areas.

• Water represents abundance, freshness, and ease. Water element colors are blue and black. Use these colors in the northern, eastern, and southeastern areas of your home.

• Wood represents health and vitality. The wood element colors are brown and green, and are best used in the eastern and southeastern living areas.

If you want to go deeper with feng shui, consult an expert who can help you in analyzing your home or office. Feng shui is a complex science, but knowing how to use feng shui can increase your prosperity, wealth, and happiness.