Originally posted on Porch.com
July 6, 2020
Zen interior with potted bamboo plant, natural interior design concept, scandinavian minimalist bedroom with herringbone parquet, white architecture (Zen interior with potted bamboo plant, natural interior design concept, scandinavian minimalist bedro
If you want to achieve a sense of harmony, Feng Shui is an excellent way to give your life more balance and better peace of mind. The art of Feng Shui has a long history, beginning as an ancient Chinese practice that focuses on balancing the energies in your home and life. This term refers to the art of color, placement, and environment working together to attract positive energy, or Chi. When everything is in perfect harmony, it allows the person to experience a better, more effective inner reflection on oneself. Even if you’re new to the concept of Feng Shui, this guide will explain the elements involved, the benefits, and how you can practice it in your own home for better well-being.
The Five Elements of Feng Shui
The practice of Feng Shui is divided into five distinct elements: wood, fire, water, earth, and metal. Each element plays a significant role in achieving optimum balance and helps to promote a specific mood. Before we discuss how to incorporate these elements into your home, let’s take a closer look at each one and what it signifies.
- Wood: The wood element harnesses your power of creativity and growth. Traits like strength, intuition, and flexibility are hallmarks of the wood element in Feng Shui. When decorating or designing your home with wood, avoid using too much of it, or else you may begin to feel overwhelmed and stuck. However, not enough wood may result in feelings of stagnation since this element is there to help promote positive growth. Consider natural items like small branches and solid wood furniture for this element.
- Fire: Designed to promote enthusiasm and a bold leadership mindset, fire is an integral part of balancing your Feng Shui. Too much fire can provoke aggression or even anger, so be sure to keep this element as understated as possible. Add candles, natural lighting, or vibrant colors like red or pink to your home that will bring the fire element in without being too overdone.
- Water: With its flowing, fluent nature, water is the element of spirituality and emotion. When you incorporate the water element in your home, you’ll promote a sense of wisdom and inspiration. Too much of this element can make things feel unbalanced, and it could also encourage strong emotions that will make you feel overwhelmed. Too little water may create feelings of loneliness and stress. Look for mirrors, fountains, and other water features to promote good flow in your home.
- Earth: The earth element promotes physical strength, stability, and balance. Too much of this element can make you feel heavy, sluggish, or even bored. Without enough earth, you’ll likely feel chaotic and disorganized. Bring in rich earthy tones like brown and green or hang a landscape painting on the wall to incorporate earth into your Feng Shui design,
- Metal: For a clear, logical mind, metal should be part of your Feng Shui plan. This element helps you focus, feel strong, and stay organized. Too much metal may make you feel prone to saying things or being critical of others without thinking first. On the other hand, too little metal could make you lose focus or be too cautious when making decisions. Add items made of metal to your home or choose something in a metallic finish to round out your five elements.
The Benefits of Good Feng Shui
Understanding Feng Shui and putting into practice the right way provides many benefits for your mental health. First, you’ll be able to express your creativity and watch it flourish as you work on practicing Feng Shui in a positive way. Incorporating the five elements into your home’s design plan will help you learn new ways of decorating, arranging furniture, and understanding how to find the right balance of light and color. Of course, the art of Feng Shui also provides you with powerful stress relief. You’ll start to feel a sense of calm and relaxation as you work on balancing the energy around you as well as the energy within yourself.
Finding the right balance at home won’t just make you feel relaxed, you’ll also enjoy better peace of mind. When everything is in harmony around you, it promotes a soothing effect for the body, mind, and soul. Harmonious environments instantly calm you down and allow you to focus on the things that really matter. Of course, practicing good Feng Shui also improves your sense of well-being.
To improve Feng Shui in your home, take a closer look at how the five elements are used in every room. If you find that you’re lacking certain elements or that there are too many of certain elements, do your best to re-calibrate and restore the balance for improved well-being and less stress. The term Chi refers to the energy that runs through the body. This energy is in sync with the energy in your mind, helping to ensure that every aspect of your life is properly in balance. Next, we’ll discuss how you can improve and build on practicing good Feng Shui and Chi throughout your home.
Entryway
The entryway is the main opening into your home that can immediately create a sense of balance and harmony.
- Make sure your entryway is inviting with a bench or a console table accented with plants or flowers.
- Ensure that your front door can open completely without running into clutter.
- Good lighting, artwork, and plants will enhance your home’s entryway and make it a welcoming place for guests.
Bedroom
It’s crucial to promote a sense of calm in the bedroom to achieve the ideal balance of Feng Shui in this room.
- Place your bed in a central location that is not in line with the doorway, and choose a large king-size bed if possible in order to create a commanding presence.
- Limit the number of electronic devices in this room and try to minimize using them as much as possible.
- Choose soft, soothing muted colors for walls, flooring, window coverings, and bedding.
- Bring in a large mirror to incorporate more light and positive energy into the space.
Living Room
The living room is perhaps the most important room to practice good Feng Shui since this is the place where you’ll spend a lot of time and where most guests will be.
- Use the five elements of Feng Shui in this room, and make sure you do it in a way that promotes proper balance.
- Hide electronics like the TV and speakers behind furniture or inside cabinets to keep them out of view.
- A solid wood coffee table can serve as the focal point while bringing the wood element into the room.
- Make sure the living room has a good flow so that everyone has plenty of space to relax and stretch out while allowing foot traffic to flow freely.
Kitchen
Following good Feng Shui is essential in your kitchen. A few simple changes and improved organization can do wonders for this busy space.
- Make your stove the focal point of your kitchen and keep it spotless and shiny as often as possible. Avoid placing empty pots and pans on top of your stove, and it’s crucial that this component of your kitchen stays decluttered.
- Ensure that all appliances are working and discard anything that’s broken.
- Hide your trash inside a cabinet to keep garbage out of view.
- Install new lighting like pendants over an island or sink so that your kitchen is well-lit.
- Keep knives and cooking tools out of sight, since they can disrupt the visual balance in this space.
Bathroom
Your bathroom should be beautiful, fresh, and airy to promote happiness, cleanliness, and a balanced sense of Feng Shui.
- Open a window if you are able to. This will help keep clean, fresh air flowing in the bathroom.
- Remove trash and declutter your vanity to ensure that it’s open and functional.
- Keep the bathroom door and the toilet lid closed and make sure the tub, toilet, and faucets are working properly. Fix leaks so they do not interfere with the water element in this room.
Whole House Tips
A true Feng Shui home will be balanced throughout, from the entryway to the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms. One way to do this is to declutter your home as much as possible. Stay away from displaying too many knick-knacks in one place. Organize blankets and accessories inside of storage furniture like benches or ottomans. Use muted colors that serve as the backdrop for your five elements, which can be a little bit more powerful in tone. Use color-coding to help you identify and separate items while promoting cleanliness and organization. Keep the aesthetic and décor of your home in harmony with nature and avoid displaying items that are too large or too “busy.” The right lighting can keep a proper balance between the indoors and light from the outside world. When possible, enjoy natural lighting from windows as much as you can for true harmonious balance.
Even if you’re new to the concept of Feng Shui, these simple tips can help you promote a feeling of harmony and balance in your home. Declutter your home room-by-room and consider changing the color of your walls to softer shades. Think about how you can bring each of the five elements of Feng Shui into your home so that you have more peace of mind and a stress-free environment. With a bit of practice, you can design a home that will feel welcoming and one with nature.