Bring Balance to your home
Today we’ll be discussing ways to create balance in the home. For this discussion, we’ll be drawing from the philosophy of feng shui. Feng shui is a Chinese system of laws considered to govern special arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy. Historically, feng shui has been used to orient spiritually significant structures like tombs, but also home dwellings and other structures, in an auspicious manner. In feng shui, energy is referred to as chi or qi, but there are many terms that can be used to describe this aspect of universal energy. Today we’ll be using the term “energy” as an all-encompassing phrase. To picture the energy in your home, visualize water entering through your front door. Look around the space that you’re in right now. Would water flow smoothly and nourish all areas, or would it become blocked and stagnant? Creating a home free from blocked energy will create space for your mind to become unblocked as well. After all, you can tell a lot about a person from the way they keep their home! In the world of feng shui, removing clutter is more so about creating space. When you create space in your home, you create space in your life, and you’re able to welcome new things. Start by finding a physical spot in your home and clearing it out—a drawer, a table, your refrigerator—size doesn’t matter, just take some time to clear it out and let go of whatever isn’t necessary. Life is not static, but continually changing. Open spaces get filled, then emptied, then filled again. Play with the space you have, and don’t be afraid to let things go! Take a look around your space. Do you see anything that doesn’t serve a specific function? What about something that looks displeasing to the eye? We’re all guilty of bringing things into our home that we don’t really “need,” but having this clutter in our living space can distract us and weigh us down emotionally. To mend this, have a designated space for everything, from your keys to your mail, and make use of the organizational systems you create! When there’s a direct line-of-sight between the front and back doors, the energy is shooting through the house too fast. Slow down the movement of energy by breaking up the space with an area rug, artwork on the walls, or a round entry table to help energy move more gracefully. The front door is essential in feng shui because it’s the leading portal from which energy enters your home. Make sure that you don’t block it with shoes or other clutter, instead, create a landing space for sunglasses, keys, shoes, jackets, and anything else you might shed or grab as you walk through the door. If you face a wall as you walk through the door, put something between you and that wall to avoid feeling like you’re cornered in as you enter your space. Slow down the energy in your home, and especially around your doorway by adding artwork or other aesthetically pleasing objects that make you stop and reflect. If you’re lucky enough to live in a space with many windows, take advantage of it! Natural light makes us feel happier and more positive. If you don’t have a lot of natural light, strategically install mirrors to reflect light, create the illusion of a more expansive space, and bring more light into your home. Dirty windows mean that less sunlight can enter. When we don’t have a well-lit space, things seem less vibrant, and our energy can decline. Make a habit of cleaning your windows to help see the world around you with more color, clarity, and precision. Plants are energy sources; they’re living things that bring freshness, health, and vitality into our spaces! When picking out plants, make sure you choose plants that you’re able to care for. Understand how much attention they need and consider the light you have in your home versus the light they need to thrive. Even in low-lit spaces, there are plenty of plants that can flourish and grow. Make sure that all your doors can open to at least 90 degrees. If the doors in your house can’t open all the way, every time you use them you’re subtly reminded that you’re only able to receive a portion of the opportunities that life has to offer. While you’re at it, make sure that hinges aren’t squeaking and that all the hardware is working correctly. The inability to open doors in your living space with ease can affect how energy finds its way to you. There are three positions in particular that you want to bring attention to - your bed, your desk, and your stove. The bed represents you. The desk represents your career. The stove represents your wealth. When you’re in any of these positions, make sure that you can see the door without being in direct line of it. Often, this means that you set your bed and desk up in a diagonal position from the door. Usually, your stove will be up against a wall anyway, so when standing at it, you won’t be facing a door. Ideally, when sleeping, your head (or the head of the bed) should be facing North. North represents quieting of the mind and promotes the warm, restorative, safe feeling that comes from a deep sleep or hibernation. Next time you’re in your bedroom, pull out the compass app on your phone to see which way you’ve been sleeping! Hallways are like the arteries where energy moves and circulates through our home. Be mindful that hallways are kept clear of clutter, but don’t hesitate to pepper the walls with photographs and artwork, especially for long hallways. Too much empty space can make energy move too quickly. When you get dressed for the day and open up your closet only to see all the clothes that don’t fit you anymore, that affects your mood! Make time to go through your closet and get rid of clothes that you haven’t worn in a while, don’t fit you anymore, or just generally don’t make you feel good. Be kind to yourself in this process, and know that you’ll come across many more items that will bring you joy, so it’s alright to let go of a few right now. When we no longer have use for a belonging, it’s best to thank that item for the use it has provided us, then allow it to reach someone new, who can make more use of it than you can. Each season, or more often if you wish, go through your belongings and compile a box of items to donate. If you have trouble parting with items, take some time to find a donation that you feel good about contributing to. A quick online search will surely provide you with more options than you’re likely aware of. From women’s shelters to thrift stores that donate their funds to animal shelters, knowing that your cherished items are helping a cause you care about can make the process much easier. In each room, begin with the largest piece of furniture (bed, sofa, desk) and move it as far away from the door as possible, while still facing that direction. This way, while you use the furniture, you’ll be in a position of increased power and decreased vulnerability. TIP: Think like a cat. Generally, cats will back up against a corner so they can have the best view of the room and don’t leave space for anything to sneak up behind them. This gives them a position of power or a “commanding position.” Water, metal, earth, fire, and wood are the five elements that make up the world. If a room still doesn’t feel quite right, assess to see if any elements are missing. Here’s a quick breakdown of how to represent the elements into objects: Wood – fresh or silk flowers; plants; cotton or other natural fibers/fabric; wooden furniture. Fire – candles; incandescent lights; sunlight, any shade of red, pink or purple; electronic equipment; animal print. Earth – anything in earth tones (brown, green, or sand); square and rectangular shapes; low and flat surfaces; images of landscapes. Metal – round or oval shapes; anything made of metal, aluminum, gold, or silver; rocks and stones; white, gray, silver, or pastel colors. Water – the color black; reflective surfaces like mirrors; wavy, free-form, or asymmetrical shapes; water or water features like fountains or aquariums. Now that you’re ready to start tackling the rooms in your house, what will you start with? Do you have any questions that you’d like to clear up before you roll up your sleeves? The following resources have been referred to in the making of today’s presentation: Feng Shui Rules: https://www.thespruce.com/feng-shui-rules-for-every-room-4118349 https://www.invaluable.com/blog/what-is-feng-shui/ https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-universal-energy-in-feng-shui-1275045 https://www.mydomaine.com/feng-shui-home-tips Five Elements: https://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/design-101/the-elements-of-feng-shui Thank you all so much for joining me for this event! I hope that you all learned something valuable and can put it to use to make your living space a little bit brighter. Please share any questions you have in the comments below, OR feel free to message me privately as well. I’m here to help! [cta] Share your plans!
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Jim and Chantea Goetz host Healthy Happy Hour, an hour long event each week where they take you into their world to become a better version of yourself. Learn new topics on your health and fitness, enjoy new recipes of organic, ketogenic and paleo dishes. Understand at times controversial topics and learn a new exercise each week to keep you moving towards greatness! Get on your couch to get off your couch and Live Functionised! Archives
October 2020
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