Are you wondering, “What is feng shui?” Many people think feng shui is about displaying stalks of bamboo or hanging crystals around your home. But it is actually about the movement of the energy through a space and, ultimately, how your home makes you feel.
If your home and the items within it are not in alignment with your life purpose, you may feel out of balance, blocked, and unable to achieve your goals.
On the other hand, a home with positive energy — qi — that supports what you want in life will make you feel good when you spend time there. That is the atmosphere you want to create in your home.
With a few easy steps, you can create a feng shui living room, or any other room of your home, to help you feel more balanced, embrace a sense of inner peace, and achieve success.
What Is Feng Shui?
Translated from Chinese, the words “feng shui” mean “wind” and “water.” It allows you to harness the four classical elements of nature — earth, wind, fire, and water — to create an environment that is in alignment with your goals.
In practical terms, feng shui uses the positioning of objects within your home, as well as the use of specific items and colors, to balance the flow of energy.
Feng shui expert Jayme Barrett says, “[Feng shui] gives you techniques to transform your home into a sanctuary: a place where you feel happy, healthy, and motivated, where your aspirations become reality.”
The Feng Shui Bagua
Feng shui uses an octagon called a bagua to map out the various aspects of your life. Once you’ve determined which areas of your life need improvement, you can lay the feng shui bagua over your home to figure out which rooms relate to that area of your life.
Note that each segment of the bagua corresponds to an element and a color. Introduce that element and color into that area of your room or home to improve your focus and success in that area of your life.
For instance, if you want to create stronger bonds with your family, and your living room is in the eastern portion of your home, you would create a feng shui living room by introducing the element of wood and the color green into your living room décor. Adding items like a photo collage with your family name on it and customized pillows showing photos of your family will also help shift your focus to family in your feng shui living room.
Create a Feng Shui Living Room in Three Easy Steps
Because you spend so much time there, your living room happens to be a good place to start the practice of feng shui. It’s easier than you think to create a feng shui living room.
1. Use the Bagua
First, lay the bagua over your home to determine in which section your living room resides. You will want to decorate with the colors and elements in that segment of the bagua for maximum effect.
You can also lay it over just your living room and look at each segment of the room as representing a different area of your life.
2. Fill Your Home With Items You Love
Fill your home with items you love, and then determine where to place them based on the bagua — but only if they fit logically in that area. For instance, if you want to foster creativity in your children — or in your own projects — you might place a baby blanket on a couch against the western wall of your living room.
Customized items are perfect for feng shui because these items are keepsakes you are likely to treasure for years. Looking at photos of your family or beloved pet should “spark joy,” as Marie Kondo says, for many years.
3. Reduce Clutter to Create a Feng Shui Living Room
It’s also a good idea to look at the positioning of your furniture to ensure the energy can flow through the room smoothly.
Reducing clutter is a pivotal part of feng shui. The energy can’t flow freely through a home if the floor is littered with toys, oversized furniture takes up too much space, or storage boxes block walkways.
As Marie Kondo espouses, ask yourself if an item brings you joy. If it doesn’t, then consider selling, donating, or even throwing it out. Then consider modern and functional storage cubes to display favorite items, introducing positive qi into your feng shui living room.
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