Align with Design by Jenni Ellsworth

Shui What?

When it comes to clearing, organizing, and redecorating your space, the main goal is to better your environment in one form or another. For some, it’s about making room for new, exciting pieces. Others are dealing with the items of their past. For many more, clutter is chaos and will cultivate that quality to all aspects of their lives until it’s cleared (That’s definitely me!). What these processes all have in common is an intention to bring peace and joy in individual and unique ways.

Changing up your space is a very positive and impactful action!  

You can start tackling one of these projects yourself by simply following your intuition and trying things out. No matter the endeavor, this is almost always better than doing nothing. In fact, it was your intuition that got you here in the first place!

Just as you know you wouldn’t want to sleep in a bed half covered in books, no one has to tell you that you shouldn’t put a new chair in front of your existing one… it wouldn’t make much sense. Sometimes however, it makes sense to look to the experts to help us understand the how and why in arranging our space.

Why waste time and effort where someone has already figured things out?

This brings us to the concept of Feng Shui (pronounced “Fung Shway”), the practice of harmonizing your environment through the arrangement of objects. Feng Shui covers the same basic principles you would find from more modern interior design methods, such as color, symmetry, lighting, scale, and the like. However, its philosophy goes back thousands of years.

  • Photo by Pablo Canto

The concept behind the specific techniques used in Feng Shui is that by opening up the flow of energy in a space, you will promote more happiness, success, and well-being in other parts of your life. This ancient Chinese philosophy’s name directly translates to “wind” and “water”, the more flowing elements in nature.

For example, concepts include that you should add rugs, lighting or artwork to slow down the energy in a hallway. You can also add mirrors to move energy where a wall is impeding a view or walkway. Other suggestions include that your bed should be against a wall and facing the entryway to your room to promote a sense of security (most of these you are probably already doing!).

  • Photo by Collov Home Design

Feng Shui practice has only more recently made its way into Western culture.

Some will question the lack of scientific evidence around the age-old concept that unseen energy or “Chi” (Qi) can be harnessed through the visible structure of our surroundings. However, we accept the presence of energy as a life force, and our energy can change when we walk into a space.

Have you ever walked into a social gathering and felt what you can only describe as a “bad vibe”? On the other hand, perhaps you’ve been in a room full of like-minded people, exciting ideas, or your favorite music, and you find you’re just bursting with energy!

Psychological research has shown we can only verbally articulate a fraction of what we experience

Chi encapsulates measurable forces, such as the flow of breath and the electrical currents within us and through our movement. The part that can’t be measured however is that Chi finds the whole of those activities and their interaction with our environment as something greater than the sum of its parts… 1 + 1 = 3, or synergy.

Fun fact: Synergy, coming from the Greek term meaning “working together”, refers to the emergence of qualities, states, or behavior of whole systems or entities unpredicted by the behavior of their parts taken separately.

In addition to placement, some of the traditions and symbology deep rooted in Feng Shui practice revolve around luck and auspicious (or favorable) objects. For example, a gift of a single bamboo plant in an office will promote a “growing” business. In the home, it would be placed in the southeast career section (based on the 8 areas of a Bagua energy map). Furthermore, objects hung too high may cause a feeling that you can never “measure up”.

Such superstitions lead to the question of whether Feng Shui is ancient wisdom or pseudoscience, fact or fiction. However, our subconscious mind is a very powerful thing, and one can clearly see the symbolism in the above examples. We may not go as far as to ensure that we have exactly 9 fish in our aquariums (an established Feng Shui guidance), but we also don’t entirely understand the concepts of the original practice. As goes with Yoga and other disciplines brought over from the East, much is either misinterpreted or modernized as a product of our cultural differences.

Someone once explained to me that to believe in a process, it should first make sense, and second seem to work. There will always be false promoters trying to make a quick buck on the latest trend, and Feng Shui design is no exception. Just try again to follow your intuition. If the changes make some sense, and you notice a positive change afterward, I’d say it’s a win!

CARPE DIEM CONNECTION~   
Sit back and think about what needs the most attention in your life.
Your relationship? Career or financial situation? Kids fighting?
Focus on one area at a time, and the corresponding space in your home
This would be the bedroom, office, or playroom in a general sense.
You can also refer to a Bagua map to find the precise compass location
in your home for these attention areas.

One of the most important components of a fung shui "cure"
(or update) is intention, so try and visualize the positive change you
want to see. Do this both before and after updating your space.

Try out one or more of these cures:
- Ensure you can walk freely to all areas of the space. If not, 
   move around furniture pieces until there is a path.
- Remove unnecessary clutter from desks and working spaces.
   Place knickknacks & other objects into bins.
- Is there enough natural light? Add mirrors to reflect light in
   other parts of the room, and add lamps for mood lighting.
- Add some plants! Another key aspect of Feng Shui is the balance
   of natural elements. Try to mix in wood, metal, or even a water
   feature if possible.
- Ensure beds and office chairs are not directed straight across
   from the door, but face it if at all possible

Best of luck in creating some new positive energy in your home!

Jenni Ellsworth
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