New Year, New Ways! Steps for Good Feng Shui in Your Home

2023 has brought us a gift of 365 new days and we all are wishing for Lady Luck (or Goddess Lakshmi) to smile upon us this year, aren’t we? Well, good fortune is like a guest; she stays so long as you make her feel comfortable. Whether we realise it or not, the place we call “home” has a positive or negative influence on our health, relationships, money and career. Although homes nowadays are Vaastu-compliant, one of the ways to increase good vibes and better our life is with feng shui.

What is Feng Shui?

Pronounced “fung shway”, feng shui is an ancient Chinese art that originated more than 3,000 years ago. Translated word for word, feng means “wind” and shui means “water”.

The Chinese believe that a balance of wind and water promotes good luck. Feng shui has everything to do with the placement of objects in a space- be it at home, office or any other space you occupy. It echoes the age-old proverb – “If you take care of the small things, the big things take care of themselves.” So, moving the sofa around might make that difference you need in your life!

Room-specific Feng Shui Tips to Attract Positive Energy

According to feng shui, the energy “chi” needs to be flowing through your home freely. If this energy is obstructed with a piece of furniture or gets caught up in broken things, the good fortune you’re enjoying may actually turn on its head. Here are some feng shui tips for each room of your house. Following one or two would prove beneficial, and if you manage to do them all, nothing like it!

1. Front Door

We pay little attention to the front door of our home, when we should be thinking about ways to make it more beautiful and inviting. Good energy comes in through the front door and if you haven’t wiped the dust off your door, you’re only shooing it away.

You may have heard the saying, “Opportunities come knocking”, so make sure you keep the front door open as much as possible and oil the hinges if they’re squeaky. If you have some space beside your door, you can place a red flowering plant or simply add something in red to the front door. This would be beneficial as red is supposed to bring the family wealth and good luck.

2. Hall

The hall is the passage that connects the main door and the living room. Here, you leave your footwear and keys.

According to feng shui, you should keep your footwear inside a closed cupboard and hang up your keys on a wall-mounted keystand, so that things are organised and good energy can flow freely.

3. Kitchen

The kitchen is where our meals come from; it’s a place symbolic of nourishment and also, harmony among the family members. If your stove and sink are right beside each other, you should pay heed to it. This may weaken relationship ties between a couple as the fire from the stove clashes with the water flowing down the sink.

Also, ensure the stove isn’t placed under a window or directly in the line of the kitchen door. The colours of the kitchen walls also have an impact on your life. Avoid contrasting blacks and reds as they denote a fire and water clash.

4. Living Room

The furniture should be proportional in size and quantity to the size of your living room. Position your sofa against a wall and don’t block any door with furniture.

If you want to attract wealth into your life, you can place a lamp in the corner opposite to the living room entrance.

5. Dining Room

In feng shui, the dining table is an important piece of home furnishing as this is where you can focus mindfully on what you’re eating. A dusty tabletop or uncomfortable chairs can have an impact on your spleen, translating to digestive and bowel issues as per traditional Chinese medicine.

For good vibes and hearty meals, you can place some potted plants in the centre of your dining table.

6. Bedroom

This is the room which we retire to at the end of the day and it’s also where we dream of wealth and happiness. Although your bed shouldn’t be in the line of the bedroom door, you should be able to see the door while lying down.

For a good night’s sleep, use comfortable fabrics and fluffy pillows. Also, make sure you don’t store things under your bed. Family photos may keep reminding you of your obligations, so let your bedside table only have a photo of you and your partner.

7. Bathroom

As perfeng shui, water means wealth, and as the bathroom is where you flush away water, it could symbolise money that is flowing away.

A good practice is to keep the bathroom door closed and the toilet seat down. You can also introduce some plants to purify the air.

8. Balcony

If you have a green thumb, you may have potted plants in your window or balcony. The Chinese believe that a cactus plant is prickly and gives out bad vibes. Instead, you can keep flowering plants.

Feng shui experts say that the balcony is directly linked to your future. So, make it a cheerful place and you’ll certainly have a bright future!

7 Feng Shui Tips for Overall Harmony and Happiness

1. De-clutter. Discard broken appliances and things you don’t use. And no, hiding or covering things doesn’t help!

2. Every room should have something symbolic of the five feng shui elements- wood, earth, fire, metal and water. This promotes balance in your life and the environment. The colours associated with these elements are: green, yellow/brown, red, white, and black, respectively.

3. Allow natural sunlight and fresh air into your home. When you open the windows, you feel more energetic and happy. Light up dark corners of your house.

4. In place of plastic flowers in your vase, bring home living good luck plants.

5. To increase the energy flow in a particular place, place a mirror there. And ensure that it reflects something beautiful.

6. Play with colours. Here’s what a colour attracts according to feng shui –

7. Don’t let dust settle anywhere. Cleaning the windows and dusting the front mat not only invites good fortune but also feels like therapy!

We often become disappointed when things are not going great in life. Feng shui shows us how, by making simple and small changes to the things in our home, we can be healthy, wealthy and, most importantly, happy. It’s so easy to get Lady Luck to look our way, isn’t it?

Also Read:

Feng Shui Tips for Money, Prosperity and Wealth
Ways to Remove Negative Energy from Your Home
Vastu Shastra Tips for Home