How to use feng shui to find balance in your home and life

Now more than ever, it’s important to create a sanctuary in your home where you can relax, rejuvenate, and center yourself around what you find important. The COVID-19 lockdowns fundamentally changed our relationship with our homes. Today, creating a home that brings energy and balance is still high on many peoples’ wish lists.

One way to do this is to incorporate elements of feng shui. This ancient Chinese practice is used to create harmony in a person’s environment while stimulating positive energy and well-being. Chinese astrology denotes 2024 as the Year of the Wood Dragon. The characteristics from the element of wood and the dragon merge in 2024, promoting balance and growth.

The Wood Dragon signals change, which means it’s a great time to use the principles of feng shui in your home. Here’s what you need to know to make that happen.

“Feng” translates to wind and “shui” means water. The term relates to the concept of how our lives connect to and are influenced by the environment surrounding us. It’s also an ancient practice — something that has been done for around 4,000 years — that still influences design today. Feng shui is based upon four main principles: the flow of energy known as chi, the commanding position, the feng shui energy map, and five elements.

To make the best use of chi, find the commanding position of a room. This refers to the strategic placement of furniture, allowing you to see the door without being directly in line of it. The commanding position should provide a sense of security and control, which helps promote well-being. Next, the energy map, known as the Bagua Map, details specific life areas that deserve specific purpose: family, wealth, health, helpful people, children, knowledge, fame, career, and partnerships. These specific areas are mapped out in your rooms using a tic tac toe style of grid. The final principle are the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.

The concept of feng shui allows you to map out the energy flow within your space based upon the life areas you’d like to focus on, all while using your home’s layout to bring positive energy to those spaces.

Because 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon, it’s a good time to create the balance and growth that the wood and dragon combination represents. Begin by decluttering your home, which can block the flow of Chi. This task is necessary for maintaining harmony in the home and will help you remove anything that may be standing in the way of your energy’s natural flow. Remove or repair any broken elements within your home to begin anew as well.

Once you’ve decluttered, find the commanding position of the room you use the most and place furniture in these spaces so that they encourage energy flow. From there, you’ll map out the room using the Bagua Map. Choose the area you’d most like to focus on in 2024 to begin putting more attention on those spaces.

When you’re ready to put your feng shui skills to the test, begin by choosing the rooms where you need to experience positive energy. For example, your bedrooms should be a place for calm and relaxation. Place the bed against a wall, giving a clear view of the door, but not directly in its line to create a sense of security. Be sure to maintain space around and below your bed to ensure adequate energy flow in the room.

The living room is the center of the home that unites the entire family’s energy. It should have furniture arranged to facilitate conversation, with a direct line of sight to the main door. The living room should feature natural lighting with sheer curtains, with mirrors strategically placed to enhance brightness.

Because the kitchen represents nourishment, health, and prosperity, it should be clean and free of clutter. Remove any appliances that aren’t working properly to keep energy from becoming blocked. The stove and sink are conflicting elements, with fire and water acting in opposition of each other. That means the stove and sink should be positioned in a way that doesn’t cause a conflict of energy.

Finally, as you consider the furniture, accessories, and design elements you’d like to incorporate into your home, use the five elements to add depth to each room. Think about the type of energy you want to create in each room, then add in the elements from there.

Incorporate wood, which symbolizes growth and creativity, through plants, wooden furniture, and green and brown tones. Fire symbolizes passion and energy, and candles, lamps, and pops of red and orange can bring it in as an element. Add pottery and earth tones to represent earth, which stands for stability and grounding. Merge metals, symbolizing clarity and efficiency, into your home with art, frames, and accessories. Finally, add elements of water, which symbolizes wisdom and serenity, with mirrors, and blues or blacks.

Feng shui isn’t just a way to decorate your home; it’s a philosophy that can transform your home and bring balance and harmony to your spaces. Understanding how to apply its principals can help you create an environment that is calming, positive, and creates a harmonious flow of energy in your home.