It’s true that Feng Shui began thousands of years ago, when ancient Chinese farmers learned to situate themselves in the best way to harness the wind and water patterns to yield the greatest crops. Prolific crops would mean good health, wealth and ultimately, happiness. But you can apply this ancient art in fresh and modern ways to enhance your own well-being now, in the 21st century, and right now, in the midst of a dark, foreboding winter before you transition into a spring of new beginnings.
A Time to Renew
Winter was a phase for reflection, stillness and solitary activities. Spring represents new life, action and fresh starts. When you align yourself with the cyclical energies of the earth, you are giving yourself a subconscious advantage and allowing the best to unfold. Harness these universal energies by implementing fresh, new beginnings within yourself and your environment. It’s a perfect time to clean out the closets, start a detox program, implement a new work out routine or shift items around in your surroundings.
Improve Your Well-Being
When bulbs are sprouting and buds are swelling outside, take your cues from Nature and bring in some fresh and optimistic energy inside too. These tips can significantly increase the quality of chi (chi is the energy or life force that is within us and around us) inside your home and in turn, yourself.
– Remove dried or fake flower arrangements from your home. All they are is dead chi. There is no life, only a stagnant remembrance of what was, a magnet for dust and an obstruction of fresh, clean energy. If possible, replace them with live flowers and plants. Houseplants are an effective way to clean the air (particularly snake plants, philodendrons, spider pants, ivy and rubber plants) while adding a source of vibrancy and life to your home. Yes, it does take time and dedication to remember to care for plant life, but those nurturing acts are significant ways to honor a living essence and to cultivate that karma within yourself.
– Decrease the electronic pollution in your bedroom. Studies suggest that being barraged with Electrical Magnetic Fields can have potentially harmful side effects such as headaches, chronic fatigue, visual disturbances, inability to concentrate, malaise, eyestrain and mild panic. EMF’s are created by computers, microwaves, cell phones, transformers, electrical appliances, TVs, and fluorescent lighting. The bottom line is this: In the bedroom, have a maximum of three electrical appliances or devices and keep them at least 30” from your head.
– Take off your shoes inside the house. Our shoes track in an estimated 85% of the dirt in our homes. Remove them before entering and you are also cutting down on 60% of lead dust levels in your home according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In the spring, when you’re starting to spend more time outside, it’s especially important to have a clean environment inside.
– Check the symbolism in your home. Every object you choose to surround yourself with is energetically imbued with a meaning. Your artwork, photographs, collectibles and décor choices can either support and uplift your mood or subconsciously bring you down. Don’t hang on to items you don’t even like but feel obligated to have. Look for detrimental themes that you may be unknowingly fostering such as you feel alone and all your artwork is single imagery or you feel like you can’t measure up and all your mirrors are hung to high. Spring is the perfect time to re-evaluate your surroundings with fresh eyes and get rid of what does not truly support you.
– Closets represent the unseen, the things you hide from others and the dark recesses of your mind. Cleaning out the unwanted clutter you have gathered is a perfect spring activity. Whether you are getting rid of old cell phones and power cords or those pants that don’t fit, as you clean out, visualize that you are also getting rid of any undesirable traits within yourself or with relationships that no longer serve you. Let go.
– A basic principle of Feng Shui teaches us that nature is in flux, yet cyclical. Humankind follows the same cyclical laws. In the same way that you have put away seasonal decorations for the holidays or swapped out your cold weather clothes for your warm wardrobe, take it a step further. Rotate your collectibles and change up your furniture configurations with the change of seasons. By revolving your furniture and décor in accordance with the cycles of the environment, you can harmoniously shift the energy in your home to create a cohesive atmosphere and a feeling of balance and newness.
In the most important cycle of all, our lifetime, we go through many transformations. Every component of your personal journey – joy and grief, stillness and action, shortage and abundance, illness and health- gives you an opportunity for growth and evolution if you reflect on the wisdom that it teaches you. With winter phases of stillness, scarcity and darkness behind you, you can now more easily focus your intention and begin to take action for a healthier, happier, balanced life. Allow yourself to put away the electronics, let go, deep breathe, clean a closet or shed the old as you give yourself a fresh start. Always, after winter comes the promise of new growth in the spring.
