1.26.2011

5 Feng Shui Tips for Increasing Positive Energy in Your Home

Feng Shui is fascinating to me and I am interested in learning more about how to improve the energy in our homes through interior design. Today I am thrilled to have a Feng Shui expert give us some tips. 

Cristin Zegers {yep, spelled just like me!} is a Feng Shui Consultant and Mom of three based in the Atlanta, Georgia area. She believes that our homes are our havens and should embrace us, reflect us, and inspire us. Using the ancient practice of Feng Shui and her own intuitive guidance, Cristin strives to empower people with the knowledge they need to create spaces that nurture them and support the work they do within themselves every day.

soothing living room interior design
{image source House Beautiful and designer Christopher Maya}
Think of that house you walk in to and you immediately feel at ease. We all know of at least one house like this. We can’t quite put our finger on it, but it’s welcoming and comfortable, and lingering for hours in this space just leaves us feeling good. Chances are this house has good Feng Shui. The words Feng Shui actually translate to wind and water—kind of like the unseen and the seen. A house with good Feng Shui has good flow, which is something that we not only see but we feel

Feng Shui has been around for centuries and the essence of this ancient practice is just as applicable today as it has ever been. No matter what your taste, budget, or decorating style, basic Feng Shui principles can be incorporated into your own home creating a space that embraces you, supports you, and leaves your family and your guests feeling energized and positive. 

Here are five key areas to focus on in your own home to turn your house into a haven of positive energy:

feng shui tips for home living room
{image source House Beautiful and designer James Radin}
1. Deal with the clutter. Seen and unseen—remember? We can’t have overflowing closets and mysteries under our beds and feel at ease. Energy gets hung up in these places and therefore affects us internally. A cluttered home equals a cluttered mind, so start purging with abandon and see how much freer you feel.

feng shui interior design tips
{image source Marnie Rose and stylist Lauren Nelson}
2. If you don’t love it, set it free. Our belongings hold the memories and thoughts we attach to them. Everything you own should lift your spirits, and if it doesn’t, pass it along so maybe it can do that for someone else. You’ll be opening up space for something more spectacular to enter your life! So if you’ve been looking at that coffee table and cringing for years, here’s your permission to take it to the curb (or the donation center). You’ll be so glad you did. 

3. If it’s broken, fix it. Now. Feng Shui teaches us the relationship between parts of our house to areas of our life. A leaky faucet or broken stove could be connected to financial challenges. Wobbly table legs or unstable chairs could be indicative of unsupportive relationships. We need to treat our belongings like precious members of our family and take care of them. Clean, mend, tighten, polish—give your love to your belongings and they will love you right back in ways you may not even know. 
tranquil bedroom feng shui
4. Put yourself in the power position. When you lay in bed, sit at your desk, and relax in your favorite chair, make sure you can see the entrance to the room. Having your back to the doorway leaves an unsettling feeling, like you’re not protected. Position yourself so you won’t be startled when someone enters. The only exception to this is the placement of your bed. Do not have your feet directly in line with the door of your bedroom. Even moving your bed one foot, so you don’t look past your feet and out the door, can make a big difference. 
feng shui decorating tips
5. Take a tour of your home from an energetic point of view. Where your eye goes the energy goes. Those comfortable, peaceful homes have meandering paths for energy to follow. Long, dark hallways and staircases are like shooting rapids for energy flow. Position your furnishings to support an easeful movement throughout your space. A clever use of mirrors can aid the auspicious circulation, as can light and color. Take a walk through your space and see what angles you can soften and paths you can slow down. 

Being mindful of these five Feng Shui guidelines in the arrangement and everyday inhabitance of your home can result in abundance you haven’t recognized before. Looking upon your place and your belongings with gratitude creates that positive glow you recognize. It makes people want to be there, and it’s an environment that supports your goals and dreams. Live in a space that reflects the life you want to live…then live it! 

For more information, please visit Cristin Zegers’  website & blog. Thank you Cristin!

How do you incorporate Feng Shui principles in your home today?

21 comments:

  1. I feel like #2 spoke to me about a set of breakfast chairs I had custom made (read: non returnable and expensive) that have always BOTHERED me and make me cringe. I feel like you've given me permission to replace them. I thank you! #1 is perfectly said, as well. Wonderful post!!!

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  2. Cristin & Cristin,

    Great post. One of the amazing things about Feng Shui, intuition and design is that they work as a team. Once you sharpen one skill the others follow.
    Your 5 tips are a perfect start and staple for beginning at the ground and moving upward.

    I enjoy working with energy in rooms, houses, work spaces and landscapes.
    The combined energy within these spaces and an energetic personality are a winning combination for a designer to have. When you lift the energy to an elevated level with clients and their spaces everyone benefits.

    Bette

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  3. Wow, great post. #4 definitely spoke to me. We just moved from a very large house and while it was beautiful I always felt out of sorts and couldn't figure out why. I think now it's because I never felt I had the house in my visual grip.
    Carol

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  4. Great post. I know energy is so important in the home. I have been in homes where I just feel out of sorts the minute I walk through the door. It's so important

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  5. These are some interesting points. I'm not sure if my place exudes positive energy, but I am certainly apt to try.

    Mr. Goodwill Hunting

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  6. Those are very pretty spaces.

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  7. Great feature, Cristins! I think it will be fun to use these principles in my designs and furniture placement. Home definitely needs to *feel* right.

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  8. Excellent post ~ love all these points.
    pve

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  9. Darn it all, I knew I should do something about all the junk hiding under my bed! That last picture is so interesting -- how the pair of lamps are positioned near the middle of the couch rather than at each end. Is that feng shui? I like it!

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  10. So interesting. I remember that it was bad to have a mirror facing the front door (as you enter) as the good energy will bounce back out. I am going to go do some straightening up and get some positive energy flowing!
    Mary Ann

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  11. Thank you for reminding me. These gray winter days are perfect for purging and cleaning. I need to get some energy flowing in my house.

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  12. Some of these principles I am doing well...others need a little attention. It's those little tweaks that can make all the difference! Great information, Cristin & Cristin!

    xo Elizabeth

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  13. Great post Cristin! Thanks for sharing wonderful tips and of course beautiful pictures!

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  14. What beautiful pictures. I love the soothing colors. The shelves in the family room are amazing and the green and pink room is so sweet! Wonderful post (:

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  15. Great post! I am following these guide lines loosely and I can say most of them feel right. Especially the sitting, lying down part, the clutter and the keeping things in order!
    Beautiful images!

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  16. Absolutely: clutter has such a huge impact: I don't know of anyone who doesn't feel better when it's dealt with.
    As for broken things, yup, I have a few of those in need of attention!

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  17. Great post Cristin!
    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  18. This is very interesting. I need to rethink a few things around the house.

    -Rene

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  19. Number 4 truly spoke to me. I've been known to 'hoard' junk but this made me want to clean out my closet!

    L

    http://www.echelonhome.com/

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  20. Great post and tips, clutter makes me crazy! :)
    Janell

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  21. Another fabulous post that I've linked to mine today - thanks Cristin! There is so much to learn about feng shui, isn't there?

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