Firstly what is Feng Shui?
Feng Shui is the study of how to create a harmonious environment in your home. It is based on the principles of yin and yang, which are opposite but complementary forces that govern everything in the world.
The principles of Feng Shui are based on the Chinese understanding of how our physical surroundings can affect our lives, health, emotions, and well-being. Feng shui has been used for many centuries to create balance among people with their environments so they can live more harmoniously.
"Isn't it just a superstitious belief?" As an interior designer who grew up in Taiwan and lived in Australia for the past 10 years, I used to never take it into consideration, mostly because my mother is a traditional woman and a strong believer of Feng Shui, and I will go against her to just piss her off (typical brat child I was). Therefore, as much as I was not a strong believer when I was a child, I was familiar with the concept. 25 years later, I began to study Feng Shui again when I became an interior designer, from a psychology point of view.
Interior is all about focus on what looks good and makes you feel good.
So what does it have to do with psychology?
The practice has many subconscious psychological reasons behind it, such as our need for balance and harmony in our lives, which is why it also reflects in how we arrange our furniture or how we decorate our homes. In short, feng shui psychology is not only about the physical layout of a space. It also takes into account the mental and emotional state of those who occupy it. It has been used in many different contexts, including architecture, interior design, furniture arrangement, city planning, landscaping and even the arrangement of one's desk or work area. Overall rule is "if it creates imbalance in your space, it creates imbalance in your mind".
Feng Shui is about balance and harmonious, not just in your surroundings but your mind.
Ok what do I do to start utilising Feng Shui Psychology principle in my home?
So you have done some research on Feng Shui Psychology and want to know how to make your home a more balanced and harmonious space, the very simple and easy approach (even though it takes mental strength to execute, but gurrrrl I believe in you!) is to Declutter. Yes, Marie Kondo your whole place. "Your bedroom is a reflection of your mind." If your room is messy and unorganised, your mind is messy and unorganised. To make your house, your home, your work space, your environment a great place to be, start by decluttering and organising. You will find the energy and momentum back and being more productive even, just by cleaning up your mess.
Decluttering your space instantly brightens up your mood and levels your productivity.
"I have cleaned up, now what?" Firstly, I am very proud of you. It is one of those things much easier said then done, but you did it. We're at the next step (again super proud of you!), now let's explore your home layout. You can grab a pen and paper to outline your home floor plan to get a better perspective. If you cannot draw, please don't feel defeated just yet. If you are in Australia, just put your address in realestate.com.au. You may be surprised to find your floor plan drawings in there.
A very important area to start is your entrance. We also call it the landing area. It is the face of the house, and where all the good energy should be retained. This area should be bright, airy and clutter free. A greenery works a wonder here. A well-looked after plant in the face of the house represents wealth and prosperity, not just money but for your mind and soul, brings you excellent mood when you come home. One thing to note is, no plant is always better then fake plant, fake plant brings you death and plastic. To take it up a notch, you could put flowing water, like a fish tank. Again, no fish is better than fake fish.
Snake plants are one of the hardest plants to kill and I haven't killed one yet.
Moving on to living area, where most of the activities take place. Ideally we want the living room to be bright and full of natural light, and the bedroom to be dimmed for more peace, which we will get to shortly. The position of the sofa is key. Avoid placing the sofa in a way that will block the walking flow of the house. Nobody wants to kick their toe on the legs. Avoiding direct exposure facing the entry. It shows vulnerability. In any event, you spread your legs wide open on the couch watching Netflix and someone walks in, it probably does not happen but subconsciously it creates a sense of instability in your head.
Don't spread your legs watching Netflix while your couch is couch is facing the front door, or, don't face your couch to the door.
Unlike the living room, which needs to be bright and airy, we want our bedroom to be soft and dimmed on the lighting. We spend 1/3 of our time in our bedroom. The space naturally needs to be a cocoon of relaxation. The benefit of this is that it gives you a good night's sleep, and a well-recharged mind. Be mindful of where you place your bed. We want a stable backing to place the bedhead for stability. The wall should not be an exterior wall, window or bathroom wall due to the moisture and chill air from the other side. It is known to lower our immunity and cause sickness.
A well laid-out bedroom gives you and your mate a good night's sleep.
Now you know. Although I have only scratched the surface of Feng Shui Psychology, there is a lot more to it and different with different situations as well. My name is Rachel, Chia Yun. I am an interior designer of GIA Interior based in Sydney and Adelaide, Australia. I am also conducting my own YouTube channel called "Dr. Fix-Me-A-Little". In there, you can watch me reviewing some hardass layouts, including how to tackle the obstacles to create the balanced and harmonious home of your dreams. Stick around, and thank you for your love and support. I will reveal the date, peace!
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