The first place people turn to when hoping to start fresh is their home. Rearranging your home or bedroom can be challenging at times, but the principles of the ancient Chinese practice feng shui make doing so easier. Feng shui is all about arranging/decorating your space the best way possible to help create balance, harmony and a healthy flow of energy specific to your liking.  

 Feng shui translates to “wind” and “water”—both of which are essential to the flow of the world. The Chinese practice is aimed to reflect the elements of nature in your home, as well as help individuals connect to their environments, according to thespruce.com. The use of feng shui also attracts positive energy, according to some Asian philosophies.  

Feng shui makes use of what is called a bagua map. A bagua map is comprised of the “eight areas” of life (according to feng shui philosophy): wealth, fame, partnership, family, children, knowledge, career and support. At the center of the map is a person, suggesting that their well-being is dependent on the other eight areas. Each of the eight areas is associated with the five elements.  

The five elements of feng shui—most of which are understood as the natural elements— are water, fire, earth, wood and metal. In addition to the bagua map, the five elements are used to achieve the ultimate feng shui home. The concept of feng shui suggests that using nature’s elements in your home or room will attract positive energy.  

All of these elements are paired with a shape and color, and are used to represent varying qualities of one’s life. Using a specific element in your home will help define your wants and center your energy.  

For example, water is constantly flowing, and in feng shui specifically, water is represented by the color black—it is also associated with the life area: career. In a feng shui house, water is used in a room aimed to center the energy on career-based achievements. One could use the element of water and its feng shui qualities to decorate their work office or work desk.  

The same goes for the other four elements: fire, earth, wood and metal. One could decorate it with the fire element and its qualities to tie the energy of a room to fame and/or success. Earth and its feng shui attributed qualities can be used in an area to represent health, knowledge and partnerships. The use of metal in a space will center the room’s energy on children and support, while wood would represent family and wealth orientated goals.  

There are ways to achieve feng shui in even the smallest of spaces, even a dorm room or college suite. The first step is to identify an area in your life, that is also on the bagua map, that could use some improvement. Then you would introduce the element—and its associated colors and shapes—into a space representing that area to help attract positive energy.  

The practice of feng shui helps people design their spaces according to their desires, all while proving a balanced aesthetic. It’s a great way to bring positivity into the new year.  

Sources: 

The Basic Principles of Feng Shui (thespruce.com)