Feng Shui Your Room and Life

Your room should be a place where your mind is at rest; leave the stressful energy at the door. However, interior design can be daunting and expensive. Thinking about furniture, lighting and color schemes can be overwhelming, especially navigating what to do or where to start.

Luckily, there’s a Chinese practice called Feng shui that has been practiced for centuries. Feng shui seems to crack the code for creating a balanced space by allowing a positive flow of energy and is believed to bring peace and prosperity into your life.

Tip: Incorporating Feng shui doesn’t have to be a total makeover — just a new way of thinking about your space.

What exactly is Feng Shui?

Feng shui is the ancient Chinese practice of arranging furniture and objects in your living space to allow for a balanced and positive energy flow. It’s believed that the energy forces of the natural world into your living space will further connect you with your environment.

It’s believed that by allowing the energy to flow throughout your room and life through Feng shui, peace and prosperity will be more prevalent in your everyday life. Allowing yourself to feel peace in your room will give you more energy to do other activities outside of your room.

Try to create a room that feels balanced

The bed is the heart of your bedroom (after all… it’s called a bedroom). People who practice Feng shui believe that having space on either side and under your bed creates balance. Keeping balance and symmetry in mind when deciding where to put your dresser and nightstand is key to allowing a good flow of energy.

Feng shui incorporates five elements

Feng shui believes that there are five elements of the natural world that you should incorporate into your living space. The elements are water, wood, fire, Earth and metal. All objects are believed to be classified under at least one element.

Getting creative here is key because adding these elements may not seem straightforward at first. Here are some examples of how to incorporate these elements into your room, but remember, choosing how to implement these elements is personal to you:

Water: Pictures or paintings of a body of water, oil diffuser, seashells, cool tones

Wood: Wooden pieces of furniture, picture frames, neutral tones

Fire: candles, other light sources, warm tones

Earth: salt lamp, crystals, landscape paintings or pictures, earth tones

Metal: picture frames, mirrors, metal lamps

achieve mood lighting

Achieving mood lighting can drastically change the vibe of a space. Ditch the overhead white light (that reminds you of a classroom or office) and invest in lamps, candles or salt lamps. Not only will this emulate peace, but these are ways to incorporate earth, fire and metal elements in your space as well, it's a win-win.

declutter your space

Decluttering your space does not have to mean throwing away all of your nick-nacks; instead, organizing your belongings. The simplest way to make your room feel more organized is to start by making your bed and picking things up off the floor. Don’t get it twisted though, everyone still has a junk drawer, but an organized space reflects an organized mind and vice versa.

break the rules

Some of us live in dorm rooms, with roommates or in a space that doesn’t have the layout to incorporate all of these practices. Keep in mind that you are the sole creator of the rules within your space. Take only what resonates with you, leave the rest behind when you close this tab. These suggestions are how you can start incorporating the ancient practice of Feng shui into your personal space. If you feel inspired to try channeling the energy of the natural world, as people have for centuries with Feng shui, the tips listed above can be a great place to start.

The bottom line is that Feng shui is about creating a space that feels good for you and brings you feelings of peace and a place to recharge and re-energize your mind, body and spirit. Don’t underestimate the power of having a space with positive energy. Have the space you live in reflect who you want to be, and you will be one step closer to that person. Tag us on Instagram at @theedgemag if you embrace the Feng shui lifestyle!