No doubt you will have heard of the practice of feng shui before and its reported restorative effects on your mental state. If your living space is a little cluttered and doesn’t feel as restful as it could do, then feng shui might be a good way to restore balance.
Here, we’ll delve into the history of the practice and how you might be able to implement it in your home.
What is feng shui?
Feng shui is the ancient Chinese art of geomancy and literally translates to “the way of wind and water”.
In Taoism, it is believed that everything has within it a life force known as chi. This force is split into two elements known as yin and yang.
The aim of feng shui is to channel positive chi around an area and keep negative energy at bay.
Feng shui can be applied to single rooms or your whole house – it is even believed that its principles may have been used in ancient town planning in China!
As positive chi is allowed to flow freely, it can help to improve your physical and mental health as well as bring you greater good fortune!
How can you implement feng shui?
One key element of feng shui is the need to balance out the five elements of wood, earth, metal, water and fire. Using items of furniture that combine these materials, as well as introducing natural aspects such as plants can help promote positive chi.
A cluttered space can block the flow of chi, however, so maintaining order in your bedroom is vital. Fitted wardrobes could help you achieve this by giving you storage space for more of your belongings and clearing the path for chi to move.
How does feng shui help your mental wellbeing?
Many of the guiding principles of feng shui focus on the areas around windows and doorways – areas through which chi can move.
One way of clearing a path for chi to flow is by having a tidy and organised space – this also ties in with an American study from 2016 that found a link between poor mental wellbeing and cluttered living spaces.
While they may not be directly linked, the practices of feng shui do tie in with having a clean and tidy space which can bring you inner calm and peace.
