The ancient Chinese laws of spaceFeng Shuibecame popular with Gwyneth Paltrow and Gwyneth PaltrowMarie Kondoamong its enthusiasts. To the uninitiated, feng shui can seem a little esoteric, but if you take the time to delve into the philosophy behind it, you'll find that it's not just based on simple, common-sense practices that make our homes healthier. and organized. , but it also shows how connected we are to our homes – and how they, in turn, can affect our mood and well-being.
What is feng shui?
Feng Shui is the Chinese practice of trying to balance our interiors with the natural world. It uses energy forces to create harmony between an individual and their environment.
To demystify some of the rules of this ancient Chinese tradition, we turned to a feng shui expert.Laura Benkoto give us simple, actionable tips on how to incorporate feng shui into your home. Benko is widely known for renaming feng shui to a more modern and holistic approach, while honoring centuries-old traditions.
For Benko, feng shui is not about changing the structure of a home, but about letting our home evolve with us. Although barely noticeable, these small changes can have a "profound impact on your day to day life," she points out.
Meet the expert
Laura Benko is a New York-based teacher, feng shui expert, and author ofhome holistic.
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Slow down the flow of energy
"If there's a direct line of sight between the front door and the back door, that means chi (or energy) is shooting through the house very quickly," says Benko. Rather than letting it fly out the back door, she suggests moving it in a graceful, undulating way that spreads evenly throughout the house.
The solution:Downsize the chi with a patterned rug on the floor, artwork on the walls, or even a lapentrance table.
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Keep your home clutter free
While this might seem like an obvious problem that needs to be addressed at home, we're all very guilty of hoarding things that don't serve any specific function around the home. According to Benko, clutter is more than just visually unpleasant.
"It's an energetic anchor that keeps the best things in our lives from revealing themselves," she says. An excessive amount ofdisorderit prevents us from having clear thoughts and can weigh us down emotionally. Feng Shui is less about having a perfectly designed home and more about creating a happy and healthy environment.
The solution:Make sure you have the right organizational systems in place for everything in your life, from paying bills to recycling and a designated place for your keys. You'll feel lighter, less exhausted, and more productive.
How to Design Your Entrance Area According to Feng Shui
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Keep the way to the front door clear.
"The front door is very important in feng shui," says Benko. After all, it's the main portal through which energy enters your home, remember? "Think of the Chi as a first-time visitor trying to find your home — you want to make sure it's well lit, well marked, and the address is visible."
Inside, make sure you don't hit the wall right—"this can metaphorically make you feel like you're hitting the wall every day," she says.
The solution:install aSpiegel. When you hang the mirror, Benko advises attaching an intention to it, such as expanding the possibilities in your life and not feeling limited.
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Give guests a reason to pause
As energy enters through the main portal (read: yourfront door), you don't want to let it shoot up the stairs, says the Feng Shui expert. If you invite a visitor into your home, it would be weird if they go straight to the refrigerator or refrigerator.quarto, To the right? Instead, you want them to remain in the common area.
The solution:Slow down the flow of energy in your home by adding a staircase or artwork that encourages you to stop and think. Another feng shui solution is to place a grounding element, symbolizing weight, at the top of the stairs to ground the chi and force it to slow down.
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Balance the five elements
The five elements - earth, wood, fire, water and metal - can be physical or symbolic in your home. For example, you can bring out the fire element with warm tones like red and orange, or you can have real fire with aFireplaceor a lighted candle.
The idea, says Benko, is to create a balance between all the elements. "People are often attracted to elements that they need more or that are one of the main causes of imbalances in their lives."
For example, people who have issues with aggression should be careful not to have too many fire elements as part of their setup. On the other hand, unmotivated personality types should infuse more of the fire element into their homes to give them a boost.
The solution:Take a close look at the literal and symbolic elements that appear in your home, as they can be a source of imbalance in your emotional life. The idea is to find a good balance between all five.
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Remove negative symbolism
If you look for it, says Benko, “we are constantly bombarded with symbolism on a daily basis. From literature to road signs to movies, we are always guided by symbolism to create those intimate environments that most commonly represent our fears and challenges." We often unknowingly amplify the challenges in our lives by having their symbols in our space.
Benko says many emotional issues can be seen in his clients' homes all the time. "Are you having trouble getting clarity? Make sure your surfaces are cluttered load your home with unique images - aVaso, a single chair, a single person in a photo."
The solution:Evaluate what challenges you face in life and try to see if they symbolically appear in your space. Remove the symbols and replace them with the items you want to attract.
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Maximize a luz natural
It's not surprising that natural light can make us happier and more positive. "Mirrors in feng shui are like aspirin," jokes Benko. “They are often prescribed to treat many ailments. They are a quick fit when you want to expand a space and bring in more light.” The key here is to pay close attention to what the mirrors reflect. Is it a pile of notes (more clutter) or a beautiful view?
The solution:If you hang a mirror, make sure it reflects more light, a calm view, or a large part of the room.
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Rebalance kitchen workstations
For efficiency reasons, it is never practical to have two workstations in a row. For this reason, many kitchen experts propose a triangular arrangement between kitchens.Fridge, stove and sink. But Benko says there are feng shui considerations behind this too: "There can be conflict in the home when the fire is directly in front of the water -- the water puts out the fire," she notes.
The solution:If you have this setup in your kitchen, you don't need to revamp the gut just yet. Instead, place a wooden element between the sink and the stove - water fuels wood and wood fuels fire. Therefore, in this case, the wood acts as a mitigating element between the two opposing forces. Wood is also represented in Feng Shui by the color green, which can be used in place of the material itself.
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