The Chinese New Year of the Earth Yin Pig rolls in on Feb. 5, and it brings with it a year of abundance and blessings. A year full of love, joy and goodness. Pigs have a beautiful personality and are blessed with good fortune in life.
Feng Shui is all about energy, or chi. In essence, you can think of Feng Shui as acupuncture for your home. It’s a way of keeping the energy flowing in and around your home. The practice of Feng Shui is about making that energy as positive as possible, aligning your home for the highest good of you, your life, business, relationships, opportunities and the home itself.
There’s no denying that your home has a power all of its own. You can feel it settle over you the second you step through the front door. But we’re not the only ones our home is communicating with. It’s actually sending out its signal 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year – and that signal can be the biggest ally in your life, calling in more money and success straight to you – or it can be your biggest enemy, pushing the things you want even further away.
Welcoming entrance
Start at the front door and entrance – this is the mouth of your home so be sure that it is welcoming and easy to access so that the energy actually gets into your home. Clean your front door, as you wash the door you are symbolically clearing away the old and creating a clear space for new opportunities to come in your front door.
Have a look at your entrance way and ask the question: Do my spirits rise or fall when I arrive at my entrance? You can enhance it with a new welcome mat, some flowers or a welcome sign. Avoid having a mirror facing you as you enter, as it will repel all the good energy from entering your home.
The Chinese New Year coincides perfectly with springtime. It is the perfect time to do a spring clean – clear your home of the physical things that are depleting the energies also known as broken items, things that don’t raise your spirits, gifts from your ex, anything that isn’t working 100 per cent and is not aligned with where you are going in your life. See what’s ready for an upgrade. Clearing physical items creates space to welcome your dreams – whether that’s a relationship, better health, more recognition, wealth or success.
Vibrant central area
Secondly, check out the central area of your home, as it represents health, well-being, unity, self-love, self-acceptance and gratitude. The state of this area of your home will affect your vibrancy, energy and sense of looking after yourself. This area has a powerful effect on your life overall and underpins everything. You can also enhance this area simply by adding a bowl of fresh fruit or a vase of flowers.
Many years ago, I was working with a client. As she took me around her home so that I could get familiar with it, she came to the central area and introduced it by saying: Welcome to the dumping ground. This accurately represented the state of her family’s health and it was no wonder. Her father had been sick and unable to play golf in two years. As part of our work together, we cleared out that central area. After decluttering an enormous amount of stuff from that space, her father went out and played 18 holes!
Minimize the red
Thirdly, minimize the colour red – it represents the energy of fire – just like a real fire, it can cause a lot of damage, get out of control and be dangerous. Too much fire can irritate people in the home and affect your health negatively, and a “firey” energy in the home can send it out of balance.
Bedroom sanctuary
The most important space where you spend the most time is your bedroom. When decorating your bedroom, the key is to dedicate this space to sleep and intimacy, reflecting a relaxing and rejuvenating environment.
Focus on creating a sanctuary in your bedroom where you can relax. Does it represent rest, romance and relaxation? If it doesn’t, it’s time to honour the space where you get your rest and where you sleep. It’s a significant space for you, so it’s crucial to create a sanctuary. When you come in, you should feel like you can’t wait to get into bed and fall sleep. To enhance your sleep, eliminate items that are not relaxing such as technology, plants, work- related items, family photos and exercise equipment.
A good headboard is a must, as it gives you a sense of being supported. Any style of bed works, as long as there is breathing room under the bed. That means no storing stuff underneath it! Anything under your bed affects the underbelly of your life, so avoid storing unusual items there. Clear out the area under your bed and leave it empty, otherwise you may find your sleep disturbed.
Energizing artwork
Finally, this is a great time to reflect on what you want in life and look at the artwork around your home. Imagery is important in the home and crucial for energizing and attracting what you want in your life. Be mindful of the images you have in your home. If you want to travel more, add some pictures of places you want to visit; if you want to fall in love, add an image of a couple in a loving embrace. Think about using your home as physical vision board for the life of your dreams making sure the pictures you are hanging up reflect what you want to welcome into your life.
Patricia Lohan is an author, speaker and Feng Shui expert, known for helping thousands of people understand and embrace Feng Shui to create their dream lives by tapping into the innate power of their homes and turning their living spaces into supercharged magnets for manifestation. Patricia lives in Bali with her husband Ken. You may have seen her in Forbes,She Knows, Essence, Mind Body Green,USA Today.