Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art of understanding how we and our surroundings influence and shape each other in a continuous cycle.

When your inner world comes into order, your outer world comes into order.

I-Ching (The Chinese Book of Change)

I want to share with you three Feng Shui practices that you can start right now to live a life as you please.

Balance the “wind” and the “water.” In Chinese, “Feng” means wind and “Shui” means water. The art of Feng Shui is to appreciate and employ the seen force of the “water” and the unseen force of the “wind.” Just like we shape our surroundings, our surroundings in return shape us. Observe your own choices of purchasing certain items and their placement in your space. What are you trying to accomplishing by doing so, and is it truly effective? It takes great courage to admit that we don’t always make the best choices. That is alright. In Feng Shui, it is not about admitting, but actions.

Find a new perspective. We can be quite oblivious to what’s going on around us when we get used to it. Find a trusted friend to come and take a look. Ask for their honest opinions about how your space feels like. What’s the one word they can use to describe how they feel? What’s one spot that bothers them the most? Be open to hear any feedback, and decide for yourself what you would like to do with them. Feel no pressure to play by other’s rules because it is YOUR space. What’s better? Do it for yourself when you just return from a trip or vacation. Evaluate your own space and give yourself some honest feedback. It ain’t easy but it’s damn useful.

Embrace the clutter. We talk about “de-clutter” all the time as if it is a terrible thing. I see it’s only human to clutter. We search for familiarity for comfort. We want to be an ostrich for just a moment. It is okay. Find where you clutter and face it. What does it look like? How does it feel like? What are the things that clutter up? Do you find any theme among them? Do you see patterns and connections between the items? Be comfortable in your own clutter and then – and only then – will the clutter melt away for good.

I would love to hear how these three tips work for you. Comment below and share your progress!