What was your initial response to my blog?
We were so intrigued by your post "What Do I REALLY Think About Feng Shui." It was very honest and we believe expresses what many people feel about this ancient art.
We were happy to see you point out that Feng Shui is actually full of common sense and practical approaches to arranging your home such as, clearing clutter, surrounding yourself objects that you love and make you happy, decorating with colors that make you feel good, arranging your furniture so it welcomes you and your guests and supports your lifestyle. In fact, everything you write about for The Clutter Diet is POSITIVE Feng Shui!
How do you define Feng Shui?
At the heart of Feng Shui is the simple idea that our homes are connected to all aspects of our wellbeing. What we put in our homes, how we decorate, and what we surround ourselves with affect us on a daily basis and influence all aspects of our lives. Therefore, if you want to make a positive change in your life, you can begin by making a positive change in your home.
Clearing clutter is a fundamental Feng Shui practice. Clutter is a perfect example as many of us have experienced how clutter can affect our wellbeing. Have you ever misplaced important paperwork and then been late for a meeting or work? Have you held onto an object that is associated with a negative memory, and every time you see it, you are reminded of that unhappy time? Losing paperwork or being reminded of unhappy times may seem like small annoyances, but they produce a ripple effect, which affects the rest of our day.
Of course it works the other way as well… when we surround ourselves with objects that support our lifestyle or make us feel good we can produce a positive ripple effect.
Can you explain the mystical aspects of Feng Shui?
There is another layer to Feng Shui, which you refer to as mystical or magical that many people find hard to believe. One reason is that often we find traditional Feng Shui enhancements such as crystals can seem strange or "magical" rather than practical because they are rooted in a very different culture. Feng Shui is a 3,000 year-old Chinese art; so many of the traditional enhancements don't have the same meaning in our contemporary, Western culture. Although traditional Feng Shui enhancements will work, whether you understand the origins of the enhancement or not, we find it's often just as powerful to use Feng Shui enhancements that have meaning to you. In other words, don't let the traditional enhancements be a stumbling block to enjoying the many benefits of Feng Shui. If one enhancement doesn't make sense to you, find one that does. Whatever you choose, traditional or personal, the intention behind selecting and then placing the object in your home is an important part of the process that alone will have an impact.
What advice do you have for those who may be reluctant to embrace Feng Shui?
There are parts of Feng Shui that still may require a leap of faith, but as we say to our clients who are skeptical, try it. We have seen results time and time again– both in our own lives and in our clients' lives. The key to practicing Feng Shui, is after trying it only continue to do what feels good to you– if something doesn't feel right, it's probably not going to be good Feng Shui for your home. As our Feng Shui teacher Terah Kathryn Collins says, “you will be practicing perfect Feng Shui if you love everything in your home.”
Are there different approaches to Feng Shui? Where did you study Feng Shui?
Over the years different schools of Feng Shui have emerged. We practice Form school and studied at the Western School of Feng Shui, which "fully honors the essence of its Eastern Form School Feng Shui heritage, while focusing on the practical applications it has in our Western culture." We also practice a very intuitive approach to Feng Shui and it is really only one tool in our overall approach to creating a home that we call Life Design. In addition to Feng Shui, we also focus on green and healthy living, clutter clearing and organization, interior redesign, and personal development through the home. We believe when all these techniques are combined our homes become powerful vehicles for self-transformation.
Thank you so much for sharing your extensive knowledge on this topic, Laura and Alison!
How do YOU feel about Feng Shui? Are there concepts that you use in your life? Please share in the comments!
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