Want To Use Feng Shui At Home? Start With These Top Do's & Don'ts

Feng shui teaches us how to achieve harmony with our environment.

Feng shui is all about designing the details of your environment to help you feel happier and better supported in your life. In practice, feng shui can look like painting your bedroom a soothing color to promote relaxation or clearing out dead houseplants to remove stagnant energy in your space. It's about creating an outward environment that reflects how you want to feel within.

The words "feng shui" are Chinese and translate to "wind" and "water." Wind is our breath, and humans are almost 60 percent water. Wind and water are vital elements for life, as is feng shui!

One of the most effective and fundamental principles in feng shui is called the "commanding position," and it basically means that certain objects should be facing the entry door.

The most important objects to place in the command position are the bed, desk, and stove (read more about how to maximize the feng shui in your kitchen here).

The main door to the room or space is called the "mouth of chi," and it's thought to be the portal through which energy comes into your home and life. When you are cooking at the stove (or sleeping in bed, or sitting at a desk in your office), it’s best if you can see the door but not be directly in line with it. It's best to be diagonal from the door, while still facing it.

Your entry and front door represent the way you face the outside. It’s how the world sees you, like a first impression, so be sure to keep the area clean and clutter-free.

This does not mean the entry must be completely empty; rather it’s about keeping only what you need there. So if it’s winter, it makes sense to hang your scarf, hat, and coat.

The interior and exterior entry should also be well lit (get some bright bulbs on a dimmer!) and the door number should be clean, hung straight, and easily visible. Auspicious opportunities need clear signage to find you!

The front door is literally and metaphorically where energy enters your home, and it can be an incredible auspicious area.

To activate its lucky energy, wait until an auspicious day like your birthday or a new moon. Between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (the most yang hours of the day), write a list of nine wishes for yourself using a newly purchased black pen on a sheet of red paper.

Read your list out loud, and then with respect, mindfully sign the list. Carefully fold the sheet and place it in a red envelope. Securely position your intentions and aspirations above the front door, on the inside of your home.

We spend many hours sleeping in our beds, so the feng shui of our bedrooms is of the utmost importance.

First, I'd recommend putting your bed in the "commanding position" so it's facing the door to your room. You don't want the door to be behind where you sleep, as this is thought to create subconscious stress and uncertainty as you snooze. If possible, there should be at least 2 feet of walking space on the left and right side of the bed, with the headboard against the wall. Yes, you do need a headboard! A solid headboard without bars or holes, fastened securely to the bed, creates stability and harmony.

It’s also important to have space available on both sides of the bed. This means that you’ve made space for your partner (or future partner). Believe me: Nobody likes to sleep on the wall side! This also allows for a nightstand on each side of the bed. The nightstands do not have to match; however, it’s better if they are similar in size.

The bagua map in feng shui divides our space into nine areas that each have its own focus. Ideally you can use this map to plan what furnishings you put where (for instance, you can position your office to be in the Wealth & Prosperity area).

As previously mentioned, doors are super important in feng shui as they are portals for energy. Take a close look at each door in your home to see if there are any that cannot open a minimum of 90 degrees due to surrounding clutter or furniture.

When doors cannot open, it means that the positive energy coming into your life is being compressed and your full potential is not available to you. It also affects how you experience your life path (literally and metaphorically) and can leave you cramped and pinched rather than expansive and spacious.

Many of us have those "I’ll fit into them someday" jeans from high school, but letting go of the clothing that we don’t need will give our brains a cue to also let go of other unnecessary things (like harmful people or unnecessary stress).

If there are areas or objects in your home that are collecting dust, it may symbolize areas of your life that are stagnant and ignored. If you don’t need that object, maybe it’s time to donate it. And if there’s a room you haven’t stepped foot in, maybe it’s time to peek inside.

Believe it or not, when someone has issues with sadness or low energy, I often notice that their artwork, photographs, and mirrors are hung low on their walls. The low artwork can bring down your chi. (Note: Even a bed that’s very low to the ground can bring down your mood).

I know many of us could use extra storage, but under the bed is not the place for it! In feng shui, it’s best to have the air flowing all around you while you’re sleeping, so it’s a big no-no to have objects under the bed—especially sharp, dangerous items.

Other items to watch out for are shoes, books, or anything associated with very active energy. If you have mementos from past relationships stored under there, it may mean that relationship is holding you back. If you must store something under the bed, make it something soft, like extra linens and pillows.