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While it would be awesome if every single thing fell into place perfectly every single day, we all run up against obstacles from time to time. Great philosophers and iconic leaders often refer to those obstacles as turning points that can lead to great success—once we know how to overcome them (or maneuver around them), we can move forward.
As a feng shui practitioner, none of that is intuitive to me, and it’s not intuitive to many people I work with. Obstacles and blocks can make us feel stuck, frustrated, and defeated—especially after we try so hard to move them without success.
In the feng shui philosophy, energy is meant to flow freely, and we are meant to move with it. When energy gets stuck, it’s tempting to try to “push through,” but when you force things they tend to force you back! Instead, feng shui gives us a way to approach life's obstacles with a calm, grounded mindset.
Here are a few ways to use simple feng shui philosophy to help clear away any and all of the obstacles you're currently facing:
1. Identify where you feel stuck.
Try to observe how you walk through a day. Where do you get frustrated, tired, or discombobulated? At home? In your office? Wherever the energy gets stuck, you get stuck, so try simply opening a window or doing some clutter-clearing to lighten things up wherever they feel heavy. A little cleaning can help you shift perspective in a big way.
2. Clear your path.
It’s extremely common to use the hallway as a place to store things like slippers or gym bags and the foyer as a place for giant coats, but all of this blocks the flow of energy in your home. When you walk through an obstacle course to get through your day, you are absorbing a lot of resistance. Clear your path at home to clear your path in life.
3. Clear the air of creative blocks.
Creative genius is often associated with a flowing state of mind. When you're in the zone, you feel light and clear. If you’re in a creative slump, try burning a sage wand or turning on a Himalayan salt lamp to get the negative ions flowing. This will reinvigorate the positive energy in the air and create a fresh start.
4. Clear your negative mental chatter.
If you're constantly surrounded by negative chatter and self-defeating beliefs, chances are they're manifesting themselves in your home as clutter and disorganization. Tackling even the smallest organizational project—like a junk drawer or wallet—can help you clear your mind and feel more positive. My Catalyst Camp clutter-clearing clients often say that peeking at the harmony inside their newly organized cupboards and drawers gives them a burst of joy!
5. Focus your attention.
If you’re someone who often feels scattered, you’ll benefit from making space in your life to focus. One of the simplest ways to do this is to clear your countertops, desks, and shelves of extra stuff. The more you can minimize the amount of clutter you see, the more your mind can focus on the important things.
6. Stop feeling drained.
I can't stress enough how often our spaces reflect the energetic drains of toxic patterns and people. And when you're around toxic home products enough, you catch the toxicity, too! Even eliminating a few toxic beauty or cleaning products can lighten up the toxin load at home and help you shake free of draining dynamics.
7. Curate your space.
When you decide to actively design your home in a way that supports your goals and your lifestyle, everything becomes easier. Every day you’ll wake up in a space that reflects your dreams.
This may sound like a daunting concept, but it unfolds into small, actionable steps. There are so many organic ways to start weaving your intentions into your space. Start by removing negative messages and objects you don’t like from your home. You’ll clear away so much of what you don’t want in the process and make room for vibrant, positive things to arrive.
Your space is a mirror of your life. The more open and inspiring it feels, the more it will support you in adapting, stretching, and growing!
For more tips on how to incorporate feng shui principles into your daily routine, check out my latest course: Home Design 101: How To Style Each Room In Your Home For Less Stress and More Tranquillity.
Dana Claudat is a modern Feng Shui Master and founder of The School Of Intention Feng Shui Certification Program. In the last 15 years Claudat has pioneered her own approach to Feng Shui that is rooted in infinite possibility, creativity and empowerment. Rather than hope for lucky results and outcomes, she helps her clients to create them every day.
She’s a Stanford-educated art historian with more than a decade of experience in design yet her approach to space is simple. Claudat is a longtime mindbodygreen contributor and instructor (she may have had a hand in the hundreds of plants in mindbodygreen headquarters!), and her work has been featured in design and lifestyle publications around the world.
You can work with her from wherever you are in the world in her online Feng Shui Camps and through her Online Feng Shui Consultations.
You can sign up for her weekly Feng Shui Rituals, including rituals for every New and Full Moon, right here!
More from the author:
The Feng Shui Home Makeover
Check out The Best Of The Best High-Vibe Home Styling With mbg Feng Shui Master
More from the author:
The Feng Shui Home Makeover
Check out The Best Of The Best High-Vibe Home Styling With mbg Feng Shui Master
Dana Claudat is a modern Feng Shui Master and founder of The School Of Intention Feng Shui Certification Program. In the last 15 years Claudat has pioneered her own approach to Feng Shui that is rooted in infinite possibility, creativity and empowerment. Rather than hope for lucky results and outcomes, she helps her clients to create them every day.
She’s a Stanford-educated art historian with more than a decade of experience in design yet her approach to space is simple. Claudat is a longtime mindbodygreen contributor and instructor (she may have had a hand in the hundreds of plants in mindbodygreen headquarters!), and her work has been featured in design and lifestyle publications around the world.
You can work with her from wherever you are in the world in her online Feng Shui Camps and through her Online Feng Shui Consultations.
You can sign up for her weekly Feng Shui Rituals, including rituals for every New and Full Moon, right here!
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