In today's fast-paced world, finding balance and harmony is a worthy, yet constant, pursuit. One ancient practice that offers guidance in achieving this equilibrium is feng shui. Originating from China, feng shui is both an art and a science that focuses on creating a harmonious environment to enhance positive energy flow and promote well-being. Having made such a significant investment into purchasing the right luxury home, perhaps now is the time to use some feng shui to ensure it is enhancing your lifestyle in every possible way?
What is Feng Shui?
Derived from an ancient poem on human connection with our environment, feng shui’s inspiring premise of balance can be seen in the provenance of its verbiage, created from the Chinese words ‘feng’ meaning wind and ‘shui’ meaning water. By definition, “feng shui is a practice of arranging the pieces in living spaces to create balance with the natural world. This is what it means to feng shui your home. The goal is to harness energy forces and establish harmony between an individual and their environment”.
The Commanding Position
This is the spot in the room that is the furthest distance from the door and not directly lined up with it, essentially you are diagonal to the door, but with a clear line of sight to it. The rules of feng shui say that this is the dominant position in a room and should be used to ascertain the diagonal alignment of a room and therefore where you can place key items such as your bed, desks and the oven.
The Bagua
The bagua is an energy map that ties to the floor plan of your home. It represents the eight areas of life circumstances and the ninth area that signifies your overall wellness. There are different schools of thought on how best to position your bagua areas, though typically this may depend on your personal priorities in order to be most effective.
The Five Elements
Drawn from the Taoist tradition, the five elements of feng shui are earth, metal, wood, fire and water. By balancing these elements in your luxury home you can focus your energy on the areas of life most important to you and strengthen their pathways to improvement through energy. When we incorporate the tones, textures and colours of the elements into a specific room, we can draw on its energy to enhance the focus of that area.
Feng Shui Your Luxury Home
At the heart of feng shui lies the belief that our surroundings profoundly impact our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. By aligning our spaces with the natural elements and harnessing their energy, we can create a sense of tranquillity, particularly in the balance of yin and yang energies. Yin represents calmness, introspection and relaxation, while yang symbolises energy, activity and stimulation. Therefore, balancing yin and yang is crucial in creating a serene and dynamic environment. This can be achieved by incorporating both soft, gentle elements, such as flowing curtains and rounded shapes and bold, vibrant elements, such as bright colours and angular furniture.
Organisational Joy
In addition to the physical aspects, feng shui also emphasises the importance of decluttering and organising our spaces. An unkempt environment can obstruct the flow of energy, creating feelings of stress. Keeping our spaces organised creates an inviting atmosphere that allows positive energy to circulate freely and thereby increases our focus, productivity and overall well-being.
Luxury Inspiration
The Mandarin Oriental, a world-famous five-star hospitality brand, understands the value of feng shui and how important it is to their international guests. They have plenty of tips to assist those starting out on their feng shui journey. They recommend using textures to prolong the presence of chi’s vital life-force, placing your desk in the command position with a solid wall behind you and ensuring that your entrance is uncluttered and welcoming to promote potential and an uplifting spirit.
Wellness Goals
The impact of feng shui can extend far beyond the physical realm. Many practitioners report experiencing greater peace, clarity and contentment after implementing feng shui principles. Properly balanced environments can support our goals and aspirations, fostering personal growth and success. In the same way as an individual might use spa treatments, sport or meditation as a way to recharge and reset, feng shui can do the same for your home, placing it in a constant state of harmony that will lift you up when you are there.
Feng shui offers a holistic approach to creating harmony and balance. Incorporating its principles into our spaces can improve our well-being and cultivate a sense of peace and tranquillity. Given how stressful and over-scheduled our lives can be, implementing even the smallest of changes in this area can provide a comforting level of ‘zen’ that could be beneficial when you need to draw on your home’s energy for rejuvenation and peace. So, if you want to revitalise your luxury home, exploring the art and practice of feng shui can guide you towards a more balanced and fulfilling life.
