Feng shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy that is the practice of harmonising humans with their environment, writes Annastasia Robertson.
Interior designers have taken this phrase, which literally translates into “wind-water” and have applied it to how furniture and other household goods are situated and arranged.
Here’s Bromain’s top 6 tips on how to feng shui your space:
- De-clutter your stuff.
This is step one, and is the most vital step in the feng shui process. It’s time to throw away everything, literally everything. There’s a number of back alleys that have milk crates you can nab, and they’re free! Take this as an opportunity to rid yourself of that materialistic mentality you’ve been holding onto. There’s no room in this process for people who think they “need” toilet paper.
- Cover your space with plants.
Don’t leave any inch bare; more is more in this case. It might seem excessive, and hard work but sometimes you have to give a little to get lot. Make sure you surround your sleeping area with oversized plants, and include some hanging shrubs over your bed. Negative energy strikes when you’re sleeping, but with this trick, no negative energy would dare try to penetrate through your greenhouse. Just think about all the great carbon dioxide you’re creating; fresh air without even having to crack a window.
- Avoid bendy, pointy or curved objects.
This refers specifically and most detrimentally to antennas that might be pointing to your place, or even building corners. The best thing to do here is to get out there and get hands on! Climb up the electrical pole and get those pesky antennas pointing elsewhere. As for those building corners, fear not, it’s nothing a call to council couldn’t fix. They’ll understand your need to move the entire building to face another direction. Alternatively, a good sledge hammer will only cost around $40.
- Mirror mirror on the wall, and the floor and ceiling.
Mirrors are a huge part of the feng shui philosophy. They assist you in showing you your enemies from every angle, so you’ll always see them coming. You can, of course throw a rug down on the mirrored floor to avoid slipping, but they must cover all walls, floors and ceilings. When your enemies come knocking, you want to able to see them from every inch of your space. Smoke and mirrors, baby. Just don’t crack them; feng shui can’t cancel out seven years bad luck.
- Light some fire.
Fire is one of the five elements that make up the art of feng shui because of its cleansing powers. Negative energy doesn’t stand a chance against the power of a naked flame. You should already be in a space with a fire place, but if you weren’t savvy enough to do so when you bought or leased, you should make your own. Alternatively, one of those rusty tin barrels will suffice, throw all that aforementioned materialistic clutter in there, douse in gasoline and throw in a match. This fire should burn all day, everyday, even in the blazingly hot Australian Summer. Add some candles for extra boost, you can buy a pack of 100 for under $4 from IKEA.
- Get romantic and find love.
Yes, feng shui can work to manifest the love of your life. What you need to do is make your bedroom a place that others will want to be. Avoid any ‘single person’ behaviour. Cancel your Netflix account, install Tinder and lower your standards, burn the fluffy toys, and have a minimum 1000 count Egyptian cotton sheet set. Don’t forget that you should also have at least 18 plants in your bedroom, so a natural aroma is already there for you. It goes without saying that candles are a vital part of romance, so find some space between the plants for some scented candles, but keep the windows shut to keep all the sexy vibes in.