6 Feng Shui Guidelines for Settling Into Your New Apartment
Every one of us has probably, at least at some point heard about Feng Shui – an ancient Chinese art of arranging pieces and furniture in your home in order to create a more balanced environment and create a closer connection with nature.
This philosophy relates to the more encompassing idea of Tao or “The Way” or, in other words, the natural order of things both humans and their living environment need to be connected with to be more prosperous.
This idea has taken very strong roots in the West and even the people who are not tied to the Chinese spiritual tradition are trying to make their homes more comfortable, functional, and happier places to spend their time in. Well, let us take a look then at a couple of Feng Shui tenets you can use in your new apartment to make it more homely.
Start with the good old decluttering
Feng Shui, and Taoist philosophy in general, put a very heavy emphasis on the absence of any kind of baggage, be it emotional, societal, or real-life everyday clutter. You should be in tune with the nature and world around you with no things holding you back. So, look at moving into a new house as an opportunity to get rid of the clutter, accept new gifts life throws in your way, and start fresh. Here you can use the strategies you would otherwise use when moving from a house to a smaller apartment. According to old customs, burning plant materials will clear your home of blocked energies as well.
Open up doors and windows
In Feng Shui tradition, windows, and doors are seen as your apartment’s eyes to the outer world. If you want to see the world as it is and allow its flow to interact with the interior flow of your home, you need to keep the doors and windows open. This is a very novel and timeless idea since exposure to natural sunlight is scientifically proven to produce excellent benefits for your health and mood. But, in order to do that, you will need to pick an apartment with access to natural sunlight. So, look for properties that feature a lot of window space and access to fresh breathable air.
Leverage natural resources
The vicinity of flowing water is believed to bring a lot of prosperity to your home. So, see that your apartment is situated near some river. If you are, for instance, moving to Atlanta, you should look for apartments for rent in the northwestern corner of the city near the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Having a mountain behind your new apartment will bring in a lot of good fortune as well. But, these things are not important only for supplying your home with beneficial qi. You will also get very good recreation opportunities which can do nothing but benefit your private life in the new area.
Pay attention to the kitchen and bedroom
Both of them are incredibly important for the seamless Feng Shui flow. Well, for a start make sure that you have unused space above the cupboards since they pick up piles of dirt which, in turn, disperse bad energy around your house. When it comes to bedrooms, the rules dictate that the layout should feature sufficient symmetry, and position the bed so you see the entrance doors when you are lying but don’t be in front of it. You should also do your best to incorporate naturalistic elements, avoid mirrors, limit tech as much as possible, and use tranquil colors like blue and green.
Double down on indoor plants
As you have seen by now Feng Shui philosophy is quite heavy on the idea of connection with nature. So, you can probably guess that if you want to follow its tenets, indoor plants are very welcome in your new apartment. Some of the picks that are recommended by Feng Shui guidelines come in the form of snake plants, hedgehog aloe, philodendron, rubber plants, and, of course, the Money Tree which, according to belief, attracts wealth and prosperity. This specific plant should be situated in the southwestern part of your new apartment which is, according to tradition, connected to wealth.
Things you should absolutely not do
Last but not least, aside from good practices, Feng Shui also outlines some very important taboos you should strongly avoid. With that in mind, your new apartment should not be situated at the end of the street, dead-end road, or T-intersections that are all considered unlucky. Stay away from hospitals and cemeteries as well. And you should not have a straight road leading from the front door. Opt for a curvy driveway instead. Finally, be sure to bring all the household items yourself. Hired workers will bring in their own personal energies which is something you should keep for yourself.
Wrapping-up
We hope these couple of tips will give you a general idea about some of the most important Feng Shui practices you can implement when moving into a new apartment. Of course, these are only the basic outlines. Both Feng Shui and Taoism are very rich traditions stacked with different rituals and belief systems. If you want to explore them in greater depth feel free to do so. But, even these few mentions will help you start the next chapter of your life on the right foot.