Personally, I am a big believer in the flow of energy. It doesn’t matter what you label it. It’s there regardless. Energy is subject to certain immutable natural laws. The more we understand it and how to manipulate or harness it, the more we can use various aspects and manifestations of it in our daily lives.
I’m also a student and proponent of the eastern traditions dealing with energy, its flows (and lack thereof, i.e. blockages), and how our lives are impacted by the flow and abundance of energy.
Feng Shui, in particular seeks to maximize the overall quality and enjoyment of life, by optimizing the flow of GOOD, positive energy around us, and throughout the spaces we occupy.
There are many things we can do, as individuals, to optimize the flow of “chi” or “qi“, the ever-present life-force energy. First and foremost, we need to reduce or eliminate areas of blockage or stagnation, places where old, negative energies can be trapped.
Think of a container in your yard where old, foul-smelling water accumulated, is now stagnant and dirty. We would be best to dump it out and prevent it from reoccurring. Energy can be the same way. Areas or items that are old, dirty, decrepit, broken, rotten, deteriorated, etc. need to be either cleansed and revived or thrown away. By comparison, things that are vibrant, beautiful, clean and functional exude positive energy.
One would be well-advised to periodically CLEAN, DE-CLUTTER and RID. Once you do this, you can literally FEEL the area affected breathe a sigh of relief, as though a breath of fresh air suddenly rushed in and took over. The immediate mood in a room or area will shift.
Clean whatever is dirty and needs cleaning. Throw out things no longer working or needed. Donate or Sell items which are unnecessary, unused, or no longer required (but still of use to others), and de-clutter where possible.
Personally, I like the Japanese principle, where you hold an item in your hands and if it brings you pride or joy, you keep it. If it does NOT, then get rid of it, as it no longer holds any real benefit to you. This, while it takes some practice, is a very liberating (and telling!) method.
Over time, oftentimes immediately, you will see tremendous benefits of the “Clean-declutter-Organize”-routine. You will come to feel better about your “stuff”, particularly the stuff you STILL HAVE, after this routine. You will see and feel that indeed “less IS more“.
Once you have less stuff, and everything you have is (1) clean, (2) functional, (3) and valuable to you (it brings you joy or pride), then it is much easier to also optimize and organize your living and working spaces where you spend your time. You do not have to be a Certified Master of Feng Shui to really effect positive changes. Whether you search online or buy some books on the subject, you can quickly find out valuable tips for optimizing your spaces.
Don’t be overwhelmed. Pick one area, start there. Do the “clean-declutter-organize” routine there, until reasonably “finished”, then move on to the next area. Sooner or later, you’ll have gone through your entire living spaces (and perhaps even work space?). Depending on your lifestyle, you might want to do this once or twice a year, or even quarterly.
For even more powerful energy-cleansing techniques, explore things like salt lamps, Orgonite, smudging, sage-burning, incense, etc.
You can do it! I know you can, because I did it, too!
