Holistic Design, Because Who Doesn’t Want to Feel Better

With wellness growing to a trillion-dollar industry, I’m forecasting that we’ll see Holistic Design go mainstream.  Don’t worry, you don’t have to get rid of all your possessions to discover the benefits that living in a purposeful, organic way can bring. Through the principles of Feng Shui and green design we can move toward a more mindful approach to health, diet, and the way that we choose the objects in our homes.

Here’s five easy holistic design techniques that you can begin using right now.  By applying these easy to use methods, you will not only be creating a beautiful space, but importantly one that is energetically balanced, healthy and life improving.

Clear and Refresh Your Space

Space clearing can be simple and very enjoyable, especially once you get into the habit of it. Ideally, you will have at least one major Feng Shui space clearing session a year, and then simpler versions of it weekly or monthly.  Your home doesn’t have to look like something out of Elle Décor daily, but there is a difference between a space that looks lived in and one that’s messy and chaotic. Like my father says, a place for everything and everything in its place.  Your environment is an indication of your inner self, which makes space clearing routines a fundamental step in keeping things neat and tidy in your home and in your heart.  With this, every action and movement represents the idea of progress and the constant flow of energy in all things, and in this instance, the vibe of your spirit and surroundings.

Here’s how to do a quick Feng Shui Room Refresh in 10 Minutes. 

Gather your candle, incense, essential oils air spray or the sage smudge stick in a suitable space ideally in the center of the house.  First, turn on some music for a nice touch of background sounds to warm up the space and open your mind to the idea of clearing ( I like “Feng Shui (Oriental Music – Cleanse of Negative Energy, Home Meditation, Art of” on Spotify).  Light the candle and the incense.  Weather permitting, open the windows to let fresh air flow through your home. Use the essential oils air spray, or the sage smudge stick to go around the house in a clockwise motion and purify the energy. Pay special attention to the energy in the corners.  When finished, come back to the center and purify your energy a bit by either misting your body with essential oils or letting the sage smoke purify your field. 

Give your space a quick dusting and polish of your countertops and surfaces, including the floor. Dirty surfaces or objects create harmful feng shui but when everything is clean and shiny, it stimulates an increase of the metal element, which boosts motivation and mental clarity.  Turn on an accent lamp to add soft ambiance to the room and fluff the pillows on the couch, a subtle but welcoming touch that gives the space a look of order and serenity.  Take out the trash-remove the garbage from your soul and free yourself from those self-defeating thoughts no longer weighing on you.  Let the candle and the incense go out on their own. Take a moment to relax and connect to your home and feel the difference in its energy.  Done, it is that easy! 

FYI: An easy way to cleanse your space on a deeper level is by spraying the air with a mix of salt water and essential oils in every room. The smell of zesty citrus or sweet lavender helps create a balanced and relaxed atmosphere using the natural essences of nature as an alternative to artificial air fresheners made of harmful petrochemicals.

Use the Feng Shui Bagua Map

The Bagua map divides your living space into nine sections, with eight sections known as “guas” in the eight cardinal directions and a ninth section in the centre. Each of these sections represents one aspect of life and enables you to see the specific relationships between parts of your house (or parts of a room) and the different aspects of your life.

A bagua area is a specific area in your house usually defined by the compass direction of the front door. The map is used by placing it over a floor plan of the home or space being designed.  You can also enter a room, holding the Bagua Map horizontally.  To address a specific problem, first determine which of the nine life guas it fits in. For example, if you are having a fight with your daughter, that would fall into the children gua, whereas dissatisfaction with your salary would relate to the career and wealth guas. After you find the problem area, overlay the Bagua map and see which area of your home requires an intervention in order to correct the imbalanced energies.  Keep it simple, attend to just one or two areas at a time.  This will keep your Intentions clear and give your enhancements the best chance of success.  With understanding of each element and its meaning, you can make healing enhancements to your space through the use of decorative objects and material selection.

Choose Colors for Maximum Impact

Basic Feng Shui guide to colors:

THE FIRE COLORS – Fire colors are reds, purples, burgundy, cranberry, plum, burnt orange, and bright pink.

THE EARTH COLORS – Earth colors include of terra-cotta, yellow, browns, beiges, and soft orange.

THE METAL COLORS – Metal colors are white, gold, silver, copper, pastels, and reflective colors.

THE WATER COLORS – Water colors are simply black, indigo, and dark blue.

THE WOOD COLORS – Wood colors are shades of green.

Below are a few color tips for a Feng Shui home. The bedroom is for rest, rejuvenation and romance.  Use neutral colors, such as the beiges, creams, or whites to balance the Yin and Yang of the Masculine and Feminine.  Keeping the bedroom a neutral zone is important to maintain balanced energy.  Avoid overusing metal and fire colors.

The bathroom is already a place with an abundance of water, so avoid the use of water colors or keep them to a minimum. Bathrooms represent a letting go of energy. Everything in the bathroom goes out of the house, so to slow the energy down from leaving the bathroom introduce earth tones such as browns into this room.

Since your kitchen is a place where there is frequent use of heat and fire, it makes sense to avoid fire colors here, though minor accents are fine. 

Whites, creamy neutral shades such as beige, oatmeal, khaki and other earth colors work well in the kitchen. These can bring stability to a household and will help you have a harmonious cooking space. Warm and comforting, they pair well with many other colors and will make your kitchen feel cozy. 

Other paint options are a light or golden yellow that’s soothing but stay away from shocking shades that might agitate people. Soft and earthy greens will help create a relaxing kitchen space. To enhance these earthy tones, put a living plant or two in your kitchen as well.

Incorporate the Five Elements

Knowing the five elements of feng shui, and how they can enhance or weaken each other, is key to being able to incorporate holistic decorating techniques into any space.  Each element brings essential benefits into your life. You need all five of them in your space to feel truly balanced and whole

Bring the energy of Wood into your space with plants, botanical prints, green, and tall vertical shapes.

Bring the warmth of Fire to life in your space with good lighting, pointy shapes (like pointed stars), animal prints, leather and fur, or the color red. Real animals, like your dog or cat represent Fire too.

Earth creates stability and you can incorporate it with square objects, horizontal surfaces, earthy colors like yellow or tan, and with things made of earth such as bricks or ceramics.

Metal is strength and represented by purely round or oval shapes, metal objects, stone and gemstones, and colors in the pale-to-white range.

Create Water energy with a water feature (a fountain), art that represents water, black objects, and irregular flowing shapes and patterns. Water also symbolizes money flow in Feng Shui.

Make Every Room in Your Home Serve Its Highest Purpose

Clear out cluttered areas.  A messy bookcase for example, can make the whole room feel disorganized.  Get rid of objects that you dislike or that make you feel bad, live with what has meaning to you and you love!

Think about ways to make your room brighter or more engaging.  Repair anything that’s broken, add some “fire colors”—red, orange or pink, or add more light by opening curtains or a fun lamp.

Incorporate pants to bring in live, vibrant energy. Popular plants include peace lilies, pothos, snake plants, Boston ferns and spider plants because they’re readily available, easy to care for and are good air cleaners.  Faux plants are an alternative if you don’t have a green thumb, just look for good quality. 

Don’t organize just to organize, organize by how you live.  Most believe organizing means putting things in away with labels and adding more drawers and cabinets so you can file every little thing you own. Reflect on how you live and sort your items how they suite your actual life daily.  If you’re passionate about cooking, organizing might be having your knives and spices out so you can reach them quickly, or a beautiful pot rack that can serve as a conversation piece.  Create good workflow through mindful organization.

Let us recall the wise words of Ghandi, “Live your life the way you want the world to be,” and create a sacred refuge that reflects the purity and wisdom of nature and its healing vibrations.

Happy holistic living!