Upstate House

Small changes in your home can lead to dynamic results. Envision yourself sitting in a deeply comfortable chair in a room decorated with a few simple objects. The stone floor warms your feet and blue walls soothe you. A fountain splashes in the distance and your nose is tickled by the relaxing smells of lavender and ylang-ylang oil. As you take a deep breath, you feel your muscles melting, and tension dissolves.

How do you feel? I bet you are a little more relaxed. Maybe even more balanced. A little happier, perhaps. You just took yourself into a state of positive chi, the life energy at the heart of feng shui. You can use the principles of feng shui in your home to dissolve stress. Chronic stress can lead to serious health problems, because it shuts down nearly every system in your body. Stress can raise blood pressure, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to the accumulation of belly fat, and speed up the aging process. It can even rewire your brain, leaving you more prone to anxiety and depression.

Using feng shui for stress alleviation works on two levels. First, the feng shui home will help you relax, the main antidote to stress. Second, and not as well known, is that when you incorporate feng shui principles into to your home it helps you feel in control of your environment, another powerful antidote to stress.

I have selected what I consider the five easiest and most important feng shui changes you can incorporate into your home to help you release the stress you accumulate during your day.

CLEAR YOUR SPACE

The system of feng shui is based on balancing and maximizing the flow of chi. When chi stagnates in clutter around your home, energy builds up. It doesn’t just sit there; it enforces itself, vibrating negative energy in all directions. Take control; ask yourself two questions about each object in your home: “Do I love it?” and “Have I used it in the last two years?” If you can’t answer a definite yes to both, pass it on to someone who can use it. If the idea of clearing your whole house is overwhelming, start where you spend most of your waking hours.

REARRANGE YOUR BEDROOM

You probably spend more time in your bedroom than in any other room. When you apply feng shui principles to this room, you get results. As hard as it may be, remove your TV, phone, and radio from the bedroom. These devices emit electromagnetic waves, which have been proven to stress the physical body. Position your bed against a solid wall with your head to the north and not in direct line with the main door. Clear out everything under your bed, as the objects’ chi will block energy and affect you all night. Also, open a window and close all the bedroom doors when you sleep, including the closet doors.

STIMULATE YOUR SENSES

Use your senses to establish a feeling of balance and harmony. Spritz the air with essential oils mixed with water in a spray bottle. Use lavender, peppermint, and ylang-ylang oils for a calming, relaxing energy. Then, place fresh flowers where they will stop your eye (and your thoughts) with their beauty as you move around your home.

BLAST THE FRESH AIR

There is nothing that works better to clear stagnant chi out of your home than a blast of fresh air. Open the windows often, letting the air sweep through your entire home, even in the winter.

COLOR YOUR HOME PEACEFUL

Use color in your home to promote relaxation. Paint your walls, or if that’s daunting, place objects that reflect colors back to you. Green heals and calms, and is ideal for your living room, as it renews and balances. Blue is mentally relaxing and will keep you and your family calm. The best colors for the bedroom are similar to the colors of human skin, which vary from off-white to chocolate brown.