Chinese New Year 2021: 5 Tips For Creating Good Fengshui This Year Of The Ox
Thierry Chow knows a thing or two about creating balance and harmony within a space. Last year, she taught Tatler how to create an auspicious environment to set the year off right. This year, the daughter of Chow Hon-ming, one of Hong Kong’s most widely respected feng shui masters, shares five nuggets of wisdom on how to make both living and office spaces work for you.
“Those who are born in the Year of the Ox can expect lots of changes in 2021, but with change comes growth, and that’s always a good thing,” she says.
Read also: How To Create Stylish Spaces With Good Feng Shui In Your Home
1/5 Pay attention to directions
This year, the best directions for your space are the West corners, Northeast corners and East corners.
West corners are especially good for overall health and wellness. Use this area for sleep, rest and work. Place bright and happy colours here to enhance the good energy.
Northeast corners are good for relationships. Place florals in red, pink or purple to stimulate good energy in your personal relationships.
East corners are ideal for career and studies. Place green leafy plants in these areas for enhancements in work and education.
North and Southeast are inauspicious this year. Avoid using this area as there is a star of debility here. Place metalware here to minimise the negative energy. Metals items can include a copper clock or bowls.
2/5 Unblock your Qi
To unblock your Qi, imagine a river going through your home or office. Position your furniture to allow the river to flow smoothly and freely to each area, letting it flow into the right directions of your life. Here are some common examples of blocked Qi in a space:
Clutter in front of the entrance or hallway. A solution to this is to declutter your space every couple months and put things away neatly.
Stuffy rooms. A tip would be to create air flow and circulation in the space. Open a window to allow fresh air and natural sunlight to come through.
Imbalanced space. One way to correct this is to make your furniture easy to navigate around. Try different placements until it feels more comfortable and until you are no longer bumping into things. This will help renew the energy in the room and help unblock your Qi.
3/5 Include the Five Elemental Phases: Wood, Metal, Earth, Fire and Water
Wood: Living plants will keep you company and remove stagnant Qi in your space. Their life-stimulating properties can reduce stress, too. Create a little garden for yourself that includes leafy plants. Plants with no thorns are ideal.
Metal: Copper, bronze, gold and silver are known to have antimicrobial properties. Place more copper decorations around your space, such as copper bowls or clocks.
Earth: Bring in the earth element to your surroundings for grounding. Marbles and crystals are an easy way to do this.
Fire: Light candles or place lamps in your home or office to invoke inspiration and creativity.
Water: Water features, such as fish tanks or fountains, are key to letting abundance flow through your home or work space, creating good energy flow.
4/5 Meditate in your Space
Whether it is deep invigoration, soothing relaxation or a quick reset you seek, your space should allow you to effortlessly connect to your soul. Setting an intention helps shape the use of your space, and being mindful of it creates the right energy to revitalise you immediately. Meditating in your space can help you clear your mind, and allow you to sense negative energies in your space. Doing this will allow you to create a sanctuary that connects to your soul.
Read also: Getting Into Meditation? Here Are Some Tips On How To Build Your Own Meditation Space At Home
5/5 Get Creative
Decorative details can create an auspicious atmosphere, too. Install a picture or piece of art that sparks positive emotions or makes you smile—that could be an inspirational painting or photograph, grandma’s quilt or a cute teddy bear from your childhood. Sun-soaked yellow, optimistic orange and nourishing green are all colourful accents that brighten the mood.