Despite common connotations, feng shui is not a trendy way to decorate your home or office. At over 3000 years old this ancient art is more complex than most people will ever understand. Over the years a lot of the culture behind feng shui has been lost or bended slightly as it’s passed into a western culture. ‘Wind water’ is the literal translation of feng shui into English. The basic principle is to order your life, both spiritually and physically, to create a feeling of well being and inner calm. To get this balance you need to harmonise your inner qi (also known as chi), qi is the life force and energy that surrounds you. Feng shui is about so much more than where you place your white furniture and what colour your paint the walls.

Qi is not good or evil, but it can be unbalanced. Qi is made up of yin and yang which is the natural balance of the universe. Femininity is Yin whereas the male is Yang, yin is also things like night, dark and water and yang is day, light and fire. Neither is good or bad, they just are and they need to be linked in balance to achieve harmony. French Anthropologist Levi-stauss also noted the balance of life in a theory called binary oppositions whereby everything needs an opposite to balance. These opposite have to balance both in and around your life to help you achieve harmony and this is the riding principle behind feng shui. A white wardrobe for example will help focus your qi by reflecting lots of light, but at the same time wardrobe doors must always be kept closed as this is a ‘dark space.

Your need to remove any clutter before you embark on a feng shui project for your home. Like feng shui itself this is about more than just the physical, you must remove the clutter in your mind too. By having a good clear out you’ll not only be clearing your physical space but you’ll be clearing out your mind. It’s not just physical objects that can affect feng shui, colours can also help balance qi. White bedroom furniture can create energy of purity, tranquillity and confidence whereas colours like red and yellow are seen as very auspicious and when used sparingly can create positive qi.