From your home to your workspace these personal spaces in our lives are very important in many ways, and various studies in Environmental Psychology show us that our personified environment is pivotal to our wellbeing. The colours that we use and even the plants in our space are important to our wellbeing.
Historically, directions and their meaning have been in use across the world since the dawn of time from the East practicing the use on the Viking and Scandinavian belief that the housed world is part of a serpent. Here in the west, we are more familiar with the concept of Ley lines (developed by Alfred Watkins 1920’s) as a directional tool more than anything else.
For thousands of years, Feng Shui has been used as a philosophical tool in attuning and harmonizing our personal environment from the sanctuary of our home to the productive work place. In the ancient east, it is believed that our environment and the physical structure of
buildings that we erect have a mystical energy known as Qi.
Directions are just one principle that is governed by Feng Shui as it takes into consideration the concept of time and space to where we have arrived at now to live and work in harmony. Just as the elements are considered also in eastern practices alongside astrology, they can be incorporated into a sense of harmony within your home and workplace.
With an array of methods that can be confusing when in application to the space you want to harmonize, the simplest methods are the best. Forget for now making accurate representations of north, south, east and west within your space and then aligning them with the elements Fire, Earth, Air and Water.
The best way to start is at the beginning. The most universal method of using nature’s attributes to attain a harmonic space is to clear the space to begin with.
You can start from any environment that suits you, for example your workspace (especially if you work from home), bedroom, living room and even your kitchen. In this method, all you need to know is where East is in your environment; once you have found where it is situated, then you can start to understand.
Clearing your space…
To start with, you will need to know what area you are working on. For example, you may want to clear one room or you may want to clear each room in your home. If you want to clear your home, then proceed to follow the same instructions in each room.
Secondly, roughly work out where East is within your space (i.e. home or work), which can be done by observing where the sun rises and sets in the space. Once you have an idea where this is, then start in that room/direction.
You will need…
White candle and holder (tea candle will suffice)
Bowl of water (use the best water source you have)
Bowl of freshly picked flowers from your garden
(any flowers that are in season)
Small bell (Ideally a simple brass one that you wrap in a cloth and only use for this purpose)
A blessing or prayer (something that is personal to you, it can be as little or as much as you want)
First, face East then light your candle and place by a window, then place your bowl of water and bowl of flowers beside the water and candle. Then simply say your blessing out loud and imagine (like a meditative state) the light into the room or area, and hold the thought.
Then proceed to do this in each room you want to clear, which if you do, then you will need a separate bowl of water, candle and flowers for each room.
Finally, leave the candle in the room by the water and flowers and let it be aflame for as long as you can (don’t leave it unattended though. When you are not in the room, you can put it out and then come back to it).
It may sound a lot but it will work and place a harmonic within your personal space. Do this on average about once a month. Some people find especially in where they sleep that they can sleep better facing one direction rather than another. Try this yourself and experiment on how you feel.
Your space is now blessed!
