Feng Shui for Stress Management

Stress management is important to good health. The art of stress management is to stay at a level of stimulation that is healthy and enjoyable. It is all about balance. This is why taking a holistic approach to stress management is most beneficial. Health design is not really a new concept but is gaining in popularity. There is ever-increasing research that shows that environment can have a profound effect on physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Feng Shui is actually the Chinese art of placement and space arrangement that is over 4000 years old. It is a system of interior and exterior design based on the idea that placement of and items in and around the home and how they are arranged can have a serious impact on life. The goal is to achieve harmony and balance with our surroundings. The three basic principles of feng shui are to improve ones life by encouraging the flow of chi (vital energy) eliminating negative energy, or sha and creating balance by using the elements of water, earth, fire, wood, and metal. The general rule, or basics of these objectives are to get rid of clutter, rid yourself of things that you don’t love, and have nothing broken in your home.

Feng Shui illustrates that ones spaces both reflect and affect physical, mental and emotional well -being. In Feng Shui terms, clutter is both a symptom and a cause of trapped energy. If your home or workplace are cluttered or in disarray other aspects of your life will tend to feel uncomfortable in this way as well. A cluttered space reflects a cluttered mind and makes it hard to focus and think clearly. This mental clutter or distraction drains your energy and taxes physical, emotional and spiritual strength. The things that surround you should work for you in one-way or another. If you feel comfortable in your surroundings than you tend to feel better and work better.

There are many aspects to and several schools and variations of feng shui. You can find a consultant or practitioner to help achieve the best results but there are a few practices that you can do and some basic principles that you can apply for yourself and your own personal space. The first step is to tune into your senses. Note your surroundings and how they affect the way you feel. If something is annoying you or making you feel bad in some way that is where you should start. A few tips you can use to achieve the most beneficial environment are that spaces should be brightly lit. Unless you are trying to create ambience or a romantic mood, brightness encourages physical activity and physical activity helps to uplift, another mood lifter is actually to place objects up to higher levels. Plants and other decorative items that are up high encourage one to lift their head. Lifting of the head also promotes lifting of energy. Probably the most effective tool you yourself can do to improve your space, and in turn well -being and life is to remove the clutter and make your space your own!