According to the Traditional Chinese Calendar, the Year of the Water Tiger brings luck and prosperity for those born under the year of the Ox and the goat. It’s going to bring opportunities of courage and hard work for those born in the year of the Dog, Pig, Monkey, Snake and Rat. As for those born in the year of the Dragon, Rooster, Horse and Rabbit, the year will be smooth sailing. While these fortunes are fun and hopeful to hear, it still makes sense to remember that you make your own luck.
When it comes to Feng Shui however, there’s always a pragmatic reason behind its interior home design approach and doesn’t just base its existence solely on pseudoscience. Essentially, Feng Shui is supposed to preserve balance and harmony when it comes to the moving energies (the qi or ki) that abound in your home. For practical purposes, having your interior arranged based on the principles of Feng Shui gives you more space and allows you to invite positive vibes into your life. Here are a few basic Feng Shui applications to your condo in Mandaluyong.
Clean Up Your Home
First and foremost, if you want to attract and circulate positive energy into your home, you have to clean up. Dirt, dust and any other object that’s unwanted serve as barriers that prevent this positive energy from flowing efficiently in your home. From a practical point of view however, it makes sense to declutter and rid your home of items that you either don’t need anymore or need replacing. Not only does it give you more space, it also brings less figurative strain to your eyes, thus helping your mental health.
In this regard, consider this question from Marie Kondo: “Does it spark joy?” Whenever you look at a specific piece of furniture or at a certain area in your home, does it bring you joy and happiness whenever you look at it? If so, keep and maintain it on a regular basis. If not, it’s probably time to let go or start cleaning it.
Focus On Your Entryways
Feng Shui pays special attention to your home’s entry ways. It’s where positive energy and prosperity enters your home and it’s where bad vibes generally leave.Practically speaking, it’s what people encounter when they first visit your home, so it makes sense that this part of your house is cleaned up and optimized.
Apart from decluttering and cleaning the area where the front door is located, it’s also important to have sanitizers and bacteria-killing substances readily available. At a time of COVID-19, you need to make sure that only positive energy gets inside of your home and nothing else. So set up alcohol sprays and sanitizer floor mats near your home’s entrance.
It’s also important to keep the entrance bright and warm.You can either set your entrance up so natural light is able to come in, or just put in an extra lamp in order to shed light in the area.
Keep Paths Clear and Wide Open
Keeping in theme with how Feng Shui is all about allowing positive energy and harmony to circulate around your home, you need to make sure that your paths are clear of obstructions and are wide open. In this regard, you need to take note of your Mandaluyong condominium’s different pathways.
Take note of the paths that are most often used by you and your family and keep these clean and clear on a regular basis. Make sure that these paths are free of tripping hazards and allow you to move freely in your home like water. From a practical perspective, this makes it easier for you to move from one place to another without having the anxiety associated with stubbing your toe on a desk corner and the like.
Consider Commanding Positions
In Feng Shui, Commanding Positions are aspects of your home that are symbolic of several aspects of everyday life. The bed, for instance, represents yourself as a whole, your desk represents your career and your stove represents your health. It goes without saying that the placement of these elements need to be in close proximity to positive energy so the aspects they represent are blessed with prosperity and harmony.
From a practical point of view, your bed should have a view of your door so it’s easy to get in and out of bed when you need to. It’s also important to have your desk close to a window so, apart from having natural light, it also provides a sight for sore eyes away from your computer monitor. Stoves are a bit tricky but so long as you keep this area clean and well-maintained, you don’t have to worry about unsanitary elements affecting what you eat.
Whether because it’s an interior design concept or genuine belief, the application of Feng Shui has been a long standing tradition for both Filipino and Chinese families in the Philippines. At the end of the day, Feng Shui is more practical than it is mystical in the same way you make your own luck when it comes to a New Year.