Real Life Examples of Feng Shui Problems & Solutions - In MY Own Home!

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Confession: Even as a certified feng shui consultant, my house is far from perfect. It's true!

The Background

We purchased our house 5 years ago as newlyweds. While it was turn-key ready, in our desired location and budget, we knew it wasn't our dream home because it had its fair share of flaws. Nonetheless, young and naive (and pre- feng shui) I assumed it'd be easy to overlook the imperfects. Lesson learned: the ENERGY of your home will always manifest eventually.

Indeed, my training brought to light that there are some things about our homes that we simply can not change. In our case it was the room configuration, property size and orientation - which as I later learned from feng shui are all super important!

Not to mention the battle we all deal with in our lives - our stuff! Clutter and messes are unfortunately very much a problem when you have children, no matter how minimalist we strive to be.

With the exception of a mild kitchen renovation (new appliances, countertops and backsplash)we didn't do many projects for the first couple of those years. In 2019 I discovered feng shui and from there everything changed. I began to see my home in a completely different light. This knowledge shifted my priorities on what areas of the home I really need to focus on or put energy into optimizing.

Below I have outlined some of the key subtractions, modifications and enhancements I used to support my front entry, the master bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom - four key areas that I focused on specifically because they are the universal energy centers of the home.

Front Entrance (Career/Purpose Gua | Mouth of Chi )

The Problems: Chaotic Chi and an excess of Wood element

• Front door opens outward, like a storm door

• Front door has a large glass panel

• Close to road

• Lack of elemental balance

• Clutter on the porch

• Neglected Landscaping

The Solutions: balancing Wood dominance and supporting innate Water.

• Installed vertical porch railings with stainless steel cable wire to replace wood railings (Metal)

• Swapped some old chairs for a single beautiful mid-century modern wood loungers. (Wood)

• Put down an eco-friendly outdoor rug to add warmth and livability (Earth)

• Hung a beautiful copper rain chain (Metal, Water)

• Refreshed/revitalized our old half-round doormat with a fresh coat of paint in gold hues (Earth)

• Placed a lucky red envelope with 8 coins sealed with intention under the doormat

• Stored and organized shoes in wooden crates

• Started a monthly salt-water cleanse for the front door

• Removed unnecessary furniture and other clutter

• Updated landscaping

Master Bedroom (Love/Relationship Gua | Sleep/Health)

The Problems: Weak Chi and an excess of Water element

• Room farthest from Chi access point

• Bed against a street-facing window

• Bed without a headboard

• Street lamp outside window at night

• Tray ceiling with fan above bed

The Solutions: balancing Water dominance and supporting innate Fire.

• Replaced reed blinds with thick linen textured blackout curtains (Wood)

• Hung sentimental art work from a family member, and a set of lucky chimes/ bells (Metal)

• Installed several invisible floating shelves to serve as an altar and meditation space (Metal)

• Replaced old bedding with crisp with new organic cotton sheets and duvet (Wood)

• Placed pairs of rose quartz on our nightstands (Earth)

• Added stained glass window hanging feathers (Fire)

• Added an exquisite pink orchid flower in the window (Wood, Fire)

• Organized and streamlined visual clutter in closet with plastic shoe boxes and thin velvet hangers

• Moved the dog bed into the closet to expand floor space.

Kitchen (Love/Relationship Gua | Diet/Health)

The Problems: an excess of Wood element

• Leaky freezer

• Ant infestation

• Unused clutter

• Cactus plant

• Shed storage

The Solutions: balancing Wood dominance and supporting innate Fire

• Printed favorite couples photos hung on the fridge with flexible magnetic tape (Fire)

• Put a ceramic water dispenser with natural spring water (Earth, Water)

• Decanted dry goods (legumes, grains, etc) in attractive glass airtight containers

• Hung a faceted crystal sphere above the stove to diffuse Chi

• Replaced nearly all plastic with glass storage containers

• Make own natural cleaners and soaps in glass spray bottles and dispensers with decals

• Displayed a grounding crystal orb

• Discarded clutter and any items in disrepair or not used frequently

• Keeping countertops and surfaces clear as much as possible, stowing away small appliances

Bathroom (Wealth & Prosperity Gua | Finances )

The Problems: an excess of Water element

• Drainage and plumbing

• Small restricted space

The Solutions: balancing and supporting Water dominance

• Added a tiered wood shelf to hold bamboo toilet paper, abundance crystals, and marble essential oil holder (Wood, Earth)

• Installed an automatic bowl cleaning device to keep water clean and prevent mildew growth and hard water stains

• Replaced drab hand-towel with a luxurious Turkish linen set (Wood)

• Replaced hallway command center desk with functional mixed use cube storage (Earth, Wood)

• Hung a five tier shelf. to display essential oil collection (Wood)

• Hung a macrame plant hanger with a succulent (Wood)

• Swapped existing artwork for a sentimental painting of sunflowers (Wood)

• Placed 8 lucky river rocks in the sink bowl to create a spa-like feeling (Earth)

• Added a decorative decal to the bottom of the toilet seat to subtly remind self and others to keep toilet seat down

• Removed child safety gate so that energy can flow more easily into the space

• Placed a brick in the toilet tank to save water (Earth)

The energy shift that occurred after I implemented each of these changes was palpable. My only regret is that I had taken more "before" images so you can see the transformation!

You'll have to take my word for the physical and energetic changes, optimizations which resulted in numerous auspicious, serendipitous opportunities and blessings including new cars, new clients, job offers, surprise gifts and other fortunate discoveries... yes, even during a global pandemic.

Being asked to stay at home for an extended period- to basically immerse and study in my own experimental "lab" added an additional layer of perspective to my feng shui practice.

Pre-pandemic I had endless dreams and hopes for my home - project after project and list after list to tackle in the years to come.

We were blessed enough to make many of these happen during the quarantine, and as a result I was able to gain a ton of clarity on my/my home's needs and priorities.

"Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It's your masterpiece after all"

Nathan Morri

Our home definitely has it's fair share of flaws. I probably would have never noticed these quirks prior to becoming a practitioner, and certainly would have overlooked them having not been asked to live, work and play in this space 24/7 for 6 months of the year.

We made the most of our fate. This property was a good investment, we increased its value and of course - created lifelong memories along the way.

The end result, shockingly and ironically, was that I actually am feeling ready to part ways with my home. I presume there are many others out there who are feeling the same restless and wanderlust after this time of intensity.

This was our starter home, and it filled it's purpose perfectly. It allowed me to unveil multiple new layers in myself, one that are ready for new challenges, chapters and walls.

What will the next year bring? I can't wait to find out and continue to see the world through the lens of feng shui.

Love, Light (and LESS)

E.

Read more: Practice Makes Perfect: My First Year as a A Feng Shui Consultant

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Erin Bowers is a certified feng shui consultant, energy healer, wellness coach and holistic growth strategist.

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