KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON
Feng shui specialist Ashley Cantley discusses how to bring good energy to your spaces
Creating good energy in your home is the goal of the ancient practice of feng shui. Atlanta author Ashley Cantley has created a modern practice of feng shui that pulls from traditional Chinese medicine, shamanism, Ayurveda and current studies of energetics.
Cantley teaches a customizable approach to help people bring balance to major life areas, including wealth and wellness. In High-vibe Feng Shui: 11 Steps to Achieving Your Best Life, she discusses cleaning and decluttering and fixing energy blocks.
Here she answers reader questions.
Q What are a few easy ways to bring positive energy and motivation to a home office space?
A Add bright colours in the red family, move your pet into the office if possible, open the windows, position yourself so you're looking out the window, diffuse an uplifting scent like peppermint, add a plant, and put inspiring words or images on the walls.
Q What's the best way to decide where to start and what to adjust first in that space?
A Focus on the areas of your space you spend the most time in. Your bedroom would be a great place to begin because your bedroom affects your well-being, your romantic life and how you see yourself; it's the place you recharge. Break it up by rooms. The rooms you don't spend a lot of time in are the last ones to focus on. You don't need to redesign your entire home to change its energy. It can be as simple as bringing in fresh flowers.
Q What are energy blocks and how do you fix them?
A Energy blocks are things in the home that stop energy from flowing or that create low energy. You always want energy to flow smoothly through your home, so opportunities flow into your life. Use things like plants, colours and crystals to fix energy blocks.
Q What does feng shui say about my many indoor plants? A In my practice, I talk about building your feng shui tool box and plants are one of my favourite tools to change the energy of a space. Plants hold a lot of energy, and they're a quick and inexpensive way to enhance energy in your home and to fix energy blocks. Think about what area of your life you want to change or enhance, then align the energy map with your floor plan to see where that area of your life is located in your home. For example, the wealth corner is in the back-left corner of the home, and if you want to draw in more energy to that area of your life, add a few plants. Never use fake plants because they are low energy. Plants with thorns or spikes create harsh energy
Q I've heard that lots of interior doors can cause a negative energy flow. Are there simple ways to deflect that?
A Artwork along walls, mirrors and Swarovski crystals are great ways to create a positive energy flow.
Q What are some quick tips for increasing the financial health of our family via feng shui?
A There's so much you can do, but here are the areas I'd start with to manifest abundance.
Take a look at your front door or entryway, and make sure it's clean, inviting and well lit. Simple changes, such as a new doormat, potted flowers or a fresh coat of paint, will do the trick.
Anything that draws activity to your door will invite in new opportunities. Think about adding a flag, pinwheels, bird feeders, bird baths or a little water fountain.
Line up the energy map to your floor plan, and look at the front-middle part of your home, which is the career area. Ensure that area is clean and clear of clutter. Look at the images on the walls. You want everything in your home to reflect what you're calling in. Hang images that inspire you, and add fresh flowers and crystals. Add colour to correspond with the element that goes with that area.
Lastly, look at the back-left side of your space, which is the wealth corner. Ensure that it's in order and that there are no energy blocks.
Q How do you change things up for different seasons while still maintaining a good energy flow? A It's great to sync up with the seasons. You can make simple seasonal swaps with blankets, pillow covers, candles and diffusing scents.
Q How do you maintain feng shui/the flow of positive energy in a child's room?
A I love using baskets as a quick way to put all the toys away. You can group the baskets by theme. To create peace and balance, consider adding calming elements to the room, such as lavender diffusing oil, plants and earth elements.
Q Do you have suggestions for changing the energy in our home from negative to positive after a challenging start with lots of arguing?
A It's essential to clear the energy in your home every now and then, especially after arguments, when moving into a new home, after unwanted visitors come and when you feel a low vibe.
My favourite way to clear energy is with sage. Light the sage and work around your space in a clockwise direction, and allow the smoke to cleanse the air in your home.
If you don't like the smell of sage, you could use palo santo, and if you hate the idea of smoke in your home, you could use sound.
The vibration of certain sounds clears the energy of the home. Try symphonies by Mozart, binaural beats, which you can find on Youtube, or rings from a bell.
Another way to circulate energy is to open the blinds, lift the windows and let fresh air circulate through your home.