It’s time for spring-cleaning—get excited, everyone! While you’re planning your ambitious new organization project via multiple trips to Crate & Barrel (nerd alert!), we thought we’d advise you on the best practices for another (less literal) type of home cleansing. Before hygge became the Zen decor trend du jour, there was Feng Shui: the ancient art form of creating a home space conducive to living your best life. Since the former feels a bit more appropriate for winter, we thought we’d tap into the latter to help optimize the vibes in our homes this spring. To help us in this endeavor, we asked Feng Shui expert Dana Claudat of The Tao of Dana to give us the skinny on what it actually is and how to get started if you’ve never practiced it before. Here, her top five tips.
Feng Shui 101
"Feng shui is, essentially, the art and science of creating the greatest environment for you—and your dreams—to flourish," Dana tells us. "The study itself is vast, there are many schools (and many superstitions!), and lots of rules I've learned over the past decade are more flexible and breakable than they seem. While the core principles of feng shui are always amazing, I have found that when you create a uniquely designed space for your wishes and needs, that's when the magic happens.
"While I'm sure for many people the concept of your home affecting (and reflecting) your life is a new one, I have seen so many amazing things happen when people dive in and start adding intention and love to their spaces. New opportunities, more peace, better sleep, breaking habits, more energy, new (or better!) love, help in healing, more focus: These are just a few of the things that can happen when you decide to design your dreams in your home."
"Cleanse your house in a deep spring-cleaning, but before you start, set the intention that as you clean you are sweeping, vacuuming, polishing and washing away all the energy blocks in your home and your mind," Dana says. "Clean windows especially lend themselves to a clear mind."
"By now, you've probably seen or burned a sage wand. Take it to the next level and start a regular routine of smudging sage (to add positive energy), cedar (to remove other people's unwanted energies) or even some palo santo wood (for calm, focused bliss feelings). I do some form of space-clearing daily, but even weekly will bring you great results," Dana explains. "Crack open a few windows before you begin and safely walk around with your smudge wand (I use a pot beneath it), making sure lots of smoke gets in the corners where energy gets stuck."
"Clear, clear, clear what you don't use, don't need or don't want," Dana recommends. "Also delete the tons of extra emails, apps and other stuff on your phone and computer that are unnecessary."
"Make sure your home is a reflection of you," she says. "If you love cooking, does your kitchen reflect this? If you love books, do you have an amazing bookshelf? I know this sounds simple, but it's amazing how many people love things dearly that they don't have (or don't highlight) in their homes. Connecting to your space in this way creates more grounded empowerment."
"Every home needs a little sanctuary. Some easy ideas: Create an altar with your favorite crystals, make room to roll out a yoga mat, bring beautiful bath salts and candles to your tub, switch out super-energized art for a calm landscape and take the TV out of your bedroom," Dana suggests. "Find what works for you and indulge in real rest and self-love in action. These are the kids of habits that make you so much more glowing and magnetic."
