A Feng Shui Approach to Spring Cleaning

Chinese origins, feng shui applies principles deemed characteristic of the laws of the universe; more specifically, laws and principles regarding the "chi" or energy of a home or other personal space. Practitioners of feng shui seek to organize personal spaces to encourage positive energy flow and a balance of forces so inhabitants of the space may enjoy good health and prosperity.

One of the tenets of feng shui is that "Clutter represents stagnant, confused chi," according to feng shui design specialist Ken Lauher in his article, "How Spring Cleaning Can Improve the Feng Shui in Your Home." He goes on to explain that clutter impedes the flow of energy, referring not only to knick knacks and bric-a-brac, but to furniture arrangement as well.

Having a basic understanding of how energy flows through a home may change your approach to spring cleaning. One of the goals of feng shui is to induce positive chi into the home and allow it to flow freely, but not quickly throughout the rooms. Feng shui fixes faulty chi flow, and spring cleaning is a good catalyst to apply those fixes.

Approach your spring cleaning as if you were the force of energy entering the home. Start with the entryway. Do you step over piles of shoes, backpacks and briefcases? Do you push your way through to the main room of the house?

If you do, then so does the energy entering your home. Clean up the entry way by including a small mat on which shoes are placed. Make it a rule that all other items are to be put away, not left by the door, keeping the entryway clear.

Continue walking through your home. Do you have to weave through tables and chairs to reach the other side of a room? Do you consistently bump your thigh on the side table when you leave the space to enter the long, bowling alley of a hallway?

If a simple walk through your home is treacherous for you, then the energy traveling through your home experiences similar obstructions and sudden open spaces.

When spring cleaning, think beyond the removal of clutter to the proper placement of furniture and accessories in your home. The long hallway, for example, causes the heretofore stumbling energy to suddenly race ahead and plow into the room at the end. A feng shui fix may be to add that thigh-bumping end table to the hallway. If the table doesn't fit properly in the hallway, hang a dramatic work of art, full of color and detail on one wall. Use lighting to create interesting patterns. Visually connecting the hallway to the rest of the home, and not merely as place of transition, creates a more positive energy flow.

Each room in your home should be analyzed during your spring cleaning project. Enter the room and discern a clear path to each zone in the room. Arrange the furniture so the room "breathes easily", creating open spaces that allow each room to flow into the next.

Spring cleaning in feng shui isn't just about removing clutter; it's about adjusting the chi, allowing energy to revitalize your home and ultimately, revitalize your life.