Author: Puja Shah

Ancient Chinese feng shui has taken over the interior design industry these past few years and has become a trend for new homeowners when clearing their space of negative energy.

Feng shui, however, is no new trend. It was developed over 3,000 years ago in China. Feng refers to “wind” and shui refers to “water”’. These two elements are associated with good health, which in turn, means good fortune in Chinese culture. The understanding lies in nature and particularly that the land itself is alive with what the they call chi, or energy. It is believed that the land’s energy could either be good or bad in the Taoist thought; therefore, ways were developed within feng shui to clear the bad and connect with the good energy.

But it wasn’t only in China that chi was being cleared.

The Native Americans also healed their land from negative energy. They would give gifts of tobacco and corn back to Mother Earth and perform a ceremonial dance to free the land of any stigmas.

In India, the Vedic tradition of Griha Pravesh for Hindus is performed. It is a prayer ceremony of mantra and rituals which protect against the evil eye and bring happiness and prosperity to the home or new space.

And while these global ancient rituals and ideas of negative clearing are making a comeback, how important are in the modern day world?

Neuroscientist and author of Inquiry by Design: Environment/Behavior/Neuroscience in Architecture, Interiors, Landscape, and Planning John Zeisel says, “Our genetically developed instincts make us feel relaxed around flowers, hearth and water.”

He describes how our cellular relation to the environment, and essentially the energy around us, affects our homes, living spaces and even the very architecture of these structures.

Architect V. Ganapati Sthapati of India had been campaigning for restoration of traditional Vastu architecture since the 1960’s until he passed away a few years ago. Vastu is an ancient doctrine described as “the science of construction and alignment”. In modern day, it’s made it’s way to the west, including a whole city based on Vastu architecture by law in Fairfield, Iowa where Maharishi’s teachings reside in a place known as Vedic City. These elements include having homes and buildings face east, the direction in which the sun rises.
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One can describe the energy of the city as calming, peaceful and serene. Upon Oprah’s visit to Vedic City, she said, “I walked away feeling fuller than when I came in, full of hope and a sense of contentment and deep joy, knowing for sure that in the craziness of the world that seems to bombard us at every angle, there is always the consistency of stillness.”

So, how can you bring positive energy into your home?

You don’t have to be a feng shui specialist or Vedic pundit to perform these 3 simple rituals on clearing out stagnant chi:

1. Be sure your home is clean. For a new home, be sure to clean the rugs, curtains, walls and windows. For a current home, remove the clutter and organize your space. It results in inviting an open and and positive energetic field since negative energy can hang onto old objects.

2. Bring in life. Add plants to your new home to bring in fresh life. Open the windows and let in the fresh air to allow color and prana to flow into your home.

3. Meditate. Meditating in your space sends out uplifting and positive vibrations to give power to the energy of your home.

How do you energize your space?