It wasn’t until about a five years ago that I really started getting into home decor and decorating, rearranging, etc. And when I started my business over a year ago now, I started thinking more about making sure the space that I was using to work out of was the most productive and positive.

Because I work from home (btw, if you haven’t read my post on ways to stay productive while working from home, highly suggest!), I needed to have a few different work spaces. This is definitely a personal preference. I know some people that work from home and they work from the same spot every day, and while I primarily work from my home office, there are times where I want to switch it up to get a new vibe, in a new environment – without having to leave my house. Therefore, I’ve created a few different spaces throughout my house where I can set up shop and be productive with little to no distractions.

So, here I was about a year in – thinking I had the perfect set up. Things looked great. Business was great. All was well in the world! Then, my Aunt – a Feng Shui master (more to come on that!) came to visit. She commented on how beautiful my house was – including my work stations, but very tactfully,  she made a couple suggestions on how to improve my space based on the basic principles of Feng Shui.  She mentioned on the spot that if I chose not to make the changes, it was totally fine! But as she started pointing out a couple things, I was intrigued. So wait, I need to change the position of my desk so that I’m facing the door? Interesting…I always felt a bit more comfortable putting my desk in the corner of the room so it wasn’t the first thing that people saw when they walked in and while they may be aesthetically pleasing, there’s a reason that facing the door is actually very beneficial from the Feng Shui standpoint.

My Aunt went on to explain that energy is free flowing all around us and doors (and windows, too!) are major gateways for the energy, and if your back is facing the door, then you’re allowing energy to come at you from the back – where you can’t manage and/or control it. So, in business, this may mean that things are happening that are out your control that can lead to a bit of chaos. Makes so much sense!

After she left that day, everything she said really stuck with me. I immediately started making some changes. I switched around the positioning of my desk (both of them!) and my chairs so that I was now facing the door(s) so that I could ensure that I’d be prepared to face whatever came – head on. I added a few hanging crystals to my space to break up some of the energy where it flowed a bit more strongly in places where it didn’t necessarily need to, and repositioned a few other things to create a more balanced environment.

Additionally, I installed a Door Protector above my front door. This was actually a piece that I had commissioned by Lidia Kenig Scher (my Aunt!). She had been wanting to create one for me for a while, and the time was right a few months ago. The day she came over, she also brought with her the door protector and we installed it that day. So not only was I intrigued at my new-found understanding of Feng Shui, but I also had a beautiful new piece of art that was created out of my personal desires and was blessed to protect me, to ward off anything negative that may try to come into my space. I was feeling pretty optimistic, I must say. And let me tell you…it didn’t take long for me to start seeing the changes – not just in my work and my business, but my life! I became a believer.

My business nearly doubled in just a few months, my attitude and energy levels in my body started shifting, and new person appeared in my life that really opened my eyes to a possibility that I wasn’t sure existed before. By the way, this all went down around the same time – within the same few months that I wrote about recently. Coincidence? I think not!

So, is it all thanks to the door protector? To Feng Shui? I’m not sure. But what I do know is that I believe in a higher power and I believe that if you work hard, you’re kind and you aspire to have great things in your life –  they will come. That said, knowing what some simple changes did for me – I thought it would be cool to tap my Aunt to share a few easy things that anyone can do that to create a more balanced space in their home or office.

Background for those unfamiliar – Feng Shui is the ancient art of arranging buildings, objects, space and life to achieve harmony and balance. Formalized over 3,000 years ago in China, the practice is built on the assumption that the world is driven by unseen forces. So, in order to create free-flowing, positive energy, one must “unblock” certain forces to create balance in your space (or life).

Now, for some tips of how to transform your space –  and your life! As I mentioned earlier, Lidia Kenig-Scher is a Boston-based visual artist and Feng Shui Master at Lidia Scher Art. She’s been designing (and re-designing) homes, offices and corporate spaces for over 30 years.

Ok, so give us some tips! What are some easy ways that people can adopt Feng Shui into their life? 

LKS: Cut the Clutter. This may sound simple but cleaning up and committing to getting organized will make a world of difference. This is especially true for the space you see immediately after opening your front door. If you have lots of shoes for instance, get shelves that are interesting, yet small. Don’t store every shoe you own there.

Try adding a rich-looking rug, a beautiful piece of art or striking wall hanging to create a focal piece and be the centerpiece of your entryway. Or, if you’re able, paint the walls with bright colors to create an airy space that’s light and warm upon arrival. In all cases, the objects residing in your entry should be inspiring and positive. 

Another tip: Make Sure Your Front Door Is On Point! Notice what you see when you’re about to exit your house or apartment. If it’s not pleasant, place an important piece of art, as big as possible, that depicts a beautiful outdoor scene implying depth. Install the art on the side of the doorknob and then train yourself to look at this art every time before you open the door. This applies whether you see another door across the way or a blank wall (like in an apartment building), a bustling street, an abandoned lot across the street, an alleyway, etc.. If in doubt, do this adjustment anyway!

In Feng Shui, the front door is the threshold between the outside and the inside. It’s what connects the two and allows energy to flow through. In other words, the front door is the door that has the most environmental influence on a house. Therefore, what’s beyond it (on both sides!) is super important.

I heard that you shouldn’t place a mirror in front of your bed. Why’s that? 

LKS: Mirrors magnify the energy, visible and invisible of the environments where they are placed. In a bedroom, it magnifies our dreams and nightmares, our fears and worries and it interferes with the natural flow of sexual activity by inviting additional images that vibrate in the room. Meaning, it interferes with sleep.

Are there any specific wall colors that you definitely don’t want to use if you’re trying to create more balance? 

LKS:  White is a very difficult color in bedrooms. Its energy is like metal and it create feelings of rigidity. No satisfying sex will come out of a white bedroom!

OMG! 😱 That is a VERY important piece of knowledge you just dropped right there. Thanks for that! Speaking of the bedroom…I also heard that it’s important to have space underneath your bed vs. having a solid frame that sits on the floor. That true?

LKS: Yes. A bed is the one piece of furniture that most affects our lives. It needs to have a sturdy frame and a solid headboard, a sturdy and comfortable mattress and space for air to circulate freely under and around the bed. Clothes, shoes, drawers under the bed trap the free flow of energy and interfere with optimal rest.

Interesting! Ok, so for someone interested in making some changes – maybe even the ones you mentioned above – but doesn’t really know if it’s for them, or how to start. What do you suggest? 

LKS: Any positive changes in one area of your life will bring positive changes to other areas of your life. An expert Feng Shui practitioner can help you assess where to focus your improvement efforts. That said, it’s best to do one or two adjustments instead of going through every corner of your home making changes. Doing it this way will allow you to adjust to the effects of the changes you start to see. If you want to make the most important change, start with your bedroom. These vibrational shifts will affect your entire life!