Those words sounded silly and quite “New Agey” the first time I heard them, but the truth is that money really is energy. Our brains can’t conceive of what money actually is, in and of itself. It isn’t money itself that we understand and want to have; it’s what money brings us (from stability to luxury) that we can actually wrap our minds around as a sensory experience. To create a more prosperous home — and life — we will be adding loads of sensory experience to your space. But, before we begin, let’s clear away some clutter. Lots of us carry around seemingly justified feelings about money. Some feel that money creates corruption, as the “root of all evil.” Others define their self-worth based on money. Some feel it is the only thing that can secure happiness. The New York Times published a study about money and happiness. As it turns out, after earning about $75,000 a year (this was 2012, and it was a figure that represented a “comfortable standard”) the effect of money on personal happiness starts to dwindle. Are you carrying around ideas about money that are charged with emotions that make you anxious, upset or otherwise feel stuck? Before we dive into your home, you might want to sit down with a piece of paper and a pen and write out any negative feelings you have about money. Now crumple it up and toss it in your recycling bin! Even if you’re financially struggling right now, you can shift your home to support greater abundance.
- Get rid of more clutter. Crumbling up a piece of paper with your negative ideas about money is a nice symbolic start, but now you need to dive in and see where actual clutter (excess paper, junk, etc.) has built up in your house. Pay special attention to the FAR LEFT CORNER of each room as oriented from the entrance door.
- Detox your home. For those of you who haven’t made the switch from chemical housecleaning products to natural ones, this transition will add more dynamic energy to your home. There are hundreds of effective cleaning solution recipes using lemons, baking soda, vinegar and the like to clean your house. If you can also detox your toiletries by using more planet-friendly shampoo and soap, you’ll cut down on the amount of poison flowing down your drains and into the Earth from your house.
- Clean your windows. We often forget to do this, but clean windows are symbolic of fresh eyes to approach life in new ways, with a clear mind!
- Grow plants. Not only will plants help to detoxify your air and cut down on electromagnetic energy at home, healthy plants are the ultimate symbol of nature and abundance. Yes, you can grow a money tree or a jade plant if you want to be ultra-symbolic about creating abundance, but any leafy, lush plants will do!
- Use your kitchen. Kitchens are an ancient symbol of prosperity. If you can feed yourself well, you are already quite abundant. In 2010- 2012, one in eight people was chronically undernourished. So please realize how lucky you are to be able to feed yourself well and use your kitchen often and with great gratitude.
- Give more! The saying, “You get what you give” is very true. In feng shui, compassion directly relates to prosperity. In life, the flow is the same. Find ways to give more to your neighbors and your community. A small donation of your valuable time counts!
- On that note … welcome in guests. Make sure you have a space carved out to have people over, even for tea. Add a little red (maybe a pillow? some flowers?) to this gathering space to draw more great people (and fresh energy) into your home.
- Play more! Stress causes stagnation, and play encourages flow. Set up a chess board, some board games (*go easy with video games: some are great fun until they take over your life!), or an area to sketch, paint, knit or do just about anything creative. Creativity will unlock a whole lot of unique solutions to problems that worry will not solve! It is worth noting that in feng shui, self-empowerment and money are one and the same. Grab off the list what appeals to you and start shaking up the sensory goodness of your home. As you empower your space - boosting your mood, enriching your energy - your life will become more prosperous in every way. She’s a Stanford-educated art historian with more than a decade of experience in design yet her approach to space is simple. Claudat is a longtime mindbodygreen contributor and instructor (she may have had a hand in the hundreds of plants in mindbodygreen headquarters!), and her work has been featured in design and lifestyle publications around the world. You can work with her from wherever you are in the world in her online Feng Shui Camps and through her Online Feng Shui Consultations. You can sign up for her weekly Feng Shui Rituals, including rituals for every New and Full Moon, right here!
