Whether moving house or staying put, you can “own” the energy of your abode by following these feng shui-friendly suggestions with Alice Inoue
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: I just closed on a home and was wondering if you would suggest what energetic feng shui things I should take care of before I move. Also, my mother, who is not moving, wants to know if the things you suggest can benefit her as well.
I certainly can suggest things that will benefit movers and nonmovers alike. From my point of view, a move to a new home is a big deal and can be quite stressful. It’s always best to hire some professional movers, like this mover Greensboro has. That will ensure it happens as quickly and smoothly as possible. When you move, you will be operating from a new energetic template. Although moving can be quite chaotic and messy, once you settle in, the energy will shift significantly, and what you do prior to moving all your things will make a big difference.
If you are not moving but feel you need a change of energy that involves more than merely changing the sheets, the tips below include recommendations that will benefit the energy of the existing home, giving it that new home feel. Pick the tasks below that resonate with you the most and you will see what a difference it can make.
• Change or fix the lock on the front door. Changing the lock goes without saying if you are purchasing new property, as the previous owners, real estate agents and maintenance people still may have copies of the keys. On the feng shui side, the locks are the “handshake” of your home, and you want that handshake to be yours. If you are not moving and your existing lock is broken or does not operate easily and smoothly, take the time to fix it. It will bring in a smoother energy and help to mitigate frustrations in other areas of your life.
• Clean up the house. While the old owners may leave the home clean for you, to “own” the energy of the home you’ll still want to clean everything yourself. You can hire someone to do this, of course, but washing down cabinets, counters and even plumbing fixtures yourself can really help you to feel good about moving in. If you are not moving, consider hiring a professional cleaning service to come in and clean things that you may not have paid attention to for years, such as louvers, ovens, screens, windows and hard-to-reach areas or areas of neglect.
• Paint all the walls and ceilings. Painting is a big job, but immediately can change the entire feel of the home. Don’t be afraid to put color on your walls. Usually, finding the right color is most difficult for people. When in doubt, use colors you find in nature – earth tones, greens, yellows and blues. Even if you paint or change the color in only one room, you will lift the energy tremendously.
• Get some good organizers. If you move into an older home, you’ll notice that the closets may have only a pole and shelf. It is worth your time and energy to purchase a closet system prior to the move so that you can accommodate everything in an orderly manner, making your life less stressful and the new home more enjoyable. If you are not moving, pick a closet that needs organizing and put in a system. Closets sym-bolize what you don’t want others to see, so organizing them so that they are “presentable” will energetically reconcile things in your mind and clear out mental baggage.
• Install new switch plates, toilet seats, light bulbs and door handles. Many older homes, especially those that have gone through a series of renovations, will have mismatched switch plates, discolored toilet seats and incongruent lighting. When you replace these items, you create a uniformity and freshness that makes the home feel instantly newer. Switching out a cover plate is simple and can have a big effect. The electricity running through the house symbolically represents the nervous system, so changing the switch plates is symbolically “managing” your stress and balancing your nerves.
• Install window treatments. I often visit homes where the owners have just moved in and the windows are bare. Having window treatments is important, and they need not be expensive. They provide privacy and add a finishing touch to the room. Energetically, the windows represent the eyes of a home, and the shades, the eyelids. Shades protect the energy of a home just as eyelids protect the eyes.
• Blessing the home. Whether you have just purchased your home or have been living in it for a long time, a blessing is always positive in getting everyone on the same page. It not only clears the energy of the past and reboots and refreshes the unseen space you live in, but it also helps to reset your lives to the present, allowing you to create more of what you want while letting go of energetic challenges from the past.
Alice Inoue is the founder and Chief Happiness Officer at Happiness U, an educational establishment at the Gentry Pacific Center on Nimitz Highway. Learn things about life that were never taught in school about how to be happy. Happiness U offers classes such as Feng Shui 101, Clutter Clearing Plan 101, Positive Mindset 101, Happiness 101 and more. Visit www.YourHappinessU.com for more information.