When you’re ready to move past a difficult period, start by ridding your environment of the old energy found in your home’s furnishings
Everything in our lives happens for a reason — a bigger picture, an underlaying pattern, an overlaying order. Yet when a longtime relationship comes to an end, this knowledge makes life no easier. When we are over the denial, shock and grief, and have accepted our new circumstance, it behooves us to create a supportive environment for “moving on.”
If you are going through a transition in your life or feel stuck in the past in some way, use feng shui to let go of the old emotional and mental energy so that you can more easily transition into the new. Trusting that you will eventually have a new and happier future may be difficult, but you can do certain things in your home that will help you heal emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
Fear of the future
In the midst of change, we may have an unconscious fear of the future, clinging to the old and familiar for stability. But what we should be doing is consciously creating a new beginning by taking affirmative steps to clear out the past. Everything in your home has an energy or a “vibe,” so keeping items associated with your past brings that energy into the present, making it harder to move on.
How do I move on?
Avelina, a woman I consulted with recently, had gone through a divorce about three years ago and purchased a condominium soon after. Her main complaint was that although her ex-husband had since remarried, she couldn’t get herself into the “present,” let alone on a path to create a new life for herself. How could she move on?
Holding on to the past
When I walked through her home with her, I noted the following:
• The condo came with a dedicated dining area, yet half of her living room was taken up by a formal dining set from her old life.
• Her ornate four-poster bed was the same bed she and her ex-husband shared for 20 years.
• The boxes stacked in the guest room were filled with her ex-husband’s things that she “accidentally” brought with her.
• She placed a chair in every clear corner or wall space.
• The only things hanging on her walls were a few photos of her and her daughters taken when they were younger.
My advice
While I understood the financial challenges that come with a life change and the desire to save money by keeping old furniture, I suggested that she implement the following, as more than 90 percent of her furnishings and artwork were from her “old” life:
• Donate or sell all furniture she wasn’t using. She did what people commonly do when they move into a smaller space — kept as much of the furniture as possible, whether or not it was useful or matched in style or size. In her case, it was all a constant reminder of her old married life.
• Save her money to purchase a new bed. The bed is the most important piece of furniture in your home and the most intimately connected to your personal energy. So after a divorce, a new bed makes perfect sense for a fresh start.
• Return or get rid of her ex-husband’s things. The boxes containing her husband’s things kept his energy in the space. The sooner she got them out of her space, the lighter her space would feel.
• Commit to her home by painting it. By painting a new home, you commit to it and it better supports and nurtures you. Colors found in nature work best.
• Hang artwork and display current photos. Hang artwork and photos that support the vision of what you want to create in your life.
Who can use this advice?
If you feel stuck, want to make a change in your life or move forward after a tough time, check your environment for what you can donate, sell or give away, including your “clutter” and the things that you see around you on a daily basis.
Update on Avelina
She followed all my suggestions and within a month felt a huge weight lift. She finally feels as if she is on a new path. While she hasn’t ventured out in the dating world, she said that she feels hope for her life!
For more information on life guide and feng shui expert Alice Inoue, visit www.aliceinspired.com.
Photo: DEPOSITPHOTOS/LUISAVENTUROLI