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So, you want to feng shui your home. It’s an ambition held by many, but comprehensively understood by few. To begin: What does “feng shui” even mean?

According to Anjie Cho, author of 108 Ways To Create Holistic Spaces, “The ancient practice of Feng Shui focuses on changing the flow of chi, the vital life force in humans and nature, to improve and transform lives.” Type “What is Feng Shui?” into Google, and the official definition appears to build upon the literal translation of the Chinese words “fēng” for wind and “shuǐ” for water: “…a system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy (qi), and whose favourable or unfavourable effects are taken into account when siting and designing buildings.”

There’s a plethora of information on Feng Shui, some of it inconsistent. However, there are some basic principles that regularly appear across most Feng Shui guides, and we decided to break it down to the essentials. Go forth, and balance your home!

1. Map it out.

Most Feng Shui guides at least partially root the concept in the Bagua: “A map,” according to a realestate.com.au article, “that lays out the nine separate areas of energy and intention in Feng Shui.” In fact, the second chapter of Cho’s book is dedicated entirely to the map, which breaks down eight life components that can be reflected in the home: Abundance, recognition, relationships, new beginnings, health, completion, knowledge, path in life, and benefactors. Each of these factors, she explains, can be reflected and cultivated in respective areas of the home; for example, “What is going on in the Abundance areas of your home,” she writes, “particularly in your bedroom and office?

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