6 Things That Really Don't Belong in Your House, According to Feng Shui

featured on MindBodyGreen by Emma Loewe

The year 2019 began in a decluttering frenzy. Marie Kondo's Netflix show reminded us what feng shui has been preaching for years: When our homes are tidy, life just feels easier.

The ancient Chinese way of creating spaces that promote peace and harmony, feng shui feels more relevant now than ever before. "At the core of all feng shui and Eastern traditions of healing, energy is everything," feng shui expert and mbg class instructor Dana Claudat writes. "Stagnant, stuck energy contributes to blockage and illness, while open, flowing energy is the basis of great moods and every kind of abundance."

Clutter tends to be a major energetic block, but it's not the only one. Here, we compiled a list of other things you probably have at home that could be keeping you feeling stuck.

Every room: Low-hanging artwork and broken objects

In addition to clearing clutter throughout your home, you should also make sure that the artwork in every room is joy-inducing. That means only displaying pieces that evoke positive emotions and memories and making sure that they're hung correctly.

"If someone has issues with depression and low energy, I often notice that their artwork, photographs, and mirrors are hung low on the walls," architect and feng shui expert Anjie Cho writes. "The low artwork can bring down your chi. (Note: Even a bed that's very low to the ground can bring down your mood). It's also good to fasten frames in two places so the art isn't crooked."

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If you’d like to learn more about feng shui check out the Mindful Design Feng Shui certification program. Laura Morris and I launched our program in September 2018. To get on the list about it, sign up at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com.

Dive deeper into feng shui to transform your life!

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Create sacred spaces that support, and nourish.

Visit us at mindfuldesignschool.com

10 Habits of People Who Never Have Clutter at Home

featured on MindBodyGreen by Emma Loewe

Decluttering your home is only half the battle! Keeping it looking clean and pristine in the long run takes some serious will power. Here, some of the cleanest people we know share the hacks and habits they use to keep their spaces eternally tidy.

1. Be nice to your produce.

"Take the stickers off of every piece of fruit and produce you buy. Welcome them in. You'd be surprised how different it feels when you treat everything else in your home with the same amount of attention and care."

—Lisa Viscardi, professional organizer

2. Make a weekly date with donations.

"I hold myself accountable for gathering nine items a week that I can donate and drop them off on my way to an appointment. (Nine is an auspicious number in feng shui!) I have a weekly meditation class that has a donation drop-off, Housing Works, right across the street. I put the donation date on my calendar as well as my weekly to-do list and leave the bag by the front door so I don't forget it on my way to meditation."

—Anjie Cho, architect and feng shui expert

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If you’d like to learn more about feng shui check out the Mindful Design Feng Shui certification program. Laura Morris and I launched our program in September 2018. To get on the list about it, sign up at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com.

Dive deeper into feng shui to transform your life!

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Create sacred spaces that support, and nourish.

Visit us at mindfuldesignschool.com

Don't Know Where To Start Tidying? This Is The Most Important Room To Declutter

featured on MindBodyGreen by Emma Loewe

Just thinking about decluttering your entire house is enough to raise cortisol levels. Rome wasn't built in a day, and your minimalist sanctuary probably won't be either. But if you want to choose one room to tackle first to reap the most benefits of tidying, all signs point to the bedroom.

Why is it so important to tidy the bedroom?

Simply put, cleaning up your bedroom could be a gateway to better sleep (which is basically the foundation of a healthier life).

"Your clutter is a constant to-do list—take care of this; put away that," Tracy McCubbin, decluttering expert and author of the upcoming book Making Space, Clutter Free, explains. "It's been linked to elevated cortisol and stress levels, so it's definitely not something you want in the place where you're trying to calm down and sleep at the end of the day!" McCubbin adds that those who suffer from anxiety and insomnia have the most to gain from a tidying session.

Here are four expert-approved tips to kick off your bedroom revamp.

4. The biggie: Get rid of under-the-bed storage.

Most of us have probably used the space under our beds for storage, especially if we live in a small space. But in feng shui philosophy, this is the last place we want to keep clutter.

"The objects underneath your bed can represent and create unconscious blocks in your life," Anjie Cho, an interior architect and feng shui designer, says. "You spend hours of your life in bed. Much of this time is spent while you're in a passive sleeping state, where you are greatly affected by and absorbing the energies around you."

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If you’d like to learn more about feng shui check out the Mindful Design Feng Shui certification program. Laura Morris and I launched our program in September 2018. To get on the list about it, sign up at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com.

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Our unique training program takes an holistic approach to learning the art of feng shui design. Mindful design is about becoming aware, and attentive, to the energy around you: both inner and outer qi. It is about promoting a better way of living and creating sacred spaces that support, and nourish.