7 ways to prepare for Christmas with Feng Shui
These 7 Feng Shui tips are not about the aesthetics of home-staging Christmas or how to decorate the tree. They’re designed to raise the physical, emotional and spiritual vibe of your home so it feels lovely, looks dreamy, and is ready to accommodate the extra people and presents that are on their way.
1. Make space NOW. With all the festive food to store and the extra presents to accommodate, this is one of the best times of year to declutter. Your recycling can be someone else’s joyful discovery.
Delve into the toy cupboard, wardrobes, under-stairs and garage are good places to start. Check the store cupboard for old herbs, tins and packets that have exceeded their sell by date. Let go of the outfits that don’t fit you anymore. They certainly won’t after a good Christmas.
2. Turn up the lights. Both daylight and artificial light raise the level of chi. As we head towards the shortest day, both can be dull so it’s most important to ensure light fittings and light bulbs are functioning fully.
Pay attention to the front door where you should aim to create a “bright hall effect” to provide a warm welcome as you step inside. Use ambient lighting to illuminate dark corners and create an even flow of chi, particularly in the living room, the kitchen and the home office.
3. Bring nature indoors. As our vitality lessens with reduced sunlight, it's all the more reason to enliven the inside of our home by bringing nature (with its stored sunlight) indoors.
The wreath on the front door, the vase of flowers on the hall table, the real Christmas tree with sparkling lights, the bowl of fruit on the dining table, the selection of nuts and dates, the stack of logs by the fire. Silk flowers are not as potent and plastic substitutes are a waste of money.
4. Less furniture, less friction. It’s always a conundrum because more visitors require more chairs. The problem is that more chairs also create more obstacles in the space in which those extra people with their hearty Christmas chi need to be seated.
Consider using foldaway chairs for dining which can be stored until you need them. And a pile of floor cushions for the able-bodied takes up less room than permanent bulky furniture. With germ season in full swing you’ll want to keep the home well-aerated. You might ask Father Xmas for an Air Purifier and say you need it delivered now!
5. Disempower the TV. If you don’t want the TV to be a substitute for good conversation then check where it’s positioned in the room. It’s uncanny how it can find its way to the ‘power spot’, meaning when you enter the room it’s the first thing you see.
If you can’t reposition the TV because of the electrics then cover it up with a festive throw when not in use. Or hang a line of Christmas stockings or advent calendars from it when not in use. That way your guests might play a game or do a puzzle rather than reach for the TV controls.
6. Tame the fire. The fire is roaring, the heating turned up, while people and pets are generating a lot of heat. In a confined space we need to control this blaze otherwise tempers can flare.
‘Water’ element is the solution and can be introduced through an indoor water feature, a bowl of floating candles, artwork with flowing water, or by using deep blues and greens. A mirror over the fireplace can help in two ways: to augment the feeling of space in the room and to ‘cool’ the effect of the fire.
7. Leave off your shoes. With all the sludge that goes with this season, it’s good Feng Shui practice to leave outdoor shoes at the front door and not transport their undercarriage inside. If you haven’t got a sheltered porch then a shoe rack in the hall will do. Here you can swop shoes for slippers and invite your guests to bring theirs along or provide thick socks for everybody.
Author's Bio
Mary Nondé is an Intuitive Feng Shui practitioner and passionate about bringing mindful attention to how we create our living and working environments. She is trained in the Western School of Feng Shui and with Denise Linn, USA and has been working in homes and offices since 1995. Visit here to arrange a online consultation or to connect with Mary and learn more about the services she offers visit her website
