After years of consulting, I've gotten good at "diagnosing" someone's home without even stepping foot in it. A client will tell me about a problem they're experiencing such as, "My love life is a mess. I have no problems getting dates all the time, but boyfriends don't last." Then, I'll ask them if they have a washing machine in their love corner, and sure enough, they do!
Okay, it's not an exact science and I sometimes get it wrong, but you'd be shocked by how often I get it right. So pay attention if you have any of the following feng shui no-no's in your home, because they could be affecting your health, wealth, well-being, or love life in a profound way.
1. Broken objects
Respect your home! If an object really matters to you, it should be fixed immediately. Looking at a damaged item daily will give you the sensation of feeling broken or beyond repair. I recently threw out a beloved guitar that was beyond repair after my toddler broke it. I thanked it for the joy it gave me and then let it go. I was upset at the time, but now I see this situation as an opportunity to start fresh.
2. Threatening corners or sharp objects
A non-exhaustive list includes animal horns, exposed knives, spiky chandeliers, protruding objects, platform beds with sharp edges, a piece of furniture placed in a way that you keep banging your toe or thigh, heavy objects above the bed or the sofa, and empty corners. In feng shui, the corners in your home should be hidden, so put an object, a piece of furniture, or a plant in front of them to mask their "cutting" energy.
3. Water in the "love corner" (the top right section of your home)
If you are in a stable relationship that you want to maintain, it's not the best idea to keep flowers, a photo or a painting representing water, a fountain, a big mirror, a washer dryer, a bathroom, or a toilet in your love corner, which is dictated by a bagua map. Sometimes you can't help where your toilet is, of course, so you can place a small symbolic mirror on the bathroom door and keep it closed at all times. If you are not in a relationship, placing a water feature or a representation of water is thought to be a good way to attract one. But you should remove it when you find your soulmate!
4. The big four
The big four are the following disruptors of chi energy. If you have any of the in your home, you can soften them with rugs, crystals, mirrors, and plants.
A staircase across from the front door.
A very long corridor leading to a bedroom, since a straight line of chi can be disruptive to the bedroom owner.
Beams on the ceiling above the bed
A straight line of chi going from the front door to the back door, which can cause loss and missed opportunities.
5. Heavy objects in the bedroom
Opt for neutral colors in the bedroom, avoiding crisp white walls or bright shades. I'd also recommend staying away from large mirrors (especially if you can see them from your bed), paintings and heavy objects above the bed, a box spring without a headboard (headboards offer subconscious support), photos or paintings of lonely people, and protruding objects. Always ask yourselves what your objects murmur to you. Do they nag you or poison your mood or do they validate and comfort you?
No matter what your relationship with your home is like, you can use feng shui as a silent teacher for self-learning. By learning about yourself in your home, you will learn about yourself in everyday life. Always remind yourself to cultivate your chi (positive energy), by sending vibrant and loving thoughts to yourself and your home, by practicing a physical or calming activity, and by carving out some meditative time in your space. Feng shui is also about weathering the changes that inevitably happen in our lives, so I'm leaving you with this short quotation from Eckhart Tolle: “Being at ease with not knowing is crucial for answers to come to you."