Five Feng Shui Tips to Improve Balance and Flow in Your Home

Everyone wants to be surrounded by good energy and feel refreshed in their homes. Feng Shui addresses this very desire as it helps you figure out how to find balance in your surroundings. It’s a metaphysical practice of understanding your place in the world based on the principles or elements of Taoism. It’s amazing how much you can learn about improving harmony in your home just by simply knowing how to arrange and organize your furniture and decorative pieces.
Looking to Feng Shui your space? We chatted with interior designer and Feng Shui consultant Angel Macalino, who did consulting work for companies and properties such as the GMA Network, Diamond Hotel Philippines, and Makati Diamond Residences, to demystify some misconceptions about the ancient practice. With her help, we've also listed down five tips you can apply to your space to reinstate balance and improve flow into your lives.
Demystifying Feng Shui
For the uninitiated, Feng Shui may seem like a part of cult culture, something against religion and spirituality. However, this could not be farther from the truth.
“Feng Shui is very basic. If religion is asking you to be good and change your life, Feng Shui is asking you to change your table or your door. It’s totally different! Ask any Feng Shui person or consultant, we don’t do magic.”
According to Angel, Feng Shui is more straightforward and though its goals align with making your life better — similar to some spiritual practices, its more concrete goal lies in harnessing energy forces and establishing harmony between you and your environment.
“Feng Shui is based on geometry. It’s an ancient Chinese tradition of learning how to position yourself in accordance with the four directions. You honor the four directions: north, south, east, and west. Every section and every direction has its own strengths and weaknesses. It doesn’t have a spiritual aspect and is more about fixing the energies of your life, learning what’s wrong, how to fix it, and what you want to attract.”
Now that we’ve gotten that down, here are some things you can apply to your own space that will promote positive energy flow.
Remove Clutter

There’s a popular proverb that says, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” It’s not much different from Feng Shui practices. In fact, Angel’s first advice is to keep clutter out and not crowd your entryway.
In Feng Shui, the entrance is how energy enters your home. The front door is known as the "mouth of qi” and is the place to start if you want to create good Feng Shui in your home.
Remove any obstacles in your path, sweep and clean up the area, and make it more inviting by making sure the space is well-lit. We wouldn’t want to block any good energy as they try to enter your home so it’s important to free up space for them to collect and gather and make it as inviting as possible.
Know Your Space
One of the first tips Angel told us was to “take care of your wealth and relationship areas.”
But how exactly would you know? In Feng Shui, there is such a thing called a Bagua or the energy map that shows you which areas of your home relate to the different areas of your life.

You can also find your wealth and relationship areas by standing at the front door facing into the room or building. The Feng Shui wealth sector is in the back left corner while the relationship sector is in the farthest corner on the right.
Angel noted that placing a bathroom in your money corner can have a negative impact as it drains away good luck, fortune, and prosperity from the house. The same goes for having a bathroom in your relationship area.
“No amount of Feng Shui can fix it,” she warned. If you want love to prosper in your life, you should keep the relationship corner full of happy memories, soft and lush décor items, or artworks that portray love and harmony.
Understand that Mirrors Matter

In Feng Shui, mirrors play a crucial role as they are believed to amplify and reflect energy. They can be great tools to adjust the flow of energy through your house to create a more balanced and harmonious environment. They also have the ability to expand space and invite natural light in.
“Don’t put mirrors facing the door,” Angel instructed, as mirrors can reflect surroundings. Putting one opposite your main door can cause energy to bounce back out of the room.
“In the practical sense, why would you want to see yourself the moment you walk inside your house? You’ll surprise yourself all the time!” Angel added. “Put your mirror on the side of the main door instead, so before you head out, you can beautify yourself.”
Another mirror placement don’t she taught us was to never point a mirror to your bed as it creates a sense of restlessness and can also disrupt your sleep.
“You shouldn’t be able to see yourself while you’re lying down on your bed. Doing so weakens your energy. In the practical sense, why would you want to see yourself first thing in the morning?”
A good advice is to place them on the side of your bed instead, as it promotes relaxation and reflection.
Avoid Putting Chimes Indoors

Wind Chimes in Feng Shui are known to be carriers of positive energy and produce a sound that creates a soothing atmosphere. However, just like other pieces of furniture, they only work if they are put in the right place.
While Angel is a professional interior designer and Feng Shui consultant, she also dabbles in psychic readings and fortune telling. One piece of advice she has for chimes (the tubular kind) is to avoid putting them inside the house.
“Chimes, spiritually, call on spirits,” she said. “And most of the time, people cannot handle that.” In a practical sense, wind chimes make a sound when the wind hits them, so they are made to be outdoor decorative pieces. Chimes made from steel, wood, or ceramics can also help to minimize the negative energy from the environment by getting rid of harsh noises.
If you want to add sound inside your home, Angel recommends using bells instead. For business owners, putting bells on doors is great for attracting more customers.
Energize Your Space with Greenery

Plants embody life energy (a.k.a. “chi”) in Feng Shui and symbolize growth and vitality. They can improve the flow of energy in your space, promote balance, and enhance overall well-being. Plants also naturally filter the air, reducing toxins and promoting healthier environments which is key to good chi.
Just make sure to choose plants appropriate for your space. Some plants according to Feng Shui are more beneficial than others like round-leafed plants are often preferred because sharp or pointed leaves may disrupt the flow of energy.
Also, make sure that these are plants you can care for. Dead or wilting plants should be removed immediately as they can introduce stagnant or negative energy. If you’re not a green thumb or are new plant parents, try some easy or low-maintenance ones. We have a few listed here.
Want to know more about these Feng Shui practices? You can consult with Angel today by sending her a message on Instagram.
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