In western cultures, New Years is all about setting new goals for yourself. I’ll go to the gym the more. I’ll save more money. I’ll spend more time with family. But what about the space around you? Using Feng Shui tips is less about making resolutions, and more about preparing your space in a way that will invite these things into your life. Feng shui is the Chinese system of thought that dictates how you can enhance the flow of energy through spatial orientation. By promoting fresh energy flow into your home, you are encouraging fresh energy within yourself. Many of the Feng shui tips are as much about prepping your mental and spiritual space as your external surroundings. Think about what kind of energy you would like to bring into the new year, and set your space to reflect that. When you come into harmony with your environment, you allow it to imbue you with the same positive energy that you arranged it with.

New Year Feng Shui Tips

Declutter and Cleanse

The first step to an uncluttered mind, is an uncluttered home. This is a conventional thought now, but has been an integral element of the Feng Shui philosophy for thousands of years. This step should be done prior to the New Year, which this year falls on January 28. Cleaning during or immediately after New Years is thought to cleanse the fresh energy and luck that was ushered in with the new beginning. Instead, start the decluttering process a few days before New Years. To declutter, ask yourself what you need, what brings you happiness and what is unnecessary or filler in your space. Even your closets should be uncluttered for the New Year. This is a good time to purge your closet of things you never wear. As it is typically a time in the US when temperatures drop, items of clothing that you don’t get any use out of can be vital to those in need. Donate your clothes to a homeless shelter to assure that they go to a good cause. After decluttering, it’s time to cleanse. Space clearing removes negative and stagnant energy from the home. To begin, stand in the center of your space. Rid your mind of thoughts, and focus on breathing positive energy in and out. Using either a singing bowl or a metal bell, fill your space with the positive vibrations of sound. Feel the energy of the space come into synchronization with the bells. Bring the cleansing ceremony to a close by lighting sandalwood incense or Palo Santo wood, and letting the scent infuse the space.

Fix the Broken

Usually somewhere on our ever growing to-do list is a cabinet door that needs fixing or an old broken electrical device that we keep forgetting to get rid of. Consider not bringing the energy of those broken or unfixable items into the New Year with you. Rather than letting them carry on into your new year’s to do list, make those fixes now. If something can’t be fixed, dispose it. When considering these Feng Shui tips, all things, even inanimate objects have energy. The energy of something that has become useless is stagnant. As we try to invite a free flow of energy, we have to consider what might inhibit that circulation. Items that are broken are definitely energy blocks. If possible, try to check those off the to-do list before New Years.

Assume the Command Position

The best position for couches and beds is against a wall, and facing a door. This is known as the command position. This keeps you from blocking the flow of energy into a space with a couch or a bed, and instead invites that energy into a room with those items as accepting points. It allows you to see who is coming into the room, and places you into a position of awareness and control. What better position is there to be in for the New Year?! If you can’t make this happen in rooms of importance like the office or living room, you can create the illusion of it by installing mirrors so that you can still see the door. Typically for bedrooms, however, you don’t want mirrors. If you need to create this illusion in the bedroom, use a mirror, but cover it with a sheet before sleep.

New Traditions for the New Year

Some fun, luck bringing traditions to adopt from the Chinese New Year can help stimulate the energy that may already be waning from the western New Year. One easy thing to try is sprucing up your entry way for the New Year Feng Shui. Offering a gift to guests in the form of a bowl of mandarin oranges will give your space a sense of plenty. Mandarin oranges are a symbol of prosperity, good fortune and longevity. Having them in your entry way is welcoming and a sign of hospitality. Wearing and bringing red accessories into the home is another new years tradition. Red represents happiness and is a welcoming color that is thought to bring a bright, rich future.