10 Core Principles of Feng Shui

🔹 Qi Flow (气 - Life Energy) – The unseen force that must move freely through a space, neither stagnant nor too fast, guiding health, prosperity, and well-being.

🔹 Clutter Clearing & Space Purification – The removal of physical and energetic stagnation to allow fresh Qi to circulate freely and vibrantly...

🔹 The Commanding Position – The principle that key areas (beds, desks, stoves) should be placed in a position of control, facing the entrance but not directly in line with it.

🔹 Balance & Harmony (阴阳 - Yin & Yang) – The dance of opposites, ensuring equilibrium between dark and light, soft and hard, passive and active energies.

🔹 The Five Elements (五行 - Wu Xing) – The fundamental forces (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) that must be balanced and nurtured to create harmony in any space.

🔹 Bagua Map (八卦 - Eight Trigrams) – The energetic blueprint used to divide a space into areas corresponding to aspects of life (wealth, relationships, career, etc.).

🔹 Direction & Orientation (Compass School - 罗盘 Luó Pán) – The importance of cardinal directions in determining optimal placement and alignment for prosperity and protection.

🔹 Supportive Backing (Tortoise Back Principle) – Ensuring solid support behind key spaces (homes, offices, beds, chairs) to provide stability, protection, and success.

🔹 Symbolism & Intention – Every object, color, and placement carries meaning, and intentional use of symbols (e.g., wealth bowls, lucky bamboo) influences energy flow.

🔹 Natural Elements & Lighting – Integrating natural light, fresh air, water features, and greenery to enhance life force energy and create a nurturing environment.

Remember, Feng Shui is more than just furniture placement; it's a time-honored practice rooted in ancient Chinese philosophy that’s been respected for thousands of years — at least.

Now, here are 33 Feng Shui principles to improve your home's ambiance and spiritual health (written by a Feng Shui novice!!!)...

(1) Clear Away Clutter

Clear up clutter on a regular basis in your living room, bedroom, home office, and kitchen. A tidy space promotes clarity and reduces stress.

Dirty areas prevent good energy flow, capture bad energies, and can even invite bad spirits into the home, according to spiritual practitioners.

(3) Sit in a Command Position

So you can see everything coming your way, arrange your chair to face the room's entrance without being directly in line with the door.

You should have a solid wall or high-backed chair at your backside. Known as the tortoise back, this position offers you support, stability, and protection from unseen distractions or energetic intrusions.

(5) Mirror Placement

Mirror placement is a powerful feng shui tool for expanding visual space and circulating qi throughout a room. When positioned thoughtfully, mirrors can reflect light and auspicious symbols, doubling the positive energy in a space.

However, placing a mirror directly opposite the bed is discouraged, as it can disrupt restful energy and invite spiritual unease during sleep. Instead, aim to place mirrors where they reflect natural light, beautiful views, or symbols of abundance.

(7) Fix Leaks!

Fixing leaks is essential in feng shui, as uncontrolled water represents draining wealth and missed opportunities.

Even small drips can energetically signal financial instability or emotional leakage over time.

Address all leaks promptly to preserve prosperity and maintain balanced, flowing qi in your space.

Placing a water fountain near a door in Feng Shui is a no-no; it is believed that wealth then flows out the door.

(9) Color Psychology

Color plays a powerful role in feng shui, influencing mood, energy flow, and the overall intention of a space. Choose patterns and hues that align with your goals:

• blue promotes calm and clarity

• red ignites passion, fame and represents fire

• yellow brings warmth, joy, and mental stimulation

• green encourages healing, growth, and fresh beginnings

• white symbolizes purity, precision, and new cycles

• black enhances mystery, depth, and wealth attraction, while absorbing and deflecting darkness

• purple is associated with spiritual awareness, the third eye, and high-level wisdom

• brown grounds the energy, offering stability, support, and a sense of connection to the Earth

(11) Desk Placement

Your desk placement is critical—it represents your career, decisions, and the outward expression of your purpose.

Position your desk so you can clearly see the main entrance to the room, without sitting directly in line with it; this allows you to welcome opportunities while remaining energetically protected.

(12) Open Hallways & Pathways

Clear and unobstructed hallways are essential for maintaining the free flow of energy, or chi, throughout your space. Richly or sparsely appointed halls with artful, carefully chosen decor can subtly direct the flow of chi, guiding it toward your most important rooms, such as your office or dining area, where key decisions and gatherings occur. Keep pathways and hallway art well-lit, spacious, and inviting in order to reinforce a sense of ease, abundance, and foster continuous growth.

(13) Art Selection

When selecting artwork for your home, choose pieces that uplift and balance the energy of the room to create a sense of harmony, abundance, and positive transformation. Meaningful artwork that resonates with your personal goals can inspire creativity, attract wealth, and promote emotional well-being.

For instance, images of nature, flowing water, or vibrant landscapes represent the Wood and Water elements, encouraging growth and prosperity, while abstract pieces can spark dynamic energy and inspiration.

(15) Bed Accessibility

Ensure access from both sides for balanced relationships based on equality, harmony, and openness.

A balanced layout invites mutual respect, partnership, and the free flow of energy between you and your significant other—or future partner.

(17) Dining Area

Your dining area represents nourishment, abundance, and family connection, so it should be warm, inviting, and clutter-free.

Use a round or oval table to encourage harmony and conversation, and place a mirror nearby to symbolically double the food and amplify wealth energy.

Soft lighting, fresh flowers, and earthy tones enhance comfort and create a space where both energy and relationships can flourish.

(18) Rounded Furniture

Furniture with soft edges helps to promote a smooth flow of energy throughout your rooms. Try to minimize sharp corners, which can cause harsh or aggressive energy if misaligned with the qi flow (chi).

(19) Staircase Alignment

Avoid direct alignment with the front door.

A staircase that directly faces the front door can cause energy (and wealth) to rush out too quickly, leading to a sense of instability or financial drain.

To counter this, use visual barriers like plants, screens, or rugs to gently redirect chi and encourage it to circulate throughout the home rather than escaping.

(21) Shoe Storage

Shoes represent the energy we carry in from the outside world—both physically and symbolically.

Leaving shoes scattered at the home entrance or throughout the home can create visual clutter and disrupt the smooth flow of chi, inviting chaotic, unsettled energy into your space.

Properly storing shoes in a closed cabinet or designated area near the entryway not only promotes organization and cleanliness, but also supports a sense of grounding, stability, and respect for the home.

(22) Bathroom Doors Closed

Because bathrooms involve frequent draining—flushing, washing, and emptying—they are seen as places where energy can literally and symbolically "drain away."

Leaving the bathroom door open allows this downward, dispersing energy to seep into nearby spaces, potentially diminishing prosperity, focus, and health.

Keeping the door closed contains that energy, helping to maintain a strong, balanced chi throughout the rest of your home.

(23) Entryway Rug

In traditional Chinese Feng Shui, the entryway is considered the “mouth of Qi”—the primary point where energy enters the home or business. A red or gold rug at the threshold is decorative, symbolic of power, and a spiritual invitation…

Red represents yang energy—vitality, luck, and protection—while Gold invokes wealth, prestige, and authority.

(25) Wind Chimes

Wind chimes are powerful tools for breaking up stagnant or negative energy and encouraging a gentle, harmonious flow of chi.

Hung near doors, windows, or in troublesome corners, they use sound vibration to clear energetic blockages and attract positive movement, protection, and clarity.

(27) Water Features

In Chinese metaphysics, water is the most powerful symbol of wealth.  Water is soft, yet it overcomes the hard; a quiet power that cultivates respect, but without aggression.

Keep in mind that not all water is the same in the Feng Shui system—moving water, such as that found in fountains, is seen as active, circulating energy that mirrors the flow of income, connections, and opportunities.

Place fountains to stimulate wealth, ensuring water flows toward the center of the home.

(29) Storage Solutions

Visible clutter represents scattered focus and unresolved issues. In Feng Shui, external disorder reflects internal disarray. 

For those who value discipline and discretion, using closed storage is a way to project and preserve inner control, giving space for strategic clarity and mental strength. Use cabinets, baskets, and covered boxes to store items that aren’t in daily use.

Prioritize wood or natural materials over plastic for their grounding energy.

(30) Avoid Overcrowding

In Feng Shui, Qi (energy) needs space to circulate. Too much furniture, or pieces crammed into tight corners, can block opportunities, create tension, and affect mood.

Spaciousness, by contrast, invites peace, authority, and a sense of natural flow—much like a well-run organization or inner circle.

Allow space between furniture for energy movement and avoid placing large items directly in front of doors or windows.

(31) Electronic Placement

Electronics give off constant electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and yang energy.

In high-yang areas like workspaces, this energy is appropriate. But in rest zones—particularly bedrooms—excessive yang disturbs sleep, erodes emotional regulation, and weakens your protective Qi over time.

Keep electronics out of sleeping areas whenever possible. If you must have them, unplug at night or place them in a closed drawer. Avoid mirrors reflecting devices, as this doubles the energetic load.

(33) Personal Symbols

Display items that resonate with personal success. Symbols of your own achievements, aspirations, or cultural heritage act as powerful anchors for intention, reinforcing your inner narrative and calling in the energy of success.

Whether it's a meaningful heirloom, a photo from a pivotal moment, or an object that represents a long-held goal, these items radiate significance and remind you of your purpose.

Place them in areas aligned with the Bagua map—such as the fame, wealth, or career zones—to amplify their influence and keep your space deeply connected to your evolving vision.