If you’re looking to improve your chances at love, seek better health, or crave financial stability, then you might have heard of the ancient Chinese practice called feng shui. Feng shui is the art of arranging personal belongings to assure good fortune in aspects of your life — may it be a fulfilling love life, a successful career, good health, or a booming business.
Plants play a role in your personal feng shui. “In broad strokes, Feng Shui is a rhythmic practice of replacing heavy energy with fresh, light energy,” says Meghan Wallace James, a Feng Shui expert who is certified in both Eastern and Western practices. “Plants absolutely support this practice: cleaning the air, vibrating with growth, bringing the natural world indoors—and looking lovely to boot.”
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Going plant shopping soon? Be discerning in your plant choices. Take your time and really study what kind of plant will best suit you and your space. Take into consideration your lifestyle too. Once you’ve found the plants for you, James recommends getting rid of fake plants lying around your home.
“We want the real deal—in our bed, in our bank account—not an idea of the real deal,” she says. “In my private practice, I advocate for geometric, lush, and large plants for my clientele, for that symbolism corresponds nicely with their aspirations. I prefer statements as opposed to collections: Why have seven little plastic pots on a bench when you could have a pair of Kentia Palms anchoring your living room? Bold statements are declarative: This is what I want! This is where I’m going! It is empowering to walk into a room and be visually reminded of your aspirations.” Plants act as visual reminders of what you want out of your life. The idea is to strive for what you want to achieve.
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A Bagua will help you direct where you want the energy to focus on. “The way I interpret Feng Shui [is that] the Bagua is oriented from your front door, and then divides your home into nine equal-sized zones, called ‘guas.’ Each gua has an assigned name, individualized essence, material element correlation, and defined color palette,” says James. “Your front door will open into your home from wisdom, life path, or attraction, based on the symmetry of your entrance. From there, walk to the very back left corner of the home to find abundance; walk to the very back right corner to find love.”
