Feng shui is all about helping energy flow more freely in the spaces where you live, work, and play. And there are some things that create negative energy — known as sha chi — that can really mess up a feng shui vibe. Check your spaces for these sha chi causes and discover easy ways to correct the negative energy so you're vibing right once again.
Counteract Clutter
Any feng shui stuff you read will list clutter as a top cause of negative energy. This includes clutter in cabinets, closets, and drawers, on shelves, and pretty much anywhere else. Fortunately, the best way to correct negative energy from clutter is easy — remove the clutter.
No judgment here — our spaces can get pretty cluttered, too. It builds up so quickly. If you have a lot, do a little at a time, and before you know it, the energy will be flowing again.
Related: Simplify Your Life: A Comprehensive Decluttering Checklist
Light Up Dark Corners
Dark corners are repositories for stagnant energy. It's where good vibes go to die — or at least stop moving through your house. Fortunately, it's easy to fix. Add a lamp or sconce in the area, and open your drapes and blinds so natural light shines in. With the addition of light, the chi will flow once again.
Neutralize Poison Arrows
There are all sorts of things that direct energy in a way that isn't beneficial. These are referred to in feng shui as poison arrows. These include things like sharp objects and spiky plants. Fortunately, it's super easy to correct. Just hang a multi-faceted crystal over the poison arrow to send the energy happily off in a better direction.
Avoid Spiky Plants
Think things like cactuses or snake plants. They act as poison arrows and send the energy off in a negative direction. It's best to replace these plants with feng shui plants, but you can also hang a faceted crystal over spiky plants to remedy the energy.
Fix Broken Stuff
Broken items — including lamps with burned-out bulbs, electronics that no longer work, and things like loose floorboards — are considered clutter in feng shui. So these can really mess with the energy in your spaces. Always make repairs right away and discard or replace broken items to keep the energy optimal.
Mitigate Half Walls
You probably can't control that your house has half-walls — either short walls that don't extend to the ceiling or walls that only extend partway into a room. If they have sharp corners, these walls are poison arrows that'll wreak havoc with chi flow. You can fix this by hanging a curtain along the wall to soften it, adding round beads to the wall, or making a rounded ornamental cover to soften the energy flow.
Negate Missing Corners
If you look at the bagua map above, you'll notice it assumes your house has a basic rectangle shape. But what if your house is missing some of these sectors due to an L-shape or another unconventional layout? If your house is missing any of the above sectors, you could find your life struggling in those areas. But you can fix this by placing an object in the corner (outside) where there should be the remaining section. For example, suppose a house has an L-shape, and the wealth and prosperity section is missing. Since this sector is associated with the element of wood, you could place a laughing Buddha statue where the missing outside corner of that area is to energetically create the space. You can do this in any missing sector, using the element listed on the bagua for that area.
Related: Mastering Feng Shui Bagua for Difficult Floor Plans
Where There's Sha Chi, There's a Remedy
Sha chi happens, especially if you didn't get to design and build your house yourself. But it's not the death knell for good vibes — by taking corrective action and using feng shui remedies, you can quickly turn the energy back to positive.
