Home is a sacred place. It’s where we go to rest, relax, and seek rejuvenation for our mind and body. For those of us who work from home, it’s also a place for creativity, collaboration, and focus. Given its importance, shouldn’t you seek to enliven your home?
This blog offers four simple tips you can use to make your home as welcoming and nourishing as possible using Qi Gong principles.
1. Bring The Five Elements into Your Home
As humans, we do better when we’re surrounded by nature. Although many of us live in towns or cities, we can still bring a bit of natural beauty into our homes.
In his Qi Gong classes, Lee teaches students how to cultivate the energies of the Five Elements: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. To apply the Five Element theory to our homes, all we have to do is find a way to bring each Element into our living space.
Metal Element
Crystals are an extension of the Metal Element. Therefore, placing a few precious crystals around your home is a great way to bring the Metal Element into your house.
The Metal Element is also associated with cleanliness and organization. It thrives in neat, tidy spaces, so it’s a good idea to practice Qi Gong in a ‘clutter-free’ environment (more on this below).
The Metal Element corresponds to the Lungs and Large Intestine. Since the lungs are vital for immune system health, the Metal Element helps us cultivate resilience and fortitude. Energetically, it also is associated with the qualities of persistence and determination.
Water Element
The Water Element corresponds to the kidneys and also the bladder. Energetically, it embodies the qualities of flow, flexibility, and emotional intuition. When the Water Element is strong within you, it’s easier to find harmony with your inner and outer worlds.
One great way to bring the Water Element into your home is to put a fountain somewhere in your house or yard. It can be as small as a table piece in your living room or as large as a garden fountain that feeds into a pond. Not only do fountains look nice, but the gentle sound of flowing water is extremely soothing.
Wood Element
The Wood Element corresponds to the liver and gallbladder, as well as to the qualities of transformation and growth, and to the season of spring. It gives us the strength to embark on new journeys and create from a place of inspiration.
To bring the Wood Element into your home, simply place a plant (or several) inside your house. You’ll need to make sure that it’s receiving the right amount of sunlight and water, so it’s important to pay attention to the kind of plants you choose. Some require more attention than others. You might even consider consulting a botanist, or even just a plant-loving friend if you’re not too familiar with plants yourself.
A couple plants can go a long way in helping you enliven your home.
Fire Element
In Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong, the Fire Element corresponds to the heart. When the Fire Element is strong within you, it’s easy to feel love, joy, and inspiration for all that life has to offer.
Candles are a great way to bring the Fire Element into your home. When you light a candle on your kitchen table or in your bedroom, its warm energy nourishes all parts of your being. The Fire Element also corresponds to passion and connection, making it no surprise that many people use candles when preparing for a romantic evening.
Of course, a fireplace is another great way to cultivate the Fire Element and enliven your home.
Earth Element
The Earth Element corresponds to the spleen, as well as to the qualities of stability, groundedness, and receptivity. When the Earth Element is strong within you, it’s easy to stay centered in your own truth in times of stress, chaos, and confusion.
When you bring a plant, rooted in soil, into your home, you also bring the Earth Element. Therefore, a plant in a pot of soil embodies both the Wood and Earth Elements.
2. Removing Clutter Can Enliven Your Home
In addition to bringing the Five Elements into your home, removing clutter is another great way to enliven your home.
When a house is full of clutter, energy (Qi) tends to become stagnant, and too much stagnant energy in our living spaces can have negative effects on our wellbeing. If you’ve ever felt stressed out or bogged down in a busy living space, you know what this feels like.
To remove clutter, start going through your possessions and let go of anything that doesn’t serve you. Just like old thoughts or emotions, humans have a tendency to hold onto belongings that no longer serve an important purpose. For example, if there’s a set of dishes or an old table that you haven’t used in five years, it might be wise to let them go.
If you’re unsure about whether or not you should let go of a belonging, Lee suggests asking yourself two simple questions. Does this item truly resonate with who I am now? And, does this item enliven my living space or does it create stagnant energy. If you use this process, you’ll find that your home becomes more fresh and alive.
3. Display Art that Inspires You
Once you’ve let go of any belongings that create stagnant energy, take some time to display any art or decor that inspires you. This can be a quick and fun way to enliven your home.
We’re all different, so it’s important to pay attention to what truly makes us feel most alive and uplifted. Perhaps paintings or photographs of nature are what bring you joy. Or, maybe musical instruments or quotes bring you inspiration. Whatever it is, take some time to decorate your space with items that bring you joy.
4. Install a Chime At Your Door
Lee also suggests installing a chime at your door so you can gently ring whenever you arrive home.
Not only do chimes sound nice, but they can also help you transition to the energy of your home. If you take a moment to ring your chime before walking through the front door, it will be easier to become fully present and absorb the intentional energy that your home embodies.
We hope that these simple tips help you create a living space that brings you joy and fully embodies the energies you want to experience.
Actually, there’s one additional way to bring joyful, nourishing energy into your home: Practice Qi Gong. If your home is a sacred place, so is your body… and the same principles apply.
While we don’t recommend attempting to grow a plant in your body (unless you consider your gut bacteria “plants”), practicing Qi Gong can quickly shift your internal energy. You can take this new, clean energy and invest it into your sacred home.
This is exactly why we created our free two-week trial. We wanted to make it as easy as possible for you to start your practice from the comfort of your home. Learn more and sign up for our free two-week trial below.