Episode 255 – Declutter with Feng Shui with guest Maria Green

Today’s guest is Feng Shui Master Maria Green. Maria lived in “a flat from hell” and this triggered her interest in how our spaces and surroundings affect us and set her on the path to the study of Feng Shui. In today’s podcast we are going to delve into what Feng Shui is and isn’t and how it can help you declutter your home.

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Transcript of this podcast episode

00:00
Today's guest is Feng Shui master Maria green, Maria lived in a flat from hell. And this triggered her interest in how our spaces and surroundings affect us and set her on the path to the study of Feng Shui. In today's podcast, we're going to delve into what feng shui is and isn't, and how it can help you declutter your home

00:32
you're listening to the declutter podcast, bringing you tried and tested no nonsense tips and advice from the leading experts decluttering and organizing your home. Now, here's your host, Ingrid Jansen.

00:54
Hello, and welcome, listeners. I'm Ingrid. If you're new to the declutter hub podcast, you're so welcome. What you'll find is that we try and find the fun factor in the serious business of decluttering. And if you've been here for a while, you know exactly what we mean. So thank you so much for listening. If you'd like to get involved in conversations related to this podcast, it all takes place in our free Facebook group. So come and join our lovely warm and supportive community. Go to the clutter help.com forward slash group to find out more Hello and welcome Maria to this boathouse. I am genuinely buzzing with excitement that you're here because we have never in 250 episodes. This is episode two, I'm going to 55 talked about Feng Shui. And I am delighted that our mutual friend Jane reached out to me and said, Ingrid, you need to get Maria on the podcast because she is the person in the know. And she can tell you everything. So here we are. So I'm delighted. So thank you for coming on the show.

02:04
You're welcome. Pleasure to be here.

02:06
Let's dive in. We have a lot of I have a lot of questions. But maybe we should start first with an obvious question. What is Feng Shui?

02:18
Well, it's quite, there's quite a big answer. But generally, it's the understanding of the energy of your environment. So what's around you and how that can affect you. And it's very, very ancient. It goes back 4000 years to the Far East to China, when they realized that if you lived somewhere that was supportive, that had nourishing spaces freshwater not too much wind, then it was a good comfortable place to live. And the thing is the wind and the Choi Choi is the water. So the two together just embody that concept. And obviously now we live, perhaps less rural existences. But still, we need to sort of work if we understand how those faces impact us, we can have a much more comfortable supported environment.

03:06
So is it do i pronounce feng shui properly? Or do you say it differently?

03:13
I tend to say it slightly differently because I work with a grandmaster who speaks mostly Cantonese. So that's the pronunciation. So I tend to say Fung Shui. Unless I'm talking to someone who's not going to perhaps be expecting me to say those words, in which case I'll say feng shui, but there are so many dialects, you can't get it wrong. So whenever you like,

03:34
Okay, I could I could stick with my sanctuary that you love defending anybody saying it this way. Okay, great. Great, great. So interesting. So it's something that's been out there for 1000s and 1000s. of years. And how do you I mean, this might be a question. I don't know if you know this, but how did it kind of come in? Because it started in China? Yeah. How did it kind of travel around the world? Were people fascinated by this concept?

04:01
Well, mostly, it was kept secret for a long time that the real function so that's what we call Imperial function, because it was kept at the the courts of the Emperor's because they wanted the source of the secrets, the power, because a lot functionally, particularly in those days was about where you buried your, your ancestors, so they supported you. So there's a different type of choice for for burials. But, but obviously, if it was a source of power, source of wealth, then the Emperor's wanted it and they didn't want anyone else to have it. So the functional masters used to be kept at the core and they weren't allowed to escape. They certainly weren't allowed to share that information. But when various upheavals and revolutions and things happened, some some people sort of smuggled some texts out with them. So that's that's how it kind of went underground. But even the Grandmaster I trained with when his masters sent him to the UK when he was I suppose in the 1970s, so it's felt a young man and said they will need to know about this at some point because I'm sure it will become popular and you need to spread real functionally. But it wasn't that popular with Masters in Hong Kong, because he was then sharing and teaching that information. So even, you know, up to 2530 years ago, it wasn't a popular thing to actually spread. What real functional it is.

05:26
Wow, okay. Oh, I mean, I mean, I'm fascinated, I love I love history, and I love background and that kind of thing. So I'm with you on this journey, Maria. So let me then do the follow up question what is in Feng Shui?

05:40
Well, it's, it's not about sparse minimalists. It's not about having lots of chimes or crystals or things that represent sort of, it's quite difficult one because it's Yeah, charms and crystals than just having a door in this angle means that this is your relationship color. And this is not standard thing. It's much more subtle. And real functional uses. It uses trans comps, I've got one here, China's compass. So it uses a compass for the calculations, because there's so my notes, some of the readings are so minut. So when you're doing a consultation, it's a bit like, you know, when you used to tune a TV area or a radio, and there's sometimes some really small reading or adjustments that are made, so so it's not just putting what we call a bag, what that eight sided shape that people might have sit in on any room or any house. Because if it were that simple, we'd all have stimulated our wealth corner, we'd have all won the lottery relationship kind of be marvelous. And now I think now I actually learned the old that that stuff to start with before I move on to a master. So you know, I kind of remember things like helpful people and career spaces. But it's not like that houses aren't as simple as that. It's like using your daily horoscope in the in the newspaper, and thinking that's going to plot your whole life. Well, it's kind of might, might sometimes be right, but not often. So it's not that that's really it's a bit of a shame, because obviously it would be so much simpler for him.

07:16
So tell me, then how did you end up being fascinated? Because it was not like you were born in a French wave family? And it was you something happened right in your life? That it got you on this path? Can you share the story with us,

07:33
the flat from hell, basically. And, and it was, I at the time it you know, it took quite a long time to realize that things were were linked to where I was living. But no, I was a newly married, brand new converted flat, just as the property market was taking off, we managed to just get it in time. Before an interest rates, rates really soared straight afterwards. But then my husband was sent away. And then we had trouble with Pete, the tenants below who wouldn't go out and we wouldn't, we couldn't get them out. They were sort of squatting. And I was threatened. I lost my job. Through redundancy, admittedly, but I would have had to leave the country to carry on with that job. So. So all of these things happened. And then I think one day my husband had saw newspaper articles, you might be interested in this. And it just connected that all the places I'd lived before, had had an impact on how I was. So sometimes if we were, we'd rented for a while before we bought, and I was in one place. And I felt really, really anxious and really nervous all the time. And in fact, we were burgled in that property. So that anxiety was was fairly well founded. Other Other places, you know, finances were really difficult. And it just or we argued a lot. That was quite an interesting one. So there are lots of different things. But you know, when you're living like six months or a year somewhere, you know, it, you start to impact a worksheet, you know, that makes sense. And I often have clients now who say, Oh, well, I haven't been feeling well. And I said, Well, how long has that been going on? Probably since I moved in here, actually. And we don't always make that connection. Yeah, the flat from Hell was one where basically, had been threatened by this guy who's squatting who was also dealing drugs and wanted by the police. And I had a dog that barked all night. And, you know, things weren't a calm environment, say my husband was away, so he couldn't really help me. And in hindsight, I took all the readings for the property at a later date, and found it had, you know, sort of like the worst possible readings on just about every level you could have. And we also lost money on it. So we were in negative equity, so we couldn't get rid of it. So and that went on for quite a long time. And so we've had to get you know, if we rented it out afterwards, the tenant would perhaps do a run out or paid late or There's lots of different problems, but it's always a problem. Hence my calling it the flat from how, okay,

10:06
okay, so you, your husband gave you that article to read? Yep. And what happened then?

10:13
Well, that's where I got to that was Western, I call it Western functional. So it's the bag worthy. Just a relationship corner, the, you know, put your door along one orientation, etc. So I went to some courses and started learning some about about that. And then just as I was forced out of the property, like effectively ran away, I packed a bag, my husband said, I can get to the convent to Scotland, let's go. So I sort of packed a bag and drove basically. And when I was up there I met Grandmaster Chan, the the person who I asked him to do a talk, I met a friend who was equally studying that. So through the through film shot, and we said, There's a man who's just in the Scotsman newspaper. Let's ask him to do a talk. And lo and behold, at McMaster Chan, so it's through Western functional i i met him, I never really admitted that I was learning Western from chauffeur her, just realized that it was a lot deeper than what I'd you know what I'd come across a lot deeper.

11:21
Okay, and what happened then? So you started studying with him that you? Yeah,

11:27
yeah. So it so happened that he needed somebody to work with him to to assist him. So my friend became a colleague. So we sort of became a sort of like, a trio where she did his diary, but I would drive to consultations for him. So it's not taller, traditional apprenticeship, but probably as close as it could be. So we drive all over mostly Scotland, but all over the place during consultation, so I'd follow him, I'd take the notes and, and eventually, we established a school and started doing courses. But it's gone on from there, really. So he's, he's mostly retired now. He's passed on his baton to the next master, who's the senior senior master. So I now work with him and, and her still on consultations. But equally, you know, it's been sort of the last 20 years or so working on my own clients as well. So I still have that connection. And we have the Research Foundation called the toy foundation. So it's a group of people from worldwide who, who studied fungi. It's in this traditional it's called Choice style from China, which is that particular master style from shortly.

12:37
And how do you because you said, Western functional way? And I think what we do is much deeper. Can you give an example of that? So what's the difference?

12:48
Yeah, well, traditionally, for an AI to do that, I think they sometimes call it Blackhat, which is the Western version. But as is Imperial functional AI, that's the traditional function, the the sort of the essential function. So it's about taking a reading of a front door, and a back door. And so the front was the mouse. And the back is obviously where the energy leaves and then the spine of the building. And from that, you get a set of calculations that tell you about the quality of energy going in the property, what's leaving it, what it's like, overall, sometimes there's a sort of like a predominant characteristic. Sometimes their house is a bit fiery, a bit mischievous, bit argumentative, sometimes it's money, energy, sometimes it's good for careers. And then whether it's quiet energy, inner space, or active energy, which is you know, all these things are really useful for knowing whether it's good for veteran, whether it's good for an office, the colors, it should be because this energy that we're defining relates to the five elements cycle, and how they interact is helps you decide what elements you need to put in. So you might need a color to mediate between a certain. So if you've got mischief, energy, you might need something to calm it down. So you might put colors that relate to those elements. If you've got money, energy, you might want to enhance that, but you might not want that as a bedroom. So there's all these different things that come from, from these calculations. And it tells you whether the property's got money energy at all. Sometimes it's great for business, it's got money energy, but you know, if you're working from home and you haven't got money, energy in your readings, it doesn't really help for a successful or a profitable business. So all of those things come from taking the readings, which is that compass again.

14:34
Wow, interesting. Can you show us the compass again? Because so for those of you who are watching on YouTube, you are now seeing the compass watch that Maria is talking about. And if you're listening on a podcast, jump on over to our YouTube channel and have a look because it's very, very intricate and very, very detailed.

14:55
says it's a Chinese compass in the middle, a normal but it's magnetic compass, but actually as Chinese compass points south, they're ahead of us. And they got that first they point that South, and then the central position, the central plate, the golden plate rotates. So when you land it against the door, you would line up at the compass. And then the information along along there, mostly Chinese. So some numbers. And that gives me the readings that helped me define us depending if if you do function.

15:29
So you go into people's homes and do readings for them. So people also possibly live in a house that don't feel happy. And then they're like, what's going on here? The end up contacting you going just come out and see us? Because we don't know what's going on here. Is that right?

15:45
Yeah. I mean, obviously, it's once you've had it done. And you know, what, what the impact is, obviously, people come back and say, well, actually, I'm gonna buy a new house, can you check in your check it? But I don't want to make the same mistake again, or, you know, sort of this one felt so much better. Let's get another good one or So yeah, basically, if something is awry, you know, often they'll attempt to say, you know, is there a problem if someone hasn't told me and well, if it's, you know, if there's not a problem, your function was probably okay. But if there's something or someone's not doing so well in the house, or something doesn't feel right, then yeah, it's, they'll call up and say, Well, you know, we're not sure whether to stay or whether to go or whether there's something wrong, or whether we're just imagining it, or dot, dot dot, and it can be any number of reasons. But yeah, usually, if people feel that there's something wrong, there often is,

16:38
yeah. And then how do you know that you've got a problem? Because people get sick, or they're just unhappy? Or how can people realize like, oh, there's actually something wrong with the energy in my house?

16:51
Well, it's a difficult one, really, because when I say is your home supportive, that it's not going to necessarily protect you from life's ups and downs, not all of them. But if you have those things that happened to all of us, and you still feel that you've got a support system, you know, because it will impact how friends are whether your finances, if everything's comes in, and then goes straight back out, or it could be yet one family member might be not doing as well. Or it could be all the women are feeling really worn out, or all the men or men don't like being in the house a lot, or your one particular child doesn't feel, you know, thriving, or I had one once recently, where you know that one of the children was very argumentative all the time. And the energy of that child space was obviously impacting how they felt without them realizing because it's a very subtle thing. So it's sometimes just something doesn't feel right. It can be your house, of course, yes. But it can equally be something a lot simpler that, you know, we're always worn out, you know, something like that all we can't get in your in case, probably some of your readers, maybe they don't feel that they can either let go of things or keep clutter under control. And that's often and then, you know, can be impacted by the energy of the space, either. Either the energies, it's draining so that people feel that they have to hold on to things, because they, you know, we sense energy ticularly women actually, but men do, they just don't they perhaps maybe like to rationalize it. And that is massively sexist, and I apologize. But in terms of my clients, I would suggest that, but so you know, if you feel something's missing, or something's lacking, you often hold on to other things for that reason. So sometimes that can be a clutter thing. So yeah, those sorts of things. If you can't control a certain, you know, a certain issue or a certain area, sometimes it's one room, I can't keep up, you know, this, people always shamed. Oh, I'm sorry about this room, and they'll open it and it'll be, it'd be a bit more cluttered than then perhaps certainly that they want. So you know, that those sorts of things are, it's such a wide spectrum of how the energy impacts how you live.

19:11
And I'm like, I'm like, I'm hanging on to every word you're saying. So, okay, lots to take in. Let's go for a break. And then after the break, I definitely I need to know more. And I don't know how about your listeners, but I definitely want to know more. So let's go for break and we'll see you soon. Hi everyone. Welcome back. We're chatting to Maria who is a Feng Shui master. She's been sharing lots of information with us about the background of Feng Shui how we traveled into the West how she found out she was so interested. She's been talking about energy she's been talking about she's been sharing her compass, but now I think what it would be very interesting to know from Maria is more like because she touched upon the decluttering and the clutter in people's homes already a little bit because that's how I first came into contact with Feng Shui. Because I read an article or I think I read a book somewhere. And it talked about, well, yes, you don't want to have clutter under your bed because you don't want to sleep on clutter. And for me, I was like, Well, that makes complete sense, right? You don't want to do that. But of course, I hadn't realized that it could possibly be connected to Feng Shui. And also, I never like having stuff on doors. That's another thing that I I never liked it. I don't know why, but somebody the only hand that I read it somewhere that you don't want to hang, because you don't need to open properly. And as you see, I am doing feng shui without ever knowing it.

20:42
Absolutely. Yeah.

20:43
What What kind of examples can you give? Because it's clutter? I mean, we know that clutter isn't great for your home. But how can you feel that when you connect it to Feng Shui?

20:54
Well, what is a difficult one to say? How much is clutter? And how much is comfortable living? Yes. And I think there's a really, it's a fine line, I certainly I'm not a minimalist, I think sometimes. And in terms of the energy, if something is really sparse and really empty, great if it's the museum and you can focus on these pieces, but a home needs to have a certain amount of energy, a certain amount of nourishing, and if it looks too barren, then that's not helpful. So I'm not giving people you know, sort of suggestion that it's great to have heaps of stuff where you can't move around. But if you have a lot of stuff, the energy can't flow easily miss the energy can't flow easily, it can't flow in or out, and it becomes quite stagnant. So sometimes you can see, look, if you've got lots and lots of furniture, if you've maybe inherited furniture or you haven't let stuff go or you know, we value things that perhaps other people don't value as much. So we don't want to sell them because no one will give us the money for it or something like that. But so comfortable spaces. So there needs to be space around things, I think really the simple thing, because you need to let energy in. And if you're crammed full, then the energy can't get in, which means good opportunities, luck, money, fun, happiness, health are all impacted, because they are all composite of energy. So letting energy and having space to let the energy flow, as you say, opening doors, doors function is to open and close. That's what they're supposed to do. They let energy in. I mean, our front door is the mouth of the building. So you know, let things open and close, be able to not having loads of furniture behind and hanging things from it's fundamental. You're right. And so those things and things, we hold on to things, obviously, and they have an energy about them. But often it's we hold on to things because we have a sentimental attachment. But sometimes those things can hold us back, too. So it's about having just enough that it's comfortable that things are under control things under your bed. Yes. If it's bedding that can be stored under your bed. But yeah, exercise equipment. Well, basically you never use it, you sleep with it. So it becomes dormant and invisible. So those sorts of things equally, having lots of clutter in spaces is just that constant to do list, isn't it? It's exhausting having piles of things, oh, I need to do something with that. So all of that is quite a fundamental part of just letting some things go and letting in fresh energy. And we all get a lift if you tidy something don't you just feel amazing. So if you can sort of keep that going. But still Don't rob yourself of the lovely things in your life that means something but letting go the things that aren't adding is really fundamental, I think yeah,

23:47
I see so many overlaps between the message that Leslie and I want to give out to the world you know, it's all about find the quality over the quantity. We're not here to say have nothing in your house but the stuff that's in your house needs to serve you and do you good and be helpful and you need to love it and use it and treasure it. But having there is such a thing as having too much of a good thing. You know, when you are when your whole house is full of stuff that belonged to other people, whether it's given to you because they wanted to get rid of it or because they passed away and it's all ended up for you. You need to see yourself in your house and not a pest of somebody else or a pest of your family but of course you can keep the treasures of course you can keep the things that mean something to you but you want space to be open and I have some shelter that are full of pictures. And I think a lot of people think just because less you know professional organizers, we have nothing in our houses but that's not the case at all. But we do curate our collections stuff when stuff comes in other stuff leaves, because it needs to keep that flow. Why thing?

25:06
Yeah, yeah, I think there's a, I think it's a Buddhist philosophy that if you get given something, you take the meaning from that gift. Because obviously, you know, that's the thing someone has wanted to give you something, but you can still then pass it on, while still having that, you know, I mean, obviously, re gifting can get a bad name. But but it's not doesn't have to be a nasty idea. You know, the idea of that. And I've seen clients, and I've said, oh, yeah, that's why the blocking such and such, are you really attached to it? And they say, oh, no, it was given to me by somebody who didn't like it, because the woman she got given bit wasn't very nice person. Yeah, but in your bedroom, this thing is, there's some leftover chi there that perhaps, isn't helping you. You know, it's worth doing, I think, yeah.

25:54
I also picked up somewhere that clutter above you in a loft or an attic or cloth below you in a basement can really, really not help with Feng Shui, is that correct?

26:05
Yes, there is an element of that. Because obviously, you know, it's, it's hanging over you. I speak as a person who has quite a full last. But if you rationalize what you have, if it's stalled, you know, if it's if you're, if you're storing broken things, things you don't need. If you're just shoving it out of the way, then you know, it's there. So it defeats the object in that sense. Also, even in a simpler form, if you're working and you have things above, either above or above your desk, and piles of shelves, where you're facing a wall with shelves, you're going to be stressed, you're going to feel you know, you've got all this pressure above you. So whether it's your last or your shelves above you, and equally if you've got oh my goodness, that's nothing above your bed, and you've got shelves above your built in cupboards difficult pressure always above your head. So think about sometimes it's even smaller. So yes, last and basement, but also, you know, above your head when you're working or sleeping.

27:01
Oh, very good advice. I agree. I agree. Now, when I was of course, preparing for this podcast, because I don't know, randomly to show up and throw some questions at our guests, I do prepare. And I came across a very interesting handout that you have, and you talk about sanctuary mistakes. And we talked about the minimalism, but there's several that you think could be mistakes, or could you share a few with us?

27:29
Yeah, I think the first one and it's the simplest is, can you see your front door from the street. So that's if you're, if the energy can reach your front door, then it can reach you it's like, you know, trying to spoon feed a child or something, you know, you need to be able to see the mouth to get the food in. So that's a simple one. But when you're at the front door, can you see straight through, there's a lovely star that the architects have, where they want you to enter the property and see a view or see through or see. But basically, if your, from your front door, if you can see straight through or you can see a bathroom or another window, then the energy is going straight through the house. So it's from front to back, and it's not circulating. And that will mean that you any energy that comes in and when I'm talking to energy, that's the luck that's opportunities, that's money will go straight out. So you know, funds you know, whatever you earn isn't able to be saved and equally opportunities and if you're trying to sell a house obviously you want your buyer to your offer near the offer just sticking the buyer to stick so that sort of thing is fundamental. So that is such a simple simple thing. But if you can change that in it could be putting up a curtain on a door or putting an automatic closer if you have a door from between the front door and the view creating some kind of blockage you're holding the energy into the property and I guarantee it will make a difference to the energy it's such a simple thing that that is my first thing can you see the front door but when you're at the front door facing in what can you see an automatic clothes if you've got a bathroom or you know something's a really simple 10 pound mechanism that pushes the door closed, obviously consider pets and things but there are ways around these yes very practical things you can do. But just block that energy flowing out is your very first most effective thing and it's one of those things. I've helped so many clients when that's an issue. That's the first one. Well Where else in your kitchen if you if you have lots of arguments in your kitchen you have a look and see if your sink in your hopper opposite each other. Okay, because your sink is Yin wat is water. So that's the mother the moon, etc. The hug represents the fire which is the Yang She's the Father. So the Yin Yang, split that description to look at the fire and water and how they react together. And obviously, we know fire and water are in conflict. So if you find you argue a lot in your kitchen, have a look at whether you're hobbling your sink or opposite each other. Just slightly difficult to completely do a kitchen, there are ways around it. And other things, there's a real trend for dark walls, and Dark Horse a lovely and stylish, but they make everything very, very Yin. And Yang is very passive and quite stagnant. And really, when you're in a home, you you want to balance yin and yang. And to try and make a dark room light, you have to have like three or four times the amount of light fittings, so you're working against the natural energy of a space. And that can be really quite difficult. So it can make you very tired, it's very difficult to sleep it because you just feel very sluggish all the time, you don't want to wake up. And if you're trying to run a business from a space like that, equally, you're having to work really, really hard to stimulate the energy, we're trying to get yang energy, which is that fresh energy, energy that keeps us going.

31:13
Interesting. And you also had something to say about mirrors, right?

31:19
Mirrors are really, really effective. And you know, I was talking earlier when it was a flat where when I first started, we used to argue a lot. If you have mirrors opposite each other unless you're a salon, a hair salon or close boutique, having mirrors opposite each other, that sends the energy back and forward. So you can often argue, so when I was getting ready in the olden days with in this particular flat, we were renting, and my husband was getting ready the other mirror, and we would just argue the whole time. And we're we're not really an argumentative type of couple, but they are powerful, they draw energy to them. So if you have them in the right place, they can stimulate energy, and the best energy would be in on a north wall or a southeast toward there, they can stimulate money, energy. But if you have them opposite the front door, they will send energy straight back out. So best not to have them opposite front, or behind the toilet. Every time you go into a restaurant and you see a mirror behind the load. You know their funds are being drained down because it's drawing energy to the loo and flood drawing straight down.

32:26
Good to know. So we're all going to pay attention. Now. Last one that I thought was interesting was the position of a bed is really important as well, isn't it in a room?

32:36
Yes, yeah. When you actually, when I'm in a room, I'm looking at how it suits the person. So how the energy of that space suits the person based on the compass and based on the energy, the specific energy. So that's very much tailored to the people who live there. But if you're in general, first of all, the question is, how do you sleep because it's always if it's not broken, don't fix it. You know, there's there always exceptions to the functional rules always. But if you're not sleeping well, is your bed in line with the door. So if you stand at the door to the room, can you see all of the bed, if you can, then the energy is coming quite quickly at you, which means you're not being able to get a protected space to sleep in. And we all need calm sleeping. So can you move the bed away from the door, either behind the door or just so that you're at a slightly better angle across the room so that it doesn't hit you straight away. Sometimes, obviously, particularly with babies, we put them close to the door, because when they're crying, you need to see them and get to them. But they're then completely buffeted by this energy. So out of line is the door is the best space to sleep.

33:48
I find it fascinating. I am so interested. Thank you so much for sharing all this amazing information with us. Is there anything else that I've missed? Or that you would like to share with our listeners? Have you got a top tip for people who are decluttering? Or how they can? Is there anything else that you think they can improve their house with?

34:10
It's difficult. So are these things like don't think of can't, can't say all of them, I think think about how your house feels to you. And just just try and maybe try and see it with a stranger's eyes, you know, does this look like? Or how does this feel? Personally, the one thing I go to time and time again, if I'm concerned about something or if I think I could do with a pet, you know how we all do have sometimes keep out keep an eye on what we do you know, I'm sure sometimes you might think oh, if if my clients could see me now would they think that's a good idea. But if I'm thinking I need to give myself a pet I always look at the North position in my house particularly outside. North obviously always gets mossy quickly because it doesn't get as much sun in winter time. So I would give it a clean a good white, because the North represents the lead female in a house. So that's, that's me. And North represents the support from outside. So opportunities, friends, etc. So if I keep that nice and tidy, or maybe keep some plants there, I'll get if I, if I need a pet, I might get some flowers or flowering plant outside. So I do it inside and outside. But I always look at that space. If I'm thinking I've done that, okay, right, I could do a bit more or the house needs, you know, I need to do something for me. I look at the Southwest in my house, because that's how the House supports me. So I look at those two places. And if they are cluttered, look at them and say, Does this represent what I want? Because those two so if you start there, everything else is a bit easier. Is that what I want? Is that, you know, does that represent the life I want to lead or the energy I want to bring in? So I'd say certainly north, but Southwest as well. Well,

36:01
you've heard it here, first listeners, the North and the Southwest is what you need to focus on. And yes, I love that you said, dust, is there a lot of clutter. And does it represent me because I completely agree with you. I mean, both Leslie and I have done so many decluttering and houses with clients. And as soon as you just declutter some stuff, the room starts to feel lighter, it starts to all fall into place a little bit that the person declined, feels better. It's like a weight lifted off their shoulders, and they start to stand up just a little bit taller gone. Yeah, this feels so nice. It feels so good. And I think that's why I am so on board with everything that you're saying, because we've seen it, you know, in our in our clients houses in the membership, our lovely members who are doing so well with their decluttering and organizing. And you can see that because they build on that decluttering it does get easier. You have to just take that one step forward every day to make a difference. It won't change overnight. It's the same. Probably Maria, you you're not going to see your clients overnight solely, oh, money comes in and energy comes in. And but you need to build on those fundings.

37:18
Yeah, it's not it's you can think about it. It's not so much of what you're letting go. It's what you're letting in. It's a real positive. Oh,

37:26
oh, that's my favorite quotes.

37:30
I have to remember it myself.

37:32
That's amazing. Thank you so much. So if our listeners would like to know more about you about possibly doing a consultation with you just maybe signing up for your blog or finding out more about the 10 mistakes, where can they find you?

37:50
Well, my company is called dynamic spaces. So I have a website, which is dynamic spaces.co.uk. Yeah, I've got Facebook as well. And Instagram is Maria green dynamics faces. So yes, you can sign up there's a sign up on on both of those. So you can get your 10 crucial, controlling mistakes that affect the energy of your home. And yeah, and if you've got any questions, then please email me, either of those or Maria at Dynamic spaces. I love to talk to people about sunshine.

38:21
Okay. Well, thank you so much for being such an amazing guest. I've loved having you. It's a pleasure. You're welcome. So listeners have this podcast inspired you to make changes to your home based on the sanctuary principles that Maria has been talking about. Let us know in the comments. Declutter. hub.com forward slash 255. We can't I can't wait to hear what you got to say about this podcast. We know you love listening week in week out. We appreciate you so much. And if you're watching this on YouTube, thank you so much for being here. And don't forget to hit that subscribe button. So thanks, everybody. We'll see you next week.

39:06
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Maria Green from Dynamic Spaces has shared some fantastic ideas about how Feng Shui can affect your clutter.

How Feng Shui can affect your clutter

Since Feng Shui came to popularity in the early 1990s much has been written but most of what has been published bears little relation to the traditional Feng Shui that was kept secret for thousands of years in the Imperial Courts of China.

At its heart, real Feng Shui is about balancing the energy around us so that we benefit from the good and control the impact of unsupportive energy.

One of the key points of good Feng Shui is having a space that feels comfortable and calm. It should make life feel easier and more supportive. It’s about more than where you place your furniture!

Our homes are very personal to us: what one person feels is comfortable might be unbearable to someone else. But Feng Shui is less to do with personal taste and more about how we connect with the energy of a home. Sometimes you feel really comfortable as soon as you enter a house and other times you can’t wait to leave.

It’s also worth noting that Feng Shui has nothing to do with minimalism. Empty spaces aren’t good for the energy either as they can be too sterile.
To feel calm and in control of your space, you need enough room for the energy to enter your home and flow easily around it.

If your home doesn’t feel comfortable because you feel that it’s too cluttered where do you start?

It can be a bit of a chicken and egg situation.

I often see clients whose homes don’t have supportive energy. We often perceive this lack of support without realising it. It can cause us to hold on to “stuff” to make up for this lack or because we know there isn’t enough energy in the house to support us.

Conversely you might have accumulated possessions over time, from house moves, combining homes or inherited items etc so your home has become “fuller”. If there’s no room for the energy to circulate, then energy won’t be able to flow around your house and benefit you.

If you understand that “energy” affects health, relationships, money, opportunities, good luck and any serendipity that makes life easier, you can see why you want to make the most of it in your home.

Other times the energy of a room isn’t balanced which makes it difficult to control. This can cause you to feel overwhelmed or unmotivated to spend time in a space so it becomes cluttered and a source of stress.

Having good Feng Shui can help you feel in control of the energy of your home, rather than in a battle with its contents.

Traditional Feng Shui

Traditional Feng Shui is very detailed and specific to each individual property and its occupants, but there are some simple points that are effective for every home:

• Your front door is the mouth of the building. Make sure that it is clear and light and there are no shoes visible. This allows in the freshest energy to your home.

• If you can see through your home from the front door to the back of the property or to the WC, then your home isn’t holding on to the energy. You may be holding on to things because you don’t feel that your home is supporting you.

• Hard to negotiate spaces like narrow hallways full of furniture or possessions stop the energy circulating.

• The door to any room needs to open fully, so that you (and the energy) can get in easily. Don’t have anything behind the door that stops it opening. Also don’t have lots of furniture in front of the doorway, as this blocks energy getting in too.

• Get rid of items that are broken or that you don’t use. (These are negative, old energy and hold you back.)

• Rubbish impedes the flow of good energy. Keep bins away from the door. Light, fresh spaces encourage stronger energy.

• The key areas in a home start with the head male and female energy – the mother and father. Within a home, the southwest relates to the female. If this area is cluttered or is in the bathroom, you won’t be benefitting from the energy. This area can cause you greater stress than any other. If you can keep it looking tidy and add some attractive plants, then you should feel the benefit. The northwest is the lead male position. This is the strongest energy in a home, so it worth looking after. You should also consider the north position for a woman’s support from outside the home and the south for a man’s support outside. Check where your rubbish bins and
compost heap are located.

• Clearing clutter is fundamental to the energy of a space. If a home is too full, especially when things don’t have a specific place, then there is no room for any more energy to come in. Then you’re stuck with the same old energy you’ve had for ages. This can make things feel stagnant and it’s easy to become exhausted. Get rid of things you no longer need, is a great way to give the energy a boost. You know the buzz you get once you’ve done a clear up? That’s fresh energy! It can be addictive.

So much is said about the amount of stuff we have but with Feng Shui it’s making space for good energy to help you live the life you want.

Wishing you good Feng Shui!

For more tips and hints about Feng Shui, visit Dynamic Spaces Blog Page.

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Episode 255 – Declutter with Feng Shui with guest Maria Green

How Feng Shui can affect your clutter

Traditional Feng Shui

Episode 322 – How to avoid Black Friday shopping Don’t Buy Ask Why

Episode 321 – The secrets of organisation when you have ADHD with Ian Anderson Gray

Episode 320 – What is clutter blindness and how to fix it?

Episode 319 – Katie Mortram from Good Housekeeping chats all things clutter

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