Today, we are very happy to feature a guest post from Mark Ainley. Mark consults, teaches, and writes about his unique contemporary approach to Feng Shui across the globe (he is in Japan on a sold-out schedule at the moment). His soon-to-be-launched Sense of Space website will feature articles, videos, and schedules of upcoming training programs. 

The New Year is a time to bid a fond farewell to the past and to welcome new possibilities. The Chinese art of Feng Shui has many complicated formulae to apply each Lunar New Year; my approach of Contemporary Feng Shui keeps things practical and simple so you can work with ease towards whatever goals or resolutions you have set.

Clear Out The Past
Our materialistic society has lots of rituals whereby we accumlate possessions – birthdays and Christmas, for example – and if you continue to bring new things into your home, you will run out of space unless you release some old ones. The New Year is an ideal time to let go of unloved possessions so you can move towards new horizons unencumbered by the past. You will feel lighter and, being surrounded by more of what you truly value, you will be inclined to manifest more of what you want without other stuff getting in the way.

Choose Art with Consciousness
We are extraordinarily responsive to what we see (that’s why advertising works) so choose art and objects consistent with your goals. If you are searching for a partner or rekindling your existing relationship, swap those images of mopey single women for art of loving couples. If you want to travel, display pictures of your favourite destinations with a souvenir or two, perhaps with your passport nearby. If intending to eating healthily (focus on the positive, as opposed to the negative ‘lose weight’), clean and streamline your kitchen with colourful products that help with fun food preparation and with images that support nourishing choices.

Move Things Around
If you’re on a budget and can’t upgrade your space with some new decor (you could rent from Flüff…), move things around. The nervous system craves change, even though the average belief system doesn’t. When your home becomes so familiar that you tune things out, you are less engaged in your life and therefore less involved in manifesting your goals. Making shifts to your surroundings will help you better appreciate what you possess by showcasing it in a new way.

Vision Board
Make a collage of images that reflect your goals. Frame it and display it somewhere appropriate, perhaps on your desk. Lighting a candle in front of it will help illuminate and clarify your goals while sparking your motivation.

~Mark Ainley