Sometimes a house or office can feel uncomfortable and there’s no real reason you can put your finger on to explain your uneasy feeling. Other times, it’s easy: someone has been there that was negative or died or was ill. Homes and spaces often take on the energy of the previous occupants as well. There may be instances when you moved into a space and just felt like someone else was there or that the space just didn’t feel right.

If this sounds familiar, just remember you are not alone. Many people feel uncomfortable in spaces and they can’t explain why. The “why” is not important, though. What is important is that you find a way to make your space feel more comfortable so you can feel more at ease. A first step would be to perform a space cleansing.

Unlike “space clearing,” space cleasing doesn’t rely on getting rid of clutter. However, if you have a bunch of old items and junk from previous residents or others, it is possible that some of the energy is coming from these old items. If that’s the case then you should definitely take some of these things to the trash.

What’s more, if you have had a spate of bad luck and find that life has just been a constant struggle, it’s possible that you have some negative energies hanging around. This is another good instance when it might be a good idea to do a space cleansing. Space cleansing will help you feel more comfortable in your home or office and let you move on in your space comfortably and in a positive state of mind.

Regardless of why or how you feel, if your space doesn’t feel quite right, consider these tips to help you clear out the negative energy in your house and invite the good energy back inside!

1. Clear stale energies from prior residents.

If you have recently moved, you might be feeling some of the residual energy from past residents. If that’s your case, then consider using a simple bell. Walking from the front door and in a clockwise pattern, circle each room and go into the next while ringing a bell. Be sure to ring the bell in corners and in closets where negative energy can remain trapped.

2. Use salt to cleanse an area.

Another tip is to use salt to remove negative energies. You can wipe the walls with salt or sprinkel salt into the corners of the room. Be sure to sweep up the salt and throw it into the trash outside of your house.

3. Feed your ghosts rice.

If you feel extreme negative energy, you can also try sprinkling rice around the perimeter of your home beginning at the front door. The rice will draw the energy outside and away from the interior of your home.

4. Scent the air to rid negative energies.

Smoke from incense or from herbs such as lavender for transcending problems or eucalyptus for healing or mint for prosperity. The scents of incense or herbal essential oils are all excellent ways to introduct beneficial energy.

5. Light and sound.

Light and sound are two very effective “yang” treatments that help to dispel negative energies. Tinkling windchimes and bright crystal rainbows or lit chandeliers are both excellent ways to introduce beneficial — and cleansing — energy to your space.

6. Take a salt bath for yourself.

In the process of cleansing your home, it might also be a good idea to cleanse yourself as well. It is possible that you are bringing negative energy home from work or from the outside world. Soak in a tub with sea salt or make your own sea salt scrub and wash your body in the shower with salt. Salt will purify you and remove negative energies from your person. This is especially helpful if you work in a hostile or gossipy environment and will help you rid the energy from your body.

The bedroom is the site of relaxation, romance, and rest. Designed well, the bedroom can inspire couples to feel more romantic and stir their passions. If not, relationships can dwindle down to a friendly, not so romantic, handshake. If bedrooms are a place of activity, such as exercise, work, hobbies, or other interests, then they will not be the restful space they were intended to be. There is a fine line between creating the bedroom that inspires you and the bedroom that depletes you.

One of the first areas this shows up in is the artwork. Feng shui has stringent rules regarding bedrooms – and correspondingly – the art that goes into them. Time after time, I see bedrooms during feng shui consultations whose artwork appears to be whatever was leftover from the rest of the house. Or, the symbolism of the art in relationship to the room it is displayed in is not taken into account, such as winter scenes in a marriage bedroom. This can fill the bedroom with all the wrong messages. Bbbbrrrrr…….

Bedrooms should display the messages that inspire the person (or persons) who occupy the room. Artwork should reflect their tastes, interests, and desires while still following feng shui guidelines. This will help to ensure that negative messages or inappropriate messages don’t distract from the principal goals of the bedroom: rest, romance, and relaxation.

Look at all the bedrooms in the house. Determine if they are inspiring and if they are making the appropriate statements for the room. For example, a scary Spiderman poster that looks like Spiderman is going to jump off the wall may create a frightening bedroom for a young boy.

Or, pictures of the kids in a marriage bedroom create too much “kid energy” and can be uncomfortable for romance, causing marital passion to wither. Next, take into account feng shui guidelines, such as eliminating mirrors, pictures of dragons, deities. or vicious animals.

Sleeping is a time when we must be the most protected and cared-for. This is why it makes sense to make sure that your bedrooms support you, your family, and your relationships.

Art in Children’s Bedrooms

* Avoid vicious animals and scary figures.

* Place happy, bright images in the children’s bedrooms

* Display images of skill and learning, such as pictures of globes and books or any kind of learning experience

* DON’T hang pictures of water, lakes, or oceans

* Avoid pictures of religious themes, such as crosses or religious figures

* Select pictures of animals that are positive, such as horses (good for sons) that look happy and strong, not frightened. Turtles are also beneficial. Avoid frogs and toads which can appear to “eat” whatever is in the room.

* DO have pictures of parents in children’s bedroom to inspire better behavior and greater respect

* Clouds are very popular for children’s bedrooms. Be certain that if you have clouds on the ceiling, that the child’s head is not covered by a cloud as this will create “a cloud over his/her head” and this can lead to a number of difficulties. (The same is true for adult bedrooms.)

Art in Adult Bedrooms

* For couples, DO place pictures of pairs (geese, ducks, chairs, vases, etc.) to foster togetherness

* Avoid pictures of heavenly images deities, religious figures, etc.

* Avoid pictures of singular items that suggest being alone

* Avoid pictures of flowers and plants, unless someone is ill. Plants and pictures of plants or flowers will cause couples to argue.

* DO have pictures of love, such as couples in an embrace, tasteful nudes, or affection

* DON’T have pictures of children in the bedroom. You have enough “kid time” already. Have one place in the house that is devoted solely to you and your mate.

* If single, make sure you have pictures in the bedroom that represent the energy you are trying to attract, i.e., a single woman seeking a man should hang pictures that show men or have men strongly in the scene.

* To create opportunities for yourself, place a picture of an open field on the wall opposite the bed. This suggests the way of your life is open and obstacles are removed.

Are you being hurt by harsh corners?

Harsh edges are a feng shui trouble spot. Many times these edges are easy to overlook and can hide themselves. Sharp edges and corners can come from doors, square columns, shelves, cabinets — even arrangements of furniture.

In feng shui, strong, harsh edges are similar to knife blades, and their energy should be treated that way. Some edges are worse than others, though. Edges that are aimed at the back, such as from bookshelves behind a desk, or at the neck, from shelves on a wall or open cabinets, are considered especially dangerous.

Look around your home and office to see if there are knife edges aimed anywhere of importance, such as your bed, your desk, your dining table, or anywhere you spend a lot of time. Then, consider whether it is worth the risk to expose yourself to these harsh edges. Most of the time, by a simple rearrangement, you are able to keep the shelf or cabinet without having to do away with it.

Protective feng shui is one of the first steps one must make when looking to improve the feng shui of a home or office. Protecting oneself from the dangers of harsh edges should be on your checklist so that no one is unprotected or exposed. Read the tips below for more ideas on handling harmful edges.

1. Never place shelves overhead.

These kinds of shelves can press on the head. If they are simple boards, the sharp edges of the boards can be harmful. Placed at a desk or against a wall, a sharp edge overhead will make it hard to think clearly or make decisions well because of the pressure being exerted. Remove them and place elsewhere.

2. Watch for tray or raised ceilings.

These are very popular in home construction now. If you have one of these over your head while you sleep it is possible that you feel pressured, have headaches, or have difficulty sleeping. You could even have financial difficulties. Try to move the bed away from this edge, or create a canopy that covers the edge with fabric.

3. Be careful about bookshelves.

Bookshelves should never be directly ahead or behind you. This can cause confrontation and backstabbing, especially if these shelves are at work. Move the shelves so that they are not in line with your body. This is especially important at work or while you are sleeping.

4. Avoid bookshelf headboards.

These have LOTS of sharp edges and are not good for you. Besides muddled thinking, you could also suffer from head ailments ranging from sinuses to poor vision to headaches.

5. Watch L-shaped arrangements.

These kinds of arrnagements create the “cleaver” or “hatchet” effect. The long side is the “knife blade.” Where do you see these? In L-shaped desk arrangements where the long knife blade is usually your desk! Separate the furniture. Do the same with sofa arrangements, too.

6. Square columns have harsh edges.

Hang a 6-rod hollow windchime in front of the column to lift the energy or place a vine at the bottom to grow around the column, or place a tall plant or curtain or screen of some kind in front of the column. These columns are very dangerous if they are aimed at your table, your bed, and even worse, at your front door.

7. Wall shelves create knife blades.

Wall shelves, especially those at neck height, act like guillotines. Make sure these are covered and not at your head or neck level, especially if they are located somewhere where you work or stand a lot (such as by a stove or sink). Knife blades at the head can create very serious loss.