For thousands of years, the Chinese have used Feng Shui as a method of organising specific objects in order to improve the flow of spiritual energy. The idea comes from the way that water and wind flows. Initially, the art of Feng Shui, which literally means "wind water" was used in tombs in order to assist the dead, however in the 21st Century, it has become common practice within the home.

The most popular method of managing Feng Shui in your home, is using something known as "Bagua". Bagua, meaning "eight areas", is one of the main tools used to "control" the energies in an area. Each area represents a specific part of your life, and how you treat that area of your home, determines how well you will do in that element of life.

1. The North Bagua represents your Career, is controlled by the element of water, and benefits from the use of the colours black and blue.

2. The North Eastern Bagua represent how you grow spiritually, is controlled by the element of Earth, and you should use yellow and earthy tones in this area.

3. The Eastern Bagua represents the Health of both you and your family. It is controlled by Wood, and it is recommended that you should use browns and greens here.

4. The South Eastern Bagua controls money and prosperity in your life, and is also controlled by Wood, with brown and greens working well in this area too.

5. The Western Bagua covers both Children and Creativity, its element is Metal, and you should use greys and whites here.

6. The Southern Bagua determines your personal Reputation amongst peers or your community. The Southern Bagua’s element is Fire, and is represented well by the vivid fire-based shades including reds, oranges, pink and yellows.

7. The South Western Bagua represents both Love and Marriage in your life. It is another Earthy area, with earth-based colours such as light browns and greens being great here.

8. The North Western Bagua represents Travel; its element is metal and the colours white and grey work best in this area.

In order to determine which area of your home is represented by which Bagua, you will need to draw up a floor plan of your home, with your front door being placed along the southern area of the Bagua Chart.

Feng Shui is all about the free-flow of energy through your home. For this reason, it is crucial to allow the energy to move unhindered through the building, from the moment it arrives through each door. Clutter and mess prevent this, so decluttering rooms, by throwing away anything that is broken, pointless or just generally not needed, and finding constructive ways to hide everything else, solves this problem.

Windows should also be kept clean, as dirty windows are believed to block your ability to see things properly, thus clouding how you see the important things in your life. Therefore, having dirty windows is thought to encourage you to make poor decisions.