Sofia is a Professional Classical Feng Shui consultant, teaches at the National School of Feng Shui, where she is also completing her advanced studies. She also gives workshops and writes for our magazine. She has recently written a book, “Change your Home, Enrich your Life”, a book where she places the ancient art of Feng Shui at your service and enables the energy of our homes to flow in a positive way, making it cosier and better protected.

After reading her first book on Feng Shui, her passion grew and has remained so until this day.

What made you become interested in Feng Shui?
I recall when I read the first book on the subject. It was fascinating. It seemed as though everything made sense, something innate. I started to implement some of the measures and it was almost like a miracle – it worked! From then on, this passion grew and has been doing so until today.
It’s charming to compare people’s lives before and after making changes in their homes.
Feng Shui allows me to do what I most enjoy – helping others have a better life, the life they want to have.

You wrote the book Change your Home Enrich your Life. Tell us about this book …
It was actually a goal I’d had for quite a while. I wanted to create something that would reach more people and that they could, on their own, implement a few small suggestions and feel the results happen in their lives. At the end of 2015, when I was setting my goals for 2016, I felt: “this is it, this is the moment!” And perhaps that’s why everything came together and here it is now.

It’s a very practical book, filled with tips so we can make major changes and get major results. Can you offer us a few tips on the practical use of feng shui?
There are endless options, some more general and others that are specific to each case. But overall, we can all pay more attention to our homes, care for them as though we were caring for ourselves, which in truth is exactly what happens. The initial and fundamental points for the energy to start flowing in people’s lives include airing it every day, letting the sunshine in, applying the principle of “out with the old and in with the new”. This last one is fundamental for everything else to start and the first results show up. Then, I recommend you apply the various suggestions I make in my book, appropriate to each room. You will be taking a big step with all these small ones!

Feng Shui seeks balance and harmony in our lives. How can this major ally bring us the support for our life to go better?
It’s as simple as placing energy flowing correctly, namely by placing objects in the right place given their energy characteristics. In reality, much like other philosophies, the basis for Feng Shui is in applying the Cycle of the Five Elements correctly, that is the relationship between them (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal).

New Year, New Life. To make the most of the energies of the changing year, we need to end the year in the best way possible. How can we start the next year with a bang?
The first thing to do is analyse the year coming to an end and define the goals for the following year. This is something that needs to be done in time and calmly. Next, it’s fundamental that we start the year with our accounts organised, so this is another point that should be “closed” at year end. Lastly, check that you’ve gotten rid of any clutter so that you start the new year lighter.

How can we get our home winter-ready?
Winter is a time that invites us to be cosy and we need to keep up with the energy of each season. For this reason, in winter you should make your home cosier, warmer when it comes to colours and textures. It’s fundamental that you keep the house with some activity going on, so it doesn’t go into hibernation mode. Having friends over is healthy.

Whenever we bring new objects into our home, they will interact with the existing energy. What should Christmas decorations be like, according to Feng Shui?
The decoration should be balanced and we should never fill up the house to the point where it’s difficult to move. Then there are details that can be used to stimulate good energy. For instance, this year it’s lucky to place the Christmas tree in the south part of the living room to bring joy to your career. In the northern section you can place some snowmen to help reduce possible financial loss. In the southwest section of your living room you can place a nice Christmassy basket with pinecones to bring harmony with people and improve your finances.

What should we make sure we look out for when house hunting?
Make sure you’re not stuck in an alley. Having unimpeded views is also essential for a life with well-defined goals and objectives. The number of people who can’t define what they’d like to do on a professional level nowadays is huge.

Can a home influence the inhabitants’ state of mind and health?
Absolutely! Not just the inside, i.e. how we decorate and organize it, but also what’s on the outside.

Are colours important to balance the energy in our home?
Yes. Each colour is associated with a given element (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal), which should then be placed in the most suitable room given the analysis done of the inside and outside of the home. However, Feng Shui is so much more than using the proper colours.

What is your favourite place in your home and what does it have in terms of Feng Shui?
All of them!! I apply Feng Shui everywhere in my home or, as a friend of mine says, it’s “bullet proof”! Everything was or is thought out and analysed to the smallest detail and according to Feng Shui and that’s why I, my family and my friends feel so comfortable there.

Would you care to share a story about applying Feng Shui in your life? What worked, what didn’t work?
Yes, I can share the most important one. A few years back, when I was still an engineer and taking my first tentative steps in Feng Shui, in actual fact I had two jobs going on at the same time. No matter how much I enjoyed what I was doing, the days were draining, as I worked from 9 am to 6 pm in a company and then I entered my “consultant” mode until almost two or three in the morning. The weekends were filled with classes and workshops I taught (and still do), consultations and I still found some time for family and friends. Yet, my health couldn’t take this pace and so I was “forced” to make a decision. Either I continued as an engineer and gave up on Feng Shui consultancy, or else I would chase after my dream. I thought about it. I meditated. And I made up my mind. I chased my dream! I applied a series of specific “cures” for the situation at hand and here I am now.

Would you like to leave a message for those who are interested in Feng Shui?
Yes. Just like the title of my book says: Change your Home Enrich your Life!