When you first embark on your feng shui journey, it's a good idea to conduct an “energy audit” to determine areas of clear and blocked chi. Here's a quick checklist for assessing the chi in and around your home:

• Is the path to your front door open, curved, and inviting? Do you use your front door to enter your home, or is a side door favored? In good feng shui, your doorway should be clear and unencumbered. Too much clutter (even in the form of too much foliage) can block energy from reaching your door.

• Are staircases easy to access–but not in direct line with doorways? Does your front door open to a staircase that goes up or down? Chi comes in through your front door and should be able to move through your house slowly for maximum benefit to all living in the home. If your staircase is in direct line with the front door, the chi rushes up the stairs and back out of the house–especially if there is a small window at the top of the staircase. Hang a crystal to slow down the chi.

• In your living room, does the air feel stagnant? That's a good sign that the energy in the room is blocked. Open some windows or use a ceiling fan to circulate the chi in the room–and bring some life back to the living room.

• Do the hallways seem open and airy? Are there piles of clutter stacked in a hallway “loading dock” (i.e., waiting for a move to storage that never seems to happen)?