Over dinner last week, a casual teacher friend told me that as she walks into a classroom, she knows how the kids will behave that day – and it’s all because of the energy in the room, and the vibe of the space.

So when I saw Zoe Foster Blake talk about her “space clearing” obsession on Instagram, I was interested to find what on earth it was all about.

“This is Leanne, she just did energy clearing on the home we’ve moved into, something I always do when moving house, and something I recommend vigorously if you’re Into That Kind Of Stuff,” Zoe’s post began.

“You can’t even begin to imagine all the shit your house (and the land it’s on) accumulates over time/various owners. It needn’t be just when you move though, energy clearing is great if you’re having a shitty time in life/health issues/too many fights. ”

So what is energy clearing, and why are people doing it?

“The primary reason people space clear their home, is to clear the inherent energies in the earth and house, and the negative energies that we generate ourselves,” explains Anthony Ashworth, a Vastu-Feng Shui Practitioner and Space Clearer.

Zoe Foster Blake. Image via Instagram @zoetheysay.

“Whatever we feel, we release into our home. If we have a loving, happy family, then we are generating positive vibrations into our home, if we are feeling negative feelings, we generate negative vibrations. We have all been to places where there are positive energies, and you can feel them, and it is often because people have created this energy.”

The purpose behind space clearing is to encourage energies to move around the property rather than through the home. But how does a space clearing “clear” exactly?

Ashworth explained that there are a lot of physical acts that go in space clearing, including smoke and smudge (a stick of dried herbs wrapped together), and also drumming and clapping.

Indulge in a few happy snaps from the Foster-Blakes’s recent trip to New York City. (Post continues after gallery…)

Hamish, Zoe and Sonny.

Inside Hamish and Zoe's holiday album. Image via Hamish Blake/Instagram.

Inside Hamish and Zoe's holiday album. Image via Hamish Blake/Instagram.

Inside Hamish and Zoe's holiday album. Image via Hamish Blake/Instagram.

Zoe and Sonny.

Zoe and Sonny.

Inside Hamish and Zoe's holiday album. Image via Zoe Foster-Blake/Instagram.

Inside Hamish and Zoe's holiday album. Image via Zoe Foster-Blake/Instagram.

Inside Hamish and Zoe's holiday album. Image via Zoe Foster-Blake/Instagram.

Zoe.

Hamish Blake.

Inside Hamish and Zoe's holiday album. Image via Zoe Foster-Blake/Instagram.

Inside Hamish and Zoe's holiday album. Image via Zoe Foster-Blake/Instagram.

Inside Hamish and Zoe's holiday album. Image via Zoe Foster-Blake/Instagram.

Inside Hamish and Zoe's holiday album. Image via Zoe Foster-Blake/Instagram.

Sonny Blake.

Hamish and Sonny.

Inside Hamish and Zoe's holiday album. Image via Hamish Blake/Instagram.

Inside Hamish and Zoe's holiday album. Image via Hamish Blake/Instagram.

Inside Hamish and Zoe's holiday album. Image via Hamish Blake/Instagram.

“Negative energies that have built up in the home can have multiple consequences. Such as, the inability to bring new things into your life, because your home is so full of negative energies, there is little room for positive energy. You can lose your zest for life, and it can have physical and psychological consequences,” explains Ashworth.

How to ensure you have good energy in your home.

The key here? You need an uncluttered space.

“Energy gets sticky around clutter which can hold negative energy. Don’t be frightened of it and don’t pick up too much at once – start by uncluttering a drawer or a cupboard. It will get energy moving,” explains Ashworth.

The next trick sounds a little Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin. It’s “conscious cleaning”.

“I don’t like cleaning the house, but I know that I’m space clearing when I’m cleaning. Negative energy tends to settle low – so when you vacuum, for example, you are doing a mini space clear, as well as cleaning,” explains Ashworth.

“It’s really important that the intention that goes in behind it – if you vacuum and say to yourself – ‘I am removing negative energy from my home’, then you are much more likely to be able to remove the negative energy.”

Apparently this not only gets rid of the superficial negative energy, like dust in the corner, but it also does a deeper space clearing, going beyond the carpet, the paint and the brickwork, and vibrating it to release the energy.