Have you noticed the recent popularity of the ancient art of Feng Shui? The proliferation of websites and products that promote the benefits of feng shui is one indication; so is your own growing concern about how to decorate your home or office following feng shui principles.
Over the past thirty years, Feng Shui has been growing in acceptance, in the U.S. as well as around the world.
In the East, however, feng shui has been a way of life for centuries, a way of ordering space to help bring about harmony with our surroundings.
Plainly, feng shui can be translated as "wind-water." Pronounced [fə́ŋʂwèi] or [fung-SHWAY], to the Chinese it means harnessing the positive aspects of the energy, "Qi" (ch'i), and avoiding the negative by balancing, manipulating and accessing certain elements in a particular location.
Specifically, Feng Shui is concerned about planning buildings, roads and other structures so that they that they access "maximum benefits and minimum damage from the ch'i of the cosmos."For instance, Chinese people believe that when their homes are located in an auspicious site, they can expect the flow of wealth, stability and social position to come to them without impediment.
On the other hand, if a space is located in an inauspicious area, Feng Shui can tell you what elements are blocking the positive energies and how to remedy this.
As a philosophy, however, feng shui goes beyond basic rules of where to place your bed, your room or your desk. In fact, it is a complex system of belief and practice that would take years of in-depth study to master.
To the Chinese, feng shui is one of the basic principles that governs life – in short, if you follow good feng shui, you will have a good life.
What is commonly practiced is a simplified form of feng shui that mostly deals with space ordering in decoration. If you are truly interested in this ancient art, you will need to seek out a qualified, fully trained practitioner who can guide you through feng shui's many aspects.
Some elements in feng shui we've already mentioned, such as the energy called Qi in the previous section. Qi is a critical element in feng shui because harnessing qi (ch'i) is the most basic purpose of Feng Shui. Qi or Ch'i is what the ancient Chinese consider the universal energy or creative life force that orders the universe. (Yes, the idea of the Force in the Star Wars film series is based on Ch'i.) It brings harmony, prosperity, luck and long life. Ch'i has two aspects, Yin and Yang, and five manifestations, the five elements.Yin and Yang represent the dual energies in ch'i: the positive and negative polarities.
Feng Shui believes that everything has yin and yang. For example, if there is earth, there is also water; if there is aggression, there is also calm. The important thing is to balance yin with yang so that the forces are in harmony and coexist. Remember, both energies are essential! You cannot have one without the other!
The five elements are ways in which particular aspects of ch'i are made evident. These elements are water, wind, earth, wood and metal. Each element has its own characteristics and the presence of each represent different types of energies.
Water is something that is flowing, hence, it symbolizes the flow of wealth, health, communication, opportunities and the like.
Fire is a strong energy, thus, it represents passion.
Wood is all about creativity, inspiration and motivation.
Metal, being a conductor, is a type of transmitter of energy, it "brings" energies to a certain place.
Finally, earth generates the grounding and stability of energy.
To determine where these energies flow and where they are needed, feng shui practitioners use a number of tools.
Those who practice Feng Shui use numerous tools but, there are two which are commonly utilized in Feng Shui readings.
A Luo-pan, or magnetic compass detects the flow of qi in a space and how it affects its occupants. With the use of a luo-pan, the Feng Shui consultant can suggest remedies or cures to areas where the qi flows negatively or is blocked.
A Bagua (pa kua) map is a tool used in to map a room or location and see how the different sections correspond to different aspects in one's life such as success, relationships, children, creativity, travel, career, wisdom, health, and wealth.
One's home or office is mapped to find areas where qi is lacking and where remedies will be needed. For example, if the bagua map is placed over the architectural plans of your home and it shows the relationship area matching the master's bedroom, then you and your partner have positive energy in that area. Bringing good Feng Shui into your home.
The feng shui principles mentioned above hardly scratch the surface of feng shui knowledge. There are still so many things to learn!
What's important is that we understand a few basic principles about feng shui. That feng shui is all about the presence of energy, is what must be kept primarily in mind.
Bringing feng shui into your home means finding ways and tools to capture, enhance and, most especially, balance energies to allow the flow harmony and prosperity to surround us. To do so, feng shui practitioners use paraphernalia like chimes, fountains, mirrors, candles and many others depending on which is appropriate to a particular need.
If you are building a structure or if you want to make improvements to one, perhaps you may want to research more about feng shui.
Doing a feng shui reading can really getting into the background of feng shui and can be quite extensive, but it can also be rewarding.
References:
1. Rodika Tchi. "What is Feng Shui - Feng Shui Theory and Feng Shui Tools, Cures and Tips," article online at http://fengshui.about.com/od/thebasics/qt/fengshui.htm, accessed June 10, 2010.
2. Rodika Tchi. "Feng Shui Color Guide - How To Use Colors in Feng Shu." Article online at http://fengshui.about.com/od/fengshuicures/qt/fengshuicolor.htm, accessed June 10, 2010.
3. E. N. Anderson. "Ecologies of the Heart: Emotion, Belief, and the Environment." Oxford University Press, New York, 1996
Websites consulted:
1. www.fengshuicrazy.com
2. www.fengshui-doctrine.com
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