FENG SHUI

Feng Shui literally means “wind” and “water” and is an ancient art of furniture placement and energy flow. Various incarnations of Feng Shui have been practiced for over 6000 years throughout the Asian and Southern regions, from India (where it is known as “Vaastu”) to Japan to Tibet and, of course, China. In the past decade the popularity of Feng Shui has exploded in the West thanks in large part to globalization and the spread of alternative ideologies and treatments, and is practiced today in three main schools.

So what exactly does Feng Shui mean from a practical point of view? Well, the basic premise in Feng Shui is that everything around us is comprised of energy currents, or chi. Moreover, these energy flows have powerful effects on every aspect of our lives. When we are living in harmony with our environment (our home), the energy that surrounds us is supportive and works for us rather than against us. Intuitively, we sense this.

Life moves in a state of flow and our health, finances, career, morale all reflect this positive state when we have a sense of harmony and balance with our environment. When energy is stagnant or blocked, life becomes more difficult, effort more arduous, like sailing upstream against the current.

Even without knowing the principles of Feng Shui, we are aware that we feel “at home” and completely at ease in certain places while others make us agitated and jumpy and downright uncomfortable. Why is this so? As we are influenced by the flow of chi, chi itself is also affected by the physical environment.

The items that make up a space, their shapes, positions, colors, arrangements, the cleanliness of the space, the level of clutter – all these have a profound effect on the flow of energy in a collective space.

Thus, changing aspects of the physical surroundings, using the principles of Feng Shui, can directly influence the lives of those who live in them by powerfully altering both the level and the movement of energy. The starting point in Feng Shui is the bagua.

THE BAGUA

According to Feng Shui, there are nine main situations or aspects in our lives and each correspond to a spot on the bagua template.

• Prosperity
• Fame
• Love & Relationships
• Family & Elders
• Health
• Creativity
• Skills & Knowledge
• Career
• Travel

You begin by placing the template in such a way that the front door always falls in the Career (Knowledge or Benefactors) area. By lining up the template in this way, you can visualize what aspects of the bagua are affected by the respective areas of your house, apartment, office or any other space. Then by affecting subtle changes to any of the areas, using clearing, enhancements and intention, you are able to exert a more positive influence in that aspect of your life. See Figure 1 for further details on the aspects referred to by each sector of the bagua as well as possible enhancements and other aspirations.