Have you ever walked into a space that feels as though it has “good energy?” Have you walked into a space where you felt the opposite? The vibe or energy a space gives off might be closely tied to its Feng Shui.
Feng Shui is a practice centered on harmonizing and balancing personal environment or space with those who occupy that space. Feng Shui is often used in promoting, stimulating and supporting prosperity and luck. When you are choosing a location for, constructing or designing your home or office, Feng Shui is a great practice to apply.
Feng Shui (pronounced “fung schway”) is one of the 8 rays of Chinese Medicine and is the Chinese art of placement and the arrangement of space. It is a practice centered on harmonizing and balancing personal environment or space with those who occupy it, through the proper flow of Chi. Feng Shui is rooted in the concept of a physical and spiritual connection linking heaven, earth and humanity and has been practiced continually for more than 4,000 years. Similar to acupuncture of the body, Feng Shui can be considered the acupuncture of a space: promoting, stimulating and supporting prosperity and luck. If you are choosing a location to build a home, or are designing your existing home or office, Feng Shui is a great practice to apply.
The goal of feng shui as practiced today is to situate the human built environment on spots with good qi (pronounced chi). The “perfect spot” is a location and an axis in time. The following are the main principles behind Feng Shui. The following are the main principles behind Feng Shui.
- Qi (Chi): Chi refers to energy. All things have energy, and energy is everywhere. Even a rock or solid matter has Chi. Chi is the foundation of Feng Shui since it is all about balancing the Chi in one’s home or office.
- Polarity: Yin and Yang are like two sides of a coin. You will never find one with out the other. Yin and Yang are the negative and positive phases in the cyclic flow of Chi.
- Yin represents the feminine gender. Characteristics of Yin are receptive, casual, intimate, quite, calm, restful, small and cozy. It is represented by darker and more muted colors, carpeting, intimate space, connections to the bedroom, bathroom, and storage rooms. Finally, it is connected to the elements of metal and water.
- Yang represents the masculine. It is active, public and formal. It is represented by loud, bright colors and is connected to the living room and kitchen in a home. The elements it is connected to is wood and fire.
In addition to the principles of Feng Shui, elements are used, which are moods or qualities of yin and yang. They are connected to much of Chinese medicine, including emotions and moods, parts of the body and organs and descriptions of personalities.
| Element | Associations | Why it is Pertinent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Direction | Shape | Colors | Time on Clock | Season | ||
| Earth | Middle, southwest and northeast | Square | Yellow and Earth Tones | Afternoon | Late summer | Elements are particularly relevant in feng shui because they are used for design, layout, diagnosis of illness and direction in your home and office. |
| Fire | South | Triangle | Reds and Purples | Noon | Summer | |
| Metal | West and Northwest | Oval or Round | Silver and White | Evening | Autumn | |
| Water | North | Undulated | Navy and Black | Midnight | Winter | |
| Wood | East and South East | Rectangle | Green, Light Blue (Aquamarine) | Morning | Spring | |
Information provided by Jacqueline Albert Pepper
