FENG SHUI - The Basics

When learning how to use Feng Shui, we come to know about the natural flow of energy, finding balance and harmony, creating peace, activating positive energies and dispelling negative ones. Feng Shui is about harnessing the forces of energy in the nature to be of benefit to us and our environment.


Feng Shui (pronounced ‘foong shway’, ‘foong swee’ in Cantonese and ‘fong shwee’ in Mandarin) is the ancient Chinese art of design and placement and is a system of living life in  harmony with your environment and with the natural rhythms of nature, whilst utilizing the dynamic flow of energy in the Universe in order to bring greater happiness and good fortune.


Feng Shui means ‘the flow of wind and water’.  The wind disperses the life energy (qi or chi) and the water contains it.  The object of Feng Shui is to allow the qi energy to move around your home, office, gardens  -  your total surroundings, without getting trapped in corners or halted by obstructions.


When we learn how to use Feng Shui in our everyday lives, we are able to improve the Feng Shui of our homes and offices by simply making some alterations to our surroundings.  This can be done by moving furniture around or even changing structural elements such as installing a window, doorway or skylight.  Suncatchers and symmetrical faceted crystals hung in the centre of a window will draw in chi into a room.


A well positioned home will be auspicious and will bring happiness to its inhabitants.  Trees behind a house gives support for good fortune and happiness.  Gently undulating land and open spaces in front of a house will bring good luck.  If your home is in a green and luscious area, chi can wrap itself around your house, which encourages good luck.  Places that face the direction of a warm breeze will have excellent Feng Shui.


A cluttered house is not auspicious as it creates an excess of Yang energy and makes chi flow the wrong way. 


A welcoming light outside your front door will ward off negative chi, and encourages visitors.  A sharp door by an incline is very inauspicious.  The size of the front door is very important as large, spacious doors invite good fortune and friendly visitors and guests;  whilst small doors bring bad luck and visitors who are disinclined to leave.


A doorbell or door chime creates a good flow of chi.  Bells dispel negative energies. 


Overhead beams and protrusions are inauspicious, and placing yourself beneath them may cause anxiety and in the extreme, may even cause dis-ease and disharmony.


Working on the levels of perception, we can alter the flow of energy by using ‘cures’ such as windchimes, fish tanks (aquariums) and water features, bamboo flutes, plants, crystals and mirrors. Chi (or qi) flows more effectively along curves and curving lines rather than straight lines.  Angles and corners produce ‘secret arrows’.


‘Secret arrows’ are negative ‘sha qi’ (shar chi) and need to be negated or ‘cured’.  This can be done by screening off the corner with potted plants, trees, windchimes and/or crystals. Indoor plants are useful for softening and hiding sharp angles and corners that create ‘secret arrows’ of sha qi (shar chi).


Symmetry is important in all aspects of Feng Shui. When choosing furniture and furnishings for your home, garden and office, ensure that their shapes are balanced.  The shape of furniture should reflect the shape of the room.  If a room is square, a round, square or octagonal table is appropriate.


If a room is ‘L’ shaped it is important to create two contained spaces by using a partition, a screen or bookshelves.  If a room is rectangular, a rectangle table is most auspicious.The placement of furniture should follow the protective ‘armchair’ shape favoured for the position of house and land.  This way beneficial chi can enter, move around slowly, then return to nature.


Place furniture against the walls and avoid placing chairs in a position that places the occupant’s back to a full length window or doorway, as this leaves the back vulnerable and leads one to feel insecure. Sleeping with your head towards the East encourages the best flow of chi to ensure a restful night.  Mirrors facing the bed upsets the flow of chi during the night, disturbing a good night’s rest and making one feel restless.


When we learn how to use Feng Shui, we find that colour is also important.  It has the ability to make a room seem smaller or larger, cooler or warmer, cheerful or depressing. 


Consideration needs to be taken when choosing colours.


Light represents energy.  Natural light is excellent Feng Shui.  Table lamps that create soft pools of light are also good Feng Shui as they encourage relaxation.  Candles and the energy of Fire adds Yang (masculine) qualities to a Yin (feminine) area.


Mirrors can be used to combat shar chi (sha qi) by deflecting negative energies and encouraging positive sheng qi.  Mirrors should be positioned where it can reflect a pleasant view or scene from outside.  A mirror should also be placed in windowless rooms.


Stagnant qi can be activated and moved by the use of windchimes.  If you can see your back door from your front (and vice versa) qi will run straight through without having the opportunity to move around the home freely. Hanging a windchime just inside the front door will slow the qi, bringing you opportunity and prosperity.


Fish and water are auspicious in Feng Shui theory and practice. Water represents life and good fortune and brings positive energy.  Moving water, such as aquariums and fountains, help to stimulate qi. Placing an aquarium filled with fish helps to stimulate chi, and their movement and colour can bring a boost to your finances. The effect of water is calming to the mind, body and soul. Outdoor ponds should be naturally shaped with sloping banks.  


The most auspicious number of fish to keep are 3, 6, 8 or 9.


Sheng Chi is good chi, and it is created by energy flowing in a meandering fashion.  Gently meandering water creates auspicious good chi.


Shar Chi is bad chi.  Sharp, spiky plants creat shar chi, and are best avoided. The elements of nature need to be in balance in order to create good or auspicious Feng Shui.  If the elements of nature are not in balance, it may attract negative shar chi.


Feng Shui balances Yin and Yang.  Yang is masculine and is ‘active’.  Yin is femeinine and is ‘passive’.  Yang is hot and Yin is cold.  A good balance of Yin and Yang is essential.  Too much Yang energy can cause confusion, accidents and even nightmares.  Excessive noise creates Yang.


Too much Yin energy can lead to physical inactivity, stagnant energy, an accumulation of coldness and a gloomy frame of mind.  Water is the best cure for too much Yang energy. 


The calming influence of water creates a balance of Yin and Yang.  Wearing the colour red is a helpful cure for too much of the Yin energy.  Red can also uplift the mood.


If you are looking for friendship, display personal items of sentimental value in pairs in your home and surroundings.


Once we have learned and practiced how to use Feng Shui to change the flow of energies in our environment and in our lives, we come to find positive health, wealth, happiness and wellbeing.


*
Joanne Walmsley
Sacred Scribes