What Is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui literally means 'wind and water'. Throughout Feng Shui history a house site was considered fortunate if it was sheltered from the attack of strong winds and rough waters (or roads), as these unsettle people; and if a gentle breeze and beautiful water enhanced the building. On such a site you can be comfortable, relax and function best.

Feng Shui has a rich over-six-thousand year old history in China and has come into the West early this century. Chinese people considered themselves an integral part of the universe. Being in the right place at the right time, and being able to take advantage of opportunities comes more easily in a home or workplace that is in harmony with Nature.

Through the course of Feng Shui history, formulas and principles were established that explain the subtle interactions between matter, space, energy and time in the built environment. Utilising those, a skilled practitioner can create harmony and synchronicity, a place that makes you feel good.

What is Feng Shui today? The science and art of how to create houses and landscapes that are not only beautiful, but that also enhance the success and happiness of you and the people who live and work in them.

This is achieved through the alignment of building's physical and decorative features with its distinct invisible energies. Colours, design and placement are right and in harmony in such a place.

When the Feng Shui of a house is wrong, you are battling against the forces of Nature and will experience more stress, inner or outer conflicts and unnecessary difficulties.

But what is Feng Shui really?

Here are some key principles:

Unity

Everything is connected. In Feng Shui, beauty is a fundamental principle that aligns inner and outer spaces; e.g. beautiful furniture and décor, clean and uncluttered interiors, beautiful outside features and gardens.

Also, your intention to create beauty and harmony in you life is the first step in making this reality.

Yin & Yang

With Feng Shui we endeavour to achieve a dynamic balance between Yin & Yang. Quiet places with heavy furniture are Yin, whereas open and active areas are Yang.

A bright entry hall in contrast to more subdued lighting in the bedrooms; heavy furniture in one area and open space in another, create such a dynamic balance.

Furthermore, advanced Feng Shui formulas tell us where to place the active and quiet spaces within a home or office. There are energetic 'highways' in each building. These are good for business and activities. And there are areas that are conducive to sleep and relaxation.

It is as difficult to sleep or relax on an energetic 'highway', as it is to work in a 'sleepy' area of your home or office. Life is at odds there. With right usage of Yin and Yang, established through a Feng Shui analysis, relaxation and work become easier.

Five Elements

We are trying to achieve Balance of the Five Feng Shui Elements. These are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. They don't so much refer to these substances, but really symbolise the five phases of transformation of energy. A Feng Shui consultant assesses the quality of five elements.

In each area of a building there is a different balance of naturally existing elements. In some areas these elements will be in harmony with each other; whereas in others there will be an inherent conflict, which you experience as uneasiness or difficulties.

Feng Shui colours are used to mitigated these conflicts and make the space harmonious inside out. Each combination requires a different approach to colour. For examples, some areas flourish when the colour red is introduced, whereas you would become more agitated and stressed, or even sick, if reds were used in another area of the house.

Eight Directions - the Bagua

In a home or office different types of energies enter the space from the eight compass directions. This is referred to as the Bagua. Advanced Feng Sui determines the exact energy pattern for your building. Altogether 144 of these energetic patterns are possible. The pattern for your building is entirely individual. You can't get it from a book.

The energies that enter your space from the different directions give your home or office a certain feel or theme; and they may also trigger particular life experiences, either good or bad.

This is why you find offices that house a succession of successful businesses, and homes where families are happy and life is harmonious. But this is also why you can find homes that house a succession of relationship break-ups or offices where the owners keep changing because of business troubles.

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