Feng Shui is a Chinese metaphysical science that harmonizes people and buildings with the surrounding environment.
Feng means wind, while Shui means water. It is said the name was chosen as energy (Qi) is dispersed by the wind and it is attracted to water elements, the reason why water location is a very important aspect in any Feng Shui Audit.
Using the same principles of acupuncture, Feng Shui works with the Five element (Wood, Earth, Water, Fire, and Metal) combined with a spatial arrangement to improve the energy flow of the space, which will benefit our overall prosperity and support our aspirations and health.
By living in harmony, we are able to harness the beneficial energies (known as Qi) to better our lives.
The tool used the determine the energy flow is the Feng Shui compass, an ancient device that dates back to 2000 years ago, an essential instrument for any Feng Shui assessment.
A bit of history
Various sources indicate that Feng Shui was used more than 2000 years ago by farmers as an environmental science to locate good soil for cultivation on which to settle, and to ensure the health and prosperity of the family in the long term.
The first type of Feng Shui was known as Yin House Feng Shui, Yin = Passive, hence used to select the most auspicious location for burial sites, a practice still common in China, to ensure the health and prosperity of the descendants.
Around 618-907 a.D. in China, the Tang Dynasty started applying Feng Shui to the living environments, hence Yang House Feng Shui started developing among the royal families, which would use the Feng Shui Masters knowledge to build their palaces in the most auspicious areas to ensure long term power for the royal family.
Soon after Feng Shui started being practised by the population, and today Feng Shui masters assess the Feng Shui potential of many homes, offices and commercial spaces in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and overall in Asia, and are also part of the project teams among architects and engineers for new construction projects.
The myths of Feng Shui
If you google about Feng Shui, unfortunately, you will find a lot of wrong information related to superstitions as well as the new age Feng Shui, which has been adjusted to be more digestible to western cultures and it is not true to the traditional Feng Shui.
Feng Shui is not a superstition, is a Chinese metaphysical science that aligns the Qi (environmental energy/life force) with buildings and people to improve health, wealth and relationships.
The most common myths are :
. Plants with spiky leaves bring bad luck = FALSE, any plant can be used in a Feng Shui Audit specifically for including the Earth or Wood element, depending on the plant.
. Coins or money frogs bring money = FALSE, these are part of the Chinese culture and not related to Feng Shui. If you were told to but the money frog or coin to improve the Feng Shui of your home, sorry you were not dealing with a true Feng Shui Master.
. The colour of the walls affects the Feng Shui of a space = FALSE, colours do not affect the energy flow, they definitely have an effect on how we feel in space but that does not relate to Feng Shui alignment.
. Money plant will bring you money = FALSE, this is part of the Chinese culture and tradition and not related to Feng Shui.
How can Feng Shui improve health and prosperity in an existing home?
The first and most important part of a Feng Shui Audit is to determine the objectives: what does the family want to improve? What parts of their life need the most support?
With a clear objective, the audit will be more effective.
During a Feng Shui Audit, the consultant will measure key areas of the home with the Luo Pan compass including:
. the building facing direction
. main door direction
. centre of the home
. beds directions
This is done to calculate exact degrees to then align the home’s energy with the residents.
All cardinal directions will be analyzed on the floor plan of the home and resident's dates of birth to determine:
.are there any energy blocks within the space affecting the resident's life?
.what sectors of the home are weak, and how does it reflect on the family’s health, career, and harmony?
.what re-arrangements can be done when it comes to room allocation and activities to activate positive Qi?
.how the furniture can be re-arranged to tap into the most favourable directions of the family members?
.what elements (wood, water, metal, fire, earth) need to be included in specific areas of the home to activate positive energy patterns?
The result is a series of recommendations and re-arrangement of the space, to enhance the family’s prosperity, health and happiness, depending on what was the objective of the audit.
The alignment between the environmental energy (Qi), the building and the residents is a key aspect of Classical Feng Shui science, to create the best environment for people to thrive and prosper.