It is taking the world by storm. That is right, more and more people are joining the new age revolution and seeking out the help of Feng Shui to change their lives and bring balance into their world.
Meaning literally wind and water, feng shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement based upon a philosophy of the movement of chi or natural energy through our environments. While much of the art was recorded by Choo-he of the Song dynasty, it is thought that Feng Shui has much deeper roots.
By following the patterns of nature, a Feng Shui practitioner will advise on the placement of everything from an individual object in the home or workplace to the positioning of a building upon property. Feng Shui shows us how to support the flow of energy in our lives to improve our health, financial situation and love life.
1) How does it work?
Feng Shui works in a multiplicity of ways. At its very core however is the notion of properly locating manmade structures and objects in their natural environment so that man and nature work in harmony to optimize the universal energy.
The idea is that you take inspiration from the world around you to better your inner self and the circumstances in which you live.
Improving your life with Feng Shui is easy. To start this life changing journey, you first need to consider the basic framework, shape and structure of your home. Houses are all built differently, however, their form tends to resemble one of four basic patterns namely: a square, rectangle, L-Shape or U-Shape. The idea of Feng Shui is to transform your home into a square or rectangle.
Before you start any physical amendments to your family home, it is best that you sketch a blueprint of the changes you have in mind. You want to make sure that your home is going to benefit from Feng Shui in the fullest way possible.
Once you make changes they will be difficult to reverse. You need to be organized in preproduction to ensure you get it right the first time. Remember, you are changing your house and life for the better, not the worse.
On a large sheet of paper, draw a sketch of the home you wish to Feng Shui. Include any areas that jut out, such as a garage, or a greenhouse. Make note of any areas that cut into what would make a perfect square or rectangle, such as an alcove. Note where each room is when you make your drawing. All areas under a common roof are considered part of the house. And note where the front door is located.
If you live in a U-shaped or L-shaped home, you will need to make some adjustments because chances are that you are not fully experiencing some area of your life. The goal of Feng Shui is to restore balance and harmony, and one of the ways you can do this is by completing the square. To overcome the missing areas, you can build an arbor in the space, landscape with large potted trees or add a sculpture or wind chimes. This will help symbolically fill in the missing area.
2) Completing the square
In order to complete your square, you will fill in any area missing from your L-shaped or U-shaped drawing with dotted lines so you create a complete square. If you already have a rectangle or square home, you do not need to do anything to complete your drawing.
Once your house sketch is in the form of a square or rectangle, divide it into nine parts. Split the length into thirds, then split the width into thirds.
That is all that is required in sketching your own plan. Now you are ready to begin the process of Feng Shuiing your home or work space.
3) Some general tips
Once you have completed the square of the general lay-out of your home, there are plenty of smaller internal adjustments that will optimize the flow of good energy in your house. Here are five introductory tips to bringing feng shui into your home.
a) Indoor water features can be very powerful ways to enhance your life. By installing an indoor water fountain in your home and placing it in an open, central position you can attract the good things you want into your life.
b) Make sure shoes are not left lying outside your front door. It is important that the main door to your house is clear and open. If shoes, boots or slippers are left in the entry to your home, wind is likely to travel past the shoes, catching unpleasant odors, bringing bad energy and potentially illness into the home.
c) In the kitchen, make sure your stove is not positioned opposite to refrigerator or washbasin. Likewise your stove should not be opposite a washing machine or toilet. If it is, try to move it. The conflict between fire and water will lead to arguments and disagreements between couples and family members.
d) Remove television sets from all bedrooms. Televisions bring an unwanted further dimension to your room, which will absorb good energy.
e) Make sure there are no mirrors opposite your bed or at the side of your bed. Mirrors that are placed opposite your bed are thought to attract a third party into the relationship.
Feng Shui is gaining popularity in the Western world. Taking time to research this art to bring it into your home is certain help you find the harmony you need.