What is Feng Shui?
The ancient Chinese art of energy balancing, feng shui, has amazed the modern Western mind by its plethora of applications for life improvement. Even if it could seem basic, feng shui is pretty difficult to define as it involves intimate knowledge of the elements, the surroundings, the energetic structure of the body as well as of the principles governing the functions of the universe. “Feng” means “wind” and “shui” is “water” in Chinese; these two elements, gentle wind and clear water are symbols of enhancement in terms of health, wealth and fortune. People speak of “good feng shui” and “bad feng shui” depending on the way the energies are respected and put to work for you.
The basis for feng shui is the complete understanding of nature and the taoist vision, both embracing the concept that everything is full of the life energy or light, called “chi” or “qui” (in Chinese) or “ki” (in Japanese). The basic principles that could sway a feng shui analysis of a place, individual or situation include the five elements and the yin and yang maxim. Feng shui is created on the ancient symbols present in I Ching, the ancient Chinese oracle. These symbols are used in the octagonal grid, the Ba-Gua, that helps you comprehend or determine the various relations between the feng shui locations in the home or office and the various aspects of your life.
Feng shui is common to several different schools, and it involves varied levels of learning and comprehension, depending on the complexity of the information you have available to and actually get to internalize. The cures stated by feng shui for life improvement vary from the use of fountains, aquariums and crystals to the energy improvement by means of clocks, colors and mirrors. Light and colors make an important combination by the focus they can bring to a certain location. Most places characterized by “bad feng shui” suffer from lack of light and color.
The interaction of the universal elements is another key aspect of feng shui; wood, fire, water, earth and metal can create productive or destructive circles depending on the preponderance they have in one’s location.
Each of the elements has a corresponding color; it is basic feng shui knowledge to know how to complement colors and balance an environment. The arrangement of the elements in a setting is not randomly done as it has to be determined by the octagonal grid, the Ba-Gua.
