Best Way to Understand Feng Shui

Feng shui is based on the idea that we are connected to everything in the universe and that we are all part of a huge web.

Consequently, events in one place will eventually affect everyone in the web. Some things will have a greater influence and be more noticeable than others. The different phases of the moon, the sun and the seasons, along with the local weather, have a more obvious effect on us. Our behaviour, moods and thinking can all be altered according to the changes in these aspects of our natural environment. To understand how this works it is useful to understand the basic principles.

What is feng shui?

Feng shui translates into English as wind and water. It uses the forces of nature – ebb and flow of tides and wind currents – so they work for you.

Chi in the body

Everyone has an energy field moving through and around his or her body. InChinathis is called chi, which is a subtle flow of electromagnetic energy that carries your emotions, thoughts and beliefs. So if you are feeling excited you will send an excited chi energy through your body.

The chi energy around you

The chi energy field extends beyond the skin by about10cm-1 m(4-40in), depending on the current state of both your physical and emotional being. Someone in a rage will find their chi energy field extends further than when they are feeling depressed. This external energy field is called your aura and can be photographed by a process known as Kirilian Photography. It is this part of your chi energy that is most easily influenced by the atmosphere around you.

On a cold wet day the atmosphere becomes more yin, and if this yin chi energy pervades your own chi energy field you will become more yin. Eventually this could lead you to feeling more withdrawn. To balance this you would need to make yourself more yang by being active.

Similarly, each building has an atmosphere or energy of its own and this will influence your external chi energy. As a result, spending time in certain buildings will affect the way you feel. Feng shui is the study of how to create an atmosphere inside your home that will allow you to succeed in life.

Various outside factors will influence the chi energy inside a home. For example, if one home is situated high up on the side of a mountain and another identical home is situated low in the valley next to a river, the two houses will have very different atmospheres inside.

The design and interior design of a building will further define the chi energy or atmosphere within. For instance, a large cathedral feels very different from a small cottage, just as a sparsely decorated home with hard surfaces will encourage different emotions compared with an over-furnished home with lots of soft fabrics.