What is Feng Shui? – The basic principles and origin of Feng Shui

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Feng Shui

You may be hearing this for the first time or maybe you have had the chance to encounter the principle of Feng Shui before. In either situation, you must not fully understand what it is, how it works and how best to ensure that you activate this energy in your life. Once you learn how it works you will realize that everything in the world is out to make us comfortable, healthy, and more importantly happy.

A big theory that has been said about this Feng Shui principle is that it is based on old magic habits. However, I would like to assure you that it is all a matter of how you manage and make use of the natural elements in the world. Finding some of the best energy lines allows you to not only acquire the best results but also greatly reduce any resistance.

Origin of the Feng Shui

Feng Shui is one of the oldest forms of arranging buildings and objects in a space using a certain order. The theory behind the whole system is that everything should bring a certain form of peace and tranquillity despite the option of material and colour that you have chosen. Many designers and decorators have used this concept over so many years.

From the name, you can automatically conclude that it has a Chinese origin from over 4000 years ago. The name itself means “the way of wind and water” which if you happen to be an outdoor person, you know that they are naturally linked to peace and fresh air.

Feng Shui naturally gets its power from the life force that holds many of the things in the universe. The merging of both the contrasting (yin) and the opposing (yang) forces is what balance out everything giving it a unique outcome.

How does it function?

The Feng Shui order system has certain rules and formulas that determine where our property should be placed in your house or office. Most people have never known that how you arrange items in your house will determine the energy that you will be getting the very time you enter that house or room.

The most traditional and accurate form of Feng Shui is the Flying star school of Feng Shui which is based on the formula that you have different elements in different compass sectors of your home which will either have a positive or negative influence on different aspects of your life. Each home will have fixed Flying stars which stay the same and will also have annual and monthly Flying stars which will bring a passing influence. For more information on the annual and monthly Flying stars, you can find endless articles packed with free advice by clicking here.

It is worth noting that the fixed Flying stars for your home or workplace will change every 20 years in a cycle of nine different periods. From the 4th of February 2024 until the 3rd of February 2044, we will enter period 9 which can dramatically change the influence of your life in different areas of your home. To find out more information about period 9 Flying star Feng Shui, click here.

Part of the order system is the positioning of whatever it is. In most cases, you will notice that it revolves around what should be near the windows and doors. This is because the windows and the doors are the entry and exit points of any room physically or even spiritually. Therefore, they are the defining points of the Feng Shui energy in the room.

in Feng Shui, the main focus is on the five fundamental elements that are present in the world which are water, wood, fire, earth, and metal and they are known to have great influence when it comes to the power extent that the chi in Feng Shui has on a room. Therefore, at whatever point, the effective flow of chi is determined by the five elements where each element will either enhance, weaken or destroy another element.

Once you point out which of the energy sources you know will work in that room, you can then work with the windows and the doors which are the mouths of the room to organize where your things will be according to the Feng Shui principles. The main way to introduce different elements is with the use of traditional Feng Shui cures and also colours and decorations.

Who can make use of Feng Shui?

Absolutely everyone in the world can make use of the principle and have it work for you as long as you are disciplined enough to follow the instructions that have been aligned with it. Whether you are working on your home for pleasure, you are an interior designer or you just want to change up things in your life despite your age, race, gender, or even income.

Benefits of the Feng Shui system

There are so many benefits that come with effectively practising Feng Shui in your home, office, or even business. Apart from the most obvious one of getting a better-designed home, there are other complementary benefits that people all over the world have been benefitting from for thousands of years.

There are so many other benefits of using Feng Shui in your home or whichever space you would like to work with.

• Better health since there will be a better flow of energy and air in the room that you will be in. The good sleep that you get also goes a long way in boosting your health.
• Great interpersonal relationships through the attraction force of the power of joy, welcoming, and peace in your home. You will notice more people will want to be in your space, building relationships.
• Less stress is experienced since your mind can think and process situations more effectively because of the great energy match that your home now has.
• The attraction of luck and prosperity is a great result of making use of the right matches with the natural sources in the atmosphere. You will notice the positive energy around you becomes influential in making the things that you need to be attracted to you all the time.

Dos: What you need to ensure that Feng Shui is working for you.

The power of Feng Shui can only function when and if you follow some of the few instructions and principles that come together with the whole concept. You need to make sure that you practically implement all of them to ensure that you enhance all the energy that you need to enjoy the full benefits of the system.

1. Make sure that your home is organized properly and neatly. This can be done by the use of the Flying star chart which is a bird’s eye view of the home and everything in it. The planning from this point helps to ensure that you don’t clutter or have to rearrange each room every time you shift focus. If you are not confident with mapping out the Flying star chart for your home, you can seek the help of a Feng Shui consultant or use our Academy of Feng Shui software to calculate your building Flying star chart automatically for you.
2. Use pairs when it comes to furnishing your home or room. Two of anything brings a symmetrical feeling as long as they are placed in a balanced manner. The balance ensures that there is uniformity and equality in the room which is vital in balancing out the forces in the room.
3. Separate your work area and your rest area. This is important in maintaining specific energy systems in the room without confusion at any point. The mix messes with the tranquillity that the Feng Shui system is trying to maintain in that room. If you are unable to have a separate space for work and relaxation, try to screen off the area or create some sort of divide.
4. Place your bed, desk, and stove in a command position facing the entry door. This gives it the first position when it comes to the chi covering the entrance. It is also important in ensuring that your bed setting is okay. Depending on your date of birth and gender, you will have four auspicious directions to face when working, sleeping, etc. You can find out more about your auspicious directions here.
5. Pay attention to your entryway being clear of distractions by removing clutter from your entrance. This includes removing your bed or chair from the window or directly to the door of the room.
6. Activate your front door on special days to you like birthdays or the start of seasons, then write down your wish list and read it out loud. The paper that you have written your wish list should then be placed over your door.
7. Balance out your bedroom by choosing calming colours, allowing space on both sides of your bed, and if possible, place nightstands on both sides. Your bed should have a headboard to help bring direction in the room. It also helps give it shape when you make it in the morning.
8. Be mindful of colour choice. The decision you make on the colours to use dances around what energy you need around you. Every element has a distinct colour attached to it with a different outcome altogether. Earth works with shades of yellow and brown. Metal works with white and metallic silver. Water is more of a black or dark blue side. Wood is associated with shades of green. The fire element is redder which brings with it the fire life energy.

Don’ts: Things you need to avoid ensure that Feng Shui works for you.

In the same way that there is a guideline on the things that should be done, you should also ensure that the following things are not done under any circumstances. If at any time you find yourself in this position you will notice that it always cancels out all the effort that you would have made in the process.

1. Blocking doors and windows with items. Because they are the entry point of the chi, you must reduce the number of things on the pathways to the door. This will allow fresh Chi to enter the home through the windows and doors. At night you need to keep them shut to avoid the peaceful chi of rest from spilling out of the room. Opening them allows a mix of energy from outside your bedrooms which according to Feng Shui will disturb your rest and peaceful energy.
2. Don’t use artworks or paintings of water or water sources in the bedroom. The presence of water symbolizes a life source that should birth active energy.
3. Don’t add plants or flowers when it comes to your resting space. They have a rich source of life energy that instigates progress and movement which is not what the bedroom is about.
4. Electronics or gadgets are not supposed to be in the bedroom or any of your relaxation rooms. The electromagnetic energy from them prevents our mind and your energy from being at rest even when they are Switched off. You will even notice that the days you sleep without your phone, you get fuller sleep.
5. Don’t leave broken objects in your house. They symbolize obstacles and stress factors that mess with progress and tranquillity leading to stagnation and no progress. This also includes dead or dying plants in your house. You should replace them as soon as they start acting dead.
6. Don’t keep a full and cluttered wardrobe all year. Try to have a sort out at least once a year. Seasonal clearing of your closet and the extra items in your house creates space for more to be pushed your way for abundance.
7. Don’t allow any areas of your home to gather dust or be a blind spot. Every part of your house should be accessible often and cleaned to remove specks of dust and dirt that could be accumulating there. This also spreads to items you have bought before but no longer need. It may be time that you donate or sell them.
8. Some of the most underrated things are cleaning your windows and doors. Many people will wash the covers and forget the windows and doors themselves. According to Feng Shui, dirt on the energy mouths of your home blocks clarity and leads to most of the energy being prevented from reaching the inside of your house.
9. Placing your artwork lower than it should be. This positioning of items that should boost your energy causes you to have lower chi levels which are eventually not effective for you. Raising them higher has a way of making sure that the right amounts of chi get space in your room which then gives you more energy and more positivity.
10. Placing clutter under your bed is another mistake. When you place so many items under your bed you prevent good airflow which changes the energy levels in the room. This change in energy levels is what causes you to not get the full chi expectation that you would have had.

Finally

Feng Shui is one of the most adorned and appreciated principles when it comes to designers and decorators all over the world. The fact that it originated from the Chinese but has over the years spread all over the world proves how effective and useful it is. Merging energy sources in water, earth, wood, fire, and metal is how Feng Shui can balance out your needs and ensure that you enjoy and spread the best energy that you possibly can at any point. The places that you choose to put anything in your house have a big effect on the amount of chi you will be able to attract and enjoy in your house at any time.