Introduction to Feng Shui

Feng shui is a term commonly thrown about in popular culture. Here is an introduction to this practical Chinese philosophy.

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese tradition involving the placement and arrangement of space and belongings. The goal is to achieve balance with the environment. The spiritual aspects of feng shui align with spiritual components of Chinese medicine. Ancient Chinese philosophy believed that mankind needed to find balance between the yin (feminine) and the yang (masculine). In Chinese medicine, this means that you find balance in salty and sour or hot and cold. In feng shui, the polarity is also related to finding balance between the spaces of the living (yin) and the spaces of the dead (yang), as well as creating balance between the elements of nature and the movements of man.

Achieving equilibrium through feng shui allows a person's chi, or energy, to flow. While there is a spiritual aspect to feng shui, it is also a practical practice that aligns with the sciences of architecture and engineering. Just like the architect, practioners of feng shui consider concepts of space, astronomy, and weather. Those advanced in the practice of feng shui also consider gravity and geomagnetism.

Boiled down into a practical Western model, feng shui deals with creating spaces that increase energy or inspiration or relaxation, depending on the intended use for the space. For example, your bedroom, designed along feng shui principles would be arranged and decorated to promote peace and relaxation whereas your home office would be designed to increase energy and productivity. In addition, there are some general rules in the Western models of feng shui to promote general well-being and success. An example of this is that people are advised to leave their toilet bowls and bathroom doors closed so their financial energy won't be sucked down the drain.

Also simplified in Western practice is the Bagua. The Bagua is a diagram overlaid on a room or floor plan. It deals with direction, season, function and color. Most Westerners will use this more simplified model: black relates to career/life path; silver/gray relates to helpful people and travel; white relates to creativity and children; pink relates to love and marriage; red relates to fame and reputation; purple relates to prosperity and wealth; green relates to family and foundation; and blue relates to wisdom and knowledge.

Feng shui is an ancient practice but in its modern incarnations it has many schools and conflicting practices. Consumers should be careful that any feng shui consultants they hire are legitimate.