Feng shui

Feng shui history begins some six thousand years ago, emerging from the Chinese practice of philosophy, astronomy, astrology, and physics. The primary purpose of the feng shui art is the creation of compatibility between man and the environment. Thus, if you are merely after harmony with nature, you can accomplish it by careful and correct placement of the furniture and objects in the house and office.

The earliest records in feng shui history appear with the Han Dynasty in the southeastern Chinese region. This art and science grew out from what it is known as the Form School that took its inspiration from the mountains and hills of this geographical area.

What is feng shui?

According to feng shui history, this Form School aimed at finding locations in the landscape that were charged with superior chi energy. The findings could then be applied to determining the perfect spots for the protection of the inhabitants and the making of burial sites.

The principles present in feng shui history, are also internal and characteristic for the Chinese perception of the human body with its energetic charge. The same chi that governs the working of the universe flows through our bodies. Feng shui is based on the functioning of the life force in itself.

Whether we are talking about the natural energetic remedies present in traditional Chinese medicine or feng shui history as such, we come across the same principle: it is better to prevent than cure. Thus, the feeding, fueling and energizing of the body are part of a complex process each human being should be aware of and practice on a daily basis.

In time, feng shui history was marked by other moments and refineries brought by learned people; this is the case with Yang Yun Sung whose teachings and practice represent a turning point in the evolution and even the modern interpretation of feng shui.

More schools appeared at the heart of the feng shui tradition, but they all preserve a common core in the approach to the chi energy. Presently, the focus falls on the attempt to increase the awareness about how the chi operates in the body. A person who knows he/she is part of the chi and that the course of the natural life force can be impaired or improved has excellent chances of living a fulfilled life at all levels: material, spiritual, physical and emotional.

Last but not least, to the persistent student, feng shui history could very well indicate what the essence of being is. We are talking about a never-ending “study” of life, just like the eternal force that generates it.

Even at the heart of traditional feng shui it often happens that different interpretations of the same charts and symbols be given. The explanation for such discrepancies comes from the separate evolution of the main concepts within one system or another. Generally speaking, the best-skilled traditional feng shui practitioners are trained not only in one school but in several, and they learn to apply the elements specific to one or another depending on the situations they are faced with.

If you plan to turn to use traditional feng shui for a home evaluation, you may have to provide the analyst with all the structural information necessary for the analysis.

Feng shui basics – elements

Earth, water, fire, metal, and wood: the five essential feng shui elements are the factors that influence the very philosophy of this art of living in harmony with the environment and with ourselves. Each of the feng shui elements has a corresponding color, and their incorrect or imbalanced combination will lead to what is known as ‘bad feng shui’, equaling disharmony, misfortune and unfulfilled life. What exactly is the role played by the feng shui elements?

Well, it seems that they share the function of chi balancing in a specific space. Therefore, to achieve a correct implementation of the positive chi flow, one needs to be receptive and open to the rule of the five elements.

Here are the main meanings associated with the feng shui elements. Water stands for communication, wealth and various career opportunities if it is used in the context of a fountain; but if instead there is a running sink or toilet, this could very well signal a loss of money and even a poor health state, by the waste-associated symbolism. Then, wood is responsible for the creativity one enjoys, as it acts as a stimulant of passion, inspiration, and high motivation.

Nevertheless, such feng shui elements are far from overwhelming; keep in mind the fact that they are either balancing or ruining the chi.

The life force is more easily transmitted or transferred over a particular area using metal elements. Introducing metal in combination with the other feng shui elements means causing an enhancement of the chi. Adding too much metal, on the other hand, could be harmful regarding the positive outcome for the location; too much energy could be destructive, use it carefully!

The home or office stability and solidity are brought by the earth element and complemented by the passion specific to fire. This only indicates the fact that taken separately, each of the five feng shui elements has its specificity, but they need to be matched as a whole.

Feng shui rules

Feng shui rules have often led to the creation of taboos, and from a certain point of view, they can become endless. Clear-cut notions and truths are difficult to pass since the very world of the feng shui art is not an exact science but a subtle one, relying on interpretations, peculiarities and all sorts of environmental details. While the taboos are countless, the feng shui rules allow one to organize space more conveniently and in a way that brings out the goodness.

Here are a few tips on dos and don’ts as the first consequences of the correct or incorrect applications of feng shui rules.

Do you store things that you no longer need? It is a common practice to keep an old and rather useless object on the principle of “what if I need it some day?” Specialists point out the fact that feng shui rules are clear about how accumulated objects stop the positive flow of energy in your life. Such common sense life principles have the same origin with the necessity to clean our homes on a regular basis.

Imagine what it’s like that after a difficult day at work you come home, and you find it clean and furthermore, dinner is ready. You’ll feel the positive energy running through your body almost instantly, and your mood will change within seconds.

Most feng shui rules refer to walls, corners and mirrors, and for a very good reason. Thus, it is not good to sleep with the face towards a wall. Be creative and put something between your bed and the corner so that you don’t get the bad energy flow onto you. Then, mirrors in bedrooms are another tricky subject since when too close to the bed they could create a duplication effect that will interfere in your couple relationship. In time another person might come between you and the man/woman you love.

Keeping the doors and windows clean covers other feng shui rules according to which energy comes through doors and windows. Another related tip here is the common mistake of placing a mirror on the wall opposite the entrance door.

The problem is that the energy will be reflected away and will not remain in the house, hence keep in mind to avoid such displacement. The list of feng shui rules is much more extensive, and it needs to be thoroughly consulted before you decide to redecorate your home.

Feng shui design

Feng shui design starts by identifying the power areas inside buildings since these are the spots with the best energetic support to be taken advantage of. The power areas vary from one family to another, being the sum of all the individual specificity of the people living in the house.

Life facts are also only partly responsible for the direction of the energy flow, sharing responsibility with the building architecture and the decoration of the living space. All these elements equally need to be taken into account when planning a feng shui design pattern for your home or office.

The maximum of feng shui design can be drawn when one plans to build a house; then, it’s time to talk to a feng shui expert even before you make the architecture sketches. This means that you have to proceed to an identification of the power areas and then build the living space around them.

The Ba-Gua will be the main feng shui design tool in this phase of the project; this instrument can be easily read by a feng shui practitioner, and it provides all the guidelines necessary to carry on with work. Thus, to give just an example of how this info can be applied: you should build the bedrooms in the love area indicated by the Ba-Gua.

Feng shui design also aims at avoiding precisely the opposite of the power areas, which are known as the house problem areas. If these spots are not carefully avoided, they could seriously affect your health, finances and personal relationships. Feng shui design patterns are not based on speculations or superstitions; these are the results of art that goes back thousands of years ago. Plus, the present-day applications and the success they enjoy are relevant proof that feng shui works and improves the lives of those who show interest in it.

Feng shui colors for rooms

Feng shui is the art of arranging the environment to match the flow of naturally occurring energy in the universe. Clutter, darkness, improper choice of colors, emotional elements that send a negative message and many other factors contribute to breaking this energetic balance or the chi. This is one of the reasons for which feng shui enthusiasts will stress so much the importance of feng shui colors for rooms whether at home or the office.

Even when feng shui principles are thoroughly respected one thing that remains to be done is to apply these principles following the temperament of the house inhabitants.

Thus, the right feng shui colors for rooms depend on the function of that particular part of the house. Bedrooms, for instance, work best in pale, relaxing colors like blues, greens, lavender, pink and any shades close to the color of the skin from white to chocolate brown. Bright colors will never work in a resting place.

One needs to go for the vibrant touch in the feng shui colors for rooms when decorating the work corner such as the study, the living room, and even the kitchen. Select combinations of tonic colors wherever you feel the need for inspiration.

Thus, orange and yellow are the feng shui colors for rooms where focus and activity require an encouragement boost. For the very personal space, pink in the form of deep fuchsia is great as it suggests attachment and enhances romantic feelings and passion. Keep in mind the fact that every color makes a statement and while others give the impulse to boldness and love, others lead to tranquility and peace.

The chi flowing in one’s home is the result not only of the careful selection of feng shui colors for rooms but the combined effect of furnishings, furniture, design lines and the personality of the inhabitants ultimately.

The feng shui colors for rooms could be combined according to the Ba-Gua, the eight-grid chart that takes into consideration the cardinal points, the five elements, and their corresponding colors. For each part of a room, a certain color gives dominance and enhances a positive chi flow.

Have a look at such a feng shui color chart to determine the interior design better. Mention must be made that it is a lot easier to make the combinations when decorating or re-decorating then afterward. The shapes of the objects and the way the light falls on certain corners also affects the positive or negative chi flow; refer to these aspects too for the best of outcomes.

Feng shui bedroom

The matching of the right feng shui bedroom colors is essential for the creation of positive energy flow in this housing area. It is very common, to begin with, the things to avoid in color selection since many people are taken over by the modern trend to use very bold hues. The bad news here is that anything that can be labeled as loud or overpowering is not a good choice regarding feng shui bedroom colors.

Moreover, the combination of all sorts of shades and geometrical angles and shapes will also become a must once you get on with the decorations.

The best feng shui bedroom colors include violets, blues, whites, lavender, yellow, pink and skin colors up to chocolate brown. These are mainly yin colors that stimulate the sleeping activity of the brain. Why aren’t orange, red or purple suitable as feng shui bedroom colors?

Well, anything that has a stimulating or energizing effect on the nervous system, the way these colors do, will prevent one from entering the peaceful calm state of mind necessary to a good night’s rest. This means that you have to make the bedroom a soothing place, and this effect results from a harmonious combination of wall painting, furnishings, and lighting.

Walls are indeed the main color source in the room, but painting is the least difficult of all the color matching one needs to do to create a beautiful design. The feng shui bedroom color matching doesn’t always begin with the walls necessarily, the color of the bed is just as important.

The bed could very well be the symbol of your throne, and it has to be molded and chosen to add comfort and positive energy to your life. For instance, if you go for a charcoal bed, then, you’ll have to complement it with a good lighting system and lots of special fixtures to compensate for the darkness it brings in the evening hours.

People with impulsive, fiery personalities should go for feng shui bedroom color shades that are slightly the opposite of what they irradiate. Thus, in such a case, mild tones of brown or cream will bring calm, serenity and great relaxation to your night hours.

The personality dominant can be expressed more adequately in the rest of the decorum, in the carpets, the drapes or the decorative details. Experts claim that two feng shui bedroom color hues are enough when it comes to the appeal to one’s eye, as compared to multiple shades.

The floors and the ceilings need not distinguish themselves extraordinarily, they are background and need to remain background. The feng shui bedroom color efforts should not be wasted in these two directions but somewhat oriented to determine the proper arrangement of the space once the colors have been decided.

Even if you choose the colors according to the feng shui rules, your work is not by far nearing completion. The position of the furniture and decorations in the room is just as important as color choice and should be given the same amount of attention.

The choice of the feng shui bedroom colors always follows careful consideration of the occupants’ temperament. Moreover, the bedroom of a couple will be painted differently than the bedroom of kids or teenagers, since the age peculiarities cannot be ignored. Thus, for couples, feng shui bedroom colors could often fall in the realm of neutrality which includes soft blues, greens as well as pastel colors.

In the case of youngsters, the bedroom could be a place not only for night rest but for creativity too, and in such a case the feng shui bedroom colors need to include some shades of orange and a little yellow to help one focus better.

Keep in mind the fact that colors make statements and they reflect and influence moods, stimulating passion, inducing sleep and even creating one dream. In case there is a corner in the room that you’d like to devote to some kind of work, the choice of the feng shui bedroom colors needs to be influenced by this aspect too.

Inspiring colors that stimulate creative activities should be present in the decorum under such circumstances, not necessarily in the wall painting, but rather as a spot of vibrant color on a table or desk. The power to focus will be significantly improved afterward.

One way of ruining the harmony in your bedroom is to bring a TV, a computer or a piece of training equipment inside. The radiations created by such devices ruin the balance of the chi in this part of the house and hinder any attempts for the creation of a feng shui bedroom.

The quality of the atmosphere is the next element to have covered in the bedroom: this means that you have to let the windows open and freshen the air well or use an adequate room purifier that makes the atmosphere nice to breathe in. The presence of pollutants, chemicals, and artificial scents ruins the chances to create a feng shui bedroom.

Plants are not adequate for the design of a feng shui bedroom unless the room is large enough to allow it. Plus, the plants have to be located at a reasonably large distance from the bed so that your energetic fields are not interconnected or disturbed. Lighting is the next issue to address for the creation of a feng shui bedroom, and here you’ll find the use of a dimmer an absolute must for the success of your attempt.

Candles are very often used for the enhancement of the feng shui atmosphere, but many people make the mistake of buying low-quality products that contain a high level of toxins. Only beeswax or soy wax is acceptable and solely in combination with natural essential oils.

Last but not least, the color choice for the wall painting is vital when trying to create a good feng shui bedroom. Restorative sleep depends on the generation of a positive energy flow that results from a balanced environment.

Consequently, skin colors from pink and pale white to chocolate brown and yellowish hues make the top choices for the decoration of the bedroom. Naturally, you should start the decoration from the wall painting and only then choose the furniture and the rest of the decor pieces.

Feng shui bathroom

Most practitioners consider the bathroom as pretty negative, but it would be false to assume that elements are so bad about it. For instance, lots of things can be compensated for if the bathroom is clean, comfortable and well lit. The feng shui bathroom challenge comes from the fact that there is no way to use the Ba-Gua for this area.

Regardless of the location in the house perimeter, we need to remember the fact that the bathroom has a draining effect, and this is a truth. The most difficult of locations for a bathroom is the second floor precisely on top of the kitchen or the entrance door.

Most feng shui bathroom solutions are meant to correct the faulty negative energetic charge that is specific to most bathrooms. All in all, it is rarely necessary to ask for the advice of a feng shui expert to come and make a thorough analysis of the bathroom. Most people choose to correct the existing problems by following the advice in books, guides and posted on the Internet.

A different thing could be said for people who are only now building their house: they are the ones to need advice and assistance to place their bathroom in the most convenient way possible. This implies the minimizing of the damage negative energies could do on your overall existence, mainly since the bathroom can leave you without the power to carry on with your things properly.

Feng shui office

When using Feng Shui in any area, there are spots known as Bagua where these items should be used. Therefore, first spot these areas in your office. There are a total of 8 areas, though one must give more priority to the areas associated with wealth and fame. Energy flow is one vital aspect that should be in our offices. Feng Shui provides us with specific tips that we can use to adequately supply our offices with appropriate energy flow.

To start with, the desk should be in such a position that it will face the doorway. Alternatively, it will diagonally face the doorway. The aim here is to face the doorway and not letting you back face the door. On the other hand, if there is more than one desk, the arrangement should also change. Two of them should diagonally face the door while the rest should face the center of the office.

The kind of classroom arrangement should not be used; no matter the number of desks. Find a way of avoiding the back to back arrangement. Secondly, make sure that the office opposite yours across the hallway is in proper alignment. If this is not the case, place a mirror in front of the offices, this way you can see what is going on the other end.

Walls should also be proper. Start by removing any kind of dulls artifacts in the mirror. This includes the likes of mirrors or portraits. Partitions should not be there but if a must, place a mirror on the partition. Finally, give the wall a sense of life by putting some plants on them.

Feng shui items

Sold in many stores, feng shui items are considered tools to repair a broken or slow-moving energy flow that could be responsible for the things that don’t go well in your life. The choice and use of feng shui items need to be carefully guided by the use of the Ba-Gua, the octagonal grid that gives you specification of how to arrange the space according to cardinal points, colors, fundamental elements, and life sectors.

Thus, feng shui symbols of good fortune can be hung in various parts of the house or the office as ways to fix love life, improve career opportunities and promote good health.

Many authentic Chinese feng shui items have beautiful graphical inscriptions on them. The combined effect of the visual impact and the blessing in the message contribute to an enhancement of the energetic flow. If you purchase feng shui items and you don’t know what the inscriptions on them mean, you should find a way of translating them.

It is only natural for one to know what he/she is using, not because of distrust but out of respect for the practice of feng shui as such. Here are some of the most common feng shui items, they are cheap to make, therefore, don’t let anyone fool you to break the bank.

Chinese coins are an example of feng shui items for good wealth; they symbolically represent the union of earth and heaven. They can be spread about the workplace or the house, or they can be worn as amulets.

Then, feng shui items with dragon and phoenix representations also make symbols of prosperity being often engraved on jewelry items, pendants, and decorations to be hung on house walls. Even a pair of gold chopsticks could contribute to the increase of one’s fortune.

The number and usage extent of feng shui items are incredibly large; hence it is understandable why so many people are in search of true love, financial security, good health and the fulfillment of personal aspirations. What you should know is that feng shui items accumulate part of the energies and beliefs directed towards them.

Thus, the strength of will, the intensity of a feeling and positive thinking work together with the nice objects we surround us with so that what we want can become true. A balanced, harmonious lifestyle will grow into light and fulfillment, even more, when feng shui techniques are used wisely.

Feng shui cures

Red envelopes, wind chimes, crystals, coins, bamboo flutes, and special mirrors are among the most popular and best-sold feng shui cures available. The market has been flooded by a whole range of products derived from traditional feng shui and advertised as wonder remedies.

What many people remain ignorant of is the fact that feng shui cures work when they are placed in the proper section of the octagonal grid called the Ba-Gua. Thus, if you buy a crystal for energizing a room, you need to place it in the right section of the room to achieve the wanted result.

Therefore, one has to learn a few basic things about the use and the reading of the Ba-Gua before bringing any feng shui cures in a room or office. Moreover, if you take the time to study a little bit, you’ll be surprised to discover that your home could be full of objects that meet the purposes of feng shui cures and therefore can be used as such.

For instance, hallways are often the parts of the house where positive chi is broken. To test if this is happening to your home, think of whether you like spending time in the hallway or you simply consider it a functional access way to the other rooms.

Feng shui cures work in the direction of making all of your home full of happy chi. A simple crystal hung somewhere from the ceiling in an area of the house that you don’t perceive as friendly will disperse the chi in a most beautiful way. The corners of the houses, the straight angles that doors and furniture create are often harmful to one’s health if we speak in energetic terms. Sometimes, the bad feng shui is the result of a faulty house architecture.

A relevant example here is the indoor steps that descend in front of the house door. The Chinese consider that such a steps-into-door position brings bad luck, and they hang crystals between the bottom step and the door as feng shui cures.

The demand for feng shui cures would be lower if people knew how to avoid common mistakes in the arrangement of their homes and offices. Cemeteries, noisy streets, landfills or disharmonious neighbors bring bad energy to the house.

One of the many feng shui cures for such cases consists in the use of mirrors that reflect the negative energies away from you; the mirror should be placed between you and the element you want to deflect, in this case, the house windows that are the entrance gates for the noise, pollution or bad vibes.

Jade feng shui combinations are energizing and highly praised in the Chinese culture, mainly because of the unique symbolism and value this precious stone enjoy in the Chinese tradition. According to an ancient saying, ‘Gold has a value, but jade is invaluable’; some people even call it the stone of heaven or just the stone of Chine.

This remarkable sign of respect is well written in Chinese customs, and jade feng shui cures are only one of the many homages brought to this gift of nature. The effects of jade regarding bio-spectrum are presently recognized all over the world, mainly since the life improvement effects have been more than obvious.

Any jade item that is worn on the body gets the same body temperature and starts emitting long wave bio-spectrum. This process involves the passage of negative ions from the jade feng shui jewelry or cure to the body with an effect in the direction of toxin elimination from the system.

The colors of jade are white and green, and all sorts of tokens and jade feng shui items are sculptured from it. A gemstone by origin, jade is smooth and glossy allowing very fine carving due to its chemical properties.

Chinese jade feng shui items have the highest value on the market due to the precious nature of the gemstone that is superior to the jade extracted from Mexico, Russia or Turkey. If you purchase jade feng shui items online and you are keen on getting something authentic, then it is a good idea to ask for some form of certification.

If the supplier cannot offer such an authenticity proof, you may consider another source. Just to make an idea of how expensive jade feng shui jewelry can be, consider the fact that some items go higher than a few thousand dollars.

What can one expect from jade feng shui items regarding life improvement? Jade has extensive feng shui applications depending on how it is used in combination with the Ba-Gua sections. Jade increases spirituality, improves love life and morals, it purifies mind and soul.

People wear jade for higher mental clarity and as a means of protection against evil and negative vibes. Many jade carvings are used as protection against disease and alleviation for overwhelming emotions. Wisdom and sincerity are two other qualities jade feng shui aims to implement. May you be blessed in every way!

Feng shui tips

Take feng shui tips as a means of self-education. Though one needs to have a basic knowledge of the way this ancient Chinese practice works, it could all start by reading an article in a magazine or on the Internet. Most feng shui tips are very practical in orientation, as people are interested in finding the intelligent way to organize their business office, their home or living environment in general.

What we have come to learn the hard way is that the random organization of the private and professional space have an impact on our mood, ability to concentrate and on the entire body system as a whole. Therefore, to a Western mind, feng shui tips are ways to dispose of thoughtfully of the surrounding space.

The proper arrangement of space creates harmony and balance in the way we perceive the environment. Most feng shui tips advise you to start with an evaluation of the space to re-organize according to the Ba-Gua, the nine-grid chart that shows the disposal of the items in a room according to the cardinal points, the five essential elements and their corresponding colors.

Every area in the chart stands for a part of our lives, and the chi or the vital energy is the element that gives unity to everything. There where the chi is broken, you’ll find unhappy people, burdened with feelings of anxiety, jealousy, anger, lack of compassion and even hate.

What should one make of feng shui tips? First of all, it is essential to mention the fact that the benefits resulting from the correct use of feng shui tips must be analyzed and understood. One cannot integrate a single feng shui element in his/her environment and expect everything to change in a good sense.

There is a combination of elements, factors and personal inclinations that are responsible for the balance or imbalance in one’s life. The impact or the modification needs to be made on the whole assembly and not on disparate elements alone.