What is Feng Shui? - Feng Shui for Us - Nine Steps to Feng Shui®

Definition of Feng Shui

Do you want to know what is Feng Shui? Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of space arrangement, that uses universal principles and the laws of nature to determine how to organize your environment in order to be happy, healthy, prosperous and free.

In other words, Feng Shui teaches you “what to put where,” and in what colors, shapes and materials. As a result, you can be more relaxed, have better relationships, and be more productive, all this while being Happy, Healthy, Prosperous and Free in each and every one of the Nine Life Areas.

Reading the Signs of the Environment

Feng Shui reads the signs in the environment to find out what is going on in people’s lives. Then it suggests small changes in the space so that it resonates with the person’s goals.

For instance, the art of placement looks at…

the location of the building as compared to the property and the roads
the layout of the floor plan
the location and shape of hallways and staircases
the relationships between entrance doors and windows
the furniture placement in each room
colors shapes and materials,
the hidden messages a person gives about their life and work through artwork, photographs, ornaments and mirrors

What Feng Shui Consultants Do

The consultant gets clues from the environment as to how it’s influencing the person’s life, and what can be done to improve. The consultant then makes recommendations to:

make sure the site is inviting positive chi (life force) so the energy is vibrant
help the inhabitants of a home or business place feel safe, secure and at ease
increase energy levels and productivity
improve sleep
harmonize relationships
make the home or work environment into a place that supports people’s goals and aspirations.

Good Feng Shui vs. Bad Feng Shui

Good Feng Shui is like a loving parent or partner, who constantly gives you positive feedback, such as: “You are doing great, you are loved, keep going!”

However, Bad Feng Shui is like having a suppressive parent or partner that constantly puts you down: “You are a mess, you do nothing right, you will never succeed.”

Which would you rather have?

The Chinese have a saying: “All things in your home are constantly talking to you – make sure they have nice things to say.”

Meaning of Feng Shui

The term “Feng Shui means literally “Wind and Water” – the forces that shape the landscape. It is pronounced “Fung Schway.” In short, it refers to a set of rules in Chinese philosophy that govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to patterns related to the Universal Laws, as expressed in the Natural World.

An ancient poem described the ideal conditions of a place where human life could thrive, in harmony with Heaven and Earth:

The winds are mild,
The sun is bright,
The water is clear,
The trees are lush.

How Old is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui is at least 5,000 years old. The masters of Ancient China had the responsibility to find sites where palaces, farms, and villages could be built. There needed to be a certain guarantee that people could not only survive, but prosper there. They also found burial sites where people could honor the memory of ancestors for generations.

At a time when there were no weather reports and history had just started to be recorded, Feng Shui practitioners had to rely on their powers of observation. Therefore, they would take note of things like:

the abundance and availability of drinking water
the quality and fertility of the soil
the shapes of mountains, hills, rivers, lakes and valleys
the condition of vegetable and animal life
the presence of enough fish and game
the strength and direction of the winds
sun exposure

How Has Feng Shui Changed?

In modern times Feng Shui also deals with the surroundings of a building [including streets and other buildings], its shape and landscaping, as well as with the colors and materials of the outside and inside of a space. Above all, Feng Shui rules can help find a site where family life is more likely to be harmonious, or a locale where a business is more likely to succeed.

While Architecture is based mainly on rules of functionality and Interior Design concentrates on beauty, Feng Shui adds the dimension of feelings. How people react emotionally to a place is as important as proper architectural or interior design. It is essential that people feel comfortable and safe in their home or workplace. This enables them to create environments where we can be happier, healthier, more prosperous and free.

For example, in Feng Shui furniture arrangement we give chairs and beds what is called “the power position.” This means allowing a person to see the door, while not being directly in the path of the door. This gives the person command of the room. As a result of this, he or she will feel more in control. This will often lead to greater concentration and productivity, as well as greater relaxation and better rest.

A Chinese Saying

The Chinese say, “First, Destiny; Second, Luck; Third, Feng Shui; Fourth, Virtues; Fifth, Education”

Destiny refers to the tendencies with which we were born, for example, the kind of family were we born into (social circumstances, genetics, country of birth, what kind of opportunities we were presented with in life). Destiny can be steered depending on what you do with what you have been given.

In Chinese thought, Luck is not equivalent to chance, but rather a more complex phenomenon, result of the combination of how the Universal winds are moving at any particular time and the internal condition of the energy of the person, which would draw him or her to hook either with auspicious (of good omen) or inauspicious events.

Feng Shui is a term that relates to the natural conditions of the place where you have chosen to live or work. Not all places on Earth promote life, and not all places on Earth that promote life are adequate for human life. Most importantly, Feng Shui teaches us to surround ourselves with the factors that would promote healthy living.

According to traditional Chinese thought, the main virtues are: Generosity, Charity, Humility, Industriousness (or Diligence), Self-control (Discipline), Patience and Integrity (Decency)

Education is related to the development of skills, learning chores as if they were sacred arts, bringing the sacred into common life.

Feng Shui Means Wind and Water

Feng means Wind and Shui means Water. If you were in the middle of the ocean in a sailboat, there would be two things that would move your boat: the wind and the water currents.

If we compared our lives to the sail boat:

Destiny would be the particular ocean in which you are navigating [the energy of the Pacific Ocean, for example, is very different to that of the Atlantic];
Luck would be related to what the weather conditions are like at the time;
Feng Shui as we mentioned above is related to the Wind and the Water, but also to our knowledge of how the winds and the water currents. You need to be able to use the sail or sail system to get where you want to get at any given time;
Virtues have to do with your ability to correctly evaluate the feedback from your environment and be able to take the right actions;
Education could be compared to your general knowledge about boats and navigation.

What is the Role of Feng Shui?

In conclusion, the role of Feng Shui is to provide a LIFE MAP that can allow us to know more about our surroundings. It can give us the skills to produce changes in our environment that can bring positive changes in our lives.