Ok, so if you have read my About page, you know I not only love interior design, but I also have been studying Feng Shui for the past few years. When I first learned about Feng Shui, it was like a light switch flipped and everything just made sense to me.
I knew I always had a knack for placement and symmetry in design. But I struggled with some of the concepts of Interior Design as they were all cosmetic, and nothing explained WHY something FELT right to be placed here or there or not at all.
Feng Shui opened that door for me.
I quickly realized that feeling was the energies of the home whispering to me. And if you pay attention, you will hear what your home is trying to tell you too.
With this beginner’s guide, I will break down the confusing principles of Feng Shui into an easy guide of relate-able examples to explain Feng Shui. Here we go!!
Just what IS Feng Shui?
A practice? A Teaching? A Skill?
To put it plainly…All of these and more!
But to make it simple, and I like simple, Feng Shui is bringing energy into balance, or harmony, with the surrounding environment.
You can do this by strategic placement of specific items, incorporating the 5 elements, or simply setting intentions.
Feng Shui literally translates to Wind Water, or the Unseen and the Seen.
But what does that mean?
Lets start with the hard part – the unseen.
In Chinese Terminology we call this the Chi, or Life Force. These incredible invisible lines of energy are highways for bringing us good (and bad) vibes.
You also have Chi flowing inside you, yes YOU!
Blockages can wreak all kinds of havoc, so it’s important to keep energy flowing, wherever it is!
With Feng Shui we can ensure the right energies are flowing into your home and supporting you and your goals.
What about the Seen?
This where we have fun, with the use of color and the 5 elements (Earth, Water, Wood, Fire, Metal) we can manipulate the energy and put our homes to work for us!
For Example:
Ok, think about a River, flowing freely in the forest. When that river is blocked, be it a fallen tree, a beaver damn, or whatever it may be, there are
serious consequences. Not only does the downstream forest deprived of that amazing watery goodness, dry out, and die, but the backup of water unable to flow starts water logging the upstream forest, killing off and drowning the surrounding environment too.
The same goes for our bodies – think Acupuncture! I’ll use my self for this example, I occasionally get really bad headaches, the cause? Stagnant Chi (or energy) that isn’t flowing, it gets stagnant and pooled up in my head causing debilitating headaches. A quick trip to my acupuncturist, the blockage is removed, energy can flow, BAM, headache gone.
Quick disclaimer: I have been receiving Acupuncture for years and have a long history of issues I continue to work on, I am not
insinuating that 1 trip to an acupuncturist will cure you forever of what ails ya! However, I can recommend some STELLAR practitioners if you want to give it whirl!
With the guiding principles of Feng Shui, you can remove blockages in your home and enhance the vibrant, joyous, amazing energy that brings happiness and abundance!
Similar to Acupuncture, its not a one stop shop kind of fix, but rather, an ongoing healing process that you should continue to work on as you grow and change.
Still don’t get it? Let’s talk the Science behind it.
Ok, let me get scientific on you for a moment.
Think about your wireless laptop.. the Wi-Fi is transmitted by radio waves. Modern scientific discoveries have proved that the earth emits its own current of energy. We have seen and heard the recent claims of negative impacts on the human body from electromagnetic waves emitted by appliances. That’s all Chi is, another form of energy that can have positive or negative effects on people.
So how do you Feng Shui a space if you can’t see the Energy?
Au contraire mon amour!
The best Feng Shui practitioners CAN see and/or feel the Chi in a space. That’s what makes this practice so much more than diagrams and placement. It truly is a gift for those that are called to it.
How does it work?
Tapping into the good Chi starts with balance. We can use the controlling and enhancing cycle of the 5 elements and the 9 Quadrants of the Bagua to ensure the right influences are in play for the rooms of your home.
The Bagua is a powerful tool used in Feng Shui to map how energy moves throughout the home and what elements have influence over it.
There are 9 quadrants or “Guas” that can be lined up to your home’s floorplan to reveal your homes auspiciousness.
Each Gua is very unique but equally important to a happy and healthy lifestyle. The effects of bringing these Guas into balance, can have such astounding effects. There is a good reason why the art of Feng Shui has been around for thousands of years and will continue to be around.
Hiring a Feng Shui Consultant/practitioner can help you navigate these tools and make recommendations for first and foremost, bringing your home into balance and harmony, and then introducing cures to help you achieve your goals.
Want to learn more?
Interested in learning more about beginning Feng Shui? My mentor, the one and only Home Whisperer TM, Sharyn Jordan Hathcock published the perfect textbook for anyone wanting to unlock the secrets of their home. I highly recommend The Home Whisperer – Feng Shui Simplified, it answers so many questions and provides a wealth of knowledge you can apply to your home.
xoxo, Christi
