Enhancing Your Life with Feng shui

The ancient practice of Feng shui is one of the oldest forms of geomancy in the world and can be traced back as far as 3500 years ago in ancient China. The word literally means wind and water and this practice believes in the notion that qi or vital energy can greatly influence and improve a person’s life by achieving balance and harmony in their surroundings.

To apply this practice means having to recognize the relationship between man and the environment he lives in. The key to this practice is locating the all important qi by arranging objects inside or outside of your home or even your office space so that qi continuously flows freely in the space thereby producing a positive impact in different aspects of your life. This ancient practice and belief is still being applied today and here are some methods where the art of balance and harmony can make a difference in a person’s life.

Using the Five Phases Method

The five phases method relies in the five elements or phases of fire, earth, metal, water and wood. These elements interrelate with each other through a creation cycle where fire produces earth, earth produces metal, metal produces water and water produces wood. Each element also corresponds to a particular direction where water is placed in the north, fire is the south, east is wood, west is metal and earth is the center.

The best way to apply this method is to make sure that your room or the space you live in has a balance of all these elements to produce good qi otherwise too much of a particular element might go against the other elements and produce harmful qi instead.

Using the Flying Stars Method

Probably the most difficult method to apply Feng shui is the flying star method which takes into account the date your house or office was built, a detailed floor plan and the outside environment of the place. It is similar to having a birth sign in astrology only this time it’s your property’s birth sign.

Although this method can be complex, it is the most accurate of methods and usually done by master practitioners of the craft. What this method aims to achieve is to harmonize your space by finding out the best elements to enhance it and the elements that need to be avoided.

Using the Eight Mansions Method

The most popular application of Feng shui is the eight mansions method or the Ba Zhai. This method requires you to calculate your kua number based on your birth date. This will help you determine your auspicious direction because each kua number corresponds to a particular direction.

This method aims to find out which directions are good for you and which to avoid. It also helps you find out if you are compatible with that particular area you’re living or staying in. Finding out the best direction for you and enhancing that space can help you become more productive in terms of career, relationships, health and luck.

Feng shui-Proof Your Life

Testimonies of the benefits of this ancient practice are many and its effectiveness can be traced from ancient times otherwise this practice would not have survived today. The concept is simple and everyone can benefit with some semblance of balance and harmony in their lives. It’s just a matter of recognizing the value of qi and making sure everything in your surroundings brings you peace.

Earth, Metal and Fire and Feng Shui?

Good Feng Shui means you have a balance of the five elements that compose the earth. Coversely, it also involves not having these elements overpower each other. Now, how do we really go about that? The basic principle on Feng Shui is heavily anchored on the five elements of the earth. In an ideal system, the five elements complement each other in a form of life cycle. If the environment fosters this positive nature that balances the five elements of the earth, then prosperity and good luck may not be far off.

Ideal System

The ideal system is where water produces wood, wood yields fire, and fire fashions the earth. Then, the earth forms the metal and the metal consequently produces the water. The overbearing and ugly system is when the elements contradict each other: wood burdens earth, fire destroys metal, earth hampers water, or water kills the fire. If you are able to see the visual properties of these elements, you may find that these arrangements prescribed by Feng Shui also make practical sense, even if you do not necessarily dig the concepts and foundations of Feng Shui.

Earth

You don’t have to be a geologist to understand good Feng Shui for earth. Earth is generally composed of ceramics and rocks. If you want a happy home, you must have a good dose of rocks and ceramics strategically placed in tune with the other elements that are present in your home. Lacking in earth, you may find yourself filled with instability and resilience that the earth is generally known for.

Metal

Electronic devices can actually have good feng shui as well. They are under the metal category, which not just brings in the technological advancements of this age but also the toughness brought about by metal materials in the different elements of Feng Shui. Make sure that metal is not colliding with fire elements, and this may even hold a practical significance because you wouldn’t want any of your electronic devices to catch fire!

Water

Zen fountains and the like form the water aspect of Feng Shui. Just ensure that water complements your metal. Overpowering your home with electronic appliances may actually appeal to the gadget junkie but not to the Feng Shui aficionado. Aside from the fact that water balances metal, you may also find that it has visual appeal if a person finds a Zen fountain in the midst of a sea of gadgets in the home which may be cool in function but not in appearance.

Fire

Candles and fireplaces are good examples of fire elements in Feng Shui. It may appear weird to put a fountain beside a fireplace for it contradicts that purpose, but many a movie had background sets with a fireplace and wooden furniture that is well ideal for a night of romance. Too much fire can actually drown the environment, so be very careful when lighting your environment. In business settings, it may also be advisable to tame down the effects of fire in the office. But it can be more unleashed in the personal setting, especially in romantic ones.

Wood

Wood is abundant in many places. Wooden furniture remain to be vintage to the Feng Shui expert. And this does not have to be only in the form of wooden furniture. Just by cultivating a garden in your home, you will be able to bring in a lot of wood that can help you balance the different elements.