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What is Feng Shui

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What is Feng Shui? Simply put, it is an ancient art and science that was developed by the Chinese more than 3,000 years ago. It is a complex body of knowledge that if practiced properly will assure the person good health and fortune.

Feng Shui is made of two words. The first is wind while the second is earth. Its teachings are based on Taoist vision and understanding of nature on the belief that the land is alive and is filled with energy. This in turn could make a kingdom successful or bring it to its downfall.

Aside from the water and the wind, Feng Shui is influenced by the theory of 3 other elements namely wood, fire and metal. It is this that also guides Chinese astrological sciences including the times, dates of birth and years as well as colors, seasons, directions and the planets.

The main tools for Feng Shui are the compass and the Ba-Gua. The Ba-Gua is an octagonal shaped grid containing the symbols of the I Ching which is the ancient oracle on which this is based.

Those who believe in Feng Shui say that those who know the Bagua of their home will be able to understand specific areas of their life.

The feng shui compass is also called lo-pan. This is used to access deeper information about a site or a building. It consists of bands of concentric rings arranged around the magnetic needle. “Lo” means “everything” and “pan” means “bowl”, which can be interpreted as the key to the mysteries of the universe.

Through the years, several different schools of feng shui have emerged. If you are able to master the basic level, it is said that you will start to see powerful results which could be to your advantage both at home and in business.

Those who practice Feng Shui see it as a double edged sword because it can be mutually productive and also destructive.

In a productive cycle, fire produces earth which produces metal which produces water which produces wood and the fire again. In a destructive cycle, wood destroys earth which destroys water which destroys fire which destroys metal and then destroys wood.

To give you an idea what this all means, let’s say you were born on a fire year. Too much water in the home is not good because water destroys fire. On the other hand, if you put a lot of wooden décor into your home, then things will be good because wood produces fire. Aside from that, experts say that you will more likely prosper if you sleep on the south side of the house or apartment.

But the ordinary Joe does not have time to understand that. This is why many people these days consult Feng Shui experts when they are building an office or their home. By being able to have someone who understands these cycles, harmony and productivity is achieved.

So what is Feng Shui? For those who don’t believe in it, simply one way of making sure that you will get good fortune. As for those who take it seriously, it is what creates the essence of life around us. There must always be a harmonious balance between these elements so that you can live a healthy and meaningful life.

Decorating Your Home With Feng Shui

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Decorating Your Home With Feng Shui

Feng Shui is the practice of bringing good fortune by achieving balance between various elements. In the US, more people are beginning to consult Feng Shui experts in decorating their homes. For you to understand what they say, you need to learn the basic Feng Shui areas that need your attention so you will be able to decorate it properly.

The first step is to draw a layout of your home. When you are doing it, you are noting down the north points in the house.

Then it is time to work on the door. Ideally, the front and back door must never line up with each other. This is because according to the principles of Feng Shui, energy that enters the house will just go out without bringing any benefits to the homeowner. If this is the case in your home, put a plant or any other obstruction with an angled throw rug to encourage a path in a sideways direction.

To bring more energy in the home, bring in some light. This doesn’t mean turning the lights on but simply opening up the curtains so the sun can come in. You should also add green plants since in Feng Shui, the color itself brings joy and happiness. Other decorative items you can use include mirrors, wind chimes and brighter colors.

You can also bring good fortune to the home by putting in an indoor water fountain. This is because water refreshes Chi. At the same time, you can throw in some goldfish as this also encourages wealth. Just make sure to keep the pond clean and never let it stagnate.

Red is a very strong color in Feng Shui because it is hot, passionate, rich and celebratory. You must use this color for a living room set because too much of it may bring restlessness, a burst of anger and over stimulation. If you want to use it, use it only for details and accessories.

When you note down the north point of the home, it will be easy for you to work in other areas such as the southwest area of the house. This area is vital because it will allow you to have satisfying relationships. You can do this by eliminating clutter and replacing it with symbolic items ideally in pairs. Some good examples are candles and other figurines. Never make the mistake of putting wooden or green items here.

As for your dining room, the best ones to get are circles as this symbolizes heavenly blessings. The chairs should be even in number and comfortable to sit in. The décor should be simple so people will not get distracted and be more focused on having a good meal.

Watch out for exposed beams. If there are, these should be covered up because it creates an oppressive downward energetic flow that may cause health problems and other misfortunes in your life. The other option is to have two Feng Shui flutes installed at 45 degree angles on the beam, one at each end.

As for the bedroom, make sure that the bed is not directly facing the door. You shouldn’t also place a mirror on the opposite side of the bed as this could attract a third party into your relationship.

Peace and prosperity can only be achieved by decorating your home with Feng Shui. You can start now with some of the basics then get help if you think you need it.

Enhancing Your Life with Feng shui

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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.

Feng Shui Home Tips

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Feng shui has been an ancient Chinese practice that has recently became popular even in the Western world. It aims to strike up a certain kind of balance in a certain environment making it more ideal for people to live in. This is the practice of feng shui that has gotten the attention of most people, particularly for use in their homes. Here are some useful feng shui home tips that you can make use of to make your home filled with that positive “chi”.

Your Doorway and Chi

First off, you can start on your doorway. Doors should always remain free and clear of clutter. With this in mind, you should try to remove any slippers or shoes that may be lying around the doorway. In feng shui, it is said that “chi” flows with the wind. With the slippers and shoes at the doorway, the “chi” would bring with it the smell coming from the slippers and shoes into your house and cause sickness.

The “chi” would then go about the home interior trying to find water where it can stay. In the absence of such bodies of water like water fountains and aquariums, the “chi” would easily be dispersed by the wind.

Of Water Tanks and Fountains

In feng shui, water is said to be a repository of the energy called “chi”. That is why it may be good to have one in the home. But positioning is also important. A water fountain or fish tank should be positioned in an area that would attract positive “chi”. But a wrong or unfavorable position would also bring in the opposite.

While good fortune awaits, wrong positioning would also bring in misfortune and bad luck. If you have noticed the latter happening to you after positioning a water fountain of fish tank at a certain area in the home, you may need to shift it to another location.

Chi in the Kitchen

In designing your kitchen at home, make sure that you do not place your refrigerator opposite of your stove. These appliances can stand for fire and water. With the two clashing, it may bring family members to experience frequent disagreements at home. This also goes the same with the stove being opposite with the wash basin or washing machine in your kitchen.

Feng Shui in the Living Room

If you recently have been experiencing considerable pressure at work, your marble table might be a factor that may be causing it, feng shui speaking. You can either try to work your way through the pressure or you can remove the marble table in your home and exchange it for a wooden one.

In the same way color may also affect some things in feng shui. For instance having a red sofa set in your living room may bring about work pressure, problems as well as obstacles.

The color red that signifies fire just doesn’t work well in some areas of the home. These are just some of the feng shui home tips that you can apply to make sure that the flow of “chi” in your home remains on the positive side.

Earth, Metal and Fire and Feng Shui?

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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.