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What is Chi (Qi)? Feng Shui’s purpose is to attract and retain good chi while avoiding bad chi. Chi is what the ancient Chinese scholars picturesquely described as the cosmic breath of the celestial dragon. These can be compared to the spectrum of electromagnetic waves better described as “earth currents” in the atmosphere. The concept of Chi is not unique to the Chinese. It is also known to other cultures as a nourishing force that brings happiness. Ki to the Japanese, Prana to the Hindus, Pneuma to the Greeks, Ankh to the Egyptians, Ruah to the Hebrews, Tane to the Hawaiians, Orenda to the Iroquois. How Much Can Feng Shui Help My Life)? Feng Shui can not solve all your problems but it can help your life by improving your Earth Chi which is approximately 33% of your total life.
The Chinese believe that a person's success is based on three factors. They are categorized as Heaven, Man and Earth Chi: Heaven Chi 1. Destiny
( Ming ) (4 Pillar Luck Chart) Man Chi 3. Accumulation
of good deeds ( Ji yin de ) (Are you generous, patient, loving if so you
will find people are more generous, patient and loving to you) Earth Chi You obviously cannot change your 33 per cent of Heaven Chi (Destiny as predestined by Heaven). You can not change if you were born in the lap of luxury or with severe limitations but the good news is that if you have good "Man Chi" and "Earth Chi" you can at least help your life by 66 per cent! Yin YangJust like Goldilocks we neither want things to be too hard nor too soft or too hot nor too cold but juuussst right. In Feng Shui we also aim to achieve this balance through the balance of yin and yang. How much yin and yang depends largely in the function of the room. For example a room that is used primarily for sleeping should be more yin. A room that should be for exercising should feel more yang. Yin and Yang are most beneficial when they balance each other. If a room is too yang or too yin for its function, you can adjust the color, light, texture and décor for balance. Yin and Yang are opposite yet complementary energies. Their opposition is relative, and can only be spoken of in relationships. For example: A river is yang compared to a pond of water that is yin, however a river is yin if compared to the ocean that is yang. Yin and yang Yin and yang are visually represented inside a Tai chi circle, which symbolizes completeness.
Feng Shui Schools
Chances are that if you have read a few different Feng Shui
books you found that the information may be contradicting. That is because there
are several schools of Feng Shui. The two major types are categorized as
traditional and western. Both traditional and western schools use Form School in
their analysis as well as aspects of yin and yang theory and the five element
cycles. Traditional Feng Shui is also commonly known as Classical Feng Shui.
Compass School is particularly scientific and follows definite guidelines
translated from classical Chinese Feng Shui teachings and literature such as the
thousand-year-old Water Classics. The Black Sect School is more intuitive and
thus allows practitioners to employ a more creative license. Because individual
intuition varies, so do the interpretations and the results. The use and
application of the bagua is the main difference between the two schools. What type of Feng Shui do I practice? My practice and research have been in Traditional Feng Shui schools which use time- tested mathematical calculations and formulas. The Classical school has the most history and is still the most widely used in China today. It is not an easy do it yourself type of study but traditionally you would consult with a Feng Shui practitioner for concerns about your home just as you would go to a doctor with concerns about your health.
The Five Elements
In Feng Shui there are different kinds of
energies or Chi at work in our environment. According to their
characteristics, these 5 elements or energies were identified as Water,
Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. These energies interact with each other and we
should not see them as literal objects.
As they interact the are either being, nourished, weakened or
destroyed by each other.
The nourishing cycle represents how these elements can support, or nurture, another element. Water supports Wood (plants get their nutrients from water) Wood supports Fire (you use wood to make fire) Fire supports Earth (the ash after the fire feeds the earth) Earth supports Metal (ore is mined from the earth) and Metal supports Water (when metal is heated it behaves like water) to complete the circle. The destructive cycle represents how these elements can destroy, or balance, another element. Water destroys Fire (you use water to extinguish fire) Fire destroys Metal (fire can melt metal) Metal destroys Wood (an axe can chop wood) Wood destroys Earth (plants leach the minerals from soil) and Earth destroys Water (a dam can stop a river) to complete that cycle which looks like a five-pointed star within the circle. It is also interesting to note that both of these cycles exist in Traditional Chinese Medicine as well. There are several characteristics to the five elements - including seasons, tastes, and animals. One such interaction would be the Yin Organs. Earth represents the Spleen, Fire for Heart, Water for Kidneys, Wood for Liver, and Metal for Lungs. Using these substitutions you now have an idea of how disease (lack or excess of chi) in one organ can affect another based on these constructive and destructive cycles.
Eight Mansion Feng Shui 8 Mansion Feng Shui is based on an individual’s gua number of the person living in the home. That number is based on the person’s year of birth and is used to assign favorable and unfavorable locations in the home. The gua of a person represents their personal trigram. There are many websites that calculate your gua number but it is also good to know the formula. The house trigram is based on the sitting side of the house. The favorable situation is when your trigram aligns with the same grouping as the house. In these cases the favorable directions for a east group person will be compatible with the favorable areas of an east group home. In most cases this is difficult to achieve so the main focus is on the main door and bedroom locations which should fall in favorable areas.
Flying Stars Flying Stars is also known as Xuan Kong or Time-Space School of Feng Shui It uses a series of calculations that are based on your home’s period of construction as well as its sitting and facing directions. A chi map is obtained from this information and the consultant is trained to interpret it so as to activate the good energy and weaken any bad energy. Your personal ming gua is also taken into account when rooms are analyzed for individuals. Tabitha Miller trained in this method under Master Joseph Yu at the Feng Shui Research Center in Toronto, Canada. She has passed Master Yu's rigorous standards to become a certified Feng Shui Practitioner. For more information about this system, see Master Yu's Feng Shui FAQ.
Artwork and Symbolism
This is a website that I created to discuss appropriate art and symbols that are in your environment. The symbolism and imagery you use can inspire you to work better and achieve more. Symbols impact our subconscious mind. Because our subconscious mind makes up about 88% of our mind frame, the power of symbols on our well-being is infinitely strong.
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