FENG SHUI
The words “feng” and “shui” mean “wind” and “water”, respectively. These two natural elements together evoke balance, purity, and tranquility — all things that the feng shui practice is based on.
Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese concept unrelated to religion that is also known as the ‘art of placement’. It is a practice that explores the relationship between a person and the objects around them. Not only does feng shui often mean the readjusting of furniture to create balance, it can also mean changing up the relationship between a person and their possessions. The goal of feng shui is that, through shifting the dynamic between the self and the environment, we can achieve a better state of “chi”, or life force. Essentially, feng shui is a practice that relies on the idea that harmony and balance in personal spaces can create inner peace.
One of the more interesting things about feng shui is that it suggests that all objects — both animate and inanimate — are alive, and are therefore able to change the energy in a space. The decluttering of a desk, for instance, could bring good fortune to the homeowner. Different variations of feng shui might include changing paint colors to mend broken relationships, or changing the direction of your bed so that your feet don’t face the door, which promotes relaxation and wellness.
Other principles of feng shui include implementing curved lines in the home and putting mirrors at the ends of hallways to allow “chi” to more easily pass through the house.
The concept of Yin and Yang is also crucial to feng shui. Yin and Yang are two opposite forces that cannot exist without each other. Whereas in the Western culture we have binaries in which one element is better than the other (for example, light is better than dark, good is better than evil), the Chinese culture stresses a harmony and coexistence between Yin and Yang. Drawing on the balance of Yin and Yang, feng shui encourages a balance between us and our surroundings.
Unfortunately, in more modern day applications, home decorators will often claim to be using feng shui when they have not been properly trained in the practice. Though many consider it to be a superstitious idea, Feng Shui is taken very seriously by many architects and designers. There is a school in Los Angeles called the American Feng Shui Institute that focuses on the more scientific aspects of feng shui using astronomy and philosophy.
Overall, feng shui is an ancient practice that has many modern day applications; I think it’s safe to say that it can’t hurt to try!
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Sources:
Trust, Deanna. “Tree of Knowledge: WHAT IS FENG SHUI?” Tree of Knowledge: WHAT IS FENG SHUI? Off the Beaten Path, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. http://www.saintsandcircles.com/pages/tree_pages/feng_shui/_index_whatis.html.
American Feng Shui Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2016. <http://www.amfengshui.com/faq/>.
“Feng Shui.” Feng Shui-Table of Contents. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2016. <http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/spring04/McDonald/html/tableofcontent.htm>.
Links to diagrams!
Desk Feng Shui – You can see that plants on the desk in the right corner can help with relationships, a notebook in the bottom left corners aids with wisdom, etc.
Bedroom Feng Shui – Note that the foot of the bed doesn’t align with the doorway, and there are bedside tables on either side to create balance.
