Feng shui (traditional Chinese: 風水; simplified Chinese: 风水; pinyin: fēng shuǐ; pronounced /ˈfəŋˌʃueɪ/ foong-shoy in Chinese Mandarin, "fheng-schway" in American English) is an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics believed to utilize the Laws of both heaven (astronomy) and Earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive Qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu (traditional Chinese: 堪輿; simplified Chinese: 堪舆; pinyin: kānyú; literally: Tao of heaven and earth).

The words feng shui literally translate as "wind-water" in English. This is a cultural shorthand taken from the following passage of the Zhangshu (Book of Burial) by Guo Pu of the Jin Dynasty:

Qi rides the wind and scatters, but is retained when encountering water.

Traditional Feng Shui practice always requires an extremely accurate Chinese compass, or Luo Pan, in order to determine the directions in finding any auspicious sector in a desired location.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Starting Feng-Shui on the Right Note

You have an interest in Feng Shui and you would like to start implementing its principles in your home, here are a few pointers to get you started

Feng shui is the art of living in harmony with one's environment. It allows you to arrange your space to maximize the quality of cosmic energy that flows around you. This energy is called "Chi" and affects the quality of your life. It is a mix of symbolism, traditions and common sense. It supposes the subtle feeling of being in touch with universal vibrations.

The goal is to achieve a certain equilibrium in one's life, to reach this goal you must control the Chi. Chi can be dispersed, when that happens it does not serve you well, and disorder is present. When Chi cannot circulate it can become caustic. You must then regulate the Chi that is always present around you, you must allow it to circulate positively in order to add equilibrium to the yin and the yang. This is the principle of harmony as defined by Tao. Equilibrium leads to harmony, and harmony leads to good luck and happiness.

You cannot control Chi away from your own environment, but your home is where you replenish yourself and your soul. It is your haven in this world and you control how Chi reacts around you, giving you all you need to face the world.

First clean up your home. No I don't mean that you have cobwebs and you need to get rid of them. Get rid of objects that symbolize death, sadness, loss, abandonment, aggression. These produce negative emotions that drain energy. Surround yourself with objects that bring serenity and prosperity, invite love, joy, happiness, health around you. Get rid of everything that is cumbersome to you. Get rid of old clothes, old objects without interest, get rid of things you don't use anymore. Sort things out and clean up from top to bottom, from room to room, yes even the garage and the basement. That alone will bring a breath of fresh air throughout the house.

Secondly choose a school to follow. You can choose one of three ways to follow.

  1. The first school is known as the form school know also as the 3 doors school. It is based upon nature and based on the energies of the roads, the rivers and the mountains. It involves placement of object in relationship to these natural elements.
  2. The next school is the compass or eight directions school. Based on the eight trigrams of the I Ching this school uses the eight points of a compass to understand and explain auspicious and ominous layouts of buildings and furnishings.
  3. The last school of feng shui is called the black hat sect school. It is a modern American interpretation of feng shui, a hybrid of Tibetan Buddhism, traditional feng shui and Taoism. In this case the arrangement or layout of the room is based on the Ba Gua (the direction of the door). The house is subdivided in eight sectors each with its own influence on an aspect of your life.

Once you have chosen the school you want to follow (there is not a right or wrong one, only the one that fits you and your circumstances best,) try to orientate the important elements like the bed or a desk, in function of the directions given by your Kua number. Your Kua number is determined by your birth date, you can get your kua number online.

Finally identify your problems. If all is well in your life it is not necessary to turn things around, but you can work on the zones where obstacles could occur. For example is everything alright in your professional life, or your romantic relationships, if not then you can strengthen that zone. If romance is the sector you need to improve work on the Chi in your bedroom. If a child is giving you some difficulties check out this child's room and reorient it to improve his/her Chi, if your professional life is where attention is needed, look at the orientation of your desk.



Autor: Charlotte Adelman

This gives you a good way to get started without a big investment into feng shui, but is sufficient to give you a taste of how it can improve your life. If you want to learn about feng shui colors follow me to internet Home Alliance a site with advice on all home decor and maintenance.


Added: January 23, 2010
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

0 Comments: