The Feng Shui Blog

Chi – The energy of Feng Shui

The number one fundamental principle of Feng Shui is Chi (pronounced chee) without Chi, Feng Shui cannot exist. Chi is a Chinese word that has no real direct English translation with multiple meanings: life force, cosmic energy, vapor and breath. Chi is the invisible energy that animates all living things on earth. Chi flows continuously: through your body (acupuncture is based on these flows); through your home or office, the earth and the universe. Chi is the flow of life it self, without it you would not be alive. (Yes, you have the invisible energy of Chi flowing inside of you right now!)

The flow of chi in your surroundings affects all aspects of your life. The flow of chi in turn is influenced exterior and interior elements of the physical environment. Shapes, colors, lighting, position and arrangement of objects, cleanliness, and clutter are a few things that can affect your home’s energy flow.

Chi comes from multiple sources in your environment on a daily basis, here are a few:

• Your work surroundings.
• Your living surroundings.
• The food you eat.
• The water you drink.
• The air you breathe.

These multiple sources supply your body with chi to sustain itself. Your body then transforms this energy into multiple activities such as, moving your arms and legs, breathing, digesting, thinking, smelling, worrying and many other important and not so important human activities.

In the next few updates I will talk about the different types of Chi. Chao!

Yin and Yang.

One of the key important factors to Feng Shui is Yin and Yang. Everything on earth is made up of two opposite yet complementary principles or qualities: yin and yang. Yin symbolizes the passive and calm side of nature, while yang represents the active and energetic side. Yin and Yang do not exist independently; they describe the two primary qualities in which all things exist. Even though nothing is 100% yin or 100% yang, all things contain relative amounts of both energies. The image to the left is the symbolism of yin and yang. The white fish symbolizes yang and the black fish symbolizes yin meanwhile the outer circle represents “everything”.

Yin is things with characteristics such as silence, darkness, receptiveness and passivity but in contrast things with active, hard, loud and bright characteristics represents yang. Both are necessary for life and neither one is better then the other.

So how does yin and yang affect Feng Shui? If something is too-yang, it is disturbing and bothersome it can lead to the loss of peace and harmony. For example a room facing a noisy street or area can disturb peacefulness of the room. If something is too-yin for example an entrance that is hidden and dark, it may not bring and attract the money or energy.

Yin and yang can also describe activities and events as well. A church gathering is considered yin because of the quiet and peacefulness but on the other hand a large disco or club would be considered yang because of the noise and activity level.

So by practicing the art of Feng Shui you can balance the yin and yang in your life at your home and/or office. Yin and yang go hand in hand with Feng Shui. You can’t have the proper yin and yang without the proper Feng Shui.

I’ve have listed the most common misconceptions and apprehensions about Feng Shui. The following is not what Feng Shui is, no matter what anyone tells you!

Feng Shui is not:

• A simple garden or home makeover.
• A type of interior or exterior decorating.
• A type of magic or superstitious belief system. Asking someone if they believe in Feng Shui is like asking them if they believe in food.
• A get-rich-quick method of Oriental design that guarantees impossible results for just moving your furniture around.
• A quick fix to all of life’s problems.
• A one day project that can be done on a Sunday afternoon.
• A practice that only the rich can afford.
• A type of psychology.
• A religion nor a philosophy
• A quirky new age fad. ( No fad has been around the West for over 25 + years )
• A quick house clean up that makes your house look better.

The Chinese term Feng Shu (pronounced “fung shway”) literally translates to wind water, with Feng meaning Wind and Shui meaning water. Wind and water are the two natural elements that flow and circulate everywhere on Earth. These two are also the basics for human survival. Wind or air is the breath of life; without it, we die. And water is the liquid of life and without this we will die in just a few days. The combined traits of wind and water determine our natural surroundings, which historically has determined our food supply and which in turn affects our lifestyle, energy, mood and health. These two flowing elements have always influenced human individuals and all living things on earth.

The essence of these life giving elements is chi, or energy force. Wind and water are the direct carriers of chi, as their flowing qualities show their nature. Most living organisms are composed of these 2 elements. With that being said, Feng Shui is the practice of designing environments in harmony with the flow of chi through one’s home or office and this flow enhance and changes one’s personal chi.