Feng Shui

Feng shui (pronounced fung shway) literally means wind/water and is the part of the ancient Chinese Taoism concerned with how objects affect energy and how that energy, in turn, affects your life. Feng Shui has been around for four millennia because it actually works. Some aspects of feng shui seem like common sense while others seem like total superstition. For the remainder of this article, you will read more about feng shui; at the conclusion are 7 tips from feng shui, which you can immediately use to benefit you, your family and your home.

Feng shui tells us that the way certain object are positioned in, and even outside of your home (such as your house or apartment number), can influence your success, determine how peaceful your household is, and the opportunities that can come into your life. Many aspects of Western architecture are anathema to feng shui, but it is believed that there is always a feng shui solution, and in any decor. But the most common problem in feng shui, and the one that all of us can easily solve, is that of clutter. Feng shui tells us that clutter has an immediate and drastic stagnating effect upon chi (the Chinese word for energy), which can impact your health and progress in life.

One of the best ways to keep chi moving, according to feng shui is to place a water fountain inside your home. The water fountain will attract chi as well because it makes a sound and has visual movement. Another way, according to feng shui, to add chi energy into your home is to place healthy, living plants throughout it. The plants possess chi energy, just be sure not to decorate your home with cactus and yucca, as they radiate an energy that says, "stay away."

Here are 7 more feng shui tips to help improve the energy of your home and body:

If you wish to use dried plants as a substitute to live plants, make certain they are not more than six months old.
Never place the head of your bed near a wall with a toilet on the other side.
If a couple sleeps in bed, it is important that one person does not have to crawl over the other to get out. Try to leave at least 18 inches of space on either side of the bed.
If you have a desk in your bedroom or living room, it is suggested that you do not sit with your back to the door. Try to sit facing a door, or at least be at a 45 degree angle to it.
In general, glass table tops with no rim around them are bad for depleting chi. Try to buy glass tabletops with some type of rim around them.
Do not keep clocks in your house that do not work. Repair them or get rid of them.
Make sure all the mirrors in your home are clean and have no cracks or bad silvering.

Feng Shui has its roots in the ancient Taoist philosophers, who understood that all life was based on change and that happiness resulted from living in harmony with the cosmic laws of the universe. This philosophy precludes that inner health is related to our outer environment, which is what Feng Shui teaches us. With Feng Shui, we can see and experience, directly, how our environment impacts our lives. Feng Shui is not just for application in home, but in offices, stores, eating establishments, parks, hospitals, schools, and more.

Feng Shui is concerned primarily with attracting universal energy or chi. In Feng Shui, chi is either being drawn to us or away from us. Here are some things to consider, according to Feng Shui, in terms of increasing our chi or energy:

How a home or building sits on a piece of property, including the landscaping around the property.
The floor plan in a home or building.
The colors and fixtures used in a home or building.
Where each room is located in respect to compass directions.
How much sun moves through a home or building, and what function the space serves.
The position of furniture and the location of the door and windows in a home.

These are just some of the things in Feng Shui that can influence our success and well being. We probably have had the experience of entering a building, home or restaurant that we felt right at home in. The principles of Feng Shui were probably in action. Similarly, we probably have had the experience of entering a location and wishing we could quickly exit, without any logical reason. The principles of Feng Shui were probably not in action. Again, the Feng Shui of a property can dramatically affect how we feel and how much energy we have at any given moment. Just by knowing and using a few Feng Shui tips, anyone can increase revenue in a store, create better relationships and health at home, and publicly create greater results in schools and hospitals.

While many people discount Feng Shui, it is a science and one that has endured for over two thousand years. Simply by painting your walls, or adding a brilliant red color to your driveway or walkway (why do you think the Chinese consider red to be a lucky color?), or removing a large object, such as a tree, from between your front door and street could be the difference between success and failure, health and illness. Think of Feng Shui as a way to promote balance and harmony in your life. Your environment makes an impression on your mental, physical and spiritual being. In order to handle those impressions, a supportive environment, with a place you can recharge and galvanize creativity is vitally important. This usually translates into altering your home or workspace to best support your goals and your happiness. Feng Shui is the science that shows us the way. For more information, you can visit your local bookstore or library. One good introductory book is "Feng Shui Demystified" by Clear Englebert.