Feng shui has been a prevalent practice in Western culture for many years, although its origin dates back to China almost 3,000 years ago. While today, it is commonly associated with the art of positioning furniture in a home, feng shui reportedly was used during the Chow dynasty as a way to use the environment to decide appropriate burial grounds.
When translated, feng shui means ‘wind – water’, reiterating the practice’s core meaning of supporting life and enriching people to lead them to success, typically, through the elements provided to us by the earth.
What is feng shui?
The main schools:
To begin to establish an understanding of feng shui, its three main teachings must be discussed:
Traditional: this is most popular avenue of feng shui explored, and for coherency, the one we shall refer to.
Black Sect Tantric Buddhism: this was developed in the 1980’s and incorporates followings from Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism, and classical feng shui.
Modern: this is a Western interpretation of the practice, and while it still follows some traditional methods, it steers away from the Chinese symbols and typical foundations.
The foundations of feng shui:
These foundations explore what techniques are commonly used to achieve qi/chi or energy balance within the home. The Bagua map
The best way to think about the Bagua map is to consider a few of the key aspects in your life, and how they correspond with the areas in your home. An easy way to apply the Bagua map to your life is to lay it out over a floor plan and begin to map which energy comes from where.
· Power, wealth, abundance
· Fame, future, reputation
· Love, relationships, marriage
· Creativity, children, legacy
· Compassion, travel, helpful people
· Self, career, work
· Knowledge, wisdom, harmony
· Family, health, community
· Wellbeing, balance, vitality
Typically, any first floor of a home requires the most focus as this is where the bulk of activity happens, therefore, it attracts the largest amount of energy or chi. By focusing on the main entryway, you’ll be able to tackle problems in the wisdom, career, or the helpful section of the Bagua map.
The five elements
The goal of using tools like the Bagua map is to achieve an ultimate balance within the home. This can be utilised with the addition of the five elements which is the exploration of how certain elements react and respond to one another. Each element is represented by a colour and those that complement, work at improving energy within a home.
· Fire: this represents orange, red, pink, purple.
· Water: this represents blue and black.
· Metal: this represents white and grey.
· Wood: this represents green and brown.
· Earth: this represents light yellow, earth tones, and light brown.
The Bagua map works in conjunction with the five elements, and it will guide you to understand where each should be placed.
How to incorporate feng shui into your life
Feng shui can offer a wealth of possibilities when you use your home as a vessel for success, tranquillity, and peace of mind. It’s a way of life, that eventually, has the power to escape the confines of your home and shape the way in which you live.
While it can be a long process, by making little changes, you can attract balance and positive energy into your life.
An example of the way in which many people use feng shui techniques may be the treatment of the bedroom. In feng shui, the bedroom is seen as an integral room in a home, this is because you spend the most time there passively which means you’re more suspectable to the energies that are in the room.
Here are a few simple things you can do to turn negative energy into positive:
· Keep the space underneath your bed clear.
This will allow the energy to flow freely and evenly across your bed and space.
· Reduce the electronics that are in your room
A popular belief in feng shui is that it’s better to keep any electronic devices away from your bedroom, as these can create an electronic forcefield that interrupts your sleep pattern.
· Ensure your bed is in the command position
The command position is when you have any piece of furniture facing the door, this allows you to deal with whatever you need to face in life head on. By placing your bed in the command position, you’re allowing yourself, at your most vulnerable, to be in a position of power.
· Avoid having mirrors that are in-line with your bed
According to feng shui rules, having a mirror in the bedroom can cause sleep disruption. This is because mirrors have the ability to bounce energy around a room, if you do put a mirror in your bedroom, then make sure it isn’t directly in front of your bed as this can foreshadow the introduction of an unwanted third party in your romantic relationships.
· Position the bed against a wall
It’s important that the head of the bed is against a wall, so to support you from behind. However, ensure that your bed isn’t in front of or in-line with the door as this puts the bed in the direct line of energy – but it is conducive to be able to see the door, from a safe distance, as this promotes a relaxed energy and comfort.
The benefits:
By following a few of these steps, you will be able to receive an abundance of relaxed and balanced energy in your home. If you choose to follow the feng shui path, then over time, you should be able see its effects take place in your life, too. Often, your luck will improve and you may find yourself gaining energy and a new look on life.
With purposeful planning and mindful using of the Bagua map, you may even be able to improve focused aspects of your life such as finances or relationships. That’s the core ethos of feng shui, to promote balance of the mind and attract a purposeful life filled with abundance and joy.
Further reading:
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