What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui means ‘wind and water’ the two most powerful forces of nature.  We can’t live long without either, only three minutes without air and three days without water.

Pronounced ‘foong shway’, Feng Shui was first used in ancient China 3000 years ago to determine the most auspicious sites for the tombs of ancestors.  Later it started being used to site palaces, important government buildings and monuments until finally whole cities were designed and built according to Feng Shui principles.

It first became popular in the early 1990s in the West, initially in America, before it slowly spread to the rest of the western world.

Feng Shui assesses and influences the interaction between people, buildings and the environment.  When the ‘chi’, or life energy force, is flowing appropriately, we are supported in life, like flowing with the tide and not against it.  The benefits can be considerable.

By balancing the chi in your home and the opposites of yin and yang, i.e. male/female, dark/light, old/young, soft/hard, cold/warm, you can also make sure that the space supports the function of each room, so for example relaxing energy in the lounge and bedrooms, but more active energy in kitchens or offices/work spaces.

This is the luck we are born with, created before we have the ability to make our own choices and influenced by karma.  We therefore have little control over this Luck.

It’s like a blue-print that Heaven has given to us which contains the ‘secrets’ of how to reach maximum potential or our purpose in life.

There are various tools we can use to understand this blue-print or hand we have been dealt, including Chinese Astrology, Nine Star Ki and Chinese Kua numbers.  Using our date of birth we can find out our Chinese zodiac sign and calculate our Nine Star Ki and Kua numbers, which then helps us understand who we are and our relationships with others.

It also helps us make decisions on the position of beds and the timing of important events moving forward, i.e. moving house or starting a new job.

This is the luck we create for ourselves – the one we have complete control over.  It comes from our ideas, thoughts and actions in everyday life and our education, skills and behaviours.

Man Luck includes our beliefs and moral codes as well as our willingness to help others and the environment around us.  You reap what you sow in life, so can be incredibly powerful, with the only limitations being those we set ourselves.

It is not only about our ‘awareness’ of what is right and what needs to be done, but the actions we take to make this happen.

Making a shift in the way we see things, challenging our beliefs and understanding that sometimes the only thing standing in the way of success is ourselves, can trigger some incredible changes, if this then positively affects our actions, choices and behaviours in life.

You will see from the Three Lucks above that we only have control over Man and Earth.  That means that, although interesting to understand Heaven Luck, we need to work with Man and Earth Luck to have the most impact.

Feng Shui will greatly support your happiness and balance in life (Earth luck).  However, we also have to consider our choices and decisions (Man Luck), which may sabotage success.   For example, if we make poor decisions around diet, drinking, smoking or exercise, this will have an impact on our health and well-being and Feng Shui success in this area could be compromised.

Making positive choices alongside good Feng Shui, is the most powerful way to support our ultimate happiness and success.