Tips for Creating Both Balance in Life and Home

The meaning of Feng Shui can be broken down or classified into the Chinese words "feng," which means wind, and "shui," which means water. The concept is derived from an ancient poem that discusses the interconnections and interdependence of human life and the environment.

What is Feng Shui?

Feng shui is defined as the practice of arranging objects in living spaces to create harmony with the natural world. This is what it means for a home to be feng shui. The objective is to harness energy forces and establish harmony between a person and his or her surroundings.

In Asian culture, this philosophy is referred to as the Tao, which translates to "the way." Taoism is the way of nature, and all the fundamental rules of feng shui reflect nature.

The Comprehensive Guide to Feng Shui

The Commanding Place

If you want to feng shui your home, you must first understand the commanding position.   It puts you at diagonal to the door, and you should be able to see the door easily. In feng shui, the commanding position is the location in a room that is the farthest from the door and not in direct line with it.

Some of the fundamental principles of feng shui suggest that you determine the dominant position in the room and then place your bed, desk, or stove in diagonal alignment if possible. These three components of your home are significant because each represents an important aspect of your life.

The Important Basic Principles of Feng Shui 2022

The Bagua Feng Shui Map

A bagua is the feng shui energy map which was supposed superimposed on the floor plan of your home. In Chinese  the word "bagua" interprets to the "eight areas”. Each of the eight areas represents or corresponds to a different life circumstance, such as family, wealth, or career. Each of these areas has corresponding colors, shapes, seasons, and earthly elements.

All the feng shui teaching schools use “baguas” to analyze your home, but some apply the bagua in different ways. The Western and BTB (Black Sect) schools typically lay the bagua so that the knowledge, career, and helpful people areas align with the front door of the home.

The Bagua Areas

Identifying one to three areas that require the most attention is the simplest way to incorporate the bagua into your life and to feng shui your home. Do not try to work on all areas at once. To strengthen your energy or improve flow in those areas, implement feng shui tips in that specific area.

Family (Zhen)

·        Element: Yang wood

·        Colors: Green, blues, teal

·        Shape: Columnar, rectangular

·        Season: Spring

·        Representing: Family, new beginning

Wealth (Xun)

·        Element: Yin wood

·        Colors: Purple

·        Shape: Columnar, rectangular

·        Season: Spring

·        Representing: Wealth, abundance, prosperity

Health (Tai Qi)

·        Element: Earth

·        Colors: Brown, orange, yellow

·        Shape: Flat, square

·        Season: Transitions between the seasons

·        Representing: Overall wellness, the center

Helpful People (Qian)

·        Element: Yang metal

·        Colors: Gray, metallics

·        Shape: Circular, spherical

·        Season: Autumn

·        Representing: Helpful people, benefactors, travel

Children (Dui)

·        Element: Yin metal

·        Colors: White, metallics

·        Shape: Circular, spherical

·        Season: Autumn

·        Representing: Children, completion, joy

Knowledge (Gen)

·        Element: Yang earth

·        Colors: Dark blue

·        Shape: Flat, square

·        Season: Transitions between the seasons

·        Representing: Knowledge, self-cultivation, skillfulness

Fame (Li)

·        Element: Fire

·        Colors: Red

·        Shape: Triangle, pointy

·        Season: Summer

·        Representing: Fame, reputation, passion, visibility

Career (Kan)

·        Element: Water

·        Colors: Black

·        Shape: Wavy, curvy

·        Season: Winter

·        Representing: Career, path in life

Partnerships (Kun)

·        Element: Yin earth

·        Colors: Pink

·        Shape: Flat, square

·        Season: Transitions between the seasons

·        Representing: Partnerships, marriage, self-care

The Five Elements of Feng Shui

The five elements of feng shui—earth, metal, water, wood, and fire— came from the Taoist tradition. The elements are five interconnected phases of life that work together as a complete system.

To incorporate the elements in your life and home, you must first determine where you wish to focus your energy. Similar to the bagua, you select one to three areas of your life you wish to improve.

Consider ways to incorporate earth tones, ceramic or clay pottery, stones, or crystals in that room, as your bagua indicates that your bedroom is aligned with your overall well-being and is the place where you recharge.

Focus on a couple of other rooms or areas of your life and bring in feng shui items that correspond to the corresponding elements in those rooms in order to bring positive energy to those areas or rooms, those areas representing your life, and ultimately your entire home.

The Important Basic Principles of Feng Shui

Earth

·        Areas: Wellness, knowledge, partnerships 

·        Colors: Brown, orange, yellow

·        Shape: Flat, square

·        Season: Transitions between the seasons

·        Qualities: Grounded, self-care, stable

Metal

·        Areas: Helpful people, children

·        Colors: White, metallics

·        Shape: Circular, spherical

·        Season: Autumn

·        Qualities: Efficient, precise, beauty 

Water

·        Area: Career

·        Colors: Black

·        Shape: Wavy, curvy

·        Season: Winter

·        Qualities: Downward, flowing, shifting

Wood

·        Areas: Family, wealth

·        Colors: Green, blues

·        Shape: Columnar, rectangular

·        Season: Spring

·        Qualities: Expansive, vitality, upward

Fire

·        Area: Fame

·        Colors: Red

·        Shape: Triangle, pointy

·        Season: Summer

·        Qualities: Passion, illuminating, brilliant