The Basic Principles of Feng Shui
Tips for creating balance in life and at home
The term “feng shui” originates from the Chinese words “feng” (wind) and “shui” (water), which represent the natural elements of air and water. This concept is rooted in an ancient poem that symbolizes the interconnectedness between human life and its surrounding environment, emphasizing the idea of harmony and balance.
What Is Feng Shui?
Feng shui is the art of organizing objects in your living space to achieve harmony with nature. The aim is to channel energy and create a sense of balance between you and your surroundings.
In Asian culture, the philosophy known as Taoism, or “the way,” emphasizes harmony with nature. Feng shui, a practice rooted in Taoist principles, aims to create balance and flow in the home and life. By incorporating feng shui into your home’s design, you can align with nature’s rhythms and enhance your overall well-being.
Discover the principles of feng shui and how to integrate them into your home and daily life for improved harmony and balance.
Principles of Feng Shui
In the practice of feng shui design, there are four fundamental principles to consider:
- Chi: This is the vital life force or energy. It’s crucial to take into account when designing your home with feng shui.
- Commanding Position: This refers to the spot in a room that is farthest from the door (but not in direct line with it). The commanding position is where you’ll want to spend the most time in a space. It’s important to have a clear line of sight to the door from the commanding position for optimal feng shui.
- Bagua: The Bagua is the feng shui energy map. It’s a Chinese term that means “eight areas,” and each of these areas relates to a specific life area.
- Five Elements: The five elements of feng shui are earth, metal, wood, water, and fire. When incorporating feng shui into your home, it’s often beneficial to balance these five elements.
Chi in Feng Shui
Chi, the vital life force or energy, plays a crucial role in the principles of feng shui, especially when designing a room. A spacious room with minimal furniture can lead to an excess of chi, causing a sense of being overwhelmed. Conversely, a cluttered, cramped space can restrict the flow of chi, resulting in feelings of stagnation.
The Commanding Position
In feng shui, the commanding position is a strategic location within a room that is considered the most favorable for energy flow and overall well-being. It is typically identified as the spot farthest from the door and not directly in line with it, ideally providing a clear line of sight to the door.
According to basic feng shui principles, it is advisable to place key elements such as your bed, desk, or stove in this commanding position, as they symbolize important aspects of your life. The bed represents you, the desk signifies your career, and the stove symbolizes your wealth and nourishment.
By aligning these elements with the commanding position, you can optimize the flow of energy in your space and enhance various aspects of your life.
The Feng Shui Bagua Map
The bagua is a fundamental concept in feng shui, representing the energy map of your home. The term “bagua” translates to “eight areas” in Chinese, each corresponding to different aspects of life such as family, wealth, or career. Each area is associated with specific shapes, colors, seasons, numbers, and earthly elements. At the center of the bagua is a ninth area, symbolizing overall wellness.
Various feng shui schools interpret and apply the bagua differently. The Western and BTB (Black Sect) schools typically align the knowledge, career, and helpful people areas with the front door. In contrast, the Flying Stars and other classical schools might orient the bagua based on the energy of the year or the compass.
The Bagua Areas
To seamlessly integrate the bagua into your daily life and feng shui your home, start by pinpointing one to three areas that require the most attention. Avoid trying to address all areas simultaneously. Instead, focus on enhancing energy or enhancing flow in those specific areas by implementing feng shui tips.
Family (Zhen)
- Representing: Family, new beginnings
- Shape: Columnar, rectangular
- Colors: Green, blues, teal
- Season: Spring
- Number: 4
- Element: Yang wood
Wealth (Xun)
- Representing: Wealth, abundance, prosperity
- Shape: Columnar, rectangular
- Colors: Purple
- Season: Spring
- Number: 5
- Element: Yin wood
Health (Tai Qi)
- Representing: Overall wellness, the center
- Shape: Flat, square
- Colors: Brown, orange, yellow
- Season: Transitions between the seasons
- Number: 5
- Element: Earth
Helpful People (Qian)
- Representing: Helpful people, benefactors, travel
- Shape: Circular, spherical
- Colors: Gray, metallics
- Season: Autumn
- Number: 6
- Element: Yang metal
Children (Dui)
- Representing: Children, completion, joy
- Shape: Circular, spherical
- Colors: White, metallics
- Season: Autumn
- Number: 7
- Element: Yin metal
Knowledge (Gen)
- Representing: Knowledge, self-cultivation, skillfulness
- Shape: Flat, square
- Colors: Dark blue
- Season: Transitions between the seasons
- Number: 8
- Element: Yang earth
Fame (Li)
- Representing: Fame, reputation, passion, visibility
- Shape: Triangle, pointy
- Colors: Red
- Season: Summer
- Number: 9
- Element: Fire
Career (Kan)
- Representing: Career, path in life
- Shape: Wavy, curvy
- Colors: Black
- Season: Winter
- Number: 1
- Element: Water
Partnerships (Kun)
- Representing: Partnerships, marriage, self-care
- Shape: Flat, square
- Colors: Pink
- Season: Transitions between the seasons
- Number: 2
- Element: Yin earth
The Five Elements
The five elements of feng shui—earth, metal, water, wood, and fire—originate from the Taoist tradition. These elements symbolize various life phases that work in harmony to form a complete system. When applying feng shui to your home, it’s essential to balance these elements.
To incorporate the five elements of feng shui into your life and home, start by identifying one to three areas you’d like to enhance. Then, strengthen the energy in those areas by incorporating the suggested colors or shapes.
For instance, if your bagua indicates that your bedroom is linked to your overall wellness and serves as a space for rejuvenation, it aligns with the earth element. To enhance this area, consider using feng shui colors associated with earth, such as earthy tones, and decorate with ceramic or clay pottery, stones, or crystals.
Once you’ve made these initial improvements, shift your focus to other rooms or areas of your life. Observe the elements present in each room and introduce corresponding feng shui items to bring positive energy to those spaces, as well as to your entire home.
Earth
- Qualities: Grounded, self-care, stable
- Shape: Flat, square
- Colors: Brown, orange, yellow
- Season: Transitions between the seasons
- Areas: Wellness, knowledge, partnerships
Metal
- Qualities: Efficient, precise, beauty
- Shape: Circular, spherical
- Colors: White, metallics
- Season: Autumn
- Areas: Helpful people, children
Water
- Qualities: Downward, flowing, shifting
- Shape: Wavy, curvy
- Colors: Black
- Season: Winter
- Area: Career
Wood
- Qualities: Expansive, vitality, upward
- Shape: Columnar, rectangular
- Colors: Green, blues
- Season: Spring
- Areas: Family, wealth
Fire
- Qualities: Passion, illuminating, brilliant
- Shape: Triangle, pointy
- Colors: Red
- Season: Summer
- Area: Fame
Tips to Feng Shui Your Home
Decorate with plants:
Feng shui plants, especially ones with rounder and softer leaves such as the money plant, nourish your personal energy.
Consider positions:
Ensure your stove, desk, or bed is positioned in the commanding spot, which is the farthest from the door but not directly aligned with it. Additionally, consider the orientation of your home.
Balance colors:
Identify the Bagua zones you wish to enhance and select colors that resonate with those energies. For instance, incorporate green to nurture family (Zhen) or purple for prosperity (Xun).
Declutter:
Excessive clutter causes blocked chi. Let go of excess items that take up valuable space.
Keep traffic flow open:
Passageways like doors and halls should be kept open so your route is clear. Avoid placing furniture at the entrance of a room.
Fix broken things:
Repairing any broken items in your home can enhance the positive energy, or “chi,” of a space. It is especially crucial to fix or replace broken mirrors.
Use the five elements:
Balancing the five elements—earth, metal, water, wood, and fire—is key to effective feng shui in your home. Ensure each element is represented and placed in the right areas of your living space for optimal harmony.
FAQ
- What is the meaning of feng shui?“Feng” means wind and “shui” means water. The phrase references an ancient poem about human life being connected to and flowing with the environment.
- What is bad feng shui for the bedroom?Bad feng shui includes blocking doorways or entrances, as that blocks chi from flowing. A cluttered space similarly causes stagnation. In your bedroom, having your bed facing away from the door or directly in front of it, rather than in the commanding position, is bad feng shui.
- What are the dos and don’ts of feng shui?Feng shui don’ts include keeping sick or dead plants, having pointy plants, decorating with broken or obscured mirrors, using under-the-bed storage, having a bed without a headboard, having blocked doors, and more.
Feng shui dos include keeping your home clutter-free, incorporating the right colors, using the right materials (bamboo, crystal, glass, etc.), letting in as much natural light as possible, growing feng shui plants, and more.