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Joey Yap's new book "Mian Xiang - Discover Face Reading" will soon be released! Click here to pre-order through Feng Shui Times!
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| Riding the Wind of an Ancient Practice
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Just like people, buildings have their own personalities: strengths, weaknesses, and unique characteristics based upon when they are built and what direction they are oriented. Almost like an astrology chart for your house, it is the position of the solar system at the time of construction, combined with the geomantic pulls of the earth which produces an unseen blue print of energy that impacts the people living or working inside.
For several thousand years in China, and around the globe today, Feng Shui (pronounced fung shwee) Masters have advised their mostly wealthy and powerful patrons in how to maximize their prosperity and avoid the dangers of poorly situated buildings. An example of poor placement is the building which sits at the very base of a cul-de-sac or end of a street, or a property which resides below street level. These types of houses have proven themselves over time to be susceptible to accidents, mishaps, break-ins, and flooding.
The first Feng Shui Masters were astrologer-meteorologists who observed and noted how people and nature interact and change in predictable cycles. Feng Shui was originally applied in choosing gravesites because the Chinese believed that the location in which ones family members are buried affects generations to follow. How it works has been cloistered information for centuries. There are only a handful of authentic Feng Shui Masters in the world today: most take few, if any, students. Master Lawrence Sang, a Chinese-American who came to the United States from Hong King in the early 1980's is an exception. Under his direct instruction and supervision, any sincere student is privileged to non-transcribed secrets and advanced applications of Feng Shui through the American Feng Shui Institute in Monterey Park, California, which Sang founded.
A professionally trained Feng Shui practitioner can reveal how compatible you are with your own home and often make a few simple adjustments to your living space which can improve your income and eliminate health problems or family tensions caused by poor Feng Shui. Other important features of a consultation may include:
The best location and direction for work stations.
Best sleeping directions.
Interior Design recommendations.
Furniture placement so that "Chi" (air or energy currents) can flow unobstructed through rooms.
Adjustments to the outside environment, including landscaping.
Best rooms for certain functions.
Design phase of new building/additions to maximize prosperity potential and personal compatibility with owner.
Yearly and monthly cycles of change. A GOOD EXCUSE TO BUY THAT BRASS BED.
While Feng Shui can do wonders for improving our circumstances in life, remedies for problem areas can be surprisingly inexpensive and inconspicuous. As an example, a particular magnetic field for a bedroom can translate "easy to divorce" for the couple sleeping there. The solution would be to add the element "metal" to the room. Adding metallic features such as copper, brass or wrought iron can be incorporated in the selection of furniture or decorating accessories. It is the use and manipulation of the 5 Natural Elements (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal) which brings about these positive changes. These same elements are referred to as well in other Chinese systems of healing, including diagnostically in Acupuncture.
Because of the secrecy surrounding Feng Shui for thousands of years and its mystical connection to the prophetic I-Ching, superstition has clouded some of its scientific integrity and use in modern times. Most books on the subject tend to concentrate on less crucial aspects of ones' environment and sometimes the information is misleading or down-right inaccurate. An example of a popular Feng Shui superstition is that mirrors can change the chi in a room from bad to good. This goes back to ancient times when a person was advised to use the element metal for some imbalance in their home. They often placed a large sheet of copper or brass (like a gong) on the wall and made it more decorative by polishing it. Over time, people ritualistically started hanging mirrors to mimic the reflective quality of metal and this is one reason why novices in Feng Shui now use mirrors rather indiscriminately.
One of the most important aspects of a Feng Shui consultation is the diagnosis of the building's magnetic field and this can only be executed with the knowledge and use of the "Lo-pan." The Lo-pan is a complex Chinese compass made especially for Feng Shui divination with information printed or engraved on it that the user has right at his or her fingertips.
Modern day living has also produced a special category of "hazards" to consider, which did not exist in ancient times, but now cause a real threat to people subjected to those environments. Such things as congestion, pollution, high tension wires, noxious fumes and noise all affect our physical and mental well being. Because of this, a Feng Shui survey or your home or business may also include recommendations for air purification, more natural lighting, noise reduction systems, and environmental toxicity reports.
It is no coincidence that Feng Shui is gaining rapid recognition and usage in the West. At the pace and stress level which most people endure, any prescription with an historic track record for effectiveness seems increasingly welcome. It is a technology deeply rooted in the wisdom of nature and balance-- which when we tap into-- gives way to security, peace of mind, creativity, and success.
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This article is brought to you by |
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Kartar Diamond
Kartar Diamond is a certified consultant and instructor from the American Feng Shui Institute. Her teaching schedule includes weekly classes in many parts of Southern California. Her consulting business, Feng Shui Solutions , specializes in existing residential and commercial property, as well as the design phase of new buildings and additions. Kartar's clients have included architects, designers, therapists, medical practitioners, artists, CEO's, entertainers, attorneys, restaurant owners, schools and photographers.
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