By now you have probably heard of Feng Shui, a hugely popular interior design and decorating technique now used by so many people, both professionals and hobbyists. You may be curious where this technique originated and why so many people are raving about it.
If you’re contemplating re-decorating or re-arranging your home or office, try doing it the Feng Shui way to enhance your prosperity as you improve the organization, comfort, and comeliness of your space! Learn about the origin of Feng Shui here before you embark on your quest to utilize it in your living room, office, or even your bathroom.
An ancient Chinese practice that may have begun around 4000 BCE or earlier, Feng Shui is commonly used in western cultures today to decorate homes and arrange furniture. Many people claim that Feng Shui can affect one’s personal relationships, physical well-being, and even finances. However, the practice was traditionally used in China to choose a place to live, a place to be buried, or even for crop arrangement and agricultural planning.
Pronounced “fung-shway” or “fung-shwee” in English, the words “fung shui” are literally translated to mean “wind-water”. The practice is believed to promote positive Qi, which can help to improve one’s life, by using the laws of heaven and earth. Qi is often translated to mean “energy flow” or the energy that is active in all things.
An early example of the use of Feng Shui in China is Banpo, an archaeological site in the Yellow River Valley, which was discovered in 1953 and is made up of settlements dating back to around 4500 BCE. The doors of dwellings there were astronomically aligned to the winter solstice. Similar alignments have been discovered within ancient ruins elsewhere in the world, so the Chinese were not the only ones using such building practices.
There are numerous classical techniques of Feng Shui, including Bagua, Zi Bai, Ba Zhai, and Qimen Dunjia, all utilizing differing methods and practices. Overall, Feng Shui seems to be based on Taoist principles, an understanding that nature is full of energy and very alive.
Practice of Feng Shui incorporates the compass (lo-pan) and the Ba-Gua, a grid in the shape of an octagon which contains I-Ching symbols. I-Ching, Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements are basic principles derived from Taoism and play a large part in the practice of Feng Shui.
I know this all may seem very complicated at first, but there’s no need to be intimidated for there are many resources which were created to make it easier for you to use Feng Shui decorating techniques in your home! You can easily find tips for decorating each room of your house according to Fen Shui, as well as adding the use of crystals, fountains, or clocks to decorate your home for optimal prosperity. There is even a Feng Shui technique for the proper use of colors in your home.
Without a doubt, your home or office can be beautifully decorated, uniquely organized, and Qi-optimized using Feng Shui techniques! Whether you’re planning to redecorate or just re-arrange and re-organize, why not do it the Feng-Shui way? You can start now with an informative eBook, how-to videos, or even sign up for an online class!