Feng Shui - Chinese system of aesthetics

Feng Shui is an ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago in China. "Feng" means "wind" and "shui" means "water". The main tools used in a feng shui analysis are the Compass and the Ba-Gua. The Ba-Gua is an octagonal grid containing the symbols of the I Ching, the ancient oracle on which Feng Shui is based. Feng shui seeks to promote prosperity, good health, and general well being by examining how energy flows through a particular room, house, building, or garden.

Some different ways to practice feng shui:

• Use a compass to establish the most beneficial placement of rooms
• Draw on information from the Chinese horoscope
• Examine the surrounding land forms, streets, streams and buildings
• Use high-tech equipment to examine environmental health hazards, such as electromagnetic radiation and toxic materials
• Use some variation of a tool called the Ba-Gua- an octagonal chart outlining the most favorable placement for rooms.

History: When China was under imperial rule, feng shui was a secret, known only to a handful of astronomers and scientists commissioned with maintaining the health, wealth, and power of the court. The practice of Feng Shui began in the West Han dynasty around the third century BC. Feng Shui believes that the earth is a living thing and has life and energy. In ancient China a city was planned in concentric rectangles surrounded by walls surrounded by lakes, hills, valleys, gardens, courtyards and parks. Chinese tried to ensure that both the natural and the built environment were planned to enhance positive energy. These were then landscaped according to the Taoist ideas of Yin and Yang, void and solid, water and hill. Chinese Kings were considered sons of heaven and used to the principles of Feng Shui while building their palaces to create an environment favorable to power. The principles of Feng Shui created harmony between the forces of nature and this influenced man therefore the emperors ensured the principles of Feng Shui were followed when they built their palaces.

Some useful feng Shui tips for your home:

1. There should be no television sets in your bedrooms: If you cannot get rid of that habit then after watching the television covers it with a plastic table cloth. Remember it has to be plastic and not simply cloth.

2. There should be no mirrors opposite your bed or at the side of your bed. Mirrors opposite the bed can attract a third party to the relationship.

3. In your kitchen, ensure that opposite your stove there is no refrigerator, washing machine, washbasin and toilet. The fire and water crash causing family members to have disagreements.

4. Try not to allow children to sleep on mattresses on the floor. The reason is: energy is not able to flow underneath the bed. Ideally, energy should circulate around the mattress where our children sleep to allow them to be healthy.

5. Your bed should always have a solid wall behind you. This is important if you wish to have a good rest.

6. There should be no beam on top of your bed. The beam above causes energy to be pressured thus enabling you to have pressures in life.

7. If you have a lot of work pressure, maybe it's the marble table that you have in your dining room that causes you to have those problems.

8. Do not use a red sofa set. A red sofa sets gives rise to heavy work pressure, troubles and obstacles.

9. Always open your bedroom windows at least once 20 minutes a day to allow fresh energy to come in; we do this so that it allows fresh new energy from outside to come into your bedroom.

10. Try decorating with more light, music, water, air, plants, mirrors, wind chimes, bright colors, houseplants and flowers. This will activate the energy of joy and happiness.

11. The southwest area of your home is significant to satisfying relationships. Enhance this area, by eliminating clutter, and replacing it with symbolic items, especially in pairs. Good choices include pairs of candles, pink quartz crystals, heart shapes, or objects made of materials such as porcelain, china, clay, stone or terra-cotta. Stay away from wood or green items in this area.

12. Round dining room tables are best because circles symbolize heavenly blessings. Dining room chairs should be of an even number and comfortable to sit in.

So next time when you shift to a new house do keep in mind the Feng shui tips to bring happiness, peace and love in your life. Also, you may even want to try to rearrange the present décor of your home accordingly to bring about balance.

Sources: fengshui.about.com, architecture.about.com, indobase.com, fengshuitips.co.uk, paradoxpro.com)