The Chinese terms “feng” and “shui” are used to break down the meaning of Feng shui. The notion stems from an old poem that expresses how the human life is tied to and flows with the surroundings.
What Is Feng Shui?
Feng shui is a way of balancing the elements in inhabited areas by arranging them according to natural principles. Feng shuiing your house means this. The purpose is to channel energy and bring harmony between an person and their surroundings.
The Tao, which means “the way” in Asian philosophy, is the name given to this philosophy. All of the fundamental principles of feng shui are reflections of nature. The dominating position, bagua, and the five elements are all important principles in feng shui.
The Commanding Position
You must understand about the dominating position before you can feng shui your home. The area in a room furthest from the door and not in line with it is referred to as the dominating position in feng shui. You’re diagonal to the entrance as a result. And ideally, you should be able to see the door clearly. In a room, the commanding position is where you want to spend the majority of your time.
According to some fundamental principles of feng shui, you should locate this dominant position in the room and, if feasible, orient your bed, desk, and stove in a diagonal line. Because each of these sections of your home represents an important aspect of your life, they’re all crucial. The bed means you, the desk denotes your profession, and the stove denotes your riches and nourishment.
The Feng Shui Bagua Map
The feng shui energy map is projected onto your home’s floor plan, forming a bagua. The Chinese term “bagua” refers to the eight domains of life, such as family, money, or employment. Each domain relates to a distinct life situation. Corresponding shapes, colors, seasons, numbers, and earthly components exist in each of these zones. You, who represents your overall health, are at the heart of the bagua, a ninth region.
Feng shui schools of thought exist in abundance. While investigating your house, all of them employ the bagua; nevertheless, some methods are used by others. The bagua is usually laid so that the Knowledge, Career, and Helpful People zones match with the front door of the house in Western and BTB (Black Sect) schools. The bagua might be oriented based on the energy of the year or the compass, as taught by Flying Stars and other classical schools.
The Bagua Areas
The quickest way to integrate the bagua into your life and feng shui your home is to identify one to three places that require the most attention. Don’t try to do everything at once. Boost your energy or improve flow in those locations by incorporating 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 Taoist tradition is the source of the five elements of feng shui: earth, metal, water, wood, and fire. The five phases that make up a complete system are interrelated in life. Typically, you balance these five elements when feng shui your house.
You have to decide where you want to concentrate your attention when it comes to incorporating the aspects of your life and home. You determine the areas of your life that you want to improve, much as you would for a bagua. Next, by adding the suggested colors or shapes to that room, you can increase the energy and home energy in that room.
Your bedroom, for example, corresponds to your overall health and the location where you rejuvenate, according to your bagua. It has an earthy feel to it. In that room, think about ways to use earth tones, ceramics, or clay pottery, stones, and crystals.
Focus on a few other rooms or aspects of your life after you’ve made improvements there. Bring in feng shui objects that match with the similar furnishings in those rooms. The goal is to infuse good energy into locations, parts of your life, and ultimately your whole 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