Feng Shui Qi (Chi)
Feng shui principals are all about energy. In Chinese culture, Qi means “life force” and it is part of all things in existence. Qi is an energy force that every person, place, animal, creature, nature has. Even inanimate objects have an energy force. It is believed that this energy connects all of us. We are mostly affected by the qi that we come into frequent contact with such as in our interior spaces. Most importantly, feng shui principals are used to increase positive energy and decrease negative energy in our living spaces. So we may experience greater harmony and balance within our personal lives.
Yin and Yang
In this paragraph, energy is viewed in terms of yin and yang which are opposing yet complementary. Yin and yang energies are the harmonizing factors of the universe, one can not exist without the other. The concept of yin and yang is a major element of Feng Shui decorating.
Further, in Chinese culture, yin and yang are a dichotomy of energies. Yin represents receptive, passive energy, sometimes referred to as female energy. Yin represents dark, cold, soft, heavy and wet. And it’s colors are cool tones (blues/greens). Yang represents creative, active energy, sometimes referred to as male energy. Yang energy represents hot, bright, hard, light and dry. And, in terms of colors, it is warm tones (reds/yellows). In conclusion, the goal in feng shui is to create a balance between those two energies so that one area does not dominate the other. Certainly, this concept can be applied to home decorating to create harmony in the home.
The Feng Shui Ba Gua Map
Feng Shui principals are the result of thousands of years of studying and application. The Chinese studied the relationship between the flow of energy in the home and the different aspects of one’s life. In these studies predictable patterns began to emerge. This is how they discovered that the energy in different parts of the home paralleled with different areas of life such as abundance, career, family, and romantic relationships. They were then able to map out the areas of the home and and what areas of life each influenced energetically.
Consequently they created the Ba Gua map. The ba gua template divides the home into nine areas of life. As a result, the nine areas are; Helpful People (community), Journey (career), Self-Knowledge (wisdom), Creative Offspring (children), Health, Family Heritage, Abundance (wealth), Fame (external recognition), and Intimate Relationships (commitment). Also, the ba gua map can be used to divide an individual room into the same nine sections.
In other words, the ba gua map is used to bring more harmony and balance to areas of your life. For example, if you would like to improve the flow of your finances, you would focus on improving the energy in the abundance and wealth area of your home. As a result, the ba gua map is a starting point towards creating positive energy in the home.
