feng shui items

Feng shui has been around for centuries.  Those who believe in its power are usually more in balance with their surrounding and exhibit a positive energy.  However, feng shui is not something that can be understood overnight.  This is a complicated and confusing philosophy.  However, if one is truly devoted to its knowledge and historical meaning, then a person can truly achieve harmony within and with their surroundings.

Feng Shui began in ancient China around the third century B.C. with the West Han dynasty.  According to feng shui design, a belief exists that the earth is a being with life that has an energy surrounding it.  That energy in Chinese is called “chi”.  Chi is determined by the placement of an object and the actual physical surroundings placed around that object.  The site around an object, usually a building, is believed to have either positive or negative energy. 

In ancient China feng shui design was practiced by rich and poor alike.  According to the website www.indobase.com who gives a wonderful detailed explanation of the history of feng shui, “In ancient China a city was planned in concentric rectangles surrounded by walls surrounded by lakes, hills, valley, gardens, courtyards and parks.”   The Chinese tried to ensure that both the manmade and the natural environment were planned to promote and enhance positive energy.  Then they were landscaped using the Yin and Yang ideas.

Buildings in ancient China were centered on the ancient philosophy of feng shui.  No matter if one was rich or poor, feng shui design had to be followed in order to promote a positive energy.  Construction elements followed feng shui when “the left of the building represented Yang or male force and was connected to the forces of heaven and the right of the building represented Yin or the female force and was connected with the energies of the earth.”  Yang was represented by things such as an elevation in the front while Yin was represented by elevations in the back.  Because of the positive energy that many believed would come from this building design, emperors even had their palaces built on these concepts and this was thought to be very favorable to power.

Feng shui can be a complicated and confusing topic to fully understand.  Every element is represented by the forces at work in the feng shui philosophy.  However, a person can use good feng shui design to ensure that a harmonious environment both inside and outside of their dwelling is followed.  By learning from the ancients, this tradition has been and will continue to be passed on to generations for years to come.