Spring cleaning season is almost here. And as you begin to prepare your list of projects, you might want to consider some Feng Shui tips. Feng Shui is an old Chinese study that believes human beings and the environment they are surrounded by (their home, workspace, etc) is full of tangible but invisible energy. This energy is known as ‘Chi’. That belief goes further in that these energies are like the wind and can activate opportunities or be like water if obstacles get in the way causing the energy to go stagnant because it’s trapped.
What does the reference to wind and water have to do with anything? That reference comes from the fact that in Chinese, Feng Shui actually means wind and water. And the ancient Chinese believe it symbolizes the environment we live in and the space from Earth to Heaven.
That environment can be anything from office space to a bathroom or bedroom – it’s just the space and the environment around it. An expert in Feng Shui will examine the space and the environment surrounding it as well as how people interact in this space. Based on what the expert sees, they will provide recommendations on ways to improve the relationship with the environment around you. These improvements can result in better health, more prosperity and just an all around better well-being for those that occupy this space.
In other words, Feng Shui is all about making sure you are aligned with the right energy or Chi and maximizing the potential available to you by the environment you live in. It’s also about time and cycles and that you are putting the right actions into place (and making the right decisions) in a certain time frame. These principles apply to design, placement and decoration.
When it comes to achieving harmony in the space around you, Feng Shui uses color, light, sound, electricity and symbolism. One or all of them can be appropriate when needed. Sometimes a change in color is all that’s needed to improve the energy of a space. Sometimes all the elements are required to make a difference.
Feng Shui works best if you have an open mind and know that every aspect of your life, relationships, career and home can be enhanced by the environment you are surrounded with. When it comes to getting results with Feng Shui, just like everything else in life, it’s going to depend on the action you take and the intentions you apply.
Feng Shui isn’t just about rearranging the furniture and painting the walls a certain color. It’s more about tapping into the positive energy that surrounds us, and creating an environment that is warm and inviting, and that enhances our wellbeing.
The History of Feng Shui
Feng Shui is the art of arranging objects, buildings and space in the environment in a way that allows those that occupy the space to achieve more balance, harmony and energy (known as ‘Chi’). To create that harmony in the space around you, different things are used like colors, lights, fountains, music, etc. Of course, that’s a simplistic explanation of a very involved system. Let’s take a look at the history of it, so you can gain a better understanding.
Some people believe that Feng Shui goes back as far as 2,000 years while others say it goes back as far as 5,000 years. Regardless of how old it is, we do know that it originated in China along the banks of the River Lo. The Chinese people from this era knew how important it was to live in nature and be in touch with it. They would bathe in the waters and it is said that the songs and poetry they created were inspired by nature. They observed the seasons and the effect the different seasons had on their lives.
What does this have to do with Feng Shui? One of the first principles of Feng Shui is the inclusion of nature and the living environment. Meaning plants and fountains are often used in creating Feng Shui.
Feng Shui Changes Over Time
Since it first originated, there have been many different systems developed as well as many changes made. That’s not surprising considering Feng Shui has spanned over such a large amount of time and been used all over different parts of the world. If you’re a newbie that has studied more than one different style, this may be confusing to you because certain changes and new systems may seem contradictory to previous ones.
Some of these changes that have happened over the course of time have been extremely radical. One example would be the position of trigrams changing producing the earlier heaven sequence and the later heaven sequence.
Feng Shui Today
It’s more and more common today for Feng Shui to be applied to modern homes and building designs. In fact, it’s not unusual to find out that an interior designer actually studies it so they can better serve their clients. Because it’s believed to be an art form, many people do it for the mere fact it makes their home look much nicer. Stagers also consider feng shui when they are preparing client homes for sale. Stay tuned for some more feng shui tips in the weeks to come.
Check out these homes for sale around West Cobb with water views.
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