Feng Shui is a massive subject and there are a plethora of books detailing how to integrate it into your life, hopefully this section will provide a simple introduction into what it is all about as well as some ideas about how to use it to help you improve not only your home and immediate environment but also give you a starting point from which you work out how to work on your health, moods, relationships, creativity, finance, family life, career and spiritual life.

It is essential in modern life to use everything at your disposal to enable you to work with the forces of nature so that you can achieve your full potential and create the most positive atmosphere in which to succeed, and feng shui is one of the many ways in which you can do this.

The key to applying successful feng shui is to consider it as something to help you, rather than your home. And of course identifying which areas you need help with, rather than looking at your home and trying to “fix” what looks wrong, after all if you are not experiencing problems with a certain area in life, why fix the energies that relate to it!

Feng Shui is not about magical solutions, rather it is another method for developing your inner-self in a way that gives you the ability to draw from the energy around you, ensure that those energies are working to their full potential so that you can.

The principles of Feng Shui originated in China , stemming from the principles of yin and yang, chi, triagrams and the five elements, which were already embedded in Chinese culture. The philosopher Fu Hsi is credited with applying these concepts to buildings when he created the Magic Square or Ba Gua and is considered the father of Feng Shui as we know it.

Feng Shui works on the principle that we all have emotional (electromagnetic) energy running through us, and that these energies which make up our aura, travel through our chakras and out through meridian points, interact with the energies around us in our homes, work etc and as such a change in external energies can then impact on how we feel, think and act.

Your thoughts, feelings and ideas constantly mix with the world around you, and you are always being influenced by different energies and radiate your own energies out into the space you occupy. By taking control over how the energies around you mix with your energies and vice versa, you can begin to adjust how you feel, and take control of your wellbeing. So to make Feng Shui work for you, the first step is identifying where in your life you need to take control over, rather than looking at the home first. Remember though Feng Shui (and any other esoteric practice for that matter) can only help you regain control and improve areas over which you have direct influence over, it won't magically bring money in from nowhere, or create the perfect man on your doorstep, but it can improve your attitudes and approach to life by improving the energies which affect you.

The Key Concepts of Feng Shui

Chi – chi is the subtle electromagnetic energy that runs through everything around you, and carries information from one thing to another, you have chi, the weather has chi, your chair has chi, your home has chi. Chi can flow freely, be too strong, too weak, piercing, stagnant, negative and positive and it is how we adjust the flow of chi in our homes that feng shui is all about.

Yin and Yang – these are the different forms of chi we all encounter, and indeed can describe our own personalities. Yin is the cooler, feminine, darker chi that moves slowly and more dispersed. Yang on the other hand is the hotter, masculine, speedy chi, which can be more compressed. Literal translation is the shady side of the mountain (yin) and the sunny side of the mountain (yang). People are always more yin or more yang, which is good until the imbalance becomes too exaggerated. Too Yin people always feel cold, get infections regularly, often feel depressed and are lethargic. Too Yang and there is a tendency to feeling stiff all the time, have dry skin, tension, stress and always angry. When this is the case the idea is to integrate the opposite force into your life to bring back balance.

The Five Elements – Eastern tradition has five elements associated with chi, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood and these work in a cycle of supporting and destroying.

Fire supports Earth which supports Metal supporting Water which supports Wood supporting Fire.

Fire destroys metal, which destroys wood, which destroys earth, which destroys water which destroys fire.

It seems complicated but by applying it to the real world it makes sense – fire melts metal, metal cuts down wood, wood takes nutrients out of the earth, earth soaks up water, and water puts out fire.

In the supporting cycle: fire creates earth, earth gives birth to metal, metal holds water, water feeds wood and wood feeds fire.

With Feng Shui the trick to understanding these elements is to understand which element supports which area of the home, and then working out whether it is in sufficient supply or not. If not then look to what supports it as well as what destroys it in order to improve the chi in that area.

The Ba Gua – the magic square, or nine numbers is the method by which Feng Shui is applied to the home, and places numbers in each direction of a compass, with five in the centre. As with any magic square the idea is that each line in any direction adds up to 15. The Magic Square is then placed over a map of the home to give indications of which part of the home relates to which area of the magic square and therefore direction, element, triagram, season, colour etc – it is a way of summarising all the aspects that affect chi. To some it seems too complicated however, and in Western tradition it seems simpler to just understand which direction is associated with which aspect of the energies and take it from there.

Directions:

East – element wood, colour bright or lime green: east is the direction which relates to confidence, enthusiasm and encourages starting new projects. It is associated with birth and rebirth, so energies around the family and heritage are also featured here. Keywords for this energy are – projects, confidence, ambition, familyFeng shui cures: water feature or plants.

South East – element wood, colour dark green or sky blue: south east relates to making progress in life, increasing prosperity, generating new ideas and creating abundance. Keywords for this energy are – communication, creativity, imagination, wealth. Feng shui cures: water feature or plants.

South – element fire, colour red, purple: south is the direction associated with fame, self expression, how you relate to others in life and are perceived, passion, flamboyance and energy are all indicated in the south and as such this is an incredibly sociable direction where spontaneity may rule! Keywords for this energy are – expression, passion, emotions, reputation. Feng shui cures: candles.

South West – element earth, colour brown, yellow/beige, matt black: this is the ideal direction for increasing feelings of sympathy, patience and caring. There is a desire for a practical approach to life and to be secure. Improving the energies in this direction can help with relationships and love. Keywords for this energy are – long term relationships, stability, practicality, relationships, marriage. Feng shui cures: charcoal in clay pots.

West – element metal, colour maroon, rusty red, pink. This direction relates directly to forming new relationships, playfulness and contentment. It is also connected to harvesting and the end of the day and as such bringing projects to successful conclusions. Children are featured in this direction also. Keywords for this energy are – reward, pleasure, contentment, projects, children. Feng shui cures: coins on a red cloth, red flowers in metal vase.

North West – element metal, colour silver grey, cream. Helpful people and guidance are featured in this direction, as is the desire to feel in control, organise and have integrity. With the energy balanced in this area of the home advice will come easily to you and from you. Keywords for this energy are – organisation, leadership, wisdom, helpful contacts Feng shui cures: pendulum clock.

North – element water, colour cream, this is the direction for independence, career, study and self development. Energies in this area can help improve your vitality, focusing on ideas and individuality. Keywords for this energy are – independence, sex, spirituality, career. Feng shui cures: crystal.

North East – element earth, colour brilliant white,: this direction is connected to being motivated, driven and outgoing, self-awareness and spirituality feature strongly here, so improving the energies can enable you to explore your inner needs and goals with clarity and determination. Keywords for this energy are – motivation, competition, directness, inner knowledge. Feng shui cures: white stones.

Centre – element earth, colour yellow or orange. The central point of the home or a room brings together the energies in all the directions and is therefore a powerful point in the house. It can impact on health, and overall energy levels, and the key to keeping this in balance it keeping all directions in balance. Keywords for this energy are – health, chi

How to apply feng shui to the home

Firstly identify what areas of yourself need help, whether it is finding new love, strengthening existing relationships, improving your career or wealth etc. Then the next step is to apply the directions of feng shui onto a plan of your home. Most books on feng shui will detail how to do this, but the simplest way is to sketch a floor plan, roughly to scale, and then over the top of this project either a grid of nine squares with each direction in place (south at the bottom), or a circle divided into each direction – place the key words, basic cures and colours in the grid/circle as well and then lay it over the top of your home.

You will immediately see if the part of the home connected to your needs is in need of energy improvement, and applying a simple cure might just help. There are millions of different cures in feng shui, but keep it simple. Look at the direction, the element it relates to and the colour, then look to see if what is in that room right now is supporting or destroying those elements. If there is not enough energy to support then add in either supporting energy (eg if it's the south and there is not enough fire energy, then add some wood with plants), or more of the energy required (eg south, fire = candles). Try not to complicate things with feng shui cures that relate to a culture that is not yours, and keep it low key and low cost. There is no need to completely change your home, simply adding in some plants, or a crystal, or a bowl of water even will help.

Now if you really want to apply feng shui to your life I recommend getting some books! Or pop to the forum for tips and advice.