“ We shape our dwellings, and afterwards, our dwellings shape us!”

Winston Churchill

The art of Feng Shui has been practiced for thousands of years in order to maintain balance in personal and professional environments. Feng Shui experts asses the location of an environment and its surroundings, the shape of the land and/or the structure, the placement of items in the landscaping, the compass location of each room or area and the locations of entrances, and many other entities to determine whether the area in question is Feng Shui or operating in a reverse cycle. If the cycle is operating in a reverse cycle all of the energy or “Chi”, is being eliminated. This process dates back to the Han Dynasty (200 B.C.-200 A.D.) where the Chinese first recognized their environment as a living, equalized organism. They developed several techniques to determine the Chi of the land, and whether or not it was suiting for burial sites and other locations for schools and palaces. These practices have carried on through modern times where newer cultures are embracing the ideals of Feng Shui and incorporated them into their homes, offices and other milieus.

The concept of Feng Shui is fairly simple; it utilizes the principles of Chi (energy), Ying and Yang (Balance), Five Elements (ideals) and Bagua (ancient process of prediction and validation) to achieve balance in a particular environment. The overall concept of Feng Shui is even simpler: Learn to live in harmony with our environment. Feng Shui is a vital cycle used to protect the energy in one’s surroundings from any negative influences. It allows the flow of positive energy to open one’s life to receiving new blessings by creating an environment that is harmonious and inviting to positive energies. Feng Shui literally means “wind” and “water”, the two most essential basics for sustaining life. The Chinese believe that the cycle of Feng Shui is constantly changing between the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. These elements are qualities that are flowing and overcoming each other continuously. Let’s take a closer view of the five elements of Feng Shui. Wood (MU) Wood is the originator of the five elements in Feng Shui. It symbolizes dawn and the rising energy of a new spring and is the ascending and growing element in the cycle. It is said to uplift Chi. Represented, by the colors green and blue, wood can often be replaced with an object of symbolic color, however, it is not as effective as using a live plant, such as a shrub or a bushy plant. When incorporating wood into your Feng Shui cycle it is essential to use live wood. In Feng Shui, live wood that is positioned towards or from the Easterly direction, will remove any negativity or anger that had previously existed. Often people make the mistake of using wood furniture to complete this element of Feng Shui. Wood furniture is excellent for achieving the look of the room but should never be used as a representative of this element. Magnolias and Oaks are a great Feng Shui remedy for the absorption of negative earthly energy.