The Feng Shui Principles
by Thomas Dill
(Costa Rica)
There are 3 basic principles that form the foundation of Feng Shui. These principles define ch’i; the vital energy that animates, connects, and moves everything through the cycles of life.
EVERYTHING IS ALIVE
ALL things in the physical world are endowed with living energy known as Ch’i. This includes the material possessions we may have considered inanimate, such as cars, computers, furniture, appliances, and rocks.
Everything single thing is "alive" and endowed with it’s own unique Ch’i qualities, as well as the ch’I qualities we bring to it with our own reactions, experiences, and memories. When our personal responses blend harmoniously with the things around us, we feel a deep sense of harmony, comfort and safety. Obviously, when we look around and see everything surrounding us being "alive" it becomes vastly more important to live with things we feel good about.
Items that have unhappy memories or feelings attached to them, or that you simply don’t like, do not carry the living Ch’i that is supportive of you. The fastest way to transform the aliveness of these objects into something that is fresh and wholesome is to let them go. Sell them, throw them away! The Ch’i has the opportunity to be recharged or recycled, while you enjoy the lightness of being that comes with lightening your baggage and surrounding your self with things that have positive, happy associations.
EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED
Ch’i connects every physical thing. We live in an interconnected web of life, where everything is related to every other thing. Throw a pebble in a pond and watch the whole pond be affected by the ripples of one small stone. This gives a special importance to your neighborhood and community, because the Ch’i flowing through them is also flowing, relatively undiluted through your home.
The principle of interconnection continues indoors. For instance, the chaotic Ch’i in a crowded closet ripples out through the rest of a house and can have a restrictive effect on the whole space. The soothing nurturing Ch’i generated by a beautiful atrium pulses through the surrounding area and can have a vibrantly positive effect on it. For instance, if the crowded chaotic closet was in your home, it could affect your punctuality, which could
undermine you receiving a promotion at work…which could produce financial stress and even health disorders. The things that appear small and insignificant can have a major impact on your vital Ch’i when you are habitually connected to them. On the other hand, if the beautiful atrium was in your workplace, it could positively affect your health and enhance your relationships, as well as boost your creativity and financial gains. For better or
worse, Ch’i connects you to everything, making all things in your life important.
EVERYTHING IS CHANGING
The Ch’i in everything is constantly changing. Growth and movement produce change and are dynamic signs of vital, living Ch’i. The one thing that is constant in our physical universe is change. We witness change everywhere we look…the seasons, our communities, our bodies, our states of mind, and our emotions. Therefore, our environments are not only alive and connected with their greater surroundings, they are also constantly changing. There is a Chinese saying: “If you want to change your life, move 27 things in your house.” The point here is to anchor your newest self in your environment by changing it to fit who you are now and who you want to be.
Change is an integral part of life, and can be used to you advantage. Change can be playful too. Many people pick out furniture that’s suppose to last forever, choose art and décor to match, and figure that’s it for life. Feng Shui suggests that they lighten up and begin to let their environments change, grow, move with the moment. Be fanciful, funny, freaky, and fabulous. Remember, it’s all going to change anyway…
This becomes a good starting point for any home interior decorating project. By acknowledging these 3 principles we can immediately begin practicing Feng Shui in all our home decorating. Alive, connected, and dynamic…Feng Shui views your home as a living entity that you can live in harmony with and promotes a prosperous and healthy lifestyle. This becomes the heart and soul of any good interior design project and to practice Feng Shui nurtures, protects, and supports your growth and movement through life.