The art of Chinese Feng Shui

Feng shui (风水) is a very popular Chinese philosophy in the West, as it is interesting in many aspects. But did you know that this Chinese word literally meant " wind and water »In Chinese? It is indeed a Chinese art based on the balance of objects and the five elements in space, in accordance with nature, whether it be habitat, cities, architecture ... The goal of this ancestral art isharmonize energies, so as to promote well-being and vitality, in addition to bringing a very Zen atmosphere.

History of Feng Shui

Feng shui is a millennial art. Historians found writings which dated from the Zhou dynasty (1046 -256 BC), and which have proven that the Chinese peoples were looking for a harmonization of spaces based on floors and watercourses. But it was during the Han dynasty that the bases of Feng Shui were created. We then sought to harmonize spaces and elements, that is to say to take into account wind and water to bring a balance to space, hence the name "wind and water". Philosophy results from knowledge Taoism, one of the three pillars of Chinese philosophy. Taoism, also at the origin of acupuncture or traditional Chinese medicine, is based on the existence of vital energy present in each plot of the universe, which is called Qi, or Chi. By resting on this philosophy, Feng Shui therefore seeks to harmonize this energy in a space concept.

Principle of Feng Shui

As in all philosophy, there are several currents of thoughts in traditional Feng Shui. Feng shui is therefore different, especially according to geographic conditions. THE two currents Fenng Shui adults are the Xingshi school and the Liqi school. The Xinqxi school bases its architectural principles according to positioning in relation to the mountain, water, and exposure to the sun. The LIQI school, for its part, is based on architecture on diagrams derived from astrology, and on the precepts of the book Yi Jing, also called the book of transformations. It is the oldest book in Taoist philosophy, and he describes the functioning of life on earth

Since Feng Shui is based on the natural balance of the universe, it is therefore based on the principle yin and yang. Taoism associates the yin with a discreet, inactive energy, in the shadows, linked to the mountain. While the Yang is a dynamic, in light energy, which is rather linked to water. This is why, to respect the perfect harmony of nature, one of the principles of Feng Shui, is to support a mountain blank building, but to cope with rivers. In the same principle, a room will rather have a yin energy, and an entry a yang energy.

In general, the idea of ​​Feng Shui is to harmonize yin and yang, because an excess in one or the other would create an imbalance in elements. Conversely, a perfect balance of yin and yang would allow Qi (气), the energy circulating in the universe, to have a harmonious flow. Feng shui is therefore a principle that has been, and is still essential in Chinese architecture, and many buildings are, even today, built according to its principles. In a city like Hong Kong, for example, Chinese culture values ​​Feng Shui, that one of the many economic buildings and skyscrapers do not follow the principles of Feng Shui. In its design, the tower of the Bank of China therefore aroused strong controversy because of its acute angles and its repeated motif of the cross. The other buildings are built by architects listening to the advice of a Feng Shui expert.

Feng shui and decoration

If the architecture has a primordial place in Feng Shui philosophy, this does not mean that the interior decoration is left to fulfill for example, for a feng shui bedroom, the bed must be distant from doors and windows in a way to balance energy flows. But if it is true that one thinks above all to balance your bedroom or living room according to the rules of Feng Shui, know that all the rooms of the house can be Feng Shui, even the bathroom !

But in addition to the Qi, bad energies could circulate in the home, and it is therefore important to move away. For a Feng Shui house, you have to use small objects strap As a feng shui decoration to keep smart spirits away while attracting luck, good fortune, prosperity, and health.

For example, it is recommended to hang paintings representing harmonious landscapes, since Feng Shui rests on nature. Flower paintings, especially peonies, are also recommended, it is also advisable to decorate a room with a red fish aquarium, to bring good fortune while allowing the good circulation of nature energies. THE statues Buddha representative, or Chinese deities are also strongly recommended, and they will bring intense vibrations of positive energies to the home. However, to have the expected effect, they must be respected and revered. In addition, you can be tempted by Decoration baskets in natural and organic wood in order to embellish your feng shui atmosphere. Finally, in the continuity of a worship of nature, at the center of the natural balance of the universe, Feng Shui philosophy recommends having green plants at home, under conditions that they are respected, well maintained, And that they do not let them die, under penalty that they have the opposite effect and bring bad waves to your home!