Feng Shui, meaning wind and water, is an ancient Chinese teaching, both art and science, regarding the energies of space and land, that has evolved throughout centuries. Indigenous peoples have their systems for honoring and connecting with the Divine with the energy they see and experience in their worlds, and with nature. All are valid according to the teaching of H.H. Professor Lin Yun, founder of the Black Sect Tantric Buddhist (BTB) School of Feng Shui. Feng Shui is a process by which the elements within an environment are analyzed and balanced to enhance the flow of energy. Feng Shui is based on the flow of energy, or chi, around and throughout an environment, and we know that energy, in one form or another, is all there is.   

In our modern Western world, Feng Shui has been united with concepts of architecture, interior design, psychology, ecology, sound, and intuition because it is about the totality of our environments. There is a great deal of common sense in the teachings, and yet some of it makes no sense at all; it simply is.  

All people intuitively or subconsciously react to their environments and, depending on their awareness, may or may not make changes to their homes and the space at their work places to positively affect their feelings, emotions, or behavior. One of my favorite teachings of Professor Lin is to honor your intuition about your personal space.

When our life is in balance, our thoughts, activities, and relationships flow smoothly. We are connected to the universal energy. When something destroys that balance, then nothing works, and life can be a struggle. A large part of that balance depends on the spaces where we live and where we work—any place where we spend a significant portion of our time. Some spaces feel better than others; they may be more inviting, more peaceful, more energized and uplifting. Other places do not feel inviting or good and many of us are aware when this is so, either in our own homes or other built spaces.

Feng Shui reflects your life, so utilizing its teachings is about looking at your life, recognizing the beauty and strengths therein, and being grateful for all that you have. You can then look at what you want to bring into your life, and how you can share your gifts with the rest of the world. It is about correcting what is not working, whether it is colors that you don’t love, imbalance of yin and yang, negative energy, or an unadvised extension of energy reflected in a building footprint. Any of these can produce imbalance and a life that is not fulfilling. The objective is to achieve a harmonious balance within any home or work space that enhances the wellbeing of all the occupants of that particular space. It is the marriage of people and places to the intention in their lives. 

The first aspect, from a Feng Shui perspective, of creating a harmonious environment, is to recognize and deal with your physical clutter. Many of us have more stuff than we need or even want, by way of inheritance or gifts or sometimes compulsive shopping. Physical clutter is the bane of abundance.  

The ancient energy systems containing the teachings for space analysis are the Bagua, or life map, the Five Elements or Transformational Energies, and the balance of yin and yang. The representation of the Bagua contains yin, yang, and the Five Elements, and considering all of these will provide many answers about your home. All are applied to the shape of any built space and its contents. These will include the colors, furnishings, and shape of the space—rooms, ceiling heights, doorways, and placement and symbology of everything within the space.

When one of my clients analyzed the Five Elements in her home, she discovered immediately why her dining room had always felt uncomfortable. As she described it, “I have a wood floor, table, chairs, buffet, and window seat.” She also had plants on the window seat, and immediately understood this obvious overabundance of the wood element.

This kind of analysis can help you evaluate your own home. There are many ways to create a harmonious home, one that supports you and what you love. Feng Shui is about living a life of awareness, intention, vision, and Divine connection. I like to think of Feng Shui as Environmental Energy Healing.