Feng shui is all about chi energy and how it flows. The rules of feng shui mimic the natural laws of nature that govern chi energy. To accomplish this, feng shui guides practitioners based on specific principles of compass points and land formation. In addition, each compass direction is assigned a specific element that when activated will attract the chi energy to these areas to your home.
How Chi Energy Should Flow
Chi energy contains both the negative (yin) and the positive (yang). This balance between these two opposite energies is the ideal of feng shui applications. The correct flow of chi energy creates what's known as the "creative (productive) cycle".
Natural Movement of Chi Energy
The flow of chi energy follows the natural flow of nature. This includes various "channels", such as rivers, paths, mountains, and various natural landscaping of meadows, valleys, and gorges.
Chi Flow Inside Your Home
Chi energy should also follow a natural flow recreated inside your home. This allows the chi energy to move unrestrained through your home to carry the beneficial energy throughout each sector.
Imbalance of Energy Flow
If any of the natural channels the chi energy travels become obstructed or blocked, the energy backs up and becomes stagnant. When the chi energy flow is out of balance, the creative cycle is interrupted and causes an imbalanced energy cycle that's either a controlling (destructive) cycle or a weakening cycle.
How Blocked or Stagnant Chi Happens
There are several ways that stagnant chi energy is created. The most common causes are clutter and blockages. These are the easiest feng shui issues to remedy. The cure of this type of obstruction to chi energy flow is to remove the clutter or blockage.
When the chi energy is interrupted or blocked inside the home, look for such obstructions as incorrect furniture placements that block the natural pathways, clutter and household grim (dust, dirty dishes and laundry, etc). All of these should be quickly cleared and corrected to restore the proper flow of chi.
Restore Chi Creative Cycle
It's through various remedies or cures that the correct (creative) cycle of chi energy can be re-established. Adding the right elements to afflicted sectors of your home can generate chi energy for a positive energy flow.
Signs of Yin or Yang Imbalance
When yin and yang energy are balanced, there's harmony and health within a home. If one of the sectors in your home or yard is afflicted with either too much yin or too much yang energy, you need to remedy it immediately. Yin and yang energy need to be balanced throughout your home although bedrooms require more yin energy to induce a restive environment.
Too Much Yin Energy
Too much yin energy creates a sluggish effect and you become incapable of moving forward in life. The energy becomes stagnant and decisions prove impossible to make. You become lethargic and uninspired. To remedy, you need to add more yang elements and attract yang energy to the afflicted sectors.
Too Much Yang Energy
Too much yang energy manifests as a hyperactive environment that leaves you feeling restless and impatient. The energy becomes erratic and uncontrollable. It's impossible to relax in this environment and the emotions of everyone in the household are heightened. By introducing yin elements and stimulating the yin energy in the afflicted sectors, you can restore and balance the chi energy.
How Sha Chi Is Created
Sha chi (also shar chi) is negative energy. Sha chi is also known as the "killing breath" and can be created when basic feng shui rules aren't followed.
Places Generating Sha Chi
Some prominent types of sha chi include a cemetery, hospital, salvage yard and landfill. The type of activities that take place in these areas generate sha chi. The energy brought into these places is stagnant, diseased and/or decaying. These negative energies accumulate and pool, making it impossible for healthy chi to survive. That's why you should avoid living near all of these places.
Poison Arrows
Poison arrows are a form of sha chi that obstruct the natural flow of chi energy. These are created by such things as a utility pole or tree directly in front of your front or main door.
Other types of poison arrows include architectural features, such as church spires, columns and sharp corners of furniture or walls, open bookcases and open wall shelves. There are many other types of poison arrows, but most have remedies that negate their harmful effects.
Other Factors Affecting Chi Energy Flow
There are several factors that can block the flow of positive chi energy. When working with the flow of chi energy, it's important to think of the chi as though it were moving water. Imagine how this water reacts to the interior of your home as it attempts to flow from one room to another. Some of the feng shui rules that can help you avoid making these mistakes include:
Door and Window Alignments
The front door and back door should never be opposite each other. This alignment will result in the chi energy entering your home and rushing out the back door. You won't be able to reap the benefits of the chi energy. This is also true of windows directly across from the front door as well as a hallway where doors are aligned directly across from each other. In addition, the bedroom door that is across from a window(s) will result in the chi energy moving quickly across the room and out the window or from the window and out the door.
Staircases
A staircase should never be placed in the center of the house since it will funnel a great deal of energy up and out of the home, causing great discord, especially to marriages. For proper chi flow, the prime location for a staircase is on an outer wall of the home.
Staircases directly across from the front door are very inauspicious since chi energy will rush up the stairs with little to none finding its way through the main floor. Open staircases are inauspicious since the chi will sieve through the risers, resulting in financial and health losses.
Bathrooms
The bathroom generates sha chi since it is a place where only waste water is created. The water is carried away from the house. If the bathroom door is left open or the toilet lid left open, then the positive chi energy will go out of the house along with the waste water. Leaky faucets or a toilet that constantly runs are all energy black holes since they siphon off the money and wealth energy. Repair these immediately.
Landscaping
There are several things you can do to improve the chi energy entering your home. For example, the ground level in the back of your home should be slightly higher than the land in front of your home.
At the main door, which is defined as the one most used, create what feng shui guru Lillian Too calls a "bright hall". This is a circle of lush round leaf plants and blooming flowers, avoid sharp pointed or thorny plants since these create poison arrows. Avoid lots of trees and tall plants to allow the chi energy to accumulate in the bright hall, creating a constant feed of good chi into your home.
Make Sure Chi Energy Flows Naturally
The most important thing you can do to make your home feng shui friendly is to ensure the chi energy flows naturally around and into your home. If the chi energy is able to flow unobstructed throughout your home, then the rest is simply tweaking various sectors for optimum results.
