“Feng Shui”.  These two words in Chinese mean literally “wind” and “water”.   Feng Shui is a set of rules in Chinese philosophy that govern the arrangement and orientation of space in relation to patterns of ying and yang and the flow of energy, or Qi (chi). The favorable or unfavorable effects are taken into consideration when designing buildings and placing furniture. It’s a system of aesthetics that uses astronomy and geography to help improve life by receiving positive Qi.

In the past few years, more and more people are interested in learning about Feng Shui to help them in everyday life, and lessen the stresses and strains that it can bring.

To truly understand this philosophy, you need years of learning and practice.  You would require an extremely accurate Chinese compass, or Luo Pan, to determine the directions in finding any auspicious sector in a desired location. You would need to calculate the life force energy or Qi Level and the numerical significance of a person, including their birth-date, birth-hour, animal sign and personal Gua number, and also learn to use Chinese Astrology.

Many Asian Feng Shui masters resent the interpretation of Feng Shui used in the West. However, I believe we can use this philosophy very effectively just by understanding the principles of Traditional Feng Shui.

The natural energy or Qi is the positive energy inside the body and the environment around us.  By practicing Feng Shui, you try to balance and enhance Chi in your home and work space, which will greatly improve your health, your energy, and you life in general.

If you are a beginner in trying to learn the principles of this philosophy, don’t get discouraged. Also, even though hiring a professional Feng Shui practitioner might bring wonderful results (and maybe not so wonderful, depending on where you find him or her), in these times, when we are all struggling for money, that’s not such a good idea. But that doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from applying some simple principles and moving some furniture around.

It would be fantastic to think you could buy a book on the subject and know all the principles of Feng Shui two days later, unfortunately this is not that easy, so just try to follow some tips and try to understand what Feng Shui is all about.

The first and most important Feng Shui principle to remember and follow is: Positive energy attracts positive energy.  It simply means that if you have positive thoughts, then positive things will happen to you.

I’m sure you have heard of the book called “The Secret”. Like the book, Feng Shui uses the laws of attraction. Actually, from my point of view, Feng Shui and “The Secret” go hand in hand.  I might add that if you haven’t read the book, I would highly recommend it.

One of the secrets to mastering Feng Shui is to think positively… consistently.  To be positive you have to be grateful for whatever you have, even though sometimes you may be tempted to think that it is not what you deserve.

If you believe that good things will come to you, they will, and Feng Shui can help you canalize that energy and make it flow where it should to help you improve your life.

Try to always be aware and observe your surroundings. Learn to see with Feng Shui eyes. See cluttered areas as nests of “bad energy”; learn how a clear path is beneficial for good Qi circulation. Use your instincts.

Whatever you believe, whether you want to be a Feng Shui professional or not, I like to say that Feng Shui is common sense and very nice interior decoration, so you have nothing to loose by trying to use Feng Shui in your life.