Feng Shui (continued): PRINCIPLES OF FENG SHUI Chi: The Vital Cosmic Breath To live in harmony with nature, you need to harness chi or life force energy. Chi can assume any form and is present everywhere. It is an active and influential principle that is unexpectedly expressed through life. It is the unifying principle connecting all things on earth. In the past, people believed that the earth and everything in it has this unexplainable quality that infused and animated all life. Chi is also known as breath, air, energy, spirit and soul. The Hindus called it Prana, the Catholics Spiritus, the Greeks Pneuma and the Hebrews Ruah. According to the Chinese philosopher Hsu, chi comes from Ling, the tiny airborne particles or molecular charges that circulate in the universe and enter our mother’s womb when we are conceived. When we were born, Ling becomes chi. Chi returns to the limitless universal Ling when we die. The currents of Feng (Wind) and Shui (Water) carry chi to the earth from the cosmos through rain, snow, hurricanes, tornadoes and sunlight. The earth releases chi in the form of wave action, natural springs, geysers, volcanoes and earthquakes. The earth gives signals about the supply of chi through natural manifestations. If the earth’s surface is verdant, chi is abundant. If the land is dry and cracked, chi is buried deep within the earth and is hard to access. Chi has a negative counterpart called Sha or killing energy. It is the carrier of unfavorable energy that adversely affects individuals and the environment. Sha seeps, leaks, drips and oozes through cracks, holes and broken windows. It builds up and stands still in dead corners and sharp edges but gains speed when forced into straight lines. Sha dwells in places that are dense with people, animals or objects such as barnyards, overcrowded elevators, trains and airplanes. For energy to flow naturally avoid sharp edges and straight lines. Perfectly straight lines are rare in nature and appear in short segments. Examples are sugar canes and bamboos. Trees, plants, rivers and land all have irregularities. Energy flows freely in wavy lines such as mountain ranges, streams and air currents. This undulating flow is beneficial and natural. Expressways, buildings, tunnels, bridges and corners have sharp edges, which are considered conduits of Sha and must be avoided or corrected. If Chi is absent, life is barren and unproductive but where it is present, life is rich and full of opportunities. Yin and Yang These two words are used to describe the quality and flow of personal and environmental chi. Our personalities, emotions and thought process; the places we work in; the homes we live in; the foods we eat, and the exercise we take all have the aspects that are more Yin or more Yang. They can work for or against us depending on our needs at the time. Although everything is either more yin or more yang as a whole they seek to find some kind of balance. Individually nothing is in perfect balance, or can be, as everything will always be more yin or yang. Anything that is more yin will attract something that is more yang. The principle is similar to the poles of a magnet. Plus and minus attract each other. Everything has some yin and some yang. As this is not in complete balance there is always more of one of the other. Rather than thinking of yin and yang in terms of black and white it is more accurate to think in terms of different shades of gray. There is always something positive in a negative situation just as there is something negative in a positive situation. Everything is always moving from being more yin to more yang or more yang to more yin. There, something can be said to be more Yin than something else and, as time goes by, this relationship will always be changing. People are also more yin or yang. A more yin person tends to be relaxed, physically supple, sensitive, creative and imaginative. A very yin person, however, would be lethargic, slow and depressed. A more yang person tends to be alert, quick, physically active, able to concentrate and pay attention to detail. But if that person becomes too yang, he or she would become tense, irritable, angry or physically stiff and tight. What must be noted is that one can actually control yin and yang to achieve certain results. With a simple understanding of the nature of yin and yang, one can tailor the place to help and improve relations, health and finances. The easiest way to determine if the place is more yin or more yang is to check on the occupants and compare them with others. When they are more yin, they will find other people to be too aggressive for them and are bound to be irritable and impatient. They seem to always want to hurry you out and on your way. When one is more yang, they will tend to find other people too slow, indecisive and quiet. Take care to control your feelings as you may find yourself irritated and angry with them. Some people are always more yin than others and there are some who are more yang too. There will also be some who are in the middle. However, everyone will have days when he or she is more yin or more yang. Such is symbolized in the yin-yang/tai-chi symbol where there is always the tiny dot of white with the black yin, and the tiny black dot on the white yang. Attributes of Yin: Dark, stillness, lifelessness, death, moon, night time hours, negative, cold, valley, stagnant water, female, passive, weak, soft and yielding. Attributes of Yang: Light, brightness, sunlight, sun, activity, sounds, fire, strength, determination, movement, life, raised landforms, mountains, dragon, male, dominant, hard, warm and heat. It is important to note that establishments must be made very yang by using lots of bright colors, activity, noise and an air of positive energy. The Chinese usually decorate such places with lots of red and keep the front well-lit. If the establishment is excessively quiet, filled with grey steel cabinets, dark colored walls and dimly-lit areas and corners this symbolizes dead energy or is too yin. Introducing healthy plants, music playing in the background and area is kept clean and orderly makes the place come alive. Windows in a boardroom is also highly helpful. For homes, yang energy should still dominate although not is doses as strong as that used for establishments.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Sep 2013 02:29:05 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015