What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui (Pronounced "Feng Shway" or "Fung Shui"or Fung Shuway," depending if you are Mandarin, Cantonese, or American) Feng means wind and Shui means water. It is rapidly becoming a standard practice for creating the ideal and balanced environment in which to live and work. The practice of Feng Shui is to live in harmony with the natural environment and its Yin and Yang energy.

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese study of the natural and "built" environment and has been practiced for thousands of years. This environment can be at the office, in your home, in a building, or on real property. Properly applied, traditional Feng Shui knowledge can result in improvements in the life in areas of well being, relationships, and prosperity of the individuals who occupy the property. A good Feng Shui location is where the air smells fresh, the winds blow gently, clean water meander slowly, and the vegetation is healthy and green.

How did Feng Shui originate?
Feng Shui can be stated as a form of "Geo-mancy" or "Earth Wisdom." Many cultures in the world have a form of Geomancy in their history. The Chinese form of Geomancy, or Feng Shui, has evolved to be both an Science and an Art. The science comes from the calculations and methodology used in analyzing a property. The Art of Feng Shui is the wisdom acquired from performing a multitude of analysis and knowing the exact degree to which the remedies (which are the results of the scientific analysis) are prescribed.

Throughout ancient China, classical Feng Shui was a closely guarded discipline used as a tool to ensure the good health, wealth, and power of the Imperial Dynasties. The keepers of this secret body of knowledge - Feng Shui Masters*, were highly respected meteorologists, astronomers, and other scientists and who were charged with sustaining the good fortune and prosperity of the royal court. It has been guardedly passed down the generations through very specific lineages.

*These masters were very selective of their protégées. Extreme care was exercised in the selection of candidates who would become their successors.

The basic principles of Feng Shui
The depth of these concepts can be further explained in the Principles of Feng Shui by Master Larry Sang.

• The balance of Yin and Yang
• The Relationship of Five Elements
• The Eight Trigrams
• The East/West Theory
• Effects of the Solar System (Xuan Kong)
• The Environment

Properly performed, Feng Shui can bring balance, harmony and prosperity to one's life.

Article provided by: Chris Shaul, www.168fengshui.com