Feng shui is the ancient practice of arranging our environments to welcome good energy to our spaces for health and wellbeing. Wise men observed the natural world and developed “truths” that became the foundations of this practice of feng shui. They developed this concept of “chi” or life force energy that animates everything in creation.
    
They understood that chi flows through everything in the universe, just like water or wind flows through the land. Chi, as water and wind, shapes everything in its path, bringing supportive, life-giving qualities, or negative influences.
     
They realized that there is a balance of complementary opposites, of which you cannot comprehend one without the other. They named this yin and yang to describe the relative opposites of dark and light, soft and hard, quiet and loud. They understood that yin and yang serves to provide a necessary tension in the universe, which allows for change.
     
They observed change being accomplished in what they called the five transformations of energy, aka the Five Natural Elements. Each of these elements, consisting of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, represent a quality of energy found in all of nature.

Although its principles were developed thousands of years ago, and influenced all of the Eastern arts, including traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts, feng shui is more relevant than ever in today’s world. Why is that?

There are three main reasons why I believe this to be true.

1. Location

When feng shui was developed the most important evaluation was of the land. The location of your home or village meant everything. There were two primary requirements for determining the best location: healthy, flowing water to irrigate the crops and the presence of mountains or hills to protect from harsh winds.

Location continues to be the primary driver for property values even today. However, given the rising population and limited open space, not everyone can have the best location. We build on land that has the least desirable feng shui, too. And principles of feng shui can be applied to help in those locations as well.

2. Technology

With the development of electricity, and other technologies, we no longer live with the natural rhythms of sunlight or the seasons. We work throughout all times of the day, eat bananas in northern climates, and we go tanning in the winter months. In addition, we have immersed ourselves in a technological haze consisting of electromagnetic fields (both wired and wi-fi) that are not in-synch with the human body’s natural energy.

3. A Toxic Soup

The average American spends 90% of their day indoors, limiting their access to nature. These indoor work spaces and homes are built and furnished with hundreds, if not thousands of man-made materials. Toxins from paint, adhesives, man-made fabrics and materials contribute to poor indoor air quality and a further separation from the natural world.

These three forces converge to the detriment of our society. Now we are learning that our physical bodies pay the price, as well as our mental, emotional and spiritual selves.

Wisdom of Feng Shui

It is no wonder that, as civilization has gone to one extreme, the opposite ideologies raise their heads. This demonstrates the concept of yin and yang. The current state of the global culture has swung very deeply into a yang (Western thought) state – as seeds of the yin (Eastern thought) become a growing popular topic for education and practice.

Globalization has allowed this to occur as never could have been done before.

With the popularization of meditation, yoga, and now Ayurveda healing practices, other Eastern arts have grown as well – interest in the martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, calligraphy, cooking, architecture, and feng shui.

The wisdom that feng shui can provide is a wonderful counterbalance to the modern world, as we continually build in less desirable locations, advance in technology and work indoors. Feng shui gives us the wisdom to acknowledge all of that, and yet, bring more yin into our lives – more nourishment for body, mind, and spirit.

Maureen Calamia works with commercial and residential clients to create spaces to enhance wellbeing, using the tools of feng shui, nature and biophilic design. She inspires balance and joy by re-establishing a connection to nature. She is the author of several eBooks and is currently writing a book on the Feng Shui & the Human-Nature Connection. Maureen is also the founder of Re-Nature Feng Shui Training Program offering both on-site and online programs. Take a fun Quiz “What is Your True Nature? at www.luminous-spaces.com.