Feng Shui was introduced to the United States nearly twenty years ago by a Chinese Feng Shui Master, named Thomas Lynn Yun, through the writing skills of Sarah Rossbach. Their first book (Feng Shui: The Chinese Art of Placement), revealing the enchanting power of our environment, became a huge success. Since then, many other books have been published, describing different (and often opposing) methods of Feng Shui, creating a big controversy among experts in the field.

The different Schools of Feng Shui

    Feng Shui is a natural science with a body of knowledge gathered throughout countless centuries, which gave birth to an extended set of fundamental rules and principles, expressed through the teachings of three main schools. The first one, probably as old as China itself, is called the Form School. Although essentially dealing with the physical aspects of a site, including its orientation, the rules and regulations of the Form School always prevail over the second one, born many centuries later, called the Compass School. While the Compass School requires the use of a compass to assess the quality of Ch'i (the vital energy) nourishing a site, it also takes into great consideration the date of birth of a person, in accordance with the date of birth and orientation of the building in which that person resides. This makes way not only for a very complex calculation, but also leads to the discovery of some malevolent areas in your home that you should avoid at all cost. Since that strict order won't necessarily apply to all members of your household,  you can also welcome peace of mind and harmony among all of you! Besides, who wants to condemn an entire area of their home?

    As a professional Feng Shui consultant, trained in the Form School (but you will have guessed already!), I am utterly opposed to parts of the dogma of the Compass School, which I view as frightening, impractical, and irrelevant.

    The third school of Feng Shui, often called "Western Feng Shui", comes from the teachings of Master Thomas Lyn Yun who modernized it, while introducing the practice of the "Power of Intent", which drives practitioners of Classical Feng Shui absolutely nuts! We now all know the power of our emotional state over the quality of our lives, and what a positive intent can do to help us achieve our objectives. So, even thought not a strict follower of Lin Yun's teachings (since I have no disposition for chanting Mantras that don't ring a bell for me), I am a firm believer in the power of this modernized version of Feng Shui. Terah Kathryn Collins, best selling author
and internationally acclaimed teacher has also played a huge role in promoting Feng Shui all around the world. Her ways of teaching Feng Shui are truly beautiful as well as easy to understand.

How does Feng Shui work?

    Feng Shui is used to assess and adjust the quality of Ch'i (the vital energy) that has settled in any given environment. To be truly able to understand how Feng Shui works, we must start by accepting the unfamiliar fact that we are not just flesh and bones but, first and foremost, beings essentially made of energy, and that everything else is also made up of that same and unique fundamental creative force, expressing itself in countless variety of ways.

    Believe it or not, every one that you know, everything that you see and every emotion that you feel, is a product of that sole and unique creative energy. But until you have come to believe that nothing is inert, truly solid, or separated from the rest of the creation, Feng Shui will make no sense to you.

   We all live, like fish in deep water, completely drenched into an immeasurable mass of energy, constantly pulsating and vibrating, giving form and substance to everything that exists, including what we perceive as being empty. For over a century now, research in nuclear science has proven the authenticity of that long held Oriental belief: The essence of matter is only a fluctuation of energy, manifesting in infinite ways. The truth is that our universe is alive and, moreover, entirely constituted of a conscious and intelligent force that we can mould to suit our needs.
 

   As offspring of that unique creative force, we each vibrate at our own pace, making our entire being extremely sensitive to the vibrational rate of everything that surrounds us. This constant interaction of energy can either be harmonious, and thus conducive to joy and well-being, or destructive, and thus instrumental in all sorts of set-backs and afflictions.

    From the architectural outline of your dwelling, to what may seem the placement of the most insignificant object, all aspects of the garnishing of your residence has a direct bearing on the way you fell, and what you attract (or not attract) in your life on a day-to-day basis. Furthermore, your habitation does not only reflect your personality, but also reveals your most intimate feelings, clearly showing how happy and content (or concerned and worried) you are, regarding each and every aspects of your life.

    It is very important to remember that we get the nourishment necessary to sustain our own energy directly from the pool of energy that resides in our immediate surroundings, be it at home, at work, or wherever we happen to be. When that reservoir of energy is devoid of good nutrients, because nothing around is vibrating in harmony, we are unable to develop and thrive to our fullest potential.

Feng Shui is fun to practice

   The advantage of Feng Shui is that we can create a harmonious environment, regardless of what is going on in our lives. It's just a matter of changing a few things  around, and anybody can do it, or have it done by someone else.  The success of Feng Shui is not only due to the many benefits it produces in our lives, but also comes from the process itself, which brings real fun to most people, while creating a brand new scenario with all the physical components of their environment.
    The really entertaining part of Feng Shui comes with the use of an amazing device, called the Bagua. It is an energetic tool that allows people to find (cure and enrich) nine different sectors in their habitation, assigned to the main aspects of their lives, as follow: "Health and Family", "Wealth and Prosperity", "Fame and Reputation", "Love and Relationships", "Creativity and Children", "Helpful People and Travel", "Career", "Wisdom and Knowledge", and the "Self".

   All of these sectors are closely connected, and hold the same rank of importance. This means that we cannot just concentrate on enriching "Wealth and Prosperity" when we are facing financial difficulties, but that we must also bring all the other sectors into balance. For instance, the vibrant energy flowing into "Career" will help you find new avenues for expressing your life purpose. That of  "Helpful People and Travel" will bring major opportunities for growth and abundance from the outside world. That of "Love and Relationships" will greatly facilitate your receptivity, meaning that you will be more open to new ideas, people, and things, as well as better able to hold onto your wealth (albeit what is left of it, or what is coming in), and so forth with each sector.

  When the energy in our home is fresh and vigorous throughout,  and each space counts since it holds the energy of an important aspect of our lives, then everything works smoothly and opportunities abound for joy and happiness. But please, don't believe that once your house has been "feng shuied",  that you will only be experiencing bliss and enchantment! There will still be times when you will be facing issues and challenges, but
things will have a way of working out just fine. This often happens with the sudden help of some wonderful people appearing in your life as if by magic, and disappearing as mysteriously when their job is done!

How long do we have to wait for results?

    That's the big question with no easy answer!  We are all unique, as will be our results with Feng Shui. Through experience though, I can tell you that Feng Shui works. But it works much better and much faster when we remember that everything is energy and that all is connected, meaning that our mood plays a major role too. When we see the process as a journey, instead of a destination that we must reach as quickly as possible, then we are able to remain calmer and our energy doesn't get scattered all over the place.
    

    Time and again, I've noticed that people get what they expect much faster when they release their anxiety about the working of Feng Shui. Why? Because worry creates tension, which generates resistance, which in turn holds the flow of energy (our own as much as that of our immediate surrounding). And obviously, when the energy cannot move, then stagnation sets in, creating a blockage that prevents any fast leap forward. So, as important as it is to create an environment that is clean, bright, open, and cheerful, we must also give it a boost by remaining as receptive and light-hearted as possible.
 

   We live in a world where time matters. Most people do not like to be rushed, let alone be catapulted into a brand new life without preparation. We like to move forward at our own space, gently adapting to changes as new opportunities arise and are being developed; slowly stretching our comfort zone, while expanding the picture that we hold about ourselves. Feng Shui, when properly applied, is usually gentle and brings growth that can be easily handled. However, what is working against you in your life will not magically become enjoyable and useful. You will not suddenly love that job that you hated so much, or be willing to remain any longer in a destructive relationship. Rather, you will see yourself acting differently, with more assertiveness, clarity and strength, heading straight towards the fulfillment of your own needs.

     Needs are very important and and must be acknowledged, since it is only by identifying our needs that we can expect to attract what is required to fulfill them. It is not enough to "think positive" which, more often then not, only brings turmoil internally. To say that something is fine, when obviously it is not, won't change a thing, since we don't believe a word of it! But when we say: "This situation is not making me happy, because what I truly need is such and such" - this personal statement automatically brings us into a joyful state, a happy place where we get in touch with what we truly want, experiencing in our mind what is bound to bring us joy and satisfaction. Then, from that emotional thrill, that happy feeling tasted for a moment, will come the concrete manifestation of what is needed to satisfy our inner longings.
 

   Remember: All is energy and closely connected! Therefore, the energy of worry will always bring in more stuff to worry about, whereas recognizing your needs - what it is that will truly make you happy (while staying in that pleasant feeling for as long as possible), will always draw in the concrete substance necessary to fulfill your demands.

Is Feng Shui difficult to learn?

    Learning Feng Shui is exactly the same as assimilating a new language: It requires dedication to the learning process, and a lot of practice to become fluent. As everything else, the more passionate you are about what you want to learn, the easier it is to immerse yourself in the study. At first, it is only natural to feel overwhelmed by all the knowledge there is to learn and, even more so when we jump from one school of Feng Shui to another, not sure which teaching is the best. Since all well-tested methods of Feng Shui are powerful, the only question to decide is which one we find most appealing and simply pursue that route over the others.

I wish you a very joyful Feng Shui journey, with many fulfilling changes in your life!