Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese study of the energy of a place, and the art of creating harmony and balance in both your living and working environment.

Chi
Chi is the invisible but vital energy that flows through us and through everything that is around us. If you live in harmony with your environment, then this energy will work for you. If the flow of chi is blocked, or it is flowing too quickly, it can disturb the harmony and have an adverse effect on your environment. The aim of Feng Shui is to organize the environment so that chi can circulate freely and evenly and so bring good health, fortune and well-being into your life.

Pa Kua (or ba gua)
The Pa Kua is the most basic Feng Shui tool. It is an octagonal map that is superimposed over the plan of a building or room to plot the flow of chi and help you decide where the eight aspirational locations are in your home. Once you know where these are you can energise them using an appropriate cure.

Kua numbers
Your kua number is an expression of your personal energy. By calculating it you can determine the best locations for everything from your bed to your desk and the best directions in which to face when doing things such as eating, sleeping and studying.

A Feng Shui consultation
Feng Shui masters can be consulted before or after a building has been constructed and it is quite common in Asian countries for architects to consult a Feng Shui expert on the siting of a new building.

In the home, a consultant will not only look at your living environment and suggest changes for improving the flow of chi, they will also take into account your own temperament, which aspects of your life you feel that you need to improve and even the past history of the property as the behaviour of previous occupants can influence your life.

In addition, some consultants will be able to advise on careers, when you should move or committing to a relationship.

A few cures and enhancements

• Removing clutter from rooms and surfaces will allow chi to flow freely
• Healthy plants attract chi but sharp-leaved plants will 'cut' it.  Dead flowers (including dried ones) will create negative energy
• Windchimes in long straight rooms will slow down fast chi
• To prevent flushing chi away, keep the bathroom door closed, the toilet seat down and put plugs in their plugholes
• Do not put dustbins by the front door as they attract negative energy, instead put bight flowers by the main entrance to your home
• A room or home can be energized using crystals. Place them in the relevant aspirational area to activate that part of your life
• A pa kua mirror outside your main door will deflect poison arrows but mirrors used in the wrong place can disturb energy
• Activate your Wealth sector by placing a water feature such as an aquarium or fountain in the South-east corner of a room
• If you decide to have an aquarium, the best fish are goldfish and the best combinations are eight gold (to bring wealth and luck) and one black (to ward off thieves) or two gold and one black
   

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