The question "What is Feng Shui" can't be answered easily. Instead there are a few things you will have to learn about before you can even get started.

Feng Shui literally translated to "Wind Water, " this ancient system of aesthetics is believed to use both the energy of Heaven (astronomy) and Earth, the five elements, yin and yang, and an individual's 'personal natal chart' to optimize the 'qi' within the space.

Ones "astronomical make up" is based on the Chinese Zodiac. This Zodiac compares the moment of your birth to the position of the planets and a few key constellations to map out what kind of positive and negative energies you will carry with you for the rest of your life.

When you are trying to alter the energy flow of a room you are essentially attempting to have an effect on the "qi." Qi is the living entity of Wind Water. Positive qi will have a positive affect on the individual who is working with it, while negative qi will have a negative affect. It's important to pay attention to the ebb and flow of qi if you want to be working effectively.

The Five Phases, also known as Wu Xing and the five elements, is a self reliant system of checks and balances. It's like playing 'rock, paper, scissors' with nature. Everything beats something and is destroyed by something else. The parts of this system are Fire, Metal, Wood, Earth, and Water.

Yin and Yang can be difficult to understand because it is frequently tied to good and bad. Instead, think of it as dark and light. Not in the philosophical way but as physical dark and light. They coexist beside one another and you cannot have dark without light or light without darkness. They are two sides of the same coin and everything has both light and dark within itself. You can have more of one but that does not mean you have none of the other.

In order to generate positive qi within a space you have to take all of this into consideration. Then, with this knowledge at hand, understand that all items have qi. The color, shape, and location of said items can alter the speed, and flow of qi and it's up to you to stabilize the levels.

Answering the question "What is Feng Shui" isn't easy. It's not something you can provide a simple phrase with. Instead it requires patience, hard work, and concentration but for many people it's well worth the effort.

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