The “environment” is in the news a lot these days. There are fears of the effects of global warming and pollution, to name a few. But what does the word “environment” call to mind for you? Each of us has our own immediate response. For some, it is the natural world, our outdoors. For others it is our social, cultural, educational or political environment. And, of course, all are correct.
Environment is defined in the dictionary as surroundings - the total of circumstances surrounding an organism or group of organisms.
Thus, environment is all inclusive - the environment of our air, our water, vegetation, our garden, our home and work environments. The environment we feel when sitting under the shade of a tree, the environment that greets us when we awaken, enter a building, or look out a window. There is the environment of our community and our country, and our own internal environment. We are bombarded by environmental sounds, smells, and sights, touch and energy, some visible, some invisible but ever-present. Daily we live, work, play, raise children, make love, and make choices in a thick soup of environmental microcosms. The Chinese art of Feng Shui addresses the total of these environments.
This ancient practice comes to our culture at a critical time. It assists us in defining our position in the physical universe in order to become more aware of and sensitive to our home environment, our neighborhood and workplace. It evaluates the individual and the collective effects of placement, shape, sound, smell, vision, touch, and over-all energy. It then serves as a navigational tool to advise ways in which we can arrange our environments to enhance our quality of life. The goal of Feng Shui is to empower us to create personal environments that nourish, support and encourage our spirit. It encourages us to be aware of environmental influences that may be blocking our life journey, suggests ways to remove physical and/or energetic blocks, empowers us to identify when it is time to change our life course, and provides assistance when we feel we have lost our way.
Once the guiding principles of Feng Shui are understood, then the process of developing a truly intimate relationship with our personal and work environments can begin. This intimacy allows for increased insight and awareness of our surroundings and the impacts they have on us.
There are four Feng Shui Principles and they relate to nature, energy, space, and intention.
The first principle is “Nature serves as the model.” Feng Shui means “Wind and Water” which serves as a powerful metaphor to remind us of the role nature plays in our lives. This truism is as important today as it was thousands of years ago.
There was a time when we understood that being in harmony with the seasons, rhythms and patterns of nature was essential to our survival. Our attempts to move away from that dependency on nature, in an attempt to assume dominance, have created severe problems for the health of our planet. A contemporary anthropologist, Gary Bateson, stated, “An organism that destroys its environment, destroys itself.” The practice of Feng Shui reminds us of the importance of respecting our natural environment. It also encourages us to replicate the natural environment in our manmade environments. The “disconnect” from the natural world is most obvious in our work environments. In these manmade environments, computers, printers, fax machines and copiers surround us. More likely than not, there are no windows. Hanging a poster of a beautiful mountain, lake, or forest on the wall has the immediate effect of calming our energy and connecting us with nature. When we use nature as our model, we begin the process of reestablishing that ancient connection with the natural world.
The second principle of Feng Shui is “Everything is Energy.” The Chinese word for energy is “Chi”. Defined as “breath”, it is the life force that forms mountains, moves rivers, and pulsates through plants, animals and humans. The energy of your home and workplace including their location, shape, room placement, furniture arrangement, colors, patterns, and artwork has a continuous influence on the personal, internal energy of all its inhabitants. Feng Shui evaluates that energy and its effects and provides suggestions for maximizing its flow in our environments. Eliminating everything that is not pleasing to you or that you no longer “see” is a first step to lifting and energizing the energy around you, which in turn, lifts your energy and spirit.
Feng Shui’s third principle is “Your space reflects your life.” From the Feng Shui perspective, your home and workplace are basic expressions of your life and represent nine life areas: career, knowledge, family, wealth, reputation, partnership, creativity, helpful people and health. Feng Shui assists you in identifying where each of these areas falls energetically within your home, office, or business. This allows you to make changes in your environment in ways that can positively affect these areas of your life.
The fourth principle is “Intention is everything.” Intention is to Feng Shui what “Location” is to Real Estate. Setting a Feng Shui intention helps you to focus specifically and in detail on what it is that you desire to change or call into your life. The power of Feng Shui is in your Intention.
With so many environments simultaneously demanding our attention and imposing limitations, with or without our permission, irritability, restlessness, confusion, fear and even powerlessness can creep in and dampen our spirit. As we attempt to meet the demands of our everyday environments, staying true to our spirit is an ever-increasing challenge.
The practice of Feng Shui reminds us that we have the power to create environments that reflect our values and support our life journey. As our homes become places of retreat, reflection, beauty, safety and support, our spirit is nurtured and strengthened, allowing us to bring the best of ourselves to our family, our work and our community. This in turn brings an ever growing and expanding awareness of and respect for our connectedness to all, creating a ripple effect, which can be felt around the world.
According to an old Chinese proverb, “If there is harmony in the house, there is order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.”
May you create environments that nourish the expression of your spirit.