What is Feng Shui?

literal translation: "Wind and Water" 

                                 Wind                             Water

Feng Shui, pronounced fung shway, is the Chinese name for the laws of physics which govern spatial organization and its effects upon the lives of those who occupy the space.

The goal of this ancient "art of placement" is to remove blockages and enhance the flow of "chi" or energy, creating beneficial results for the occupants.  

"We are powerfully connected to the spaces we occupy. They reflect not only who we have been, but where we are headed in life. Consciously or unconsciously, we set intentions that are followed through in body, mind, and spirit. Through awareness of the "stage" we are setting for ourselves, we can choose empowerment by setting good intentions in all areas of our lives." 

                       - Kate Van Slyke 

Kate on Feng Shui

To me, feng shui is about purposefully coming into alignment with highest good, following patterns found in nature and applying them to the management our living and working spaces. Through mindful placement in our environments, being conscious of what we include and why we choose it, we balance and harmonize not only the outer expression of ourselves, but also create inner shifts in consciousness.  Applying feng shui principles, we remove what blocks and holds us back, buffer life's sharp edges, open paths to well-being, and manage the pace at which life flows so that we may linger, savoring that which we have chosen, in all areas of our lives, on all levels of our lives: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  

Feng shui is about intentional placement for well-being.  Alignment is choosing to move in the direction of truth and love (the natural flow of good energy), moving away from delusion and fear (stuck or negative energy), knowing that in purity of purpose, we create well-being in all areas of life, naturally attracting like energy to us.  Basically, it is alignment with God, from whence all good flows.

As a feng shui practitioner, I am not alone in observing that this art is used by some in a manner not in alignment with the spiritual principles of feng shui.  Some encourage people to buy all kinds of "cures" for what ails their lives, appealing to fear and greed, encouraging trust in trinkets rather than teaching alignment with purity and love, investing one's intent in both well-being and well-doing.  While feng shui adjustments do indeed translate to life changes with the shift of energies, applying them with integrity of purpose is so much more powerful than hanging a what-ever where-ever and watching for miracles.

Let us honor this art for its intended purpose - to bring balance and harmony, both without and within...