Why Feng Shui Makes Us Feel Good

Doing something that makes us happy or adds beauty to our life or lifts our spirits is never an isolated act. 

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 By Sharda Chaitanya 

 

The absolute very first thing I noticed after arranging my home according to Feng Shui principles was the change in the feeling that was created in the atmosphere.   And the change was both immediate and palatable.  As soon as I moved some furniture around, tossed some things out, and did a little cleaning, the room felt so different.  And better, yes.  Calmer, grounded and open. 

I was somewhat in awe -- a silence fell over me that I had not experienced within the confines of my own home.  I have been to places and in situations that have had that kind of vibe, but not at home.  Was it so simple to feel better with just a switching around of a bed or a bureau or a planter? 

I had not formally studied at that point and just had my book and myself.  Insomnia being on my side, I also had plenty of quiet, middle-of-the-night time to myself.  I read the passages, looked at the diagrams and tried to move from concept to actuality.  That alone took several hours.  Just the act of contemplating changing something, energy begins to shift.  I stopped agonizing over whether or not I was going to get it exactly right and did what I thought I knew.  I moved my bed from here to there, from there to there, back to here, and finally settled on right there.  It was good.  Wasn't it?

I did the bedroom first because that really is where we spend the most important hours of our day.  The hours spent sleeping is when significant things happen for our benefit.  Without getting into much detail, suffice it to say that the revitalizing, re-energizing and re-grouping that takes place in body, mind and spirit during our nighttime sojourns is e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y important to our well-being.If one is having insomnia and has no explanation for it (or even if there is any explanation) Feng Shui could in many case change that for the better.

Back to the drawing board.  Or more accurately, back to the Bagua.  The next great shift was going to be in my living room.  Now it is very important to keep in mind that a small room is just as important as a large room.  For the large majority of apartment-dwellers, this should be understood.  Effective Feng Shui does not depend on the size of the space.  Feng Shui can be applied anywhere -- your desk at work, your car or, heck, even your hotel room.  I moved the sofa, the coffee table and turned an odd sort of table into a desk.  I needed a desk, I wanted a desk and thought I didn't have a desk.  Until I got creative that night and saw that I already owned a desk!  Again, another two hours dedicated to moving the furniture into three or four different configurations until I settle on one.  

The experience was much like when you bring home a new painting or wall hanging and put it up.  You look at it from this angle, that angle, you turn around as though you don't know it's there, and turn around again as if you're seeing it for the first time.  I stood in several parts of the living room taking in the new arrangement.  Huh?  It was time to try it out.  By that I mean, grab a glass of wine and sit on the loveseat in its new location.  Huh...wow.  This is interesting...and different...and...better?  At this point my cat, (who'd been avoiding me for months now, since we moved into this new place) jumped up onto my lap like he had done since forever.  Really?  Well, there ya' go.  (Animals are a very good gauge of energy, BTW.)  I took that as a thumbs-up  from the Feng Shui gods that it was a success.  And yes, I did like the arrangement better and it definitely flowed.  And it was the start of something big.

So...WHY does doing Feng Shui make us feel better?  It is a mystery of sorts.  Even Master Lin Yun said sometimes even he didn't even know why some things work the way they do.  But, if I did pretend to know why, this is what I'd say: ENERGY LOVES ATTENTION!!!!  And why not?   Doesn't everything respond to Tender Loving Kindness?   We take inanimate objects for granted, at face value.  Did you ever notice how the T.V. or the computer is acting wacky and then we talk baby talk to it and tell it it's okay, "C'mon, your a good computer, we like you."  And you pet it and make kissing sounds?  And then boom, it starts to work again.  But those are objects, and energy is formless, invisible, silent.  When we tune into the chi, we are required to listen; then wait for a response.

Whenever I work on something of a mechanical nature, or otherwise, and I get frustrated and find myself tensing up and having an energy fight with the thing, I will take notice.  Stop.  "Why isn't this working?"  I relax, breathe (very important for flow of Chi) and make peace with the object.  I reverse the negative momentum into one of calm -- and start again.   Nine times out of ten it works; I chose to respect the object rather than treat it as something that I thought I was better than.  When that happens, when things (or conversations, or people or anything in our lives) work easily, it means balance and harmony have been restored. 

Energy is everywhere and it is ours to do with it what we like.   This is the beauty of free-will and co-creating.  Once you know what you are dealing with, you can create, change, or create change, move energy, have energy speak to  you, you can respond to it, etc., etc.  So on and so forth,,,  In other words, the field is wide open.  The space is  your canvas and the energy is your brush.  The objects are you colors and your goals are your inspiration.   Honoring our environment in this way brings it to life, it is a form of gratitude.  It is gratitude in action.  And gratitude grows exponentially -- it does not stop once the task is complete.  Energies such as gratitude and compassion reverberate and will latch onto similar energy, and grow, and that new energy will ignite more of the same, and continue in a positive motion.

Flow, balance and harmony -- these are restorative qualities that are inherent in the principles of Feng Shui.  By bringing these simple aspects into your home or workplace, you are serving a higher good, and that makes everyone feel better.