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To attract well being and prosperity into our lives, we have to create harmonious spaces. It is not only about harmony and balance in our environment but harmony should lie within us. To create this, it is best to appreciate qi.

Learning about feng shui is like opening a door. Every time a new door opens it takes us to yet another door leading into another room!

Appreciating Qi
The flow of qi is like a river. Water invigorates and water calms a person. Standing and watching the flow of water brings immense enjoyment to the onlooker. But the enjoyment of being invigorated and refreshed by the cooling qualities of the water can only be felt by being in the water. Physically enjoying the water is far greater than visually enjoying the view. We say we enjoy the invigorating water that the river contains. But if we do not jump in and feel the water swirling and flowing past us while we are floating in its midst, how can we know its refreshing qualities?

The flow of qi is just like the flow of water. Allowing qi to meander into every room brings benefits to the occupant of that room. Positive qi is called sheng qi. Sheng means generating. So it stands to reason that if we want to attract well being and prosperity we have to create a harmonious space filled with sheng qi. However, man-made objects or nature not only block essential qi if they face our front entry or windows but they become secret arrows of defective qi.

Definition of Qi
According to the ancient masters, qi is the force that enlivens the universe. It encompasses everything including electrical vibrations and even things like germs. Qi can also be non-substance or a state of mind. The influence of qi can be felt from the deepest depths of the ocean to the highest peak of a mountain and it is not limited to a fixed space.

The Manifestations of Qi
However, we cannot help but question the intangible forces when trying to conceptualise the manifestations of this thing called qi. It is easier to make believe that we are separate from the universe but believing so makes us arrogant.

Our own small personal space is enlivened by qi. We are not alone in our universe either. If we ignore cleaning and vacuuming our room and every part of our house we share our space with other intruders- dust mites. Being part of the same universe, these dust mites carry qi, too. One would think that since we share the same universe there should be universal co-operation. But no, picking up a bug will see us either topping up on health products or lying in bed surrounded by unsavoury antibiotics.

It is easier to understand the mysterious force that enlivens the universe on the agricultural level as we see, touch and smell the produce. We have vested interests too as some of us live to eat while others eat to live. The fruits of other people’s labour are the pickings for our dinner table. However, if the vegetables and fruits placed on sale in shops and supermarkets do not look luscious we would not buy them. The land on which these fruits and vegetables are planted must be fertile and carry enough rain to bring forth a good bounty. The force that manifests itself in the health of plants and trees is this same qi, we are told.

Human Qi
On the human level, qi is the force flowing through the meridians of the body. To benefit from this interactive flow, we follow the principle of harmony and balance. Illness represents a dis-ease of the body. Those who value longer lives work with "ease" and try to avoid "dis-ease". It is not that we are afraid of death, it is wanting to enjoy longevity which is growing old gracefully with our faculties still intact. Being healthy requires a balance between the Yin and Yang energies within the body. It is about discovering ways of balancing qi to avert stagnancy and qi deficiency.

Aches and pains in our body are just the physical messages the human body sends to alert us about disharmonious flow of qi. Commuters delayed by a train derailment suffer inconvenience. Until the train is repaired at the point of derailment the coach is unable to return commuters to the home station nor reach its destination.

It is the same with qi. Until the pressure point is worked on to release the disharmony, the flow of qi will cause aches and pains. Qi flows should be harmonious but when it hits a vulnerable spot it accumulates at that point and cannot flow as intended causing a "derailment". We can do well by encouraging the constant flow of healthy qi in our body. .Striving for ultimate health and longevity is the art of being in harmony with nature.

Feeling the Wind….
We tend to understand energies better when we can feel them physically, like the wind for example. It makes sense to build a wall to stop the cold winds from the North, to live near water which provides transportation as well as water for plants to thrive and fish to grow.

To enjoy good household luck, the focus has always been on finding the physical shapes of the ideal landscape that corresponds exactly with that required for a comfortable and safe "cave" in that location. This search for a safe cave goes back to cave dwelling times. The ideal configuration is one of a supporting hill or higher ground at the rear. The left and right arm of land on either side of this higher land at the rear must be look like a basin shape. In front the space must be open and fluid. And it is said that this is where the greatest amount of good qi accumulates.

In the city context, the quality of chi generated for a city is related to its landscape. A city can have lively and strong chi because of the orientation of water and mountains to the city. The winding water-course, over an undulating landscape, promotes the build up of chi, which in turn promotes communication and prosperity. In harbour cities, both water and nearby mountains make them good locations for favourable qi. This allows scope for buildings to maximise positive qi.

One and the same thing
The notion that qi is everything and nothing, positive and negative... is much more difficult to grasp. There is no difference between the physical feeling of the wind and qi itself. It is one and the same thing.

On the climatic level, it is the energy carried by the winds and waters. If qi is wind or air, then where air goes - qi goes. It penetrates through brick and mortar as they are permeous substances, and just like germs, qi can penetrate through certain structures. A room having no windows does not mean that it is not affected by qi. Every building with some sort of entrance/exit and ventilation, allow qi to penetrate.

Qi is dynamic. Not only can its pace can be slowed down or increased, it can even be changed and manouvered. Windows and doors create less obstruction for qi to flow. Doors and windows can also create a new direction for qi flow. We can manipulate where it comes from and where it flows to.

Internal Qi Flow
Circulating qi can either create a subtle sense of disturbance or confusion. Or it can create harmony and balance. The interior arrangements of doors, rooms (kitchen, master bedroom, toilet/bathroom) and furniture can affect the harmony of the home we live in, and the qi forces around the home. At every aspect we should strive for harmonious qi flow.

The placement of our bed or desk in certain movement of qi has a huge impact on our performance. Below are examples of areas of negative impact.

    * path of fast transit of qi
    * vibrations of condensed qi
    * direct currents of qi
    * stagnant areas devoid of qi
    * external secret arrows of sha qi

Harmony In Buildings
Often when a business is going downhill, diminishing profits are often blamed on poor management, inadequate marketing strategies, competition and the overall slowdown in spending. All these reasons may be valid. But a Feng Shui expert, examining the whole situation sees the picture differently.

Why do certain buildings encourage creativity and productivity? And yet other buildings have poor tenancy becoming a real estate agent’s nightmare? Why is it some buildings have good tenancy while others do not enjoy such good fortune? Is there a conspiracy? Does each tenant tell the other the circumstances or life situations each experiences to prompt this moving out? Each landlord wishes to break this cycle of poor tenancy. When these houses are investigated there are tell tale signs of poor Feng Shui.

Some people spend a fortune to build their dream homes. Yet these houses designed according to their dreams get vacated due to huge financial problems or sold off because of divorce proceedings? There are many contributory factors. But one answer could lie in the energy distribution within each structure.

Time dimension can affect the destiny of such houses. Houses with unfortunate star charts usually exhibit problems. Houses with fortunate star charts usually experience better fortune. The orientation of the way the building faces has to be examined in detail. The age it was built or the date the new owners moved in are other important issues to study and take into account in examining the qi distribution.

Intangible Energy Distribution
The notion of this intangible qi distribution of a building is difficult to grasp. In time dimension feng shui (san yuan feng shui), qi distribution can be read by charting the "stars" that fall within the nine grids of a house as determined by a Lo Shu Grid.

An easier way to understand this concept is to use analogy. Imagine the art of preparing tea. The qi distribution of every structure, is defined by these stars namely the mountain star, the water star and the time star. These numbers are derived from the Lo Shu Grid. Try to consider the time stars, the mountain stars and the water stars as tea leaves. Then consider the house/building as a pot to brew the tea and boiling water as the cosmic energy. Once the water is poured into the pot, the tea bag will be saturated and hence we obtain tea-coloured water. To pour water into the pot the lid has to be removed. To get a good brew the lid has to be replaced. The water allows the leaves in the filter bag to change into a beverage, which in turn swirls around the pot. This tea permeates the whole pot.

Charting of Energy Distribution
In the same way the energy distribution as defined by the mountain star, the water star and the time star is encompassed in the house. In xuan kong flying stars, the flying star chart laid over the floor plan of a building gives an indication of the kind of energy that is distributed in that building.

Time is an important consideration in Feng Shui philosophy and it is the cycles of time, which determine a building’s prosperity and well being. With the interplay between people and their environment, a building’s prosperity (whether a business or home) will ultimately effect the residents of that structure and the activities within.

Cycles of Time
Based on the beliefs of ancient Chinese sages, time is divided into cycles of 180 years. There are three 60 year periods each, called upper, middle and lower. Three ages of 20 years duration are contained in each period, resulting in a total of nine ages for each 180 year cycle. A new cycle will begin in the year 2044 and a new energy shift will emerge. The Age of 7 which began in 1984 will see its end in 2003. The new Age of 8 will last for 20 years until 2023. Any building can have its prosperity and human fortune investigated. Good luck cannot stay with us forever nor can bad luck last forever. The time dimension cannot be ignored.

Different Implications
Qi can be in the form of matter or energy or both. The ancients classify it into 5 Elements. Different combinations of these Lo Shu derived numbers as seen in the mountain and water star have different implications, some favourable and some evil. Evil qi is called sha qi. It is only when the same ill luck numbers congregate, (2,2; 5,5 or 2,5) or a situation when the elements represented by the numbers are clashing badly that severe ill fortune results. Strengthening the bad effects of these "stars" can bring about unwanted problems.

The fortune of the house depends on the way the good luck stars fly and fall into a sector. Ill fortune occurs when the poor luck stars affecting health and prosperity congregate or combine in a sector. The charting depends on the age the house was built, the orientation it faces or the move in date of the occupants..

Good fortune is enjoying good health, well being, wealth and prosperity. Poor fortune is having ill health, misfortune, loss of income and money, separation or divorce, conflict, slander and lawsuit.

Physical Forms can Affect the Harmony of Buildings
Qi distribution not only varies with time, but it is also affected by "form" and by "formula". Form is external environment and formula is the computations obtained after doing a charting. External physical forms can affect the feng shui of buildings. Unfavourable external environmental influences can affect the harmony of residences and business premises. Beautiful well-formed mountains, natural water features, man made water features or beautiful scenery are added benefits where people can enjoy auspiciousness. These features can enhance good "star structures". But poor scenery, wrongly placed water features (not in accordance to feng shui principles of timing) or ugly man made structures can reduce household luck and in the process activate poor star combinations. Sometimes neighbouring demolition and construction in our vicinity can upset good Feng Shui or worsen the situation.

There are many manifestations of qi. It is proper to interpret these different forms. We cannot ignore effects of magnetic, cosmic and archetypal qi. In Feng Shui assessment of energy, sheng qi is vital energy and sha qi is defective energy.