Practicability of Feng Shui

Practicality of Feng Shui by : Ricci Rodriguez Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement. It is also considered an art that hosts knowledge on how to balance worldly energies, also known as â€Å"Chi† in China. The surrounding landscape as well as the objects, layout and emotions in an environment affect this flow of energy. When a space is filled with positive energy and symbols, an individual will feel happy and motivated. Feng† and â€Å"Shui† means â€Å"wind† and â€Å"water† respectively. Wind and water are, first and foremost, natural elements (two of the five elements that comprise all of nature). Wind is the earth’s breath, and water is the invigorating lifeblood of everything that exists on our planet. Both wind and water have tremendous energy that drives Feng Shui's practices and techniques to fill life with positive energies.Feng Shui, at its very core is a means of arranging the basic elements of life—and all the t hings that an individual surrounds himself with on a daily basis— to create the optimal and harmonious flow of vital life energy, just like the flow of water and wind. Feng Shui is not only popular in China, but also in the Philippines. Teresita Ang See, a Filipino-Chinese leader and scholar, said that relations between the Philippines and China date back to pre-historic times, and many Chinese influences have long been integrated into Philippine culture.See, born and raised in the Philippines, said the impact can be seen in various aspects of Philippine life – from names of common household items and food served during festive celebrations, to business practices and even farming techniques, â€Å"Chinese influences have been embedded into the tapestry of Philippine culture so much so that some often could no longer distinguish it as Chinese, and there's no need to distinguish it as Chinese,† she added. Joy Lim, one of the most sought-after Feng Shui consultants in the Philippines, said Filipinos have become more aware of the usefulness of FengShui – the ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment – and its application in their daily lives. â€Å"Maybe because they see successful Chinese businessmen practicing Feng Shui and they see there's really no harm in trying to have a better life by practicing Feng Shui,† she said. Feng Shui is no magic. It is a collection of practical, time-tested solutions based on the fundamental properties of elements that are used to change the negative aspects and introduce the positive aspects of each element to your living environment—and change your life for the better.I will base the practicality of Feng Shui on three categories: Practicability, Usefulness and Effectiveness. First is practicability, how is something practicable? By definition, something is practicable if it is capable of being done or put into practice. A lot of Feng Shui’s practices commonly involve things we usually do in our everyday life and are easy to follow. For example, merely cleaning our surrounding, such as bedrooms or workplaces and organizing our things are already practices used in Feng Shui.Most of the tips or advices given by Feng Shui are being done in our daily life anyways, so it becomes easy to apply and can be done naturally. So therefore, yes, Feng Shui is practicable. Second is usefulness. Feng Shui is useful since not only does it help improve our surroundings, but also helps improve our health and our environment’s appearance. For instance, throwing out the garbage and things we don’t really need, this itself is already a first-step to maintaining a healthy household.As for the environment’s appearance and well-being, Feng Shui helps improve it through maximizing space, resources and by â€Å"bringing life† into the room. The teachings include how to position the furniture s, how to pick colors to suit the location, which colors go with each other, what lighting to use, and even to incorporate plants in the room. Example of these are that Feng shui followers are encouraged to refrain from having objects on view in their homes which may disturb and unsettle their subconscious.Hence sharp angled objects, like plants with pointed leaves and the corners of square tables, are not suitable for individuals who want to create a harmonious place to live or work. Another feng shui rule that makes sense is to do with clocks and time. If you follow feng shui you’re not supposed to have a clock in your dining room. Being able to see it frequently will spoil the experience of eating and relaxing with your fellow tablemates as you keep checking to see how much time has passed. These practices make a house more livable and healthier to live in.So, in these terms, yes, Feng Shui is useful. Third and the last, effectiveness, Feng Shui can be said to be effective if it has produced the intended or expected effect. So, is it effective? A Feng Shui business consultation may enhance a company's goals, growth, wealth, and prosperity while creating a pleasant working environment that supports staff members. Again, adjustments are usually easy and cost effective. Perhaps a plant or a fountain would be added in the proper locale to increase wealth and prosperity.The location of the CEO's office, positioning of desks and/or cash registers, and the shape of the overall office or building are some factors to evaluate. And according to Ann Bingley Gallops, a Feng Shui consultant and expert, â€Å"I started my Feng Shui career because I wanted to transform other people’s lives as mine had changed over 14 years ago, thanks to Feng Shui. I’d just gotten divorced, wasn’t happy at work, and generally felt that things weren’t going so well in my life.At this critical moment I enrolled in a Feng Shui course at  New York’ s Open Center. It was the first of many synchronicities I was about to experience, thanks to Feng Shui. I made changes like, rearranging furniture, clearing clutter and changing colors and artwork. My apartment looked and felt like a completely different place: nourishing, welcoming, energized. I discovered that the power of Feng Shui is the power of Intention, with visible and physical energies to back it up. And that’s how I arrived at the point I’m at today.Basing on these experiences and many other personal stories, then yes, Feng Shui is effective. Once again, Feng Shui is an old, ancient art that can affect a person’s life whether for the better through applying it’s practices, Feng Shui not only relies its â€Å"powers† on luck, but also on scientific reasoning and common sense and finally, Feng Shui is practical because it is practicable, useful and effective. Reference: Barett, Jayme. â€Å"Feng Shui: What Is It and Where Does It Come Fro m?. †Ã‚  MindBodyGreen. MindBodyGreen, 17/03/2010.Web. 1 Oct 2012. Gallops, Ann. â€Å"How Feng Shui Changed My Life. â€Å"openspacesfengshui. Open Spaces Feng Shui, 07/10/2010. Web. 6 Oct 2012. ;http://openspacesfengshui. com/feng-shui-tips/2010/07/how-feng-shui-changed-my-life/;. Nation, . â€Å"Feng Shui grows among Chinese influences in the Philippines. †Ã‚  The Feng Shui Society. Society News, 01/10/2011. Web. 1 Oct 2012. Ruston, Sheri. â€Å"Feng Shui Will Change Your Life!. â€Å"Healthy Space. N. p. , 07/2001. Web. 6 Oct 2012. Wang, Mike. â€Å"What is Feng Shui?. †Ã‚  The Spiritual Feng Shui.Eternal Sunshine, n. d. Web. 1 Oct 2012. ;http://www. thespiritualfengshui. com/what-is-feng-shui. php;. Webber, Bridget. â€Å"The Psychology of Feng Shui: Is Feng Shui Really an Effective Remedy?. †Ã‚  green-building. Knoji, 05/25/2011. Web. 6 Oct 2012. Yap, Joey. â€Å"What Is Feng Shui – A Science or Belief?. â€Å"ezinearticles. Ezinearticle s, 04/08/2011. Web. 1 Oct 2012. . â€Å"What is Feng Shui?. †Ã‚  Indobase Feng Shui. indobase, n. d. Web. 1 Oct 2012. ;http://www. indobase. com/fengshui/what-is-feng-shui. html;.