Feng Shui Revisited
by Anatoly Tsirelson
Feng Shui has been called everything from science and philosophy to superstition and quite frankly - nonsense. All too often, when ancient art of this proportion translates into the modern age, the tendency is to either accept it without questions, or to consider it to be another fad.
The problem with recognizing Feng Shui as a valid system is that the results are not tangible and are not easily measured. The notion of redirecting an invisible energy to enhance one’s life might sound hocus-pocus, however the myth in this particular definition of Feng Shui is a common misconception.
Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy that is based on human experience, both practical and spiritual. By replicating nature’s harmony in our environment, it allows us to enhance our lives, as it raises awareness of our relationship with the living and working environment.
In this crazy world our lives have become just that – crazy. We work hard to provide for our families and improve our daily existence. Following the trends of Hollywood celebrities we decorate our homes in accordance to the latest and greatest in home décor. The kids’ rooms are repainted in bright hues to spark imagination; the living areas are decorated in antique gold and royal purples to inspire awe in our guests. The house looks beautiful, but something is still missing.
The trouble in chasing after the latest trends in home design is that we tend to lose track of what a home is supposed to be. We forget that aside from the visual appeal, our home is our sanctuary, our comfort zone.
Chances are, that unless you are comfortable sleeping in a museum gallery, you won’t be able to sleep in a master bedroom that looks like one. While architecture and interior design concern itself with structure, function and visual impact, the idea behind Feng Shui philosophy is to create harmonious environment that contributes to our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
For example - if the position of your bed does not allow you to see the door, you subconsciously will not feel safe and that can deeply affect your sleep. By the same token, a child, whose seat at the dinner table places him with his back to the doorway, will feel the void behind him and will never be able to settle down and feel comfortable during a meal.
These are some of the many basic Feng Shui guidelines that among other things address issues of comfort and sense of being grounded. Although it takes years to learn, understand, and master Feng Shui to the fullest, there are ways to incorporate it into our daily living.
It is true that a lot of principles of proper application of Feng Shui rest on physical landscape. The good news is that it is not necessary to make drastic alterations to our living space in order to really benefit from this ancient method. It is however important to realize that “5 Minutes Feng Shui” or Feng Shui soap are just attempts to oversimplify a profound ancient philosophy and lead to nothing but confusion, frustration and disappointment.
There is an abundance of wonderful and informative books written by true experts.
Among the best are:
“Interior Design With Feng Shui” by Sarah Rossbach, 1987;
“Feng Shui: Harmony by Design” by Nancy SantoPietro, 1996
“The Modern Book of Feng Shui” by Steven Post, 1998
These are some of the best readings, which can show us how to use Feng Shui as a framework to building an environment that is not only pleasant to the eye, but is also conducive to creating a reservoir of truly nurturing spiritual energy, giving us strength to face whatever tomorrow might bring.
Anatoly Tsirelson, M.S.C.E.,
Principal of A.R.T. Consulting
providing Feng Shui services
for New England since 1993.
