Feng Shui Practice

This article which you are about to read has been written because of a growing interest in this subject all around the world, and I hope that by reading this you will have a few of your questions answered.

A belief, a system or a dogma that has existed, survived and is still in popular use today is worth taking a second look at. To dismiss them would simply be idiotic as many already have, and have proven nothing aside from making it known that they do not cotton onto the obvious.

There will always be the skeptics and believe me, they have had their share of helping issues to be advertised freely and more forcefully since once they have committed their emotions into fighting against something it happens that they become even more vocal than the adherents. It is true with religions, ideologies, new inventions and discoveries and yes, even Feng shui.

And so again, what is Feng shui and for centuries now, why has it survived?

In a nutshell, it is the result of the persistence of man in trying to live with his environment through harmonizing with it so that he gathers the positive forces and influences of nature to improve his wellness. Not a bad idea at all. In fact it almost sounds like most of the precepts in all the major religions except that it is not a religion. It is a practice. A belief system developed since the ancient times in China. Feng shui has persisted and spread, to almost all the known parts of the world. Unbeknown to many cultures, many Feng shui principles are already being practiced by them although with different connotations and justifications.

The practice of Feng shui has taken a prominent consideration in building designs, selecting sites, locations, decorations, business, personal practices, interrelationships, houses, rooms, pathways, medicine, you name it. It could be applied to almost everything and yes even the contour of a face and the force of character and vision in a person is said to be contributors to gaining good qi (pronounced as chi, a kind of energy from which life emanates) or not. Almost everything could be drawn to gain good Feng shui or bad Feng shui. It could have thousands of applications, from womb to tomb.

It is not exactly known when and where Feng shui started. There are very few written accounts of Feng shui prior to the last century. The practice then was to hand over the knowledge by word of mouth, from master to the student.

Even with that, the practice continued and improved. One thing that it owes to is that Feng shui is intuitive in nature and is practical. While it has often been dismissed as superstition, a bull and a crap, by those who are against it, its longevity could be traced to the benefits of all those who applied its principles. This proves as always, that the best argument is never good enough when it is aimed against success.

Feng shui holds so much validity for the Orientals that there were Chinese emperors who had their experts executed for fear that the knowledge could be used against them. In the 19th century, the Chinese government had control over the distribution of charts, numerical data and diagrams that were included in the almanacs that it released to the public.

Feng shui is an old practice that has developed through the centuries. In fact it is a part of the Chinese philosophy. The earliest formal account though is through the writings of Chu Hsi who lived during the Song Dynasty around 1126 to 1278. His writings then became the foundation of the practice of Feng shui. But as already mentioned, it goes a long way back.

But, you may be asking, is it of any use to me today? Well the answer is yes, it is, but you will only discover its secrets by conducting some methodical research yourself.

Where can you turn to for help in your research? For a start, visit your local bookstore, and you will be amazed at how much information they have on Feng Shui. Then you could try your local library. Also, look out for some helpful Blogs on this subject, and finally, the internet will provide you with a wealth of information.

john savage has a helpful Blog called Feng-Shui Secrets which you will find very revealing.

Office Feng Shui for the Individual

Just as we incorporate Feng Shui into our homes, having good Feng Shui in your office or workplace is equally as important: especially for those of us who spend quite a fair amount of time in it! As mentioned in the article title, the Feng Shui advice given will focus on you and not the business or company itself. Part of the challenge in making sure you have good office Feng Shui is that we may not always personalize our surroundings as easily as we do in our home. For example, it's much easier to shift our sleeping position in our bedroom as opposed to modifying your entire surroundings in your current workplace. Readers who have home offices will be smiling the most in this case.

Foundation and Support
A strong and solid foundation where your back faces is important. Having your back facing a wall, or some sort of large earth element behind you is optimal. The Feng Shui reason for this is if your back is exposed, you would be open to backstabbing and other dangers that could make you a victim of office politics. If your back faces a window or glass doors, try to put some blinds or even a poster of something symbolizing the strength of the Earth element (best imagery to have is that of a mountain). Having a weak foundation behind you will also result in a loss of credibility at your work place.

Promoting Harmony
Communication is a vital aspect of most offices, and many of us rely on it to get things done. Disharmony with your peers or management will always result in more difficulty, which is something we really should not be having if we want to stay productive! Misunderstandings, flared tempers under extreme duress or even a difference of personalities can make your workplace an unhappy environment in the long run. A small solution would be to have a glass sphere by your worktable to help absorb and cleanse ill intentions. However, the best way to ensure a productive environment where things work as they are supposed to, is to have a Tibetan Harmony Mandala near you. Everybody wins as your colleagues will be less difficult to work with.

Getting Things Done
It would be safe to say, that most of the jobs out there are at times stressful and we are faced with tasks we are not how to fulfill them. Though the success of this task will ultimately depend on the individual and situation, sometimes all you need would be a small push in your favor. This could come in the form of: a stroke of inspiration, a sudden windfall of aid or an external change that would be to your favor. Ji Gong, the Kind Mad Monk is the best enhancer to have for times like these. He is much loved for always humbly helping you by providing an alternate solution or a different perspective so that things can actually work out for you.

The Right Direction
Facing one of your auspicious directions can also help you out alot in your workplace. In general, the best direction to be facing is your Sheng Chi(Success) direction. Your auspicious directions (in this case, your Sheng Chi) would be determined by your Feng Shui Kua number. You can use a lunar compliant Kua Number Calculator to find our your Kua number and your respective auspicious/inauspicious directions. Suffice to say, try not to face your inauspicious directions.

Poison Arrows
Poison arrows are sources of shar chi (negative chi in Feng Shui) and usually caused by sharp objects pointed at you. This could come in the form: corner of a table, edge of a pillar, large sculptures where pointed or sharp tips point at you. You would have to put some effort into finding poison arrows if any and try to remedy them. The best way to nullify or protect yourself from this is to interrupt the path of which the poison arrow will strike you. The most common solution is to use plants or protective metal/earth element objects.

Career Advancement
You can also use Feng Shui to advance in your career and the practice of it is a very common sight in Asia. However, you might not be able to notice it at first glance as many of the solutions implemented have been skillfully merged with the surroundings of the individual. Have acknowledged the issues listed above would help you already, but a bit more implementation wouldn't hurt! A popular enhancer and usually well hidden in the drawers (not to mention used by those from entry levels all the way to top management) would be the famous Eight Immortals Amulet. Each of the Eight Immortals will provide you with their blessings. The blessings range from that of progress, to harmony, to longevity!

Conclusion
Well, this is just the start but would be an excellent list to keep in mind when using Feng Shui for your office or workplace. In our next article, we shall take a more advanced look into office Feng Shui and with discreet implementations to make sure you benefit the most from this knowledge. Be sure to check out our website at: www.smilingbamboo.com for more information on how to use Feng Shui to achieve your aspirations and to simply make everyday an easier day that will be to your favor.

Smiling Bamboo (www.smilingbamboo.com) strives to preserve the true traditions of Feng Shui amidst all the marketing hype of today. Its founders have spent most of their lives surrounded by Feng Shui and lived in both Eastern/Western cultures providing them with an understanding of bridging the gap of both worlds with this beautiful science. For more information: www.smilingbamboo.com