The History of Feng Shui

Feng Shui is an element of the Mysteries of China, but ultimately, it?s transcendent; its inspirational sources are the archetypes of the noumenal realm and its medium is the Tao ? the Way of Heaven: the principle of wholeness, and rhythmic balance through cyclic change. Feng Shui acts as the interface between the invisible noumenal realm ? ?Kan? (Heaven),, and the phenomenal realm ? ?Yu? (Earth). Previously, Feng Shui was called 'KanYu' ? ?between Heaven and Earth?.

In pre-dynastic times, the antecedent of Feng Shui was Xiangdi. This practice helped the Chinese determine the most appropriate site for settlement and the location of shrines, temples, and fertile lands.

The two most seminal elements of Feng Shui, however, are the ?River Chart?, and the ?Lo Writing?. The ?River Chart? (Ho T'u) was a diagram borne from the Yellow River on the back of a dragon-horse during the reign of the legendary Fu Hsi. Of whom it is said:
"He looked up and contemplated the forms exhibited in the sky (the constellations), and he looked down contemplating the processes taking place on the earth. He contemplated the patterns of the various habitats and places."

The ?Lo Writing? (Lo Shu) also emerging from a river - the Lo River, inscribed on the shell of a tortoise. Referred to as the ?Ba Gua? or ?magic square?, it?s an arrangement of numbers reflecting the cosmological order of the seasons, directions, and 8 trigrams.

Integral to this was the Five Element Theory, having its origins in the dynamics of yin, and yang, it depicts their evolution into five fundamental powers, agents, and phases of change: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. The exposition of which was outlined in the Nei Ching, a medical compilation c. 400BC.

From the 11th century BC to 246 BC, divination, and astrology were practiced using oracle bones, and also for determining solar and lunar eclipses. Zhan Bu elucidated the mechanics of water movement, and that of underground streams.

From 475 to 221 BC, the I Ching began to exert a significant influence on Feng Shui. The Form (regulating the Qi), or Mountain Top School focused on landscapes, studying topographical features, soil quality, and watercourses. It located the the Feng Shui or power spots, and mapped the dragon pathways or energy lines of the Earth. Contemporaneously, Taoism and Confucianism, especially the concept of the ?superior man? (ch?n-tzu), began to profoundly influence Feng Shui, introducing the concept of decisive intervention in terrestrial events inspired by the archetypes of heaven.

The next phase of Feng Shui evolution was inspired by Guo Pu's the 'Book of Burial (276 -324), and Form School principles of siting became well established in Chinese literature.

Between 960 ? 1279 AD, Feng Shui bifurcated into two major schools -the Form and Compass Schools. The Compass School (Regulating the form of energy), used a form of Ba Gua compass to dowse the Feng Shui of the environment. During the Song Dynasty, the Book of Yin Yang Celestial Poles was written by a Feng Shui master, Wu Jin?Luan, who persuaded Yang Yun-Sung to establish one of the first formal schools of Feng Shui in Take Jingo Province.

These are the major elements in Feng Shui?s development.

Better Sleep And Health With A Feng Shui Mattress

The practice of Feng Shui has been going on for centuries. Started in ancient China, Feng Shui is used to create positive energy by the movement and placement of objects, decorating techniques as well as color choices. When these actions are taken, the occupants of that living space or other location can be affected in positive ways.

ButFeng Shui isn?t limited to the inside of a home either. Many Feng Shui practitioners utilize basic tips to help with the outside of the home as well, often extending the practice into the yard and surrounding property. In fact, doing so can actually intensify the results of the Feng Shui practice and help to garner more positive results in an abbreviated amount of time. What?s important to note is that in this want to create change, balance is the key to creating desired effects. Each room has its own part to play in the effectiveness of Feng Shui tenets. But as the bedroom is the room of the house where you will spend much of your life, it is crucial to consider what Feng Shui has to say about a Feng Shui mattress.

In choosing a Feng Shui mattress, you will want to consider a few things: size, materials, elements included, and support. Feng Shui is based on the balance of factors, so everything needs to be in moderation. For example, beds that contain too much water or metal might be problematic for energy in your bedroom and cause ill effects in your life. Here?s what you need to know.

As with any mattress purchase, it is necessary to find a size that works well for the space in which you are placing this bed. But in the Feng Shuimattress tips, you will want to think about how many people will be sleeping in that mattress, thus affecting the size choice in a different way. Those that are single and wish to remain single might choose a smaller sized mattress ? a twin or a full. However, singles that wish to find a partner and become a part of a relationship will want to choose something larger and more conducive to having an additional person in their bedroom. What you?re doing is creating the energy necessary to draw a person into your life, if that?s what you choose. Of course, choosing a mattress that is much too large for your needs has also been seen to create issues in a relationship, so a queen mattress is generally the best choice.

In these times of tight budgets, the idea of buying a mattress can be problematic. But for a proper Feng Shuimattress, you should avoid sleeping on something that has already been used. Energy-wise, this can create problems for person sleeping. Not only is negative energy associated with a used mattress, but it also can bring the unwanted energy of another person into your bedroom, adding to negative results in your life. Used mattresses can also cause problems for those that wish to find a new partner in their life as well as disrupt your overall sleep cycle. With these factors in mind, it?s easy to see why ?new? is better than used.

A Feng Shui mattress should also be chosen with the materials in mind. For most people, the idea of a spring mattress with metal coils is the only option, but it can be detrimental in terms of creating positive energy. Metallic coils are conductive and will increase the electromagnetic field in your bedroom, leading to a multitude of problems. But as many mattresses will have coils, you will want to look for coils that are wrapped individually to reduce this conductive effect. There are sleep number beds that can work better than coil options, but they too contain a magnetic effect that can cause more harm than good.

Other Feng Shui mattress choices include waterbeds, but these come with a set of problems as well. Because they are filled with water, they are not balanced in terms of their elemental qualities which can lead to energetic disruptions. In addition, water can conduct electricity which can affect electromagnetic energy that is already present in the environment.

The best Feng Shui mattress choice on the market is the foam mattress. It provides consistent airflow without including elements like water or metal from coils. This will not conduct electricity and create disturbances in the energetic field of your bedroom, plus it creates an ideal sleeping surface for you to get a good night?s rest. The supportive qualities of the foam mattress are also helpful for creating positive energy. Not only are you not going to affect your partner?s rest (as the foam cushions movement), but it also cradles the body and allows it to be supported naturally.

Candace Czarny,ASID,CFM,LEED AP, "Award Winning" Interior Designer, Feng Shui Expert & author. www.artofplacement.com is continually ranked "Top 10" in Google and Yahoo. Clients testify of dramatic results!