Understanding Chi Energy

Chi is the Life force that is present throughout the natural world. It is best described by the literal translation of Feng Shui, Wind and Water, elements that are difficult to see and are difficult to grasp.

The real essence of Feng Shui is to (a) harness the good chi and (b) deflect away any negative chi.

Your home can be seen as a microcosm of the human body itself. It is through your mouth that you breathe, drink and feed yourself. From a Feng Shui perspective it is the front door and what lies either side of it that is vital for bringing in good chi and deflecting away any negative chi.

Begin by looking outside the front of your property and notice the Path that the chi will travel from the main road or the pavement towards your front door. This path acts like a moving river bringing chi to your front door. The best advice is to keep this route uncluttered, remove any debris, keep all dustbins and bicycles away from this path and try to have plants, planters or hanging baskets of seasonal plants that uplift and enhance the chi as it is directed towards your front door.

As the chi crosses the threshold into your space, make sure that the hallway, the doorway or the corridor outside your flat, is left clean and tidy and uncluttered to allow the chi to enter. Bright lighting, uplifting imagery and fresh flowers all greet the chi in a positive fashion.

Since Chi tends to imitate the nature of both wind and water, it will always find a natural route and one that finds the least resistance. Like wind or water, it can also stagnate and eddy where it cannot circulate well. One of the most common problems in Victorian terraced houses in the UK is having a back door opposite the front door of the property. Chi, and indeed wind, can enter through the front door and rush through the house through the back door. It is vital that in your home that you invite the Chi in, but also encourage it to stay!

If you have this situation, the best solution is to slow down the Chi as it tries to exit through the back door. Stand in your front door facing the visible back door and notice with your eye the view that you get of the back door. Hang a five-tube hollow metal wind chime on the inside of the door ¬ either from the ceiling or from the doorframe above. The wind chimes will act as a mild windbreak, slowing down the Chi and preventing it from rushing out of the back door.

Harnessing Beneficial Chi

Before working on the more subtle levels of Feng Shui within your home, I encourage you to have a good objective look at your space and notice where there are accumulations of dead Chi. These really show up as accumulations of old possessions and clutter. I encourage you to have a good spring clean before you progress any further. Be ruthless in terms of getting rid of what you really do not need any more! A good definition of clutter is: possessions you no longer use, possessions you no longer love, and items that are broken and useless.

Since Chi energy is so like water, it has a tendency to stagnate in the corners, rather like in small creeks or inlets in a large body of water. Get into all the corners and the cupboards and clear the cobwebs, the dust and the clutter.

Once you have done this, you can begin to benefit from a more active flow of Chi in your home. The following points are vital in terms of allowing either the chi to circulate or for you to benefit from it.

- Clean the windows.

All Chi ultimately emanates from the sun. Make sure your windows are clean and bright to allow sparkling new chi into your home.

- Facing the door.

On a subconscious level all of us feel comfortable in any room when we can see the door clearly from where we are positioned. Deep down in our psyche is a desire for security while we rest and this dates back to when we were cave dwellers. Our ancestors would never have slept in the mouth of the cave! Position your bed so that you have a good view of the door from where you sleep. Make sure that your bed is not in line with the door and the window as a draught of Chi between the two passing over you while you sleep will drain you and leave you feeling tired.

Avoid sleeping up against a window or below a skylight. Tempting though the view may be, these positions will simply drain your Chi while you sleep.

Avoid placing your workstation or desk up against a wall with your back to the door, as you need to see Ahead in life and need to know what is going on behind you.

From your favorite chair in the kitchen, the dining room or the lounge, make sure that you can see the door comfortably from where you sit.

- Doors.

Since the doorway acts as the Mouth to allow Chi to enter any room, check how it is hinged relative to the adjacent walls.

For active spaces, such as: the hallway, the dining room, the lounge, the kitchen, you need the door to open into the space. In other words, as you open the door, you get a full view of what is ahead of you. Sometimes the opposite is true and the door simply opens onto an adjacent wall giving you a limited view and not allowing the Chi to enter fully. In this situation it is best to re-hang the door.

However, for bathrooms and bedrooms we need privacy and slower Chi. Ideally the doors do not open fully into the space allowing the chi to enter slowly and quietly, while at the same time giving you privacy.