History of Feng Shui

Feng Shui, meaning “Wind and Water,” has been practiced for over 3,000 years in China. Students spent many years cultivating their Ch’i and acquiring the observation skills and inner wisdom necessary to practice Feng Shui. As practitioners, their work involved locating building sites imbued with the Ch’i, or vital energy, that would protect and nurture people and their activities. To find such auspicious locations, they walked the land, tasted the soil, looked for the telltale patterns made by wind and water, and watched for omens. Every physical feature and condition helped them decipher the Ch’i. Good omens, such as healthy plants, fertile soil, clear meandering streams, game animals, and songbirds, were signs that the Ch’i was friendly.

Feng Shui practitioners favored locations that were placed between the “foot and back of the dragon,” or above a source of water such as a lake or stream, and below the tops of hills or mountains. These “belly of the dragon” areas were nestled between the extremes of wind and water, where the Ch’i embraced inhabitants and supported them in living safe, prosperous, and happy lives.

Feng Shui practitioners also guided the building process to assure that the Ch’i was not disturbed. This was taken very seriously. Buildings were the jewels meticulously placed in their ideal settings upon the land. Rocks and trees used for building were blessed and carefully placed so that their Ch’i remained strong. When the building was complete, the practitioner blessed the house to nurture and protect the family’s prosperity, longevity, and happiness.

The Feng Shui philosophy is timeless, as relevant in our Western world today as it was thousands of years ago in China. In our more material, less natural Western culture, we deal with the same essential issues that the ancient Chinese did: health, prosperity, and happiness. It is this eternal pursuit that Feng Shui is devoted to.