Essential Feng Shui Tips: Everything is Connected by Ch’i

Everything is Connected by Ch’i

Feng Shui Definitions

The second basic principle of Feng Shui is that everything is connected by Ch’i: Every person, place, and thing. Although our connections are usually strongest with the people, places, and things that are close by, we are essentially in relationship with everyone and everything on Earth.

Conflicting relationships can diminish or damage the quality of Ch’i in our lives. When we recognize that we cannot isolate ourselves, we see the importance of resolving our conflicts and cultivating good relationships. Because everything is connected, resolving relationship problems greatly improves the overall quality of our lives.

We are also intimately connected to every single “thing” that surrounds us. And, in our culture, most of us have thousands of things! So in the spirit of a good relationship, it’s crucial to simplify, organize, and properly house our possessions—including the ones in garages, basements, attics, and closets. As Victoria Moran says in her book Shelter for the Spirit: “If you organize before you simplify, things will be disorganized again in no time. This is not because you are a hopeless slob without a prayer of redemption. It is because excess cannot be organized.  If it could, it wouldn’t be excess.”

This doesn’t mean that you suddenly have to live a deprived existence, because material well-being tends to increase in the presence of order. Simply let go of anything you don’t have a great relationship with, remembering that external order and harmony creates internal harmony and clarity.

In the same way, the many aspects of our lives are interconnected. We cannot separate our health from our finances, our finances from our creativity, or our creativity from our relationships. Every piece of our life is connected to all the other pieces. Change or remove one piece and the whole picture is altered. For instance, your job will take a toll on your physical vitality and general outlook on life if it’s stressful. On the other hand, if you love your work, you’ll find that your relationships, health, creativity, and passion for life are all strengthened as a result.