by Gail Kavanagh

Created on: December 02, 2008

There is more to the Art of Feng Shui than lighting incense - in short, it is more than just smoke and mirrors. A Chine tradition dating back 5000 years, Feng Shui is about living in harmony with your surroundings and allowing the good energy - the Chi - to freely circulate through your home and your lifestyle.

The Chinese believe very strongly in Chi, the good energy, so much so that it is incorporated into modern public buildings, like a hotel in Hong Kong that has an opening in the architecture to allow good Chi to flow through.

Feng Shui literally means Wind and Water and it is these elements that allow the easy flow of Chi. Making sure nothing blocks this flow is second nature in Asia, but in the west we seem bent on blocking it. Our houses and gardens are not designed to encourage good Chi, so we use Feng Shui to `cure' the problems and restore harmony.

Look at any suburb and you will see these problems immediately. Houses that are built at the ends of roads or junctions leave the occupiers open to `deadly arrows' of bad Chi coming straight at the house.

L-shaped houses often leave out whole areas without protection for the residents - the gap may fall in your wealth, family or career areas, with a corresponding lack of growth there. Flushing lavatories, showers and bathrooms inside the house are said to `wash away' your finances, and as well, the western lifestyle encourages a lot of clutter. All of this confounds our efforts to harmonize with our homes.

Often there is nothing we can do if the house we want to buy and can afford breaks all the rules, but if you are building a house you might consider having an expert in Feng Shui check your house plans. If you are already in a difficult home, don't despair - there are many ways you can use the art of Feng Shui to fix the problems. You don't have to move!

It's easy to estimate where the important areas of your house need fixing up.Stand at the main entrance, whether that is at the front or back, and look into the house. Look to the far left hand corner, and that is your money area. Fixes will be needed if you have a bathroom there! Next to this, in the center at the far back, is your Fame area. Clutter or disorder here will muddle your ambitions. To the far right, is your area of love and relationships. You will want to keep that in harmony.

Now consider the center of your home. Far left center is the family area, while far right center is creativity - a good place for a kitchen or home office, if you can situate

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