In Chinese characters, Feng means wind and Shui means water
It is the art and science of calming the wind and acquiring the water in order to manipulate the energy or Qi we are receiving in our living space. Feng Shui is about understanding the way humans interact with the environment. In its application , it is a study of feature and placement, which objective is to harmonize a person with the surrounding he or she lives in.
What is Qi? 
QI is energy. It is responsible for all phenomenas in the universe, good and bad. Qi is the energy that brings us to life, responsible for our body to grow and function. Qi is also the very energy that causes natural calamities such as earthquakes and tsunami. Feng Shui study is about identifying what kind of energy a given place has; whether it has ‘Sheng Qi’ — life giving energy, or ‘Sha Qi’ –unusable and destructive energy.
According to the Chinese metaphysics study, there are three different kinds of energy prevailing in the universe: heaven Qi, earth Qi and human Qi. These three are called the Three Treasures which when in harmony, is the key to achieve the best out of one’s life.
Heaven Qi : Time
The first type of energy is what we call ‘Heaven Qi’; which refers to the forces influenced by the solar system such as weather, climates and seasons. How do we harmonize ourselves with this kind of energy? Simple. We use weather forecast to plan our activities. When we are travelling to new places, we will check the climate of that place according to the timing, then bring appropriate clothes. Adapting ourselves with this natural energy will simply make our life easier.
So, being in harmony with ‘Heaven Qi’ is about choosing the right time to do things. Just like the seasons, energy has its own timing. Similar to the weather forecast system, Chinese metaphysics study can predict different energy prevailing in different year, month, day and even down to every two hours. This is the basis of Date Selection method used when choosing the right timing to do important activities, such as getting married, moving house, opening new business or signing contracts. Timing is such an important factor; just like it is important to see what is your boss’ mood before asking for a payrise!
Earth Qi : the Environment
The second type of energy is that which emanates out of the earth, called Earth Qi. This energy is what we observe in Feng Shui study as a result of the earth’s feature and topography; both natural and manmade. Geomagnetic fields and volcanic activities are some examples of Earth Qi. There are places on earth that just emanates bad energy, such as those spots in your garden or house where the plants always die no matter how much you take care of them!
Feng Shui study examines the quality of the Earth Qi based on two methods: looking at the visible feature or landform, and mapping the invisible energy flow based on the orientation. A lot of books on ‘Do-It-Yourself Feng Shui’ will tell you about the tangible aspect to judge the quality of energy, such as looking at the vegetations, the shapes of buildings around you, the shapes of your neighbour’s rooftop, is there any electricity pole in front of your door, etc. A lot of these are common sense, thus are important factors to consider. The second layer of analysis is that which requires depth of understanding and experiences, as we are mapping the invisible prevailing energy forces. Both need to be considered to achieve thorough Feng Shui analysis.
Human Qi : Our energy
The third type of Qi is the energy inside our body, Human Qi. Each of us is like little powerhouse, we live our day to day life using the energy we have and recharge ourselves by eating and resting every now and then. Chinese metaphysics study have a way to map what kind of energy we have in our body using a system called Four Pillars of Destiny.
Imagine yourself like a mobile phone. Knowing what type of energy you have is like knowing what mobile phone brand you are. The earth Qi of where you are sleeping, sitting and working is like your charger, as the energy it exerts will interact with your own energy. What kind of charger are you sitting on? Is it emanating good or bad energy? Does your charger exert energy that is compatible to you, or are you a Nokia mobile phone sitting on a Motorola charger? In proper Feng Shui analysis, not only it is important to know the energy quality of your environment; it is equally important to know whether this energy will match with you as the occupant or not. This is what makes the difference between a good house and a great house.
Feng Shui is about harmonizing all three different energy: Heaven, Earth and Human at the same time.
It is all about doing the right thing at the right time and at the right place. If we can apply this principle in our day to day life, imagine how much our quality of life will improve!
