Inviting qi to settle

THE premise of the science of feng shui space design is to be able to harness what is known as life force or qi into a place of dwelling or work, so that it can empower the occupants with positive energy.
Feng shui has been used for thousands of years to adjust the environment by either adding or subtracting items from it to create a more smooth and harmonious energy flow.
It also uses the basics of Oriental ­medicine, colours and the five elements theory of Earth, Fire, Metal, Water and Wood to adjust the energy flow, not just at home and the workplace, but also through the human body as well.
The process of controlling the ­movement of qi was conceived during the time of the emperors in China. When qi moves too quickly, it invites natural disasters like ­precipitous slopes that threaten avalanches in the winter or raging rivers that ­overflow their banks in spring.
One of the greatest achievements of the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang (or Shi Huangdi), was the building of the Yellow or Yangtze River flood control system.
Equal in effort to the Great Wall of China, which he completed in the north, this system consisted of a series of dams, locks and diversions of the river’s course, segments of which are still in use today.
Today with scientific advancements, these practices could sound like a ­Chinese folktale and ritual, yet this could be described in the objective terminology of science.
The veins of the dragon are nothing but what the physicists call potential energy grid – energy contained within the body which is not in motion, like water held in a dam.
In modern-day town planning and ­layouts, it would be a little too difficult to locate sites which would meet the ­traditional concepts but one needs to look out for the surroundings and buildings which do contribute to the quality of good qi.
The main areas of the building one would generally look for when adapting traditional feng shui are the afflictions from outside the building, the building’s orientation and alignment of its main doors and windows, the kitchen stove/hobs, the bedrooms and, of course, the main culprit, which is the toilet.
Do ensure that the main door is free of ­afflictions like electric poles, trees and ­towers. If they are more than 50 feet (15.2 metres) away, then it is not considered so much of an ­affliction, ­otherwise you may need to shield the door either by growing plants or creepers.
The entrance should also be given importance with regard to what is revealed when the front door opens into the house.
The front door needs to be strong and should also be the biggest door in the house when compared to other doors.
Aligning windows or doors in a straight line with the main door is ­considered bad feng shui as the energy coming in goes right through, and away directly.
Feng shui emphasises on the point that qi should be allowed to settle down in a building and spread slowly and not be “rushed out”.
S.BS.Surendran is an accredited master feng shui consultant, bioenergetician and traditional vaastu practitioner. Readers can write to him at lifestyle.fengshui@thesundaily.com.