Feng Shui and Better Paths Part III
Qi - Quality and Movement - September 18, 2016
Form – Real Visible Effect, Concrete
→ Energy - Perception and Cognition - Flow effect
Even if we do not understand Feng Shui and Qi, we respond to the effects of the energy around us. For example, a 7-year-old child likes sleeping in a bunk, but after becoming an adult, he does not have the same enthusiasm about sleeping in a place where he may feel boxed in with another bed above him or the ceiling being so close. Another example is how a person's health changes when he works in a square office, in the basement, without windows, with a square table, a square cabinet, all beige in color and dull-yellow lighting compared to an office on the fourth floor with a window, an Oval table, a bookcase and some plants. From a Feng Shui point of view, these situations demonstrate the effects of Qi on people in an environment.
These effects are not always so obvious. This kind of energy is present everywhere and changes as it continuously cycles through transformations. Qi affects us as it moves around us; we internalize these sensations and then express that energy, in part, as an interaction with the environment.
Feng Shui, like other Chinese metaphysical arts, helps us understand Qi and how to use it to our advantage. However, to do this, we need to be more aware of our attitudes in different environments.
PERCEPTION AND COGNITION
Some people say they do not feel good when they walk into a certain place, or that a particular space is not a good place to study, relax, or work, i.e., the environment is just not right. At this point, we need to shift the focus from observing the forms around us to "reading" the flow of energy through our perception and cognition.
Perception – this is what we register at the periphery of our mind without really looking at something.
Cognition - this is when we recognize that we feel something because of what we perceive; that “something” moves from the periphery of our vision to the conscious part of what we are feeling.
An understanding of our feelings in different environments is like training to be present or in the moment. This is difficult to do nowadays in a world that looks for simple, quick answers. So, it does not take long for a list of good and bad Feng Shui to turn up and soon this list becomes new rules that get passed forward without any explanation.
An example of a list of bad Feng Shui may include such rules like:
Do not live at the top of a "T" or "Y" intersection
Do not live in a house on a dead end street
Do not live in a house surrounded by tall buildings
An electric pole near the house is bad
There should be no stairs to the second floor at the entrance of the house
You should not live in an "L" or "U"-shaped house
Do not sleep under a window in the room
There are many lists, and with time, there will be more as environments, cultures and the world change. However, all these lists can be simplified because they are rooted in the understanding of Qi.
For example, let us take a look at the infamous and problematic "poison arrow", sometimes called "hidden arrow," to understand Qi, flow, perception and cognition. A poison arrow is a formation of a corner, either inside a house or outside. The energy of a poison arrow is the combination of Sha Qi (excess energy) and Cheng Qi (movement) toward a focal point.
Pressure and flow from external arrows affect a neighboring building or house, which, in turn, may affect the environment inside that second building and therefore indirectly affect those people inside. If the arrow is within a structure, the energy affects us directly.
One more thing: it is not just a poison arrow that needs to be analyzed or understood, the TYPE OF THREAT it may cause needs to be studied. For example, the arrow may block a person’s energy and lead to a lack of concentration, or it may cause a person to feel insecure, or the energy may feel unbalanced that could lead to disagreements or maybe affect the health of someone.
In some situations, there are ways to correct these problems: we can change rooms, put up a partition or block the internal arrow with a plant. External arrows are a bit more difficult but we can plant trees or shrubs, build a wall or install a swimming pool to improve Qi.
In all of this, we must remember that Feng Shui is to make us more aware of our surroundings. So, it is far more advantageous to learn how Feng Shui works instead of memorizing long lists of rules. In this way, we become more aware of the energies around us and how to use them. It is this attitude of being truly present in any environment and with those around us that gives us Feng Shui, and more importantly teaches us more about ourselves.
