Bagua Map

Introduction to Feng Shui

Feng shui (pronounced “fung shway”), a Chinese term meaning “Wind and Water” originated in China more than 3,000 years ago. The ancient practice of Feng Shui is concerned with picking the most favorable location for building homes and other structures, as well as how to blend harmoniously with the surrounding physical environment. By placing one’s home or business with the natural flow of energy, it helps to promote health, love, happiness and success for the home’s or business’ owners.

Today, we don’t have the luxury of choosing the most auspicious site for our home or business. We usually take what is available or what we can afford. Therefore we must look to more contemporary applications of Feng Shui to create harmony around the existing dwellings in which we work and reside.

The Bagua Map

The Bagua (pronounced “bah-gwah”) is a map which is divided into nine equal sections called “guas”. Each gua correlates to a particular part of you life, such as wealth and prosperity, fame, love and relationship, family, health, children & creativity, self knowledge & spirituality, career, helpful people and travel. In addition to specific areas, it has colors, elements, compass directions, and areas of the body associated with each gua.

To use the Bagua Map, you will overlay it over any lot, building, house, apartment, room, or piece of furniture. You will align the bottom edge of the map with the wall through which you enter the structure. This means that you will always enter a room or building through Self Knowledge & Spirituality, Career or Helpful People and Travel depending on where the door is located. If the building is irregularly shaped, you will have a part of all of a gua missing and this will become evident when you overlay the map. You will need a Feng Shui cure (more on that in a future post) to correct these missing areas.

When chi enters the office (or home/room), it goes to the center of the dwelling and then disperses out to the nine guas from there. The flow of chi is directed and shaped by the space itself (is it rectangular or square? does it have long hall ways?) as well as by all the objects in its path. Because this causes certain energy patterns to develop you may want to re-think any clutter you have both in your office as well as your home and body. You can’t be well organized at work and have a cluttered house and expect it not to affect you.

These energy patterns attract the chi of our bodies to that of the world, drawing to us life situations (people, opportunities, relationships, etc.) like a magnet. The energy of our life experiences is then transferred back into the world. Therefore, it is possible to influence the energetic flow you experience by making simple alterations to things in the environment and coming into balance with the natural flow of life all through the use of the Bagua Map.

To begin to create a more harmonious environment, you will need to look at the areas of your life and what gua is associated with it. Ask yourself, if that area of your life is working or does it need a little help. Pick one to three areas that you would like to enhance. Next, look for things which may be adversely affecting these areas. Clear out any congestion. In the same way that congestion within the body creates a myriad of problems (both health as well as in a relationship), the obstruction of energy flow in the office (or home) can create similar problems. One of the biggest culprits of energetic congestion is clutter. Clutter prevent chi from moving freely. Get rid of it. You’ll immediately feel the difference.

After you have cleared the clutter, you will want to gain clarity of what you want in each of the areas you want to enhance. Our offices (and homes) are a reflection of us. Is the space an accurate reflection? What do you want the space to do for you? When we have focused intentions, we gain some power over the forces that shape our lives.

Feng shui is a powerful system for working to restore proper energetic alignment in all aspects of our lives and create the life we desire. In future posts, I will be writing about what to do with missing corners and specific things you can do to enhance different areas of your life. Until then, gain clarity of your purpose and clear the clutter.