Ch’i (pronounced Chee) is the vital, living energy that is in all of us. It is invisible but always present. It is what makes us feel alive and vibrant and energized. Blocked or low Ch’i can result in decline or illness. Feng Shui is all about Ch’i.
In the West it is uncommon to be introduced to the concept of Ch’i as part our general upbringing but we can understand that humans, animals and plants are alive and possess Ch’i. Feng Shui asks us to expand our vision to understand that inanimate objects such as a table, automobile or rock have Ch’i as well. I can literally feel the Ch’i that is produced by the gorgeous red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, pictured in the photograph to the left.
You may have a favorite place where you feel particularly centered and at peace. Its Ch’i resonates with your energy and feeds you. This is the feeling we want to create everywhere in your home. Good Feng Shui helps to achieve that.
During a consultation, I often use the word “energy” interchangeably with “Ch’i” when talking about a Client’s space. This helps them to start perceiving that everything around them is expressing an energy, or Ch’i, that they can then sense and interpret.
Chinese metaphysics explains that Ch’i is the foundation of our Universe – that everything manifests from Ch’i and, therefore, possesses Ch’i. This ancient teaching is now reinforced by Quantum Physics which has proven that empty space in an atom is no longer empty. Everything is vibrating with energy, or Ch’i. Everything is alive with energy.
When you see everything as alive it becomes most important to live with what you love. How do you react when you encounter that ratty towel or broken door knob? Does your energy go up or does it go down? A negative reaction is informing you that you are depleting your Ch’i rather than raising it. My goal with Clients (and now for you as well) is to educate and support them to only have things they love in their surroundings and thus continuously create vibrant, auspicious Ch’i for themselves. Learning to identify the various characteristics of Ch’i in your environment and focusing on improving the quality of this energy around you can have a powerful positive influence on your life. I invite you to try the exercises below to help you identify the best Ch’i for you.
Have fun!
Carol
Your Feng Shui for Today
- Select one area of your home that you love. Keep the area small. A cupboard, tabletop, shelf, drawer or mantle would be a great choice.
- Assess each individual item in the space. Does the energy, or Ch’i, of the item make you feel good? Do you love it?
- Select one area of your home that you don’t particularly like. Again, keep the area small.
- Is there something about the space overall that disagrees with you?
- Assess each individual item. Does the energy, or Ch’i, of the different items generally feel different than the first area where you loved the items?
- As you consider the individual items, you can go ahead and put those you don’t love in a box if you’d like. Can you donate or sell them? I provide more guidance on next steps in my free e-book Feng Shui Clutter Clearing Tips.
- Now rearrange the remaining items in a way you love. How does the space make you feel now?
- What are your takeaways? I’d love to hear your insights.Great job doing Feng Shui!!!!
