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Module:2

Fundamentals of FengShuifor a Happy, Balanced

Life

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In this module, you will be introduced to what is called balance and really begin to learn how two forces

can impact each other to understand what impact this can have on the space. You will begin by learning

about clutter and how it is intimately related with chaos in your life. You will then learn more about chi,

the force that drives all life, and the importance of balance in space to ensure chi has space to move. In

section three, you will be introduced to the ancient Yin and Yang symbol and learn its significance in

FengShui as a guiding principle of balance. Section four covers objects and FengShui cures as well as a

brief overview of how to choose and place them. Finally, you will conclude with a brief note on finding

balance and how this principle must be at the forefront of your mind and intentions when practicing the

art of FengShui.

2.1 Clutter and Chaos

2.2 Chi and Balance

2.3 Yin, Yang and Tao

2.4 Object Placement

2.5 Finding Balance

2.1 Clutter and Chaos

Before diving into this module, perform the following exercise:

Close your eyes and imagine walking into a room that is filled with objects. Every surface is covered

with things. Some of them are useful while others could easily be thrown away. There are clothes

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hanging on the back of chairs, papers and dishes covering the table, books and magazines on the

sofa and shoes scattered across the floor.

Now, think about how you feel when entering that room. Do you feel cool, calm and collected or do

you feel stressed and overwhelmed? Think about how you feel and write it down. You’ll return to it at

the end of this section.

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There is a good chance that your feelings in a cluttered room are negative. That is completely normal.

In FengShui, clutter is associated with chaos. In fact, clutter can be one of the most important things

getting in the way of your life because it blocks the positive energy in the room that would otherwise be

the source of positive things in your life. Clutter represents decisions that are put off and your inability

to make a decision and move forward with your life.

In other words, if you want to use FengShui in the design of a room, the clutter has got to go.

Here are a few ways to keep a design or room free from unnecessary objects:

1.Think About What You Have and Why You Have It

Before you decide to add an object to a room, think about what the object is, what it represents to

you and why you need to keep it.

By doing this you will be able to better rationalize the décor and objects you keep in a room. It will

allow you to find the pieces that are full of negative energy before they even enter the room. It also

helps you prioritize only the positive things in your life.

2.Remove All Clutter from Greeting Spaces

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When you first enter the home or the room, you are in a place called the greeting space. This space

has the ability to set up your entire experience of a space and it is especially important to keep this

clutter free.

Yet, these are the spaces that become chaotic quickly. The first thing you do when you enter your

home is remove your outer layers, put down your belonging and kick off your shoes. If you’re not

careful, you’ll find that your greeting space is filled with things that are essential for your life but

create chaos in your space.

To combat this, explore ways of designing the room where you can easily organize your belongings

to prevent clutter. Additionally, find ways to keep the clutter in check by moving your dumping area

into another space that is away from your greeting space.

3.Keep the High Traffic Areas Clutter Free

There are three rooms in the home that feature high traffic: the bathroom, the family room and the

kitchen. It is essential for these places to be clear of clutter. Doing so can transform these spaces from

the source of stress into a wonderful spaces that promote growth, togetherness and productivity.

4.Keep Clutter Out of the Bedroom

The average human spends 30% of their life in their bedroom. In fact, you’ll spend more time at home

sleeping than you will on any other activity.

Because of this, you probably already know how a bedroom can play a key role in the quality of sleep

you achieve. Since clutter represents negative energy and negative energy is chaotic, you must keep

clutter out of the bedroom.

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Clearing clutter in the bedroom does not mean hiding everything you think you need to keep under

your bed. It means removing any visual clutter, like work related objects, televisions, computers,

storage items and exercise equipment. You should also clean out your closet, getting rid of

unnecessary things. For more details on what to get rid of and when, see steps five through seven.

5.Clear Out Anything that is Broken

Broken objects represent one of the worst types of clutter because it is negative energy related to

brokenness. Having too many items in disrepair in the home can result in the inhabitants of the space

feeling just like that broken object.

If something is broken, decide in the moment whether it is worth fixing. If it isn’t, dispose of it

appropriately and quickly. If it is, fix it now.

6.Get Rid of the Things You Don’t Like

Keeping things you do not like makes very little sense and is bad form in the practice of FengShui.

Whenever you look at something you don’t like, you harbor negative energy.

7.Remove Anything You Don’t Use

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Items that have positive energy are items that are used frequently. They are alive, useful and make

life easier. Things that just sit around are dead, and death represents negativity. Thus, it is important

that you get rid of anything that you have not used in the last year.

8.Perform a Deep Clean with Natural Cleaners

You will remember from the first introduction that FengShui is concerned with your health. This is

why FengShui specialists also recommend removing small clutter by doing a deep clean of the

space. Get rid of the harsh chemicals in your cleaner and opt for natural cleaners instead to help

keep your air quality healthy.

Once the clutter is removed, clean out drawers, wipe down appliances and clean all the important

surfaces in your home to remove micro-clutter like dust, dirt and other particles that can bring you

down.

Exercise

At the beginning of the module, you closed your eyes and pictured how you would feel walking into a

cluttered space. Since then, you’ve learned about all of the ways to de-clutter that space to improve the

flow of energy in the room and improve your life in general. But getting rid of all of that stuff may feel

daunting, especially when there are so many decisions to be made.

Do not worry. That is the clutter talking. To demonstrate how clutter can prevent you from trying to

improve your life, perform the same exercise now. This time think about how you feel walking into a

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room that has received the gift of FengShui. It is clean, balanced and both the energy and your body are

able to traverse through it.

How do you feel? Happy?Calm? Relaxed? Ready to take on the world? Whatever it is, it is likely a marked

difference from how you felt in the cluttered room. Keep this in mind whenever you are struggling to

make decisions about the objects in the space that need to stay to be certain that they don’t actually

need to go.

2.2 Chi and Balance

Chi is central to the practice of FengShui and to Taoism. As described in module one, chi is the force

behind all life. It is the invisible force that animates everything in the universe.

In order for you to have a successful and healthy life, it is imperative that your chi is free-flowing and

balanced. It must not be blocked or built up in certain areas while leaving other areas of your life

neglected. When this happens, chi becomes imbalanced and stagnant and can lead to spiritual and

physical diseases.

Chi does not just apply to humans but to every single thing in the universe. It applies to natural

landscapes just as much as it applies to the things that humans build. Just as chi needs to flow freely

through your life, it also needs to flow freely through your home. This is the call of the practitioner of

FengShui: to set up a man-made structure in such a way that the imbalance of chi is restored to a healthy

or natural balance by using various remedies.

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In FengShui, chi is manifested in the yin and yang (which will be discussed in section three). The yin

and yang demonstrate how the universe is balanced.

Chi also manifests itself in the five elements: earth, fire, metal, water and wood.

You can also find chi manifested in other important areas of FengShui like color, shape and intensity

because of their different associations with the elements.

Basically, each element is required for good FengShui because each element brings its own

qualities of chi into the space.

As you have learned, the goal of FengShui is to bring chi into your home and allow it to flow in a way that

supports balance. Including the different types of chi allows that balance to take place. Using all of the

elements maintains the quality of the chi you have around you, keeping it vibrant, fresh and always in

support of your goals.

Feeling Chi

Chi is an invisible force and thus, those who are not looking for it may not see it. Perceiving chi is a skill

and it is a central tenant of Taoism and FengShui. For some, the ability to feel or see chi comes naturally

while others have to work for it. However, because it is a skill, anyone who is willing can work on their

abilities and become someone who notices chi and thus has the ability to correct it when it is

imbalanced.

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To start a practice of the perception of chi, begin with your own body. Although the human body is a

solid form that can be seen, heard, touched and smelled, the body is actually made up of water. In reality,

your body is a fluid designed to fit in with the fluidity of the world, which also appears solid at first

glance. When you think of your body this way, it is easier to see how a person is made up as patterns of

energy and the flow of chi. This premise helps you understand and accept change and allows you to feel

the joy in adapting to nature and looking for energy patterns.

2.3 Yin, Yang, and Tao

The yin yang symbol is the most recognizable ancient Chinese symbol and is one of the oldest remnants

of ancient China as the earliest yin and yang symbol was found on a set of oracle bones used for

divination practices dated to the 14th century B.C.

The yin yang symbol is an important part of what is called the Tao. The Tao is the principle that

recognizes how the universe works. According to the Tao, everything in the universe is a duality or

divided into two opposite principles, i.e. yin and yang.

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The yin yang symbol is surrounded by an outline of a circle which represents everything in the universe

or the entirety of existence. The colored areas, white and black, represent yin and yang. The shapes in

the circle symbolize how the two energies in the duality interact and how that interaction is the catalyst

for every event in the universe. The curves and flowing nature of the shapes explain that the universe is

constantly changing and mediating back and forth between yin and yang.

Yin

The yin is the dark area of the symbol. It is the feminine side and includes qualities like:

Cold

Completion

Contradicting

Dark

Death

Downward

Moon

Night

Passive

Receptive

Weak

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Yang

The yang is represented by the white color in the symbol. It is masculine and is the symbol for qualities

like:

Activity

Bright

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Day

Dominance

Expanding

Forcefulness

Heat

Heaven

Strong

Sun

Yin and Yang as a Duality

Essentially, yin and yang are designed to explain the dualities inherent in the universe and how

these dualities interact with each other. They explain life and death, hot and cold, day and night, land

and ocean, power and submission and wealth and poverty.

Yin and Yang in FengShui

Yin and yang is important in FengShui because nature requires balanced energy in order to be

healthy. The space cannot have too much passive energy (yin) nor can it have too much active

energy (yang) if it is to be harmonious.

In FengShui, yin is characterized by soft sounds and imagines like the soft music or a small water

feature as well as soothing images. Yang is characterized by vibrant features like bright lights.

A general rule suggest that you should only design a place for one or two cures at any given time.

You want to do this because having too many cures can throw off your success and clutter your space.

Essentially, it is possible to have too much of a good thing in the realm of FengShui.

Choose the most important cure for the space first and then choose a second. However, avoid choosing a

second cure unless the first cure will also benefit from it.

To choose that cure, create a list of priorities for your life and for the space. Priorities can be listed

according to the bagua map and will include:

Abundance and Prosperity

Family and Elders

Skills and Knowledge

Fame and Reputation

Health Center

Career and Journey

Relationships and Love

Creativity and Children

Helpful People and Travel

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To determine which of these are the highest priority for the space, ask yourself some of the following

questions related to each square. The areas which feature the most “no” answers are the areas

which require the most work and should be high on your list of priorities for cures.

Abundance and Prosperity:

Would you consider yourself a fortunate person?

Do you spend your money well?

Would you consider yourself a lucky person?

Do the things you require tend to show up just when they are needed?

Are your finances in a good place?

Family and Elders

Do you have a strong relationship with your parents?

Do you have a strong relationship with another elder?

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Are you able to easily let go of things?

Do you respect authority figures?

Skills and Knowledge

Do you like spending time alone?

Do you enjoy learning new things?

Do you have a strong understanding of the sacred aspects of life?

Do you consider yourself to be intelligent and wise?

Do you have the skills required to follow your dreams?

Fame and Reputation

Is your level of self-esteem high?

Do you feel valued on a regular basis?

Do others recognize and respect your work?

Do you feel confident in your own abilities?

Are you courageous enough to follow your own path?

Health Center

Is your health in good form?

Do you heal from injuries and illness quickly?

Do you feel energetic in the morning?

Does your life feel balanced?

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Career and Journey

Are you passionate about your vocation?

Is your work fulfilling?

Do you enjoy trying new things?

Do you feel like anything is possible for you?

Do you think you have found purpose in life?

Relationships and Love

Do you have strong and fulfilling relationships?

Are you social?

Are you in a relationship that is happy?

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Are you able to trust those you are in relationships with?

Is the romance you are experiencing the one you desire?

Creativity and Children

Do you feel creative?

Is life exciting?

Are your relationships with children joyful?

Are you curious?

Will you be able to conceive children with few problems?

Helpful People and Travel

Are your close friends supportive?

Do you help or mentor others?

Are there visible and invisible angles in your life?

Do you travel as frequently as you desire?

Are you able to accept help from other people?

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Placing FengShui Cures

When you begin placing the cure, be sure to do so with intention. Don’t place the cure wherever

feels suitable. Even the act of putting the cure down should be meaningful by contemplating what

you want to achieve for the cure. Make sure you are also expressing gratitude for the cure before

it is happened by thanking it for healing that is to come.

You can find further guidance on placing cures in individual rooms in module three, four and five.

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2.5 Finding Balance

Balance is an essential part of life and when one part of your life is thrown off center the rest of it can

soon follow suit.

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Practitioners of FengShui aim to use this art to help create balanced spaces, which promote balanced

lives in turn. It is effective because the environment you live in is a mirror of your life. When the space is

disorganized and unbalanced, there is a good chance that your life does not look very different.

The goal of FengShui is to create a personalized plan for the placement of the objects in your home to

create personal balance for those who live within it. It is important to remember that the emphasis

on personalization is important because in order for it to work, FengShui must be perfectly adapted to

your mind and life and be focused on the restorative cures that mean the most to you. Although there

are guidelines and rules, there is no singular cure that will create a balance in every house.

Creating balance sounds complex, however, there are a few important basics that are important to

master before you begin the personalization process:

Light and Dark

Try to make sure your space has the appropriate amount of light in the darkness. You don’t want

areas that are so bright that they are detrimental to your eyes and focus but you also need to find a

happy medium with spaces that might otherwise be so dark that you feel tired or lazy.

Be sure that you can adjust the light throughout the day so that the light can be dimmed before bed

and promote healthy sleep.

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Light and Heavy

You need a combination of objects that are light and heavy. If everything in the room is heavy or dense, it

represents a heaviness in your life. But if everything is light, it suggests a flimsiness that can be

associated with being ungrounded. Finding a balance promotes a sense of stability but still encourages

motion.

Bring in Nature

The home is a place to take refuge from nature. However, tuning nature out entirely can result in

forgetting the beauty that is out there. A touch of nature by the way of a soundtrack or water feature can

allow you to achieve the look you desire without forgetting where your foundations are.