INSIDE: To help you understand the feng shui basics, we have outlined the aspects most important to feng shui for beginners, including energy, the 5 elements, the Bagua map, and the commanding position.

 

Feng shui can seem overwhelming, but when you break it into its basic components and look at it in terms of feng shui for beginners, it becomes clear. 

With this simple guide to feng shui basics, you'll understand where this practice stems from and how to use it for more happiness, love, luck, and abundance.

What is Feng Shui?

Feng shui is a Chinese practice that helps us harmonize our energy with our environment. By altering the placement of objects, the feng shui colors, and the implementation of the 5 elements, we can transform the energy in our home or any space to bring about greater well-being in all aspects of life.

Unraveling the Feng Shui Basics

There are four important feng shui basics that we're going to discuss in this article:

• Energy (called Qi or Chi)
• The 5 Elements
• The Bagua Map
• Commanding Position 

Understanding Energy (Qi or Chi)

Qi or Chi are just additional terms for energy, and that's the first thing to learn when it comes to feng shui basics.

The goal of feng shui is to make sure people allow Qi to flow gently through a space without force or blockages. Any alteration to that will lead to adverse effects on the surroundings, which ties in with the energy running through the body.

By improving the energy in our environment, we experience more joy, abundance, and prosperity in our lives.

Energy does not begin and end anywhere; it is one and it connects everything. That is why understanding the basics of feng shui can have such a huge impact in our lives.

The 5 Elements

Feng shui originates from Tao history, but it focuses more on nature and human interactions with nature. It tries to understand how, by working together, the two create balance.

The 5 elements are the basis of the feng shui rules and by understanding them, we can integrate them into our environment so that they work for us instead of against us.

Each element has its own set of qualities, shapes, and colors. Below is the representation of each element in based on those aspects.

Earth

Color: Yellow, Orange, Brown

Shape: Square

The earth element is linked to self-care, boundaries, and nourishment. To add the earth element to your home, decorate it with the colors and the shape above. It can be a yellow rug with a square shape or a rectangular brown desk, for example.

Water

Color: Black, Dark Blue

Shape: Wavy

Water represents the deep wisdom and connections we share with others and the world at large. To add the water element to your house, bring in those colors and that shape. For example, you might add a water fountain in your office.

Metal

Color: White, Grey, Metallic

Shape: Circular

Metal represents joy, beauty, and precision. An example of how to add the metal element to your home would be to add products such as metallic, round planters.

Wood

Color: Green, Blue, Teal

Shape: Tall, Columnar

Wood is the element that represents growth, healing, and vitality. You can use the wood element in your home by adding green houseplants or wooden decorations.

Fire

Color: Red, Bright Orange

Shape: Triangle

Fire stands for passion, inspiration, and visibility, which is the reason why they say fire burns in people's souls. You can add the fire element into your home by bringing in bright lights, candles, or triangular objects.

The Bagua Map

The Bagua map is one of the most important feng shui basics to know because it helps us analyze the energy in a space. With it, you can easily know which element you need to use in which areas of the home to enhance the flow of energy.

Bagua maps have nine quadrants, and each one has an element and a color to it. Each quadrant has its own attributes and will help in your office or home interior decoration.

The nine quadrants are:

Wealth & Prosperity

This Wealth & Prosperity area is associated with the wood element, making it the perfect place to include items that are linked with abundance. The items should also remind you to be grateful for all the things you have.

Avoid items such as trash cans and bills in this area. Instead, decorate it with valuable items, artworks, and live plants.

Fame & Reputation

This area is associated with the fire element and should highlight your personality and what you want to be.

Decorate it with awards and avoid heavy objects and the elements representing the opposite element of water.

Love & Relationships

This area is associated with the earth element. It shows your sensual side and should invite in love and romance.

It is best to avoid sharp and broken objects in this area. Instead, decorate it with candles and photos of you and your partner.

Family & Health

This area has the wood element and should reflect three things: the happiness, transformation, and growth brought about by your family.

You can decorate this area with family heirlooms and floral paintings while avoiding metal items.

Center & Self

This area is the central area of the home, and it is associated with the earth element. The center of the Bagua map is the one area that the other areas rely on.

You should make sure this area is clean. Try to avoid items such as wood, greens, and clutter in your decoration.

Children & Creativity

This area has the metal element and it awakens the inner child within us and helps us build a meaningful relationship with our children.

You can decorate this area with books and meditation items. Because it relates to children, avoid items such as alcohol, guns, etc.

Knowledge & Wisdom

This area is associated with the earth element. It will try to improve your sense of reasoning, knowledge, and decision making.

You should decorate it with books and pictures, and avoid items that can impact its qualities, such as alcohol.

Career & Life Journey

This area comes with the water element. It will support you in terms of your career and life journey.

Make it as transparent as possible by decorating with mirrors and crystals. You should avoid items such as piles of paper.

Helpful People & Travel

This area has the metal element associated with it, and it recognizes the value and support of other people. Decorate with round objects in white and black colors.

To get a better hang of these important feng shui basics, we will not use the traditional Bagua map.

This is because it can be a little over the top to analyze due to its need for compass direction. We will be using the western interpretation, which makes use of grids instead of a compass.

Using Bagua Maps

Getting the hang of the basics of feng shui should reflect well in interior decoration.

To use the Bagua map in your decoration, place it on the floorplan of your home. Let your doorway face the south and align with the bottom three squares using the discussed quadrants above. 

Commanding Position

The commanding position is another one of the feng shui basics, as it is fundamental in interior decoration.

Commanding position, also called the power position, says much about how we position certain items such as beds, desks, and stoves. Below are three key things to consider when it comes to commanding positions.

You Must Be Able to See the Door

This is important because it is hard for us to relax when our back is to the door. There is this vulnerability to surprise, which puts us in a "ready-for-anything" mode. This affects us neurologically because it causes a release of the stress hormone, cortisol. When that hormone is active, our body cannot repair itself during sleep.

Your Bed or Desk Should Not Directly Face the Door

There is no straight line in nature, which is why in feng shui basics, energy is harmful to the body if you allow it to go in a straight line. If you have your bed or desk directly facing the door, it can lead to distractions. Therefore, make sure the bed, desk, and stove are diagonal to the door.  

Your Headrest or Desk Should Have Your Back to The Wall

In feng shui, the wall represents support and security. Therefore, you must utilize it during the arrangement of your bed and desk.

Final Thoughts About the Basics of Feng Shui

With these feng shui basics, you can easily make some shifts in your home to help the energy flow with more ease. When you do so, you are likely to notice an internal shift in your own energy flow as well.