“If there is light in the soul, there is beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, there is harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, there is order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace on Earth.” – Old Chinese Proverb

Feng Shui has been a topic of my life for over a decade. But what I found extremely overwhelming was the array of Feng Shui schools and approaches out there. Just as there are different types of Yoga practices, there are different approaches to Feng Shui. To help minimize confusion, here are 3 Truths about the Schools of Feng Shui:

1. They share the same basic goal

In my intro to Feng Shui, I mentioned that the practice of Feng Shui can be very confusing due to the loads of information out there. At the end of the day, all the different schools and approaches have the same end goal – that is to positively boost the energy of your home or office environment. That is it!

2. They use different principles to evaluate spaces

Each Feng Shui school considers different but practical approaches in evaluating spaces:

• Form School – This is the oldest form of Feng Shui that dates back to 2800 B.C. and has an animal associated with each compass direction –  and the energy of an environment is evaluated via its shapes and symbols. North, South, East, and West are represented by a Black Turtle, Red Phoenix, Green Dragon, and White Tiger, respectively. For example, a home with a mountain in the back symbolizes and creates great financial support for its occupants.
• Compass School – Another classical approach to Feng Shui that has existed for thousands of years is the Compass School, which utilizes a special feng shui map called a “Bagua” to evaluate spaces. The idea is to calculate an individual’s lucky and unlucky directions based on the year they were born and their gender. The Bagua has 8 compass directions including: East, Southeast, North, South, West, Northwest, Southwest, and Northeast, which each have a life aspiration associated with (e.g. Southwest is associated with relationships). In addition, each direction has an element, color, and shape associated with it, which can be used to balance or boost the energy of a location. For example, the South compass direction is associated with the fire element, color red, and the triangle shape.
• Flying Star School – This is considered the most advanced school of Feng Shui – time is factored into the energy or “chi” assessment of a given space. If you want to learn more about this advanced practice of Feng Shui, check out Lillian Too’s book Flying Star Feng Shui Made Easy.
• Black Sect School or BTB – Introduced in the 1980s, this modern school of Feng Shui factors takes a more spiritual approach at implementing Feng Shui and considers aspects such as sociology, psychology, etc. Unlike the Compass School, the BTB school utilizes the position of an entrance of a space, instead of a physical compass, to assess the Feng Shui of a location. If you want to learn more about the BTB school, check out Feng Shui for Dummies.

3. You can use approaches from one or multiple schools

I have found it easiest to tackle Feng Shui in small bits to avoid being overwhelmed by all it has to offer. Each school has it benefits, but I have found that the Form and Compass school to create great results for me – as it has for many others since they have been around for thousands of years!

There you have it: 3 Truths about the Schools of Feng Shui. Each school has its practical applications and focuses. You can try different schools as long as you pick a consistent method. The most important thing is to keep a positive and open mind. You are now in the drivers seat to change your life!

“You can’t make positive choices for the rest of your life without an environment that makes those choices easy, natural, and enjoyable.” – Deepak Chopra

When my mom first introduced me to Feng Shui 15 years ago, I was quite opposed it – Really for no reason other than I was ignorant. And the name and pronunciation itself, “fung shwey”, just sounded too silly for a college teenager like me to take seriously. But during desperate times, I turned to Feng Shui to help me navigate through tough economic conditions, from graduating #1 in my Finance class and finding a solid job during the dot com bust, to marrying my high school sweetheart – to successfully purchasing 2 homes in my 20s!

Feeling uneasy, tired, and stressed? I have definitely been there! What I learned was I needed to evaluate my environment and surroundings, as it was impacting my relationships, health, career, and financial situation. Luckily, one’s life can be improved through the practice of Feng Shui. Here are a few basic Feng Shui facts that I would like to share with you:

1. It is not a religion, superstition, or belief

One major misconception I had when I first heard about Feng Shui is that it was a religion or faith. I even thought it was a superstition. It is not! Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese methodology of arranging objects with an environment or space, such as an office, a bedroom, or a backyard, to positively boost and balance the energy flow and thereby benefit its occupants. The placement of one’s desk at work, for example, can impact one’s career progression – Or the wrong placement of one’s bed can impact one’s relationship luck. Feng Shui also considers the structure, materials, floorplan, garden and landscapes, as part of one’s environment. Feng Shui does not contradict any religion or beliefs, so don’t be afraid to learn and benefit from it!

2. It is not a fad

Existing for over 3000 years, Feng Shui has gained tremendous global popularity as many people have discovered it benefits such as increased success, improved health, relationship luck, and much more! I had stereotyped Feng Shui as only being practiced by folks like my grandparents, but boy was I totally wrong! Feng Shui has become very mainstream and many famous entrepreneurs, celebrities, and institutions currently use Feng Shui practices, such as:

• Bill Gates
• Bill Clinton
• Citibank
• Coca Cola
• Disney
• Oprah Winfrey
• Steven Spielberg
• United Nations
• Virgin Airlines
• The White House

3. Feng Shui means “wind and water”

The words Feng Shui literally translate into “wind and water”, which symbolizes energy. Feng Shui is about actively influencing our environments as the “chi” or energy in our spaces can positively or negatively impact our well-being. Combined with other healthy habits, such as positivity, mindfulness, exercise, balanced diet, and meditation, one can greatly improve his or her life – from building successful careers, to finding love and improving one’s health and creativity.

4. Feng Shui can be affordable

Anyone can learn the principles of Feng Shui and it doesn’t require a lot of money to be spent. As a matter of fact, some basic and practical tips, such as don’t have a pile of clutter on your work desk, or remove any dead plants from your home or office, don’t even require any money to be spent! While some folks may want to have a professional practitioner assist with major renovations, most Feng Shui concepts and cures (another fancy word for remedies or solutions) can be implemented yourself.

5. Feng Shui can be a fun and easy

Who doesn’t love painting their rooms in an array of colors? Or decorating their living space with beautiful plants? When practicing Feng Shui, one may feel “doom and gloom” when inundated with a bunch of “do nots” or “be careful” remarks. I personally found it difficult to get my head wrapped around the overwhelming amount of information out there about Feng Shui, that it actually made me stressed out. It doesn’t have to be this way and I would like to change this for others. What I learned is to just have fun with Feng Shui and practice it like I do with any other hobbies, a piece at a time. Remember you have more control over your circumstances and your environment by understanding the concepts of Feng Shui. The important thing is to be patient. Feng Shui won’t change your life overnight, but it will make your living situation more comfortable and better overtime.