Origins of Feng Shui
The exact Origins of “Feng Shui” or more accurately “Kan Yu”, are unknown, as most other wisdom and knowledge that appeared in ancient China, but what is known about all of them, including The Feng Shui, is that all of them have the I Ching or Zhou Yi (book of changes) as a base. The first known written text is from 800 A.C., although their teachings are much older, around 1.200 A.C.
We could say that the I Ching together with the principles of Taoism are the fundamental ground of this Art and was enriched by the wisdom of all the Masters that transmitted their knowledge to their disciples. Unfortunately most of the books got lost. One of the oldest well known books about this Art “The book of Burial” was written by Guo Pu (276-324).
Feng Shui, being a part of Chinese Metaphysics, understands the human being as an inseparable element of the Universe, thus finding Harmony with Nature and the environment where one lives is essential.
The word “Feng Shui” is translated normally as “Wind and Water” although the concept is much wider and “Kan Yu” means “Observe the Paths of the Sky and investigate the Paths of the Earth”. Both descriptions can help us sense the subtlety and depth of the principles in which this millennial art is based on.
In ancient times human beings were nomadic and lived in close connection with nature. That connection helped them not only during their traveling in search of food, but it was also the most important factor in deciding their next settlement. Their survival would depend on their capacity to adapt and their knowledge of the environment. From the moment humans stopped being nomadic and decided to settle themselves in a fix place to modify the environment for their own profit, the tools Feng Shui provides now become essential.
The fundamental objective of Feng Shui is to enrich the lives of people by creating a beautiful harmonic environment. Via the activation of a nurturing connection of a house or business with the environment and their inhabitants, we will increase the prosperity, abundance and wellness.
A Classical or Traditional Feng Shui consultant will try to re-establish harmony with nature, using beauty as the aim and the balance as a tool. To study the Feng Shui of a house or business we have to investigate the various aspects that complement each other.
We use mathematic formulas to represent the energetic distribution inside and outside the building and then observe how they integrate with the environment. We then analyze the interior design to understand the impact it will have on its inhabitants.
