In my years working as an interior designer, feng shui was an integral part of what I did. Yet, while I consciously incorporated this ancient practice into my work, I found that most of the other designers I knew used at least some of feng shui’s principles instinctively, even if they didn’t know anything about it. That’s because good design is good feng shui (pronounced fung shway). Let me explain what I mean.
Despite its metaphysical aspects, much of feng shui is just common sense. For instance, when you enter a dark foyer you feel uncomfortable—your first response is to turn on a light. In feng shui terms, you’ve implemented a “cure” by correcting an unpleasant situation. If you were to sit at your desk with your back to the door, you’d probably feel uneasy or distracted knowing that someone could come up behind you while you were busy working and startle you—if you reposition yourself so that you can see the door when you are seated at your desk, you’ll feel more relaxed and can work more effectively. This, too, follows feng shui philosophy.
So why does feng shui seem so complicated? Why are there so many books on the topic, each espousing different theories and practices?
Like every field, feng shui has many levels, some practical and some esoteric. And like most philosophies—especially those that have evolved over a long period of time, as feng shui as—it has many different schools of thought, which sometimes contradict or conflict with each other. Feng shui not only involves logical solutions to problems, it also uses symbols to influence the subconscious and some people find this perplexing.
But you don’t have to understand all the intricacies of feng shui to reap its benefits. I’ve found that most people looking to organize their lives aren’t particularly interested in plumbing the mysterious depths of ancient wisdom. They don’t care about geomancy, the I Ching, or the green dragon who guards the East. They just want something that works.
10-Minute Feng Shui is designed for busy, action-oriented people who want quick results without a lot of bother. Many of the feng shui tips and solutions in Part Two can be implemented in ten minutes or less. The others shouldn’t take longer than a day to complete. These tips are grouped into four categories: prosperity, love, good luck and happiness, and health/well-being. If you don’t want to know anything much about feng shui or why it works, you can go directly to this section and get started.
If, on the other hand, you’re the sort of person who likes to understand a bit about the tools you’re using, Part One covers the basics of feng shui without getting too technical or philosophical. It also explains what your home says about you and how you can change your life by making changes in your home.
The most important factor in using feng shui successfully is your intent—the physical “cures” are only part of the process. You’ll get better results if you truly want to correct a particular problem and believe what you are doing will work. In this way, feng shui is like any other endeavor—the more you put into it, the more you’ll get back.