Something amazing happens when you arrive at Cindy Greer’s house. Initially, you can’t put your finger on it, but you know the reactions and feelings you have are profound.
While approaching the Town of Newburgh residence, you are guided by a circular walkway, void of any clutter, creating a welcoming feeling.
Immediately upon opening the front door, you spy a kitchen table en route to the porch door, allowing you to fully experience the kitchen space, rather than being led outside.
While in the kitchen, fresh flowers catch your eye and move your soul, for they create energy. You feel the hum of the whirring ceiling fan, stirring up the air, and prompting still more energy. Meanwhile, a horizontal picture, eliciting comfort, resides over a purple hued sofa, while a vertical portrait, adding energy to space, rests on the left corner wall.
Cheery colors adorn the walls of each room. As you inspect further, you can’t stop thinking how everything appears to be just rightly placed.
Something is happening here. It’s called Feng Shui, and it’s changing lives for the better in countless ways.
A classical Chinese tradition with a history dating back more than 3,000 years, Feng Shui’s roots lie in ancient Chinese Taoists, who after lengthy observation, concluded some surroundings are better than others, luckier than others, easier to survive in, and just plain more comfortable and harmonious. Once created, those settings stimulate positive energy, inciting prosperity and good health. Best results occur when applied to city planning, architecture, landscaping and interior design. Greer, president of Natural Forces Feng Shui Inc., provides further details on its definition.
“It’s really all about the concept of less is more; the clutter in our lives represents the past and stops us from moving into the future,” says Greer, a certified professional Feng Shui consultant and energy coach for the home and office. “It requires continual alterations and enhancements throughout one’s life.”
Darek Shapiro, an architect who works and lives in Stamford, Connecticut, who has been implementing Feng Shui into his work since 1993, adds, “It’s a Chinese empirical science based on observation, placing the person in the best possible position to become stronger and healthier, thus bringing things they need into their life.’
So, just how is what is required for that individual determined exactly? The answers lie in the Five Element Theory. Feng Shui is based upon five elements known to bring certain energies to a room or space Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water compose those key elements, while Chinese Astrology is factored in for about another 25 percent of the equation when figuring out a person’s ideal Feng Shui.
When a client comes to see Woodstock architect Janus Welton, who has been a Feng Shui practitioner since 1989, she applies a three layer approach. Earth is used to determine site work, studying forms in relation to mountains and streams as well as buildings and streets. The human level applies Chinese Astrology, revealing what colors, shapes and elements best suit the client. Finally, the Cosmos deals with time and space, addressing what energy is imprinted in the building by completing a blueprint of the energy flow of it.
It is further necessary to know auspicious (lucky, good, etc.) areas exist in a building, while inauspicious (unlucky, sad, etc.) ones also reside. Those spaces ultimately determine just how comfortable we feel. So, the way furniture is placed in a particular room will either invite or dissuade one’s entrance. Further, the “chi,” energy or air flow through space, is imperative i the success and health of the occupants of any space.
“Simple alterations and enhancements can make a huge difference in an individual’s life, many times without having to buy anything new,” points out Greer, who has changed the lives of several people.
Learn the basics of Feng Shui
With its popularity on the rise, Feng Shui is becoming more accessible. Those interested in learning more about it can visit their local book stores; however, that quick method works best on the basic, visual level. For those seeking a more solid core of information, architect Janus Welton suggests taking a class.
Or, hold a workshop at your home. Cindy Greer will come to your house, where you can invite three or four guests. “It’s a great way to learn the basics that can be Immediately applied to your spaced points out Greer, who can be contact at 845-216-9005. Regardless of how you choose to learn more, Greer advises to proceed with caution.
“Some consultants are consulting with only the knowledge of reading books or going to a weekend or day workshop,” warns Greer. “There is so much information on Feng Shui that you could study it for many years, and still not know it all.”
“Understanding the different energies in a space can assist individuals in their wealth, relationships, future and health.”
She adds, “You can make changes in certain areas of your property or rooms that will change the direction or outcome of your life.”
To understand Feng Shui, it’s often helpful to illustrate specific examples.
One of the easiest to comprehend perhaps is the damaging practice of placing a bed in line with a door at the end of a long corridor. The result is immediate negative energy, speeding up the chi.