This is a pretty powerful statement, yet so true, if you understand the basic principles of Feng Shui (the Chinese Art of Placement also called the Acupuncture of the space). Our direct surroundings (exterior or interior) determine the type of energy our home has, and this in turn will have a very strong influence on our body's energy; our thoughts, feelings and actions. As it is on the outside, so it shall be inside.

But let's not go any further with this analogy before fully understanding what lies behind this notion-energy. In Eastern philosophies energy is called Ch'I (in Chinese) Ki (in Japanese) or prana (in Indian) - meaning and talking about the same substance, which is the vital force. It is the underlying principle behind everything living and inanimate, and is a force that keeps things running. Chi is created through the movement of certain natural phenomena, such as wind and water, as the masters of Feng Shui would have explained some 6000 years ago.

We people, as living things, are not only made of energy, but are constantly "swimming" (literally) in a pool of energy. Some people refer to this pool as universal knowledge, or higher intelligence. It really does not matter what name we attach to it, but it will help us to understand why we feel better in certain places and how we get bad feelings about some people even before we talk to them. Maybe we are getting unexplained vibrational messages, hunches or bodily sensations, which translate into physical reactions. The following example will illustrate this point.

Have you ever tried to do your routine laps in a public swimming pool where some of the other patrons have decided to just simply splash around and create huge waves around you? Well, if you are just a bit like me, and you are the kind of swimmer who likes to keep her head well above the level of the water and as dry as possible, you would get slightly disturbed if the waves are starting to reach a bit higher then you would like them to. Chi, energy, or vibrations work very much the same way. We are connected to everything (that means every single object in our homes) and everyone's energy. Any slight change, movement, or negative effect can reach you as the ripples of change start from a source and go on their way in concentrical circles. The other swimmers', ever so splashing and waves getting dangerously high, could be just like some unwanted negative affects of our environment. This could translate into some kind of annoyance, but very often could be quite detrimental if we are exposed to them for a long time.

From what we understand, observing the behaviour and mechanism of this vital force, some environmental factors can keep the chi of your environment very low and depleted. Those are the waves that annoy us, or the ones that create stress in our bodies if we are exposed to them for a long period of time. Thus, constant cleaning of your space of detrimental environmental influences and negative thoughts (thoughts are energy as well, they just move into form as they are realized) has to be done periodically.

We select a portion of this pool of energy when we move, take over our new homes, or move into a new apartment. We need to know the kind of energy this home has for us, and the kind of vibrations the objects around us have. Ideally we should try to fill our homes with only the ones that are the best for us. Vibrations or "waves" that will help us to go further ahead in life, or let's say, that will allow us to do our laps in the most pleasant way.
How do we know if we are exposed to negative influences and we need to clean our spaces? If you feel sluggish, sad, frustrated or negative (even depressed) this would be a sign. Of course, we have the ability to override any negative energies and unwanted environmental influence with our most powerful tool at our disposal, our mind. But we can all agree that a space, which is elevated to the highest vibration by using Feng Shui principles, space clearing and any other alternative modalities, would be a much better ground with which to start on.

In my articles to follow, I will try to explore ways we can use Feng Shui in our space as a tool for self-empowerment, which can help us to realize our dreams and achieve our goals. By learning about Feng Shui and applying its very sound and practical principles we can open the door to a world that is ever so simple yet very profound - the world of energy and its different manifestations. Feng Shui helped me to evolve and it changed my live in ways I could never imagine possible and it would be selfish of me not to share these experiences with you, enthusiastic readers.

You could start the process by simply following the saying in the title. It will start your own little whirlpool of revitalizing energy movement that can help you to get out of your old ways and on to a new path.

May your journey of self-realization be an enlightened one, powered by vital energy in body, mind and spirit?