All posts by Henry

Feng Shui Consultant based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with over 10 years of professional consulting experience. He offers astrology and Feng Shui consulting services for homes and offices.

Feng Shui

Feng Shui Bedroom Design Tips

February 11, 2014 Henry Leave a comment

If you look at the design of houses in olden days China, you will notice that the toilets are located external to the house.

However in these modern times, the toilet is not only located within house but in many designs, there is one ‘within’ the bedroom as in attached or en-suite designs. However after decades of use, it appears that the toilet is not as harmful as we are led to believe.

Nevertheless there are a few Feng Shui Bedroom Design rules regarding the toilet that we should to follow. They are:-

The toilet door should not open to the bed. Ideally the toilet door should be located at the side. If the room is big enough your can place a free standing screen to block the toilet (door) from the bed.
The toilet door should ideally be closed all the time. Installing an automatic door closer will help greatly.
The bed should not share a common wall with the toilet/bath. The walls are porous and over a long period the water from the bath can seep through the walls. If your bed is located at the other side of the wall, the excess moisture can affect your health.

In addition to those linked to the toilet, there are a few more Feng Shui Bedroom Design rules that you should observe. There are:-

The head of the bed should be placed against a solid wall for support. Do not place it against a window as you will not only lack support but your health may be affected by the cold draft from the outside!
Watch out for overhead beams cutting across your bed (lengthwise or otherwise!). Over the long term these beams can cause health problems.

The ceiling should also be level. Sloping ceilings can create emotion related problems.

Also ensure that lighting fixtures, fans and air-conditioners are not installed over your head or any parts of the bed.

Finally, do you need to tie a rock to the feet of the bed (to prevent your spouse from running away?). To be honest I do not know. I have not been taught this by any of my Feng Shui masters. And I have personally not tried it!

But this should not stop you from trying. It is only an inexpensive rock and if this can save your relationship, I think it is worth every pound or kilogram! Do let me know if it works for you.

Feng Shui

Feng Shui Bedroom Design

February 11, 2014 Henry Leave a comment

If you look at the design of houses in olden days China, you will notice that the toilets are located external to the house.

Nevertheless there are a few Feng Shui Bedroom Design rules regarding the toilet that we should to follow. They are:-

In addition to those linked to the toilet, there are a few more Feng Shui Bedroom Design rules that you should observe. There are:-

The ceiling should also be level. Sloping ceilings can create emotion related problems.

Also ensure that lighting fixtures, fans and air-conditioners are not installed over your head or any parts of the bed.

But this should not stop you from trying. It is only an inexpensive rock and if this can save your relationship, I think it is worth every pound or kilogram! Do let me know if it works for you.

Feng Shui

Gua Number

February 11, 2014 Henry Leave a comment

The concept of Gua number stems from the Feng Shui Eight Mansions system.

In this system, all of us have a Gua number that is dependent on our date of birth and sex. You can find out you Gua number by clicking on the link below.
http://www.henryfong.com/kua.htm

In the Eight Mansions system, it is believed that we are imprinted with the energy of the time of our birth. Based on your ‘imprint’, certain directions are favourable and others are not. This ‘imprint’ is expressed as our Gua number.

How do we make use of this Gua number?

You should sleeping and sit facing the directions that are favourable to you. Suppose you are a male with the Gua number 7. Your favourable directions are NW, SW, NE and W.

Therefore you should sleep with the crown of your head pointed towards one of these directions. For sitting the point of reference is different. Instead of using the crown of your head, you should use your face. It is simply the direction that your face is facing when seated!

If you look at the Gua number carefully, you will notice that there are meanings attached to each of the favourable and unfavourable direction. For a Gua number 7 person, NW is his prosperity direction, SW is health and so on. How do we use them?

The simple answer is this. If you are aspiring for more money, for a promotion or better business, then you should try to face the Sheng Qi (Living Qi) or Prosperity direction.

If you health is not so great, then try the Tian Yi (Heavenly Doctor) or Health direction. If your social life is in a doldrums or you lack good people interaction skills, you should try to face your Nian Yen or Relationship direction.

Finally if you have everything that you need and just want a peaceful, uneventful life, then try the Fu Wei or Stability direction!

In the Eight Mansions system, the house also has a Gua number which is determined by the sitting direction of the house. There are favourable and unfavourable sectors. For maximum effect with the Eight Mansions system, you should not just face your favourable directions but also locate yourself in a favourable sector.

Feng Shui

Definition of Qi

February 10, 2014 Henry Leave a comment

What is Qi? Qi means breathe or air in Chinese. This is the easy part.

The word ‘qi’ in a key concept in many Chinese metaphysics disciplines including Feng Shui. The word ‘qi’ can have different meaning depending on where it is applied and trying to come out with a single definition can be quite a challenge.

Qi is often defined as a form of energy. For the uninitiated it is difficult to relate qi to energy and therefore instead of trying to come out with a definition of qi, I will attempt to explain the meaning of qi by relating to it in the practice of Feng Shui.

There are two type of qi namely Sheng Qi (Living Qi) and Sha Qi (Killing Qi). In Feng Shui we want to live in a place with plenty of Sheng Qi and to avoid places or offending structures that generate Sha Qi.

What is Qi?

Since we cannot see qi, the next best thing is to look for indicators of qi. A place with thriving fauna and flora has plenty of Sheng Qi. On the other hand a place that is dry and rocky or sandy without much fauna and flora is said to be lacking in qi. This is a first clue to the meaning of qi. It is something that is supports life!

In an ancient Feng Shui text, we learn that “qi is carried by the wind and accumulates near water”. From this statement we know that this life giving Sheng Qi exists in the atmosphere, can be blown away and gathers where there is water. This is another clue to the meaning of qi. It is some sort of life giving ‘energy’ that can be found in the air!

We also know that the mountain ranges with lush green vegetation are a rich source and carrier of qi. In Feng Shui, mountains are known as Dragon and hence qi is also known as the dragons breathe. This is yet another clue to the meaning of qi.

Certain structures like high tension pylon lines generate Sha or Killing Qi and it can be detrimental to health if we live near to one for a long time. Is this another manifestation of qi? This time is it some sort of strong electromagnetic force!

In the study of Feng Shui there is Xing Fa (shape techniques) and Li Fa (calculation of qi). Xing Fa is about the surrounding forms and how they affect us. Li Fa on the other is about qi that we cannot see. It is about the effect of planetary movements on us. This is a qi that we cannot see but we know where they are at different time by applying the formulas left to us by our forefathers.

So far I have not attempted to give a definition of qi. Instead I have tried to reveal the meaning of qi through examples and practices in Feng Shui. I hope you now have at better understanding of qi (at least from a Feng Shui perspective) and understand why it is so difficult to come out with a definition of qi.

Feng Shui

Feng Shui Bedroom Mirrors

February 10, 2014 Henry Leave a comment

Feng Shui Bedroom Mirrors? A lot has been written in about the mirror in the bedroom.

Is it bad Feng Shui to have a mirror in the bedroom? What is the design rules governing placement of mirrors in the bedroom?

I come across this question frequently in my practice. As a rule the mirror should be placed in such a way that you are not able to see your reflection from the bed.

Why? I have not been able to find a scientific reason but here is one that is frequently cited. You may wake up unexpectedly in the middle of the night and mistake your wife’s reflection for a ghost! Apparently a woman can look quite different without make-up and with their hair down! Of course I will never know because my mirror does not reflect my bed! (BTW, I am not a MCP!)

In my practice, I encourage my clients to place their mirrors in the attached bathroom or in the walk-in closet. If they insist on a mirror in the bedroom, I would encourage them to buy a free standing long mirror that they can turn away from the bed when they go to sleep.

What about the wedding photo? Is it bad Feng Shui to place it above the bed head?

I think a lot depends on where you live. If you live in an earthquake area, then you should definitely find a safer location for your wedding photo. If the photo frame is not securely hung, a minor tremor can send the photo frame crashing onto you and your spouse. And this will certainly qualify as bad Feng Shui!

What about the mirror under the bed? My clients have asked me about this but I have no answers. None of my ‘sifu’ has said anything about this!

Feng Shui

Feng Shui Bedroom Colors

February 10, 2014 Henry Leave a comment

What colour should I paint my bedroom?

Personally, I do not think that Feng Shui bedroom colours make a significant contribution to the overall Feng Shui quality of your home or offices. Other factors such as the form and ‘qi’ distribution, water techniques etc play a more significant role.

There are many Feng Shui schools of thoughts about the colours to use in a bedroom. One school advocates the use of the colours represented by the Lou Shu. For example the north sector will benefit from the colour blue, south with red, east and south east with green etc. The result however can be an interior designer’s nightmare!

Another school employ the useful colour based on your Ba Zi or Four Pillars chart. For example if you are weak or lacking in the wood element, then you will benefit from the use of the colour green which represents wood. By the same token the shape of items in the room such as picture frame, alarm clock etc should also have a rectangular shape to signify the wood element.

Yet another school of thoughts looks at Ba Gua. In the later heaven arrangement the west sector is metal and represents the young girl. In the five elements relationship cycle, wood exhausts metal. Therefore one should not paint the west sector in green. Violating this rule may create problem for the young girl who sleeps in this room!

In my practice I am particularly careful with the use of the colour red. When the room has the auspicious earth energy represented by the number 8, it is okay to use the colour red, as there is a producing relationship between fire and earth.

However when the inauspicious earth energy of 2 and/or 5 is present, you should avoid using red at all cost as the colour red representing fire will enhance the inauspicious stars and may bring misfortune to the occupants. In general if you do not use the services of a professional consultant, you should be careful about using red!

So, what colours should one use? In the absence of professional advice, I would advocate the use of safe Feng Shui bedroom colours such as white or cream or shades of light pastel. Better to be safe than sorry.

Feng Shui

Feng Shui and Health

February 10, 2014 Henry Leave a comment

Feng Shui is usually associated with improving prosperity, health and relationship. But how does it work to improve health?

Feng Shui is a Chinese metaphysics discipline that study how mankind is affected for better or for worse by the surroundings. Our forefathers advise us to live and work in areas that are filled with lively ‘qi’. They believe that certain locations and environmental conditions generate life giving ‘qi’ which they call ‘sheng qi’ or living ‘qi’ while other locations and environmental conditions generate ‘sha qi’ or ‘killing qi’ that is detrimental to our well being.

Since ‘qi’ cannot be seen with the naked eye, they left behind rules to help us find such places. ‘Sheng Qi’ for example is found in places that have lush greenery and thriving fauna. Mountain and hill ranges are also highly favoured as they carrier of such strong ‘sheng qi’. This presence of clean, slow moving water such as a meandering river is also highly favoured as water is a known accumulator of such ‘sheng qi’. In addition the wind should be gentle, warm and moist.

Other the other hand, dry, sandy or rocky terrain and the absence of fauna indicated the presence of life destroying ‘sha qi’. A straight fast moving river as well a strong dry and cool winds generate ‘sha qi’ which is detrimental to life!

In addition to the environment, they want their homes to be designed in such as way that ‘sheng qi’ to circulate thoroughly within.

They also advise us to look out for and stay away or ‘block’ the undesirable energies from structures that ‘attack’ the premises. These include high-tension pylon and radio base stations that are known to emit less than desirable electromagnetic waves.

From the above, we can clearly see how Feng Shui is associated with better health. In addition to what appears to be logical and scientific, there are also practices that are geared towards good health but appear to lack a scientific basis. Nevertheless such techniques have been employed for over a thousand years and appear to be effective.

One such technique is the use of sleeping and sitting directions. In the Eight Mansions system, we have four favourable and four unfavourable directions which are determined by our date of birth. One of the favourable directions is known as the Tian Yi or Heavenly Doctor direction. For centuries, practitioners have advised their ill health clients to sleep in their Tian Yi direction with apparently effective results.

So, do you see the connection of Feng Shui with health?

Feng Shui

The Water Fountain in Feng Shui

February 10, 2014 Henry Leave a comment

Feng Shui literally means wind water. It is an ancient Chinese study of how mankind is affected for better or for worse by the surroundings. With Shui or water as a component of its name, it should not surprise anyone that water has a significant role in this metaphysics study.

According to an ancient Chinese Feng Shui sage, ‘qi’ (or life giving energy) is dispersed by the wind and accumulates near water. The ideal Feng Shui location is one with an abundance of lively ‘qi’. It should have hills at the back, to the left and right to protect the ‘qi’ from being blown away by strong winds. And there should be a river or lake in front to help retain this life giving ‘qi’.

This clearly implies that that life giving ‘qi’ can be retained by water.

It is quite common for Feng Shui practitioners to advise their clients to place water features such as a water fountain or aquarium within and surrounding the house.

These locations are specially selected based on Feng Shui formulas and there are usually areas with auspicious qi. Placing water features such as fountains helps to retain as well as activate the ‘qi’ in these areas.

There are very specific rules regarding the placement of such water features. Putting them in the wrong location may bring dire consequences. If you do not plan to use the services of a practitioner, you may wish to consider buying portable water features which can be easily move from one place to another just in case it is required!

The ‘qi’ distribution in a house depends on the facing direction of the house as well as the year that it was completed. It is not possible to cover every permutation. Instead I am going to give you a generic suggestion that is applicable for most houses between the period from now and 2024. These auspicious locations are the South-West and East sectors of the house. Try not to place them in the North-East sector.

In addition to the placement, the direction of flow is also important. An upward water flow is acceptable. But if you have to choose between an outward or inward flow, choose the later as an inwards flow towards the centre of the house symbolizes an inflow of wealth while an outward flow symbolizes the opposite!

Feng Shui

Feng Shui Wind Chime

February 10, 2014 Henry Leave a comment

What is a Feng Shui wind chime? Why is it frequently associated with the practice of Feng Shui?

In the study of Feng Shui, qi approaches a property from many directions. These qi have qualities that are similar to the elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth.

In the Xuan Kong Flying Star system of Feng Shui, these qi are represented by nine numbers from 1 to 9. In this system, the qi of 2 and 5 are inauspicious and belong to the element of earth.

The combination of 2 and 5 is highly inauspicious and we would normally advise our clients not to use that area or reduce movement in that area as much as possible.

But what if we must use that sector?

In the cycles of the Five Elements, earth produces metal. Another way to look at it is earth is exhausted in the process of producing metal. Therefore by introducing metal into the sector, the inauspicious earth qi is exhausted and weaken considerably.

Many Feng Shui consultant use the metal wind chime for this purpose and as a result is called a Feng Shui Wind Chime. Actually you can also place a copper vase in that sector to serve the same purpose. However many practitioners prefer the wind chime because it creates a metallic sound when exposed to the wind and strengthens the effect.

Does the number of rods matter? In my opinion, it does not matter. A metal is a metal whether is comes with 3 or 15 rods and it will still be effective in exhausting the inauspicious earth energies. However the 6 rod wind chime is often prescribed because the number 6 represents ‘Big Metal’ and it thought to be more effective.

Please note that wind chime made from material other than metal for example bamboo will not be effective as a cure. Therefore a Feng Shui wind chime for this purpose is always made of metal.

Feng Shui

Feng Shui House Plan Design

February 10, 2014 Henry Leave a comment

I would love to provide you with the ideal Feng Shui house plan but it is difficult.

In the ideal Feng Shui house design we strive to place the most important parts of the house e.g. main door, kitchen and bedroom in the areas that are influence by auspicious qi and vice-versa.

Qi (both auspicious and inauspicious) comes from all directions and are influenced by many factors. For example in the Xuan Kong Flying Star system it is influenced by the house facing direction and the period (birth or re-birth) of the house. Since there are 16 directions and 9 periods, that is quite a number of plans!

What I can do instead is provide a few tips on Feng Shui house design and I hope that will serve as a general guide for a good Feng Shui house plan. Here goes.

Look for a house that is square or rectangle without any missing corners. For a rectangular design the house should be longer rather than wider and the ration should ideally be not more than 2:1. If the length of the house exceeds the width by 3:1, the house is considered too narrow and inauspicious.

The house should allow plenty of sunlight to get in and should be airy. If possible, it should have some of ‘air-well’ for better ventilation. Intermediate linked or town-houses that face north or south especially should have a design that allows sunlight (and air) to reach the middle of the house. Such houses do not have windows at the sides and the middle part of the house can get stuffy and gloomy!

If you can afford it, you should buy a house with plenty garden space. Plants are known as a generator or lively qi and you will benefit from having lots of plants in the house.

Internal beams in the house can create sha that affect the occupants of the house who sit or sleep under it. They are however indispensable in most design. Look for a house where the overhead beams are out of the way. You do not want to have an overhead beam over you main entrance door, your bed, where you sit e.g. living and dining, the stove or the altar.

The above are some tips for an ideal Feng Shui house plan design and I hope that you find them to be useful. As for the ideal Feng Shui house plan, hmm …. have you thought of using my Feng Shui Consultation services?

Absolutely Feng Shui

All posts by Henry

Feng Shui Bedroom Design Tips

Feng Shui Bedroom Design

Gua Number

Definition of Qi

Feng Shui Bedroom Mirrors

Feng Shui Bedroom Colors

Feng Shui and Health

The Water Fountain in Feng Shui

Feng Shui Wind Chime

Feng Shui House Plan Design

Feng Shui and More