The Tao of Being Home

The popularity, and now the necessity, of the home office and home learning space bring new challenges to the designer and the feng shui practitioner. There have been many books written about feng shui for the home or feng shui for the office, but few books written about the home office as the primary work space and the recent addition of the childhood learning space under the same roof. Similarly, evidence-based design principles have been used by architects and planners for several years, but rarely have these principles been focused on the home workplace. This book provides the tools for creating a safe, productive environment in which both adults and children will thrive as they work at home. What is Feng Shui and why does it work? Awareness The literal translation of “Feng Shui” is “wind and water”. The main purpose of the art of feng shui is to create a conscious awareness of the world around you and to mitigate the negative effects of harmful influences. It is an ancient art of understanding the effects of the environment on the individual and the effects of the individual on the environment. An ‘adjusted’ setting will promote the flow of energy, focus intention and result in harmony and wellbeing. Traditional practices include analysis of directional orientation, the flow of chi (energy), the application of the bagua diagram to guide placement of objects and correcting missing elements through the selection of materials, intentional placement of objects and paying attention to the human responses. There are several schools of traditional feng shui dating back thousands of years. Some of these traditions are rooted in Taoist practices of harmonizing with nature. Other practices have specific rituals and tools that symbolize energy management strategies. As feng shui made its way to the western world, the basic tenets of feng shui were influenced by western culture. Grounded in the ancient principles of Chinese design practices and principles, contemporary feng shui also incorporates more modern interpretations of environmental design. Contemporary feng shui builds on the ancient practices of traditional feng shui and includes western influences that are based on modern psychology and evidence-based environmental design. What is Evidence-Based Environmental Design and why does it work? Science Evidence-based design is a relatively new frame of reference for designing spaces. Evolving from the environmental movement of the 1960’s and 70’s, designers have learned to incorporate mitigating features into their design to create healthy and supportive spaces and reduce harmful outcomes. The Green Building Movement has created structure and standards for designing environmentally superior spaces. The U.S. Green Building Council developed a set of detailed criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of measures to reduce adverse environmental impacts from buildings, neighborhoods and communities and conserve environmental resources. The intent of the Green Building system is to minimize the consumption of resources, use natural and healthful materials, and incorporate color therapy, sensory manipulations and subliminal cues that effect the body’s chemistry and mental state through both consciously and subconsciously induced responses. It is a scientifically based system that has much in common with the ancient practice of feng shui. You can research further information about evidence-based design at www.ebdjournal.com. Further information about the U.S. Green Building Council and their sustainable design initiatives can be found at www.usbgc.org. Definition of Contemporary Feng Shui The term “contemporary feng shui” describes an approach to design that respects the ancient practices of traditional feng shui and combines it with the best principles of environmental design and evidence-based design (EBD). Contemporary design frameworks have been shown through scientific research to benefit the occupants of the spaces and responsibly consume resources. The combination of traditional feng shui theory and contemporary, science-based environmental design is the best of both worlds and has a powerful impact on people who occupy intentionally designed spaces. This approach makes the most of the heightened awareness of balance and harmony that results from feng shui and the scientifically induced responses of compatibilities with human feelings and sensations that result from modern science and evidence-based design. How to Use this Book This book is divided into seven sections: Background, Tools, The Tao of Living at Home in Harmony, the Tao of Working at Home in Harmony, the Tao of Learning at Home in Harmony, Simple Practices and Closing Thoughts. For the first reading it is recommended to read each section in sequence. This will give the reader a good understanding of the whole process. However, this book is also a reference guide for the more experienced practitioner. Each section can be read independently and used as a separate knowledge source for the trained practitioner in either feng shui or evidence-based design.