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Feng Shui

Feng Shui is the art and science of maximizing the potential of any environment to the specific needs of its occupants for successful, healthy and empowered living. Feng Shui is not a belief system or religion but a time honored, environmental system for successful living. Feng Shui literally translates as wind and water, referencing the quality of these elements as they move through our environments. We offer a practical and pragmatic approach to our services using the principles of the Form and Compass schools of Feng Shui.

Feng Shui is an ancient and globally respected system of environmental analysis for successful living. It’s principles are used to maximize the potential of a location or space through the balance of elements within (Fire, Earth, Metal, Water & Wood) to direct the flow of energy within a space in harmony with the area’s function and Nature.

It is our intent to present an honest introduction to a very beautiful, complex subject and to dispel popular myths and misconceptions attributed to this ancient and efficient system of environment management. There are many great books on this subject and many schools or disciplines of Feng shui in practice around the world. Our favorites are Feng Shui That Makes Sense, by Cathleen McCandless and Feng Shui For The Soul and Sacred Space by Denise Linn.

I have worked professionally with Scott on several interior design projects. Each of our collaborations provided me yet another opportunity to witness just how effective he is and how closely he works with his clients. I quickly found Scott’s understanding of the building process and his ability to keep things on track, coupled with his innate ability to communicate as a member of a team, to be just the start of his strengths. His attention to detail and explanation of the principles of Feng Shui through the process was invaluable. I would recommend him to anyone interested in significantly improving their personal and/or professional self.

– Dianne Sheridan, Designer, Dianne Sheridan Designs

Yin and Yang

To start to understand the principles of Feng Shui, it’s important to first understand the concept of Life Energy and how it influences an environment. Life Energy (also known as Chi or Ki) is measured through the balance of opposing forces, Yin and Yang. The qualities of Yin ) energy are slow moving, dark, soft textures, curves and circles while Yang energy is fast moving. bright light, hard surfaces and straight lines.
The balance of these energies within any space are determined by the elements within: the material, texture, color and finish of all surfaces and objects, the availability of natural light / tones and lumen of artificial lighting and the flow or air and sound determine the flow of energy within a space or environment. Yin energy is more conducive to relaxation sleep and intimate conversation.. Yang energy supports group collaboration, creative expression and lively social activities. Fine tuning the balance of yin and yang within any space improves the efficiency, quality and enjoyment of the activities performed there.

Form School Feng Shui

Form School is the earliest known method of Feng Shui and dates back over 4000 years to Eastern Asia. It was originally used to determine the most desirable location for establishing a highly defensible community settlement as well as for choosing the final resting place of leaders and family elders based on natural landforms and is illustrated by the archetypal spirits of the four directions (The Green Dragon in the East, the Red Phoenix of the South, the White Tiger in the West and the Black Tortoise in the North). The archetypes acknowledge the importance of the elements in successful living within a community bur were also considered essential for the protection of one’s ancestors in the afterlife. It is thought that by protecting and honoring their royalty, community elders and ancestors in this way, their spirits would be able to hear the prayers of the living and helping their descendants to achieve good health, wealth and happiness.
Successful site selection to build encampments, communities and cities meant taking advantage of natural landforms for strategic defense, access to water, the availability of sunlight throughout the year and resistance to natural disasters such as flooding from torrential rains and windstorms. This system evolved over time within East Asian civilizations to determine the most strategically defensible location for the royal families to build palaces and create compounds for their armies and government buildings. It’s use in Chinese culture expanded through emerging social classes and beyond its borders into neighboring lands. Form Feng Shui is the foundation for all disciplines and schools of Feng Shui disciplines in use today.

Compass School Feng Shui

Compass School evolved from Form School to determine the best site locations in the plains and mesas where easily defensible landforms were less accessible. The compass was invented in China sometime late in the first century AD.

The Chinese Compass was oriented to be read from the South due to the importance of the Sun in sustaining life. If we look to the placement of elements in the Pa Kua, an eight sided symbol referencing 9 the nine directions and also known as Bagua, we can easily understand the logic in their placement:

The Red Phoenix is now the element of fire in the south, the Green Dragon is the elements of wood placed in the East and Southeast, the White Tiger is represented in the element of Metal in the West and Northwest, the Black Tortoise is the element of water in the North and the land itself is represented as the element of Earth in the Southwest, Northeast and Center of the Pa Kua compass..

The energy of the four directions evolved into 5 elements (due to the importance of metal in society) and assigned to 9 areas of the Pa Kua Compass, incorporating the eight trigrams of the I Ching to the eight outer compass points. The I Ching, also known as The Book Of Changes, is an ancient Chinese philosophical text illustrating a system of cause and effect represented through 8 trigrams (sets of 3 lines) and 64 hexagrams (sets of 6 lines).

Who Benefits from Feng Shui?

Every living organism’s potential for successful life is greatly determined by its environment. A seedling will thrive or wither based on how it’s environment provides for its needs. Animals in the wild need access to food and a safe haven from those above them in the food chain to survive.
While our needs seem vastly more sophisticated than those of the plant and animal kingdoms, our ability to effectively thrive in any space is greatly determined by how safe and comfortable we are within it. If we feel safe and protected, we are better able to focus on the activity at hand and will have greater opportunities for success, whether for work, rest or play.

If our environment is stressful, our ability to enjoy a meal, perform our duties or sleep well is compromised. We make a multitude of decisions daily to maximize our potential for comfort and safety, from the lanes we chose to drive in on the freeway, where we prefer to sit in a restaurant, how we face another individual during a business meeting, etc.

These are not random choices but directly relate to your basic instincts for survival. When a space feels comfortable and inviting, it’s because there is harmony and balance which supports the activity within.

Anderson Environment Services is amazing! A colleague referred Scott to me after having a space clearing of her office and spoke very highly of Scott and his services. Not having experience with space clearing or Feng Shui, I was not sure what to expect. I was floored as I watched Scott “clear” my new home. I witnessed the power of space clearing first hand and could not be happier with my decision to try something new in order to obtain a positive and balanced flow of energy through my home. I highly recommend Scott with Anderson Environment Services for all of your space clearing and feng shui needs.

– Garret M., Rancho Santa Fe, CA

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