BASICS: Architecture and interior design play important roles in creating a comfortable environment

Classical feng shui considers four crucial factors –the landform environment, building, its occupants and timing, according to Sherwin Ng, senior consultant with Joey Yap Consulting Group and instructor at Mastery Academy of Chinese Metaphysics.

Where the relationship between architecture and feng shui is concerned, architecture is categorized under buildings.

Ng said not much is considered regarding the aesthetics of the building or property. The focus is on its shape.

As a building is considered the "container" of qi, the quality of the container determines the quality of qi it is able to contain or harness.

Qi is the life force and energy that permeate the land from the mountains flowing down to the rivers, he explained.

Another architectural consideration is the main entrance such as its location, condition and relative size to the entire building, he added.

On shapes of buildings, he said a flat and broad shape is considered an earth element.

A dome-shape building is regarded as a metal element building, a type of structure that supports power and authority, decision making capabilities and is more suited for the finance industry as well as sports and physical activities.

The interior of a building plays, however, a more subtle role.

Citing protruding beams on the ceiling directly above the main door and sharp protruding wall angles, he said these are considered negative as they distort the sentimental flow of qi.

Implementing some of the feng shui-compliant conditions before moving into a house or occupying a building can be easy, he noted.

For example, the main door can be moved to an optimum location. One tip is that the space just outside the main door space should be spacious, open and unobstructed to allow qi to gather.

Internally, the "energy map" of every house or property should also be determined, and different sectors of every house have varying effects.

Ng recommended that an area with residing prosperous qi be located and used more often; for example, for sleeping.

Asked about the relationship between symbols and feng shui, he said there are no such things as symbols in feng shui.

While symbols can be psychologically inspiring, they do not exert nor generate qi. For example, motifs of dragons are not naturally auspicious nor are shark motifs "bad".

According to Ng, feng shui is the study of qi flow.

On the relationship between bazi and people, he said bazi refers to the prevailing qi, or energy patterns, based on astrological positions of the stars and planets in the sky.

There is a correcelation between planetary positions and common occurrences on planet earth.

Based on an individual's personal bazi, which is derived form the person's date and time of birth, everyone reacts differently to the current prevailing astrological setting for the year.

This affects one's behavior and hormonal changes as well as external factors such as opportunities and the potential to meet their right people.

Saying that bazi is the diagnosis and feng shui is the cure, Ng noted the potential for a heart attack can be identified.

Therefore, the south sector of the property that governs the heart in a person's body is examined.

In fact, the structure of a property is like an energy map of the human body.

The south sector governs the heart and eyes, the east governs the liver, the west governs the lungs and so forth.

Ng said indication of heart problems could be things like having a huge electrical pylon in the south, or a missing south sector of the house.

To help minimize the "killing qi" from the pylon, a wall can be erected to buffer its negative effects. For a missing south sector, it is required to build it up physically to contain the qi here.

Another example is, a person's bazi can indicate difficulties in meeting the right people and that one will face networking challenges. Feng Shui is also used to address these challenges as described in bazi.

For instance, in year 2012 of the annual flying starts system, the east sector is the "peach blossom" or "relationship" sector. So enhancing this location in your house (with a quiet, clean water feature) will help enhance opportunities in social, romantic or business relationships.

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