Sometimes China gets a bad press, what with the Tibet issue and some controversy over the build of the Olympic stadium. I recently returned to China in October 2008 on an incredible Feng Shui study tour with my teacher Grand Master Chan Kun Wah, and was reminded once again how unusual the land formations are there and how the land can sometimes be so overpowering that it is no wonder that Feng Shui was developed there. This time I was in the Hunan province which is rarely visited by tourists, so we were quite a novelty! We saw stunning national parks and ancient villages, and even found time to look at a few gravesites. The topographical Form was similar to Yunnan and Guangxi which I had visited in 2001, but different enough to offer more Feng Shui learning experiences and different chi qualities.
Happily, Feng Shui is a “universal” system of energy management. I now emphasise in my talks and lectures that Feng Shui originates from ancient China, because it is more accurate than simply saying it is Chinese. The practice of Feng Shui in China is experiencing a return these last few years having previously been outlawed under Chairman Mao for years. Many practitioners are found in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, because they had to flee mainland China.
The Feng Shui Language might be of Chinese origin, but in fact, you ask any ordinary Chinese person about Feng Shui and it is as mysterious to them as it is to your average European. Some teachers of other styles of Feng Shui teach accelerated methods, which need no knowledge of Chinese or Cantonese – people sign up for these courses with enthusiasm only to discover that their understanding will never reach the depths available to you if you take the trouble to learn the source language. Why? Because the Feng Shui language has characters that are not included in ordinary Chinese language – it is in a realm of its own and to truly understand the deeper significance of the teachings and increase your skill you need to know the ‘Feng Shui alphabet’! This is why Chue style practitioners learn the characters, and also because this helps us access their unique energy and resonance.
Some of the Feng Shui principles can be traced back to India and Buddha, but most of the development of Feng Shui originated in China. So yes, it is Chinese, but it has its own language – a language of nature, cosmology, mathematics and harmonics. It is universally applicable and I love nothing more than finding a new climate and understanding how Feng Shui theory plays itself out – from Lanzarote to Frankfurt, London to Hong Kong, Sweden, South Africa, Iran, Russia and Austria we take our cues from nature and seek to harmoniously combine the human with the environment.
Sarah
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Sarah McAllister is owner and founder of Feng Shui Agency Ltd, a UK based Feng Shui consultancy and training company with an international client portfolio and associate Feng Shui architects, Feng Shui Urban Planners and Interior Designers. She is widely regarded as an industry expert and is a sought after lecturer and consultant. She publishes a monthly electronic “Chi-mail!” with industry news, practical Feng Shui insight and advice and great promotions for subscribers. To receive your copy sign up here http://www.fengshuiagency.com/newsletter
