The supplier of energy and the totality of life can be described as various types of Qi (pronounced like chee). Qi manifests in many different ways and this case study breaks down how Qi reveals itself in a Feng Shui context.

The study of Qi is worthy of our time, as meta-physicians, spiritual seekers, and those who appreciate the nuances of Feng Shui as a natural Earth science. In Beginner’s classes, we may sum up the concept of Qi in just a few words and examples, but this case study, The Nature of Qi, Part 1, fleshes out a deeper understanding and foundational concepts.

Such categories of Qi include the Qi which manifests as “yin” or “yang,” the Qi of the Five Elements,  the Qi of the Trigrams, The Qi of the Flying Stars, the Qi which pools at the center of a house, and the different nature of Qi from the outside environment vs. the Qi contained in a built structure.

EXCERPT:

There has been a long-standing challenge in describing qi in western terms.  For example, when identifying an “apple,” simply calling it “fruit” would not be precise as it would not address the many types of fruit or an apple specifically.  To call qi “food” would be even more generic.

Qi has been described as the “life force” or the breath of life.  This is a type of energy, attached to consciousness.  It is different than say, the energy conducted through electricity. And yet that is one manifestation of qi, for sure.

Chinese scholars and philosophers for millennium have defined qi in many eloquent and specific ways, and yet it still seems to be an elusive concept, like describing the concept and feeling of “love.”

The Chinese character which is used to write the word qi has evolved and it includes strokes that are used for “steam” as in the steam which rises when cooking rice. Rice is a staple, the “staff” of life, so it seems like an analogy to something essential, which it is. It’s a very down-to- Earth description, but most of the time the word qi is used in a more metaphysical context, such as the Hindu or Vedic equivalent word, “prana.”

Sheng Qi

In Feng Shui we often describe or categorize different manifestations of qi, such as “sheng qi.”  Sheng implies a life enhancing or life supporting environment. That sheng qi environment can be man-made or natural.

The indications are that the sheng qi will support health and well-being and could almost be a substitute for saying “good Feng Shui.”  The very words, “feng” and “shui” have been translated as “wind” and water.”  Wind and water are literal manifestations of qi which can either disperse energy or collect it. In Feng Shui we refer to the literal wind and water as well as virtual examples or minute examples, such as the difference in scope between an interior water fountain and the ocean.

Sheng qi can be found in good quality healthy food or the magnetic field inside our house.  The luo pan is the instrument used to detect the local magnetic field and thus translate the findings in a classical Feng Shui assessment. 

So, with the microcosm in mind, and stretching all the way to the macrocosm, we can define qi as the consciousness which sustains us internally with our internal organs, at a cellular level.  Qi can be detected and managed within our living spaces and qi can be observed and experienced within our natural environment and world.  Beyond that, the macrocosm of our Universe is qi, a unifying substance which permeates absolutely everything. And some would call that God.

Sha Qi

It has become known to me through further studies that the term “sha qi” is a bit redundant from an etymological standpoint.  The word “sha” already implies that the qi is negative or the opposite of sheng qi.  Saying “sha qi” is like saying “qi that is bad qi.”  Sha can come in many forms, but even the word sha has a multitude of meanings beyond how we relate to it in a Feng Shui context.  For instance, a slightly different pronunciation of sha can connote a small hill or mound of sand.  The “San Sha” remedy is not about “negative qi.”

Author: Kartar Diamond

Company: Feng Shui Solutions (R)

From the Feng Shui Theory Blog Series