Misconception 1: Feng Shui is Interior Design.
Truth: In Feng Shui the exterior of a property is much more important than the interior. The positions of roads, landscape features such as water and mountains, how the land slopes or does not slope around the building(s), and the effects of neighbouring buildings determine the quality and quantity of the energy that gets to the property. Feng Shui is about energy and there is much more energy to evaluate and harness outside than inside.
Misconception 2: Feng Shui involves placing crystals, wind chimes, and various symbolic objects.
Truth: Feng Shui is about energy and not things. Energy is invisible. True Feng Shui is about being in the right place(ment) at the right time – The right property that can receive beneficial energy at that time, the right building orientation, the right room, with the right door, and the best position in that room is what creates the superior results feng shui can bring. A Feng Shui property can look like any other.
Misconception 3: Feng Shui is a style involving minimalist zen spaces, asian furnishings and artwork, mirrors, bamboo plants, red colours and water features.
Truth: Any style of building can have beneficial or negative feng shui. Traditional feng shui is very careful about the use of mirrors and red colours, and water features is the biggest misconception about Feng Shui (See Misconception #8 below)
Misconception 4: Feng Shui is just for homes.
Truth: Feng Shui has been involved in creating success for business and politics for generations. The capitals of China were set up based on feng shui analysis of what landscape features would create success in which dynasty. Manhattan is a financial capital because of how the energy of the rivers flow and are held around Manhattan. Many large and small businesses and land development projects rely on feng shui to increase their bottom line and maximize and protect their ROI.
Misconception 5: A Feng Shui consultant can fix anything.
Truth: A good feng shui practitioner can always improve things, however the best use of Feng Shui is to approve your property selection before you buy or lease. Many properties are out of the flow of health and wealth at any given time. Investment in fengs shui guidance to find a beneficial environment pays for itself both in results produced and problems averted.
Misconception 6: Feng Shui is simple and can be learned quickly. Anyone can do it. It can be learned from a book. The main method of Feng Shui is to apply a map with 9 Aspects of Life (The Ba Gua or Pa Kua) over your building and then place symbols in each area to enhance each one.
Truth: It takes decades of diligent study, practice and experience to become a masterful feng shui practitioner, able to deduce the energy issue at hand in an endless variety of situations, recommend effective solutions and calculate the timing to implement them safely. True feng shui knowledge has many closely guarded secrets that are not found in books, and understanding how to apply them is learned by observing a Master over many years. The Ba Gua is a simplified method that was our introduction to feng shui in the West in the 1970’s. It is a charming method, based on mind over matter, which is a powerful concept in itself, and to be honest, was most of what I knew in my first 7 years of practice, however it is not the true traditional feng shui, which has much, much more to offer.
Misconception 7: One must be Asian, Buddhist or believe in Feng Shui for it to work
Truth: Feng Shui is based on timeless universal laws of nature that apply equally to everyone, everywhere, always. Feng Shui is not a religion. It is a success system based on managing one’s environment. People and companies of many types in many countries benefit from it.
And the most important misconception…
Misconception 8: A Feng Shui environment must have a water fountain; water fountains bring wealth and luck!
Truth: In Feng Shui, water is the strongest medicine we have. Like any strong medicine it can help you or hurt you. Water in the right place at the right time can increase one’s success. However placing water in the wrong place, or at the wrong time, can cause one many issues and setbacks. Following the precept of “First Do No Harm” it is often better to avoid water features entirely.
