Today, in the West, we have become a remote-controlled, instant, fast-food, push-button society, preoccupied by technological progress. We are becoming disconnected from the natural world, surrounding ourselves with much that is artificial, and exposing ourselves to increasing levels of toxicity and pollution in what we eat and what we bring into our homes. We are creating buildings that can not breathe, which are surrounded by electro-magnetic radiation, with the result that our vital energy is becoming drained by what are now being called “sick” building.
For all the advantage of modern, technological living, we have created a way of life grossly out of step with nature and without respect to the consequences our actions will have on the environment. Most of the lifestyle problems we face today were simply not around thousands of years ago. Electricity may feed us power but it robs us of our well-being when we unthinkingly live in its force-field. Geopathic stress is also more prevalent today because it comes from a distortion of natural radiation from the earth created by digging underground channels for water, communication and travel, and scarring the land with excavations for roads and buildings. We need to develop a greater awareness of what we have done and then take steps to compensate.
There is natural order in the universe of which our ancestors were aware – it provided a code for them to live by. No wonder there is an instinctive desire within us to return to a more natural way of living, to see how we can simplify our lives, without giving up the comforts of the twentieth century. Traditional lifestyles have much to teach us.
Research shows that our homes are less the entertainment centres that they were during the consumer boom of the 1980s. Values have changed. Refuge. Sanctuary. Safety. Calm. These are they words that motivate us now, as we turn out homes into heavens of peace where we can treat from the outside world and screen all communications through our answering machines. People are now realizing that to create change in their lives they need to change their homes and it is this understanding of the link between us and our home that is at the heart of feng shui.
We have to de-clutter our spaces to create the physical space for energy to flow and for new possibilities to happen. Becoming aware of what we have around us, and the impact it has, allows us to make more conscious choices. In this way, we can learn to arrange our spaces to support our goals, whatever they are – to bring up a family in a stable and secure environment, to create a safe heaven from which to explore the world, or simply to achieve peace of mind. Collection of these articles marks the beginning of a new and exciting journey for you to look at your home in a different way, as part of your future.
