By Hilary Diack
Creating a harmonious home and work environment requires care, and as we discovered, an understanding of the energies around us. Cairo East Magazine went to certified Feng Shui consultant and trainer Aoun Abi Aoun to learn more about this ancient art.
CEM: In a nutshell, what is Feng Shui?
AA: Feng Shui is the art of living based on the conscious relationship between the human being and his environment. Every orientation, color, material, form, and source of light has an impact on our life and state of being. Feng Shui is the art of transforming our living spaces into a healthy and beneficial environment by orchestrating the elements of nature and allowing the complementarity between Yin and Yang and the fluid circulation of “QI,” the cosmic breath. It all starts with our vision and by changing our vision we can change the world. The purpose of Feng Shui is to provide a better quality of life.
How did you become interested In Feng Shui?
Since childhood I have spent most of my time in a natural environment, enjoying the Lebanese mountains, rivers, caves and early morning sunlight. This opened my consciousness to the dimension of energies and allowed me to discover the beauty, the order and harmony in everything. It also made me think how great it would be to bring this feeling and this relation with the ‘whole’ back to my house.
Feng Shui came as a natural path to me; the word itself always triggered my interest. It led me to follow the series of courses organized in different countries by the Academy of the International Federation of the Feng Shui of the Present Time – Switzerland. When I experienced its impact, I decided to continue and became a consultant and trainer. I was recently appointed Middle East representative.
From personal experience and case studies how effective is Feng Shui?
Feng Shui is really at the service of mankind. The impact of the surrounding environment on our health and psychology is obvious whether positive or negative. On a personal level, I only developed my passion to become a professional when I observed its direct and effective impact on both myself and the people close to me that applied it. When Feng Shui started 5000 years ago in China, one of the main objectives was for doctors to be able to heal not only the physical body, but also the house of the patient to facilitate a healthy life and to prevent illness in the long term. In our time, even business associations are applying it for benefits such as an increase in productivity, fluid communication, synergy, and clear vision.
How easy is it for someone to apply simple remedies in their home and work environments?
It is actually very easy. There are many simple actions that we can implement at home to benefit from direct and effective change. All that is needed is to be open to the space and listen to what is needed in an intuitive way. It is a whole study that is very personalized based on the conscious relationship between people and their living spaces.
What are your top tips for anyone wanting to create a better energy in their living or work space?
The first step is aim to achieve beauty, harmony and order in everything.
-Recognize the place by positioning yourself in a state of observation without judgment and with lots of love. You will be amazed how a space can reveal itself to show you its positive and negative aspects. Identify the difficult factors and the feeling will lead you to take the right actions through inspiration.
-Identify and eliminate anything that blocks the circulation.
-Make sure that nothing disturbs your senses; everything should be fulfilling (the quality of light, sounds, aromas … the feeling of your couch).
-Flowers are very positive for the home and can change the whole atmosphere of a space.
-Plants are essential to purify a place and make it more alive. It is our relation to the plant kingdom.
-Keep what you like and eliminate all that is unnecessary.
-Find the complementarity in everything, the light and shadow, the contrast of colors, the material, the forms.
-Identify the function of each space and check through your feelings if the needed energy exists or not. I recommend reading the book The 5 keys of Feng Shui to give you a clear idea about the energies needed for each space in relation to the five elements.
In brief the harmony of a place is obtained by allowing the energies in relation to the five elements to exist (Fire, Air/Metal, Water, Earth and Ether/Wood), and to express them positively to create a unifying environment in harmony with the earth and the universe.
How can following Feng Shui principles positively affect your lifestyle?
The multiple benefits of Feng Shui are peace, serenity, psychological health, stability, abundance, improved time management, increased productivity, fluid communication, clear vision, and higher consciousness through the activation of the senses.
In fact each element in relation to an archetype provides specific qualities to the concerned space and the house in general:
Fire/Eagle: clear vision, leadership, and the facility to engage in actions and projects.
Air-Metal/Lion: Protection, the capacity to grasp opportunities, planning and organizing.
Water/Dolphin: Purification, it is the source of life, expression of the identity, communication, sharing, creativity, and joy.
Earth/Bull: Force of life, family spirit, abundance, stability, and good sense.
Ether-Wood/Winged dragon: Inspiration, conceptualization, spirituality and serenity.
Weft/Winged snake: It is the quintessence of everything in relation earth-universe, energy of kundalini, transcendence. It is expressed when harmony is in place.
How can Feng Shui benefit society as a whole?
Feng Shui is useful on different levels, especially on the collective one. For example it can be used for:
-Public gardens: to bring the energies of nature into the cities and allow people to find balance, serenity and joy in a fulfilling environment that connects them with essence of life and the quality of the moment.
-Medical centers and healthcare: to create a healing environment and bring more caring, serene, and efficient hospital settings for patients, medical corporations, administrative and technical staff.
-Tourism: a new way to relate to what has always been there. Feng Shui tourism is a world- wide network aiming to create the desire for a new way of discovery based on local strengths, culture and identity and a human attraction to universal values.
-Business associations: to promote the expression of corporate identity and company development through the organization of its sectors of activity. It increases productivity, creativity, time management, and interpersonal relationships.
-Real Estate: to introduce a lifestyle that becomes a standard of quality to achieve excellence in how to design a place, sell or inhabit it.
-Wedding: The identification of the common element of the couple is a great support in creating the theme of the wedding day, including the location, the colors, the type of food, the decoration, etc. Above all it allows the couple to choose the best date and time for the ceremony which will mark their married life and nourish them on different levels.
Does the study of astrology help in learning about Feng Shui?
We are continuously bathing in cosmic energies and the telluric energies (energies emitted from the core of the planet through the different kingdoms).
During a Feng Shui study, the consultant identifies the influences of the telluric energies on the person (at the time, location and date of birth) and on the location of the house in order to find the right actions that bring harmony between both and allow those energies to become beneficial.
The study of the tellurologic theme of a person is a great gift that brings light to many aspects of life. It clarifies the strength and obstacles of our karma and provides applicable solutions to overcome specific challenges.
A second stage, upon request, is when a Telluro-Astrologue can give an additional reading which allows the consultant to provide Feng Shui solutions related to specific cases. It is a great tool for parents to understand their children and give them the right, needed support to actualize themselves.
At the Feng Shui Academy of the International Federation of the Present Time, it is possible to learn both sciences.
Do you hold regular courses in Cairo, and what is covered?
The Feng Shui Academy, with the coordination of Nun Center, is now open for all interested people (architects, designers, artists, therapists, Feng Shui lovers, and anyone who is searching for a better quality life) to join a series of courses scheduled throughout the year.
Our first level ran in September and allowed each participant to understand and apply the Feng Shui tools at home. The second level, scheduled for the first weekend of November 2014, is for those who wish to discover their Tellurologic theme, master the Feng Shui application and learn how to apply it for their offices and gardens. The remaining seminars are for those who wish to become consultants.
