A simple, or fairly simple, explanation of feng shui is that it is about the placement of objects in a human environment so as not to disrupt the flow of natural energy.

Feng Shui is based around the idea that everything in the world is interconnected and that there are harmonious and inharmonious ways in which everything can interact. Feng shui philosophy has it that it is better for us as human beings if everything in our environment is in harmony. Some of you might question the general idea of feng shui, but you surely wouldn't question that it's better to be in harmony with your environment than not.

A concept from Chinese culture is the idea of life force energy - qi or chi. It is a key element of feng shui that you shouldn't interfere with the flow of this energy. It is to this end that the placement of the various objects that exist in your environment is important - i.e. they should be placed in such a way that they do not impede the flow of qi in said environment.

Real feng shui has its first surviving written description dating back to about 25 CE. It is thought that the history of feng shui actually dates back for thousands of years. This means that in China it predates Confucianism and Taoism.

The practice of feng shui does not guarantee the end to all of your problems, but its practitioners believe that it swings the balance in favor of the positive and creates an atmosphere where opportunity and potential can flourish.

In feng shui there is an understanding that nature works towards balance and that in our lives as human beings it is beneficial for us to work in harmony with nature rather than against her.

An understanding of feng shui allows you to create harmony in your microcosm that is in balance with the overall natural macrocosm.

It is interesting to note that the ideas about color incorporated into feng shui seem to be in general agreement with a lot of today's scientific thinking. Scientists today generally agree that there is evidence that suggests color can indeed influence mood.

Feng shui certainly doesn't say that there is only one perfect way to design a living environment. We are all different and feng shui acknowledges this by encouraging you to know yourself so that you can best express exactly what it is that you're looking for. When you have spent some time thinking about exactly what you want in terms of the atmosphere in your living space that you're happiest with, feng shui will give you guidance to enable you to achieve this.

That last comment gives you the real secret to feng shui. It's not a one size fits all thing. You have to learn to personalize it to fit you. If you really want it to work best for you, you have to know as exactly as possible what you want.

If you're feeling that something is not quite right in your home it might be a good idea to try some of the principles of feng shui on one room to start with and let your feelings be a guide as to whether you feel it's worked or not before trying it on every room in the house.