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Walkways
This Chinese yin yang character translates into English as meaning "Flowing energy,
vitality, or spiritual life force, although its literal meaning is "breath". In Oriental healing, martial,
and spiritual arts, the aspect of life force known as Chi is central to developing the correct
understanding as to where to place the emphasis in architectural design for your home or
business...
Form and
Function
define the form, location and design to harmonize with specific basic principles of the ancient
arts. Much of the esoteric aspect of Feng Shui is "earth Chi" related in that it implies the ability
to understand the way energy flows through the earth. This skill to perceive energy flowing
through the earth, what the Chinese call "Dragon veins", is similar to T'ai Chi where we seek to
feel the energy flow through our bodies. With this skill, a Feng Shui master would select the
proper positioning of houses, patios, waterscapes and even your driveway and other
structures correctly in respect to these earth energetic meridians.
Today, Feng Shui is growing in popularity in the West as element of what I might consider
conscious interior & exterior design. The art describes how to maximize functional layout in
respect to directional reference and use of implements such as mirrors, plants, patios and
other positive devices, all for the purpose of enhancing the living or work environment. And
while this is certainly a viable use of the art, I feel that it is important to take into consideration
the broader scope of the study which is to understand that as an individual is presented with
an immense amount of cosmic influence or energy. To the degree that one understands this,
and has the skill to take advantage of it well, one appreciates the study of Feng Shui.
Along with the law of Yin and Yang, § ancient Taoists observed a pattern of expression in
nature that they interpreted as, and called, the Five Elements. These elements, or energies,
were described as fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. As such, they were felt to be the prime
energetic building blocks from which all material substance in the phenomenal world is
composed.
The basic idea is that all things are made up of some combination of these elements, and
therefore express the traits or tendencies implied. If one were to look in traditional Chinese
medical scrolls, one finds long lists of categories ascribed to each of these life force elements.
The breakdown into these categories includes the seasons, foods, personality and body types,
colors, sounds, smells, and positioning of manifested elements. For example, in color, fire is
red, earth is golden-brown, metal is white, water is blue-black, and wood is green. In the body,
fire is the heart, earth is the stomach, metal is the lungs, water is the kidneys, & wood is the
liver.
So what is the value of this perseptual life model? What are its practical applications? The
ancient Taoists felt that as humans, we were unique in that our need and potential was to
create a balance of all five elements in order to achieve maximal health. Through diet,
attunement to our environment, and movement practice, one has the opportunity to access
these energies.
Traditional Chinese doctors diagnoses both and treats a patient in respect to the model of the
Five Elements. Through listening to the pulses, determining one's constitutional elemental type
(one is understood to be predominately either fire, earth, metal, water, or wood), and observing
pysiogomy (facial diagnosis), the doctor determines if there are imbalances within the patient in
respect to the Five Elements; too much fire, too little water, and so on. The treatment, either
through acupuncture, herbs, or movement practice is intended to support a process of allowing
an individual to return to a flowing state of energetic elemental balance.
Our understanding of the Five Elements can lead to great sophisticated designs and subtlety,
as is our experience at ConcreteForever.com with both Chinese doctors and T'ai Chi masters
that we have met. But in general anyone can begin by understanding the basic characteristics
of each of the elements. Fire is the primary creative force of life. The positive movement
between the Five Elements, what is called the Creative Cycle begins with fire. It is dominant
Yang and represents warmth, light, and the initial spark of life. It in turn leads to earth. Earth
represents all that we think of as substantial, enduring, and persevering. Next comes metal.
People often ask "Where's the air element?" In the Taoist view, the metal element is very
similar to air. It includes the lungs as its organ, but in general represents the process of
transforming something that is base and impure into something that is pure and strong. An
example is that of forging iron into steel.
The next element is water which is archetypal Yin . It is all that is soft, fluid, and continuous.
Last is wood who's image is that of the blade of grass or the bamboo shoot. It represents
suppleness and the ability to yield well in the face of force or aggression. It completes the
elemental cycle and in turn reconnects back to the point of origin, fire.
By utililzing Feng shui and T'ai Chi in your new home design or decorative concrete project you
can begin to create a positive energy that will allow consonance in your life force in a very
positive way.
These principles have been handed down both orally and through the traditional writings of
T'ai Chi which are collectively referred to as the Classics. § They include an emphasis on
relaxation of tension, both physical and mental, leading to the development of internal strength;
a process of integration in which the mind and body become unified; and an unshakable
understanding that the key element in respect to any life success is the maintenance of the
qualities of balance and harmony.
Styles come and go. Form is of value only in respect to the opportunity it presents in allowing
insight into something more essential. The emphasis that T'ai Chi places on principles, and
their sense of timelessness in the midst of constant change, is truly the key to the practice of
T'ai Chi being an "internal study".
positive energy
with colors
your Concrete
Textures
stairways
waterscapes
Concrete
Design tools
Concrete?
