On the way to ‘schway’

Feng shui finds popularity in the west

By KELSEY BLACKWELL
UNIVERSITY JOURNAL

While SUU students may not be familiar with the principle of feng shui, more and more people are embracing this ancient Chinese philosophy that teaches one how to obtain happiness and success.
Feng shui (pronounced foong schway) literally means wind and water and originated in China between 2953 and 2838 B.C. under Emperor Fu His, Sarah Shurety said in her book Feng Shui For Your Home.
The Chinese philosophy is based on the belief that the location of a house and the placement of the objects in it lead the way to a life of contentment, Richard Webster said in his book 101 Feng Shui Tips for the Home.
Becky Lee, a junior art major from Phoenix Ariz., said though she is not familiar with the principles of feng shui the idea makes sense.
“It makes sense but I’ve never heard of it,” Lee said. “Some things should have certain places.”
At the center of the philosophy is a chart called a bagua. The bagua represents nine principles that must be achieved to reach balance, Shurety said.
The nine areas of focus on the bagua are career, relationship, ancestors, wealth, health, benefactors, children, knowledge and fame.
Each square or section of the bagua relates to a part of the house, facet of life, number, organ in the body, planet, season or time.
Placing the bague template in the home or office establishes how to improve the feng shui aspect of one’s life, Shurtey said.
The philosophy of feng shui thrived in China until the late 1950s when it was officially banned by those who thought the practice was not acceptable, Shurety said. All manuscripts pertaining to the philosophy were destroyed and feng shui masters were jailed. Today, feng shui is practiced limitedly in the country.
In other Asian countries, however, the principles of feng shui are an essential part of life. In Malaysia, locals refuse to work in a building unless it has been approved by a feng shui consultant, Shurety said.
The philosophy is slowly spreading to the United States. Donald Trump’s building Trump Towers was built applying the principles of feng shui, www.technology-boiseoffice.com reported.
“It was really recommended by the Asian buyers, and people would come in and were asking about the principles,” Trump said in an interview with Dateline on Aug. 8, 1995.
“And I said, ‘I’ll tell you what folks . . . we’re going to start looking into this because so many people started asking.’”
Other corporations such as Virgin Airlines, Citibank and The Wall Street Journal are using the philosophy to create harmony, liberate energy, boost moral and improve productivity, the site reported.
Not only are large companies using feng shui, but people in Utah advocate the principle.
Mary Reeves Boughton, owner and CEO of Living Path (a company in Salt Lake City devoted to helping people obtain balance in their homes), said she began to look into the philosophy of feng shui after moving into a house with negative energy.
“I moved into a new house and my health just crashed,” Boughton said.