Chi, the life force that inhabits everything and is made up of yin (feminine) and yang (masculine) elements. Yin and yang elements will be covered in another post.

Chi is constantly moving and changing and can make us feel good or bad in certain locations. Chi can accumulate in the objects around you. In your home or office, the chi will flow in through the door and out through the windows.

Feng Shui improvements (or "cures") are meant to keep the chi flowing gently throughout your environment rather than running straight through it. Chi can have a negative effect on your surroundings when it gets stuck or blocked.

If chi is blocked, it can have negative effects on you, also known as sha chi.

There are three major conditions of negative chi (sha chi) that can upset the balance and harmony of the space: 1. Things you don't like. 2. Broken things. 3. Clutter

You can correct this by using the "Rule of 3Rs." That is, Replace, Repair, or Remove all items creating negative chi as soon as possible.

Perhaps start with one room, or if you're ambitious, go through your whole house with a notebook and jot down an inventory of all objects that you no longer like or that have negative feelings for you. Figure out what you want to do with those items such as yard sale, donate, trash, etc. Then, replace the items one by one if necessary or go all gung-ho and do a clean sweep.

Chi is the first step on our Feng Shui journey. Feel free to contribute your own findings about Chi.