Feng Shui and the 5 Rhythms of Happiness

We walk at a stride towards the reunion with the winter season. The days are getting shorter and the nights are colder. The sunny days of the approaching of late summer and the smell of roasted chestnuts remind us of the need to quiet down, to rest by the crackling fireplace or, simply, the desire to wake up a little later or lie down a little earlier.

The seasons set the rhythms in us and, if we listen to it, our body behaves in the same way as a forest or any other natural environment. Too bad that sometimes we don't listen, we just hear the sound of the material's desires, the desire to do more and more, the frantic rhythm of our impulses that demand a daily fidelity that never seems satisfied. It is necessary to start paying attention to our pace and what news brings us. For our health, for the health of everyone.

View on the perspective of Chinese Metaphysics all life as we know it and all the phenomena that give it expression are born from the meeting of two primordial, antagonistic, but complementary forces, the light and shadow of everything we know as Yin and yang.

According to the Yin and Yang theory, everything in the universe can be seen and understood as a wave, a continuum of energy, drawing a perfect balance of forces where, on one side we have the maximum of yang and on the other the maximum of yin. And all the phenomena that we can appreciate have both aspects of yin and yang in different proportions, there is nothing under the sky that is completely yin or completely yang. Both of these faces of Chi energy that feeds everything are complementary, interdependent and mutually supportive.

Through this game of opposites, life evolves in its continuous process of transformation and shows us inescapably that really, the only constant in life is change.

The sharing I bring to you in this article is a reflection and observation about these rhythms of change and their expression in our emotions.

With the arrival of autumn, it is inevitable to feel our emotions more closed. In fact, if we feel we realize that our own body movement becomes heavier as if the body literally asks us for more calm, more interiorization, more ground, more presence in what we do. Slowing down and avoiding overeating is an invitation to this moment of transition to autumn winter.

What is happening in the energy of our body and emotions is the expression that teaches us that this continuous transformation from yin to yang and from yang to yin does not just happen, there are rhythms of transition in the energy. We call these different qualities of energy in Chinese Metaphysics Wu Xing. This is the expression of the wheel of the 5 elements, 5 transformations or, as we will call this article, 5 rhythms. They are Water, Tree, Fire, Soil and Metal. These rhythms are present in all the phenomena we know and, therefore, also in our energetic, mental, emotional and physical body. When in harmony, our emotions express a good quality of these 5 rhythms which, in this article I call the 5 rhythms of happiness.

When the Water Energy has a good expression in us we feel focused, flexible and the energy of courage makes us move forward without fear or, above all, invites us to insist on the path despite fear. We can learn that courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to act beyond it. In our house, the Northern Cardinal sector is the one that shows us how the chi of the water energy in us is in our living space. The materials that express this quality are glass, the shapes are wavy or misshapen, the colors are black or navy blue. To enhance and maintain a balanced rhythm of happiness for water, we can use these colors, shapes and materials, particularly in the northern sector of the house in the macro sense, or, in particular if there is a failure in the structure at that cardinal point, Northern micro sector of the other divisions. During a phase of my life when I was painfully lost, and afraid to take a risk, I painted on all the walls of the rooms relevant to me, in my room and work office, a strip of indigo blue. Wall to the north of the room and, whenever possible, meditated and worked towards the energy of that color. And the results came with time and the availability I had to carefully reveal other versions of my path to me well outside my comfort zone. We must not forget that, many times, we do not have in our life what we say we want, not because it is not available to us, but because we simply forget or are afraid to make room in our life for this manifestation.

And speaking of space, the happiness of the rhythm that the Tree Energy brings us, precisely that quality of space, growth, verticality. The rhythm of the Tree when in harmony, gives us the same strength, impetus, resilience and quality of adaptation that LIFE gives to nature in all the springs and all the dawns. The invitation is to pave the way, move forward, grow and adapt. The sectors in our house that bring this quality to us are the East and the Southeast, the shapes are ascending, the materials are wood, wicker and bamboo and the colors are all green. The saying goes that green is the color of hope and it is also the color of health. In particular, children's rooms and those dedicated to creative work or spaces for physical activity must have some expression of this quality. Have tall, green plants at home, particularly in the micro sectors of these cardinal points. I also suggest, to keep these rhythms healthy in us or to enhance them when they are diminished, to have a decoration with space, with few elements or, at least, with little decorative dispersion. In my particular case, I always try to have a completely empty drawer or shelf in my personal space, in the bedroom or living room. Ask yourself about your need to fill the space around you with things, LIFE is movement and movement needs flow to manifest our dreams and optimize the quality of connections we experience.

Flowing to the healthy rhythm of our connections we have the Fire Energy, whose harmonious expression brings us joy in life, empathy, intelligence and the ability to make good choices and good ties with others. The Southern sector is what brings us news of this rhythm in us. The materials are cork and all the quality of plastics, the shapes are pointed, in a star or pyramid, the colors are vivid like red and violet. In order to maintain a good emotional quality of the Fogo rhythm, it is essential to cultivate daily discipline, simplify life and our diet. Also try to do what we like, live the experience of passion, but in everyday things. Laughter is essential and a good quality of movement is indispensable. When anxiety sets in, look for the crackling fire of a fireplace or dance or laugh with friends, after all, despite the regrets, don't forget that life is two days, but carnival is three and love for us and humor go hand in hand. holding hands.

Speaking of love, we gently move to a different quality from that emotion, the love that unites everything, compassion, but also the stability, temperance and good quality of delivery that brings us Soil Energy. When the earth is solid in us, we feel nourished and have to give to others. To measure the degree of harmony of the Soil energy itself, make sure you like to cook just for you. The kitchens in our living space have a lot of this energy quality, but the cardinal directions are the Southwest and the Northeast. The materials are soft stone, clay, terracotta, the shapes are square and the colors earth and yellow have the greatest expression. To maintain a good harmony in your Soil emotions, soak up the sun, walk barefoot, preferably on the ground and work with your hands. Avoid refined sugar in particular in the morning and foods that are too hard and roasted. In your home, 70 percent of the decoration should be from this transformation and, particularly in family areas, look for materials of more neutral tones and natural quality with a good dose of comfort that invites you to be and opens the way for family conversations or among friends.

Finally, because life is also made of introspection, the rhythm of Metal comes to us and the healthy emotions of this transformation bring us a good quality of straightness, leadership, balanced positivity and discipline. In our space it is the cardinal points of the West and the Northwest that best express these energetic qualities. The materials are metals, the color is white, gray, gold and silver and the shapes are circles. Avoiding dairy products and very dry foods and refined foods helps to maintain the balance of these emotions. To cultivate this rhythm it is important to have time to internalize, but without forgetting to socialize. Dancing is excellent to open the flexibility of Metal and the touch helps to maintain a good oxygenation of emotions.

These are the rhythms of happiness: when Water flows in us, we have focus and flexibility in our movement of life. When Tree grows in us it gives us the resilience to move forward and teaches us to start over and find the new in the already beaten paths; the Fire shining in us brings us the charisma and the visibility to show us on this path and reminds us of the joy of being alive. When Soil sits on us, it invites us to take root in this journey and encourages surrender and compassion for our fellow travelers and, finally, when Metal internalizes us, it helps us to maintain discipline in our flow and rectitude in our choices.

Carlos D. de Andrade wrote that being happy without reason is the only true form of happiness. So, it is looking at the example of nature and simply BEING the rhythm of life knowing that there is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.

Be happy and good health for everyone.