you are already too yin or too yang, you can then decide if you need to become more yin or more yang in order to feel happier and more balanced. Once you know this, you can change your environment in a way that helps you become more yin or more yang.
To illustrate this, let us take the example of a man who finds he becomes irritable and angry at work. He realizes that his conduct is becoming a serious problem in terms of the success of his career. Not only that, but women find him aggressive and intimidating. The first assessment we need to make is whether his behaviour is more yin or yang. My opinion is that we can safely assume he is more yang. If he can become more yin, he will be more relaxed, calmer and have a greater feeling of peace inside himself. How can we change his home to help him become more yin?
Let us take his bedroom for this example. Here are the things I would look for to avoid. Hard shiny surfaces such as mirrors. Furniture with sharp edges. Objects with bright stimulating colours, such as a picture of a bright red racing car. Objects made of hard materials. This could include metal furniture, steel ornaments or wrought iron artefacts. Wall colours that are too stimulating. Steel blinds on his windows. Brightly-coloured bed clothes.
The next step is to advise him what to replace these yang features with. My recommendation would be to bring more of the following into his bedroom. Objects and furniture with more round, curved shapes. Colours that help him relax. Perhaps greens. Cloth wall hangings. Loose curtains. Furniture made of wood rather than metal. Plants with large, round, floppy leaves instead of wrought iron. Calming colours for his bedding.
The philosophy of yin and yang is open to many interpretations and this chapter owes a great debt to the work of the Japanese author George Ohsawa.
CHAPTER 3
To help understand the process I am taking you through, imagine we are building a house. The foundation represents an understanding of Chi. The first floor is the philosophy of yin and yang. Now we are ready to add a new floor. This next layer of understanding is the five elements of Chi, also called the five transformations of Chi. Essentially, this is a further refinement of yin and yang. Whereas yin and yang express two opposite, but complementary characteristics, the five elements describe five different types of Chi.
The five elements are based on the annual seasons. Rather than the four seasons we are used to, this is based on a year divided into five distinct seasons. The additional season appears between what we think of as summer and autumn. It is called late summer. Each of the five elements describes a certain kind of Chi. To discover the characteristics of each Chi, think of the atmosphere at that time of year. In addition, each time of year is associated with a particular element to further describe the quality of that particular energy. In a medical context we can also add pairs of organs and human emotions.
Figure 7 shows each of the five elements, with the appropriate element, colour, season, time of day and movement of energy. The numbers refer to the Nine Ki numbers of the magic square. This will be explained later in the book. The idea is that you develop an understanding of the nature of the Chi at each phase based on real life experiences. (I have also added the organs and emotions, although this aspect of the five elements will not be covered further.)
For example, imagine looking at a wood in the early morning as the sun breaks the horizon during a spring day (wood). The overriding feeling is of energy moving up. Contrast this with the early evening in the autumn watching a beautiful sunset (Metal). Visualize the setting sun reflecting off metal railway tracks. The overwhelming feeling is of Chi moving inwards and becoming solid.
In the same way take yourself to the middle of a bright, hot, summer day (fire). All of nature is in full bloom. Now the Chi feels as though it is expanding in every direction, radiating heat like a fire. Next jump to the opposite (water). A freezing, foggy night in the middle of winter. The atmosphere is very cold and damp. Everything is quiet and still.
Finally, think of walking across fields on a late summer afternoon. Imagine the earth beneath your feet. Heavy, solid and substantial. These are some of the qualities associated with earth Chi.
Every day the sun will move through the sky, charging your home with solar energy. The quality of this Chi will vary through the day as the sun moves through different phases. In the morning the part of your home facing east, where the sun rises, will soak up the upward kind of Chi we described as wood. As the day progresses, the sun will move to the south and charge up the southern part of your home with the fire type of Chi. Later, the sun will begin to go down and bring more settled earth Chi into the south-west part of your home. As the sun sets in the west, the western part of your home will take in metal Chi. Finally, during the night, the north of your home benefits from water Chi. Earth Chi is also associated with the centre of your home.
Each of the five elements has a colour that most closely represents the nature of the particular Chi.
Green is the colour that is considered to most closely represent the wood Chi found in the east. This is considered to represent life, growth and vitality. The shade of green needs to make you feel uplifted, refreshed and alive to have its desired effect.
Red is the colour that represents the fire Chi of the south. The midday sun, summer and heat can all be found in this colour. The shade of red would ideally instil feelings of passion, excitement and warmth.
Yellow and brown are the colours that are considered closest to the earth Chi of the south-west and centre. Autumn in the northern hemisphere is coloured with brown leaves. Both yellow and brown can create a more settled, comfortable atmosphere. The shades of these colours should be chosen for their ability to bring out feelings of security.
White, gold and silver represent the Chi of the element of metal. These colours of the west are selected to create a solid, rich atmosphere.
Black is the colour that is closest to the water Chi found in the north. Ideally, the use of black will bring out and accentuate feelings of depth, power and flexibility.
Later in the book I will explain how nine different kinds of Chi can be used in Feng Shui. In this system the allocation of colours adds more colour choices.
Think about your home and how each room is affected by the movement of the Sun. This will begin to help you decide which activities are best suited to which parts of your home.
I expect you will find the east is ideal for activities that require more up energy. Planning your day, morning exercises or starting new projects will all work well here.
The south, fire energy, is outgoing and better for parties, social events and having fun.
The more settled energy of the south-west and centre makes this a better place for practical projects, such as hobbies, DIY projects or arts and crafts.
The west of your home is where you will find the big red sunsets, making this a romantic place to relax and conclude your day.
The north, being winter and night, makes this an obvious place to sleep.
Remember, each home is different, and these suggestions are broad generalizations. Later, we will examine each direction in more detail.
For now, the most important step is to understand the character of each part of the cycle and next, how
