Bagua is where it all begins

Our columnist Larra Shah will help you solve problems related to your health, wellness, relationships and professional success, through Feng Shui and Colour Therapy. Send in your questions to wknd@khaleejtimes.com, with the subject line as ‘Ask the Expert’. Every month, one winner will win a personal consultation with Larra and gift vouchers worth Dh2,000, courtesy Homes R Us.

Feng Shui as a science has evolved over centuries and has gained wide acceptance. This is on account of a few reasons that form its fundamental roots. Bagua is one of these. Literally translated, it means “eight areas” — which outline roughly what it means in the Feng Shui context. The eight areas in a space are linked to eight fundamental aspects of human life, including family, prosperity, career and relationships.

Bagua is one of the tools used in Feng Shui to create the ‘energy chart’ of any space — home, garden or office. It is extremely powerful and there can be two different ways of using it — the more traditional or ‘Classical Feng Shui’ way (which I prefer) or the modern/Western Feng Shui way.

While evaluating a space for its energy, in the classical way, you need to get a compass reading of the space, typically from its main entra-nce. These days, any smartphone or an app will assist you in getting the directions.

Thereafter, by using a well-drawn floorplan, a Feng Shui practitioner should be able to advise you about how to decorate your space to ens-ure that you remain prosperous.

The secret behind this is the fact the Bagua links each of the eight directions to a specific element or energy and associates it with the use of a set of colours in the room, based on the direction or zone it falls in.

For instance, the north is associated with ‘Water’, which is in turn associated with the colours blue and black, and signifies career and your path in life. So the placement of a blue painting in a room in the north quadrant of the home can aid in having a strong career.

Sounds too simplistic? Well — it is a simple set of rules, which, combined with the ‘Ming Kua’ or one’s natal energy chart, manifests itself in a very powerful manner. Small nuances can make a great impact, and work very differently in the case of each individual.

Bagua is just the beginning of a journey which harnesses the energy in one’s surroundings, to help them scale heights and success never imagined before.

• Larra Shah

Where in my house should I keep the plants — in which rooms and what particular locations in each room?

• N. Mawani

Nature is beautiful when we ensure it is in balance. Everything that you place in your house has a cause and an effect. But we cannot think too much while placing everything in our space. Plants give out carbon dioxide at night, so avoid keeping them in your bedrooms.

Plants are considered a wood element according to Tao principles, which represents personal growth, ability to progress, creativity, knowledge etc. Too much of this ene-rgy can actually hamper decision-making or thinking with a vision. Metal chops wood, so this means that the energy of wood can be balanced by using enough white, gold, and silver colours.

If you have many plants, use white or metallic pots. Place healthy, beautiful plants in the East of your living room. Avoid cactus or thorny plants because they have Sha Chi, which can be harmful. Remember to balance the size of the plants to your space.

(For better accuracy, send your birth details and floor plan/map of your home/office; mark the north direction on the map along with your question.)