About Unit 5: Feng Shui, Ancient Wisdom Travels West


Feng Shui: Ancient Wisdom Travels West


          The direct translation of Feng Shui is “wind” and “water” respectively. Believe it or not, as trivial as both of these words may seem, they actually carry quite a deep meaning in Asia. Both wind and water are considered to be elements that flow with the environment that surrounds them. Hence, the term Feng Shui as a philosophy, is derived of the ancient Chinese belief that human life is constantly connected and flowing with its surroundings (like wind and water). In Asian cultures, this philosophy is linked to Taoism, a religion which emphasizes living in harmony with nature. In Western cultures, however, the philosophy of feng shui, although being adopted by many, is still frowned upon by many others who perceive it as a silly superstitious practice.

           The exploration of this topic within this unit has actually changed my views on feng shui quite drastically. Before, I used to be quite skeptical about the benefits of practicing such philosophy, and saw it merely as yet another popular oriental then western-turned esotericism, such as yoga. However, as I progressed into the content, I was caught off guard by how little I actually knew about the Chinese philosophy, and how much of an impact it has had on western culture in regards to architecture and interior design. So, no wonder my interest was piqued from the moment I started delving into this unit and all throughout.

         To conclude, I would like to say that unit 5 has been, by far, my favorite one from this textbook, for it allowed me to not only learn about how feng shui was received and adopted by western culture, but also it gave me a new perspective of feng shui altogether. 

Here’s a link to an article that I enjoyed reading regarding the principles of feng shui: https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-feng-shui-1275060

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