Yep, we’re still talking about holons! (For a refresher on what they are, read here and here.) You may remember that in feng shui, we use three main holons to help us evaluate and diagnose a situation: the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Holon, the Human Development Holon, and the Feng Shui Holon. Let’s learn about the Feng Shui Holon.
The Feng Shui Holon
As you can imagine, the Feng Shui Holon focuses on what’s happening in someone’s physical environment. In the Feng Shui Holon, a person’s appropriate personal choices build on that space’s location within the bagua, which builds on the five elements, which builds on how the sensorial system is activated, which builds on the balance between Yin and Yang, which builds on the sense of Tao. For the Feng Shui Holon, the focus is on whether the conditions in a space are working towards or against the achievement of a goal. Are these conditions supporting someone in getting what they want, or are they creating obstacles and impediments? As with the other holons, if any one of these elements from the Feng Shui Holon is out of sync with or not supportive of a person’s stated goal, it becomes very challenging for them to achieve what they want, and feng shui changes to the space must be made.
What Do Each of These Layers Represent?
Let’s dig into the specifics of each layer and how they work together:
Tao: Tao is about the connections within our home and our lives. It’s about feeling connected to one’s purpose and talents, family, friends, communities, the natural world, and the universe. It also means feeling connected to the sense of serving oneself and prioritizing one’s own needs. It’s the feeling of a space.
Yin Yang: Yin and Yang are about balance and how opposites support each other and comprise a whole. One cannot exist without the other. Yin elements are more reserved and contemplative. They’re about nurturing yourself, your focus and concentration, rest and relaxation, and your body and health. Yang elements are excitable and action-oriented and focus more on altruistic, emotional, mental, and physical stimulation. It’s important to make sure there’s a balance of both within a space.
Sensorial: The sensorial system focuses on engaging and activating the five senses (taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound). When evaluating a space, we want to make sure that there’s a diversity of tactile, olfactory, auditory, and visual sensations.
Elements: There are five elements in feng shui, and it’s important to make sure that there is a representation of each element in a space. The Earth element brings a feeling of being at ease with a place. The Wood element allows us to shape a place with our own ideas or sense of self. The Metal element helps us to discern things for ourselves. The Fire element allows us to advance our own needs while at the same time inspiring others. The Water element helps us to be able to express the full range of emotions without being prisoner to any single one.
Bagua: The Bagua is an energy map that guides us in how to enhance different areas of our lives. It is a physical map that can be placed over a space and assigns nine different categories to a specific physical area. The nine categories are health, experience in the here and now (self), belief in the future, family and community, descendants and legacy, compassion, wisdom, relationships, and self-empowerment. When we can determine which parts of a physical space are connected to each one of these categories, we can help correct any imbalances or draw attention to things that might be preventing someone from achieving their goals.
Appropriate Personal Choices: This refers to your personal style and taste and how you might express these different elements in your home. For instance, someone who needs to bring more of the fire element into their living room may add a burgundy rug, while someone else may feel more comfortable adding cone-shaped lamp shades or artwork with triangular shapes.
In essence, the Feng Shui Holon guides us in the art of using feng shui to balance a space so that we can achieve our goals. When your space is supportive and harmonious, anything is possible!