Busting Feng Shui Myths: It's Not About Where You Put Your Furniture!

Think Feng Shui is about placing Asian art and sculptures throughout the house? It's definitely not, according to Feng Shui expert Dato' Joey Yap. Time to chuck those unsightly crystals!

Dato' Joey Yap, the founder of Mastery Academy of Chinese Metaphysics and Chief Consultant of Joey Yap Consulting Group (which handles both Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology services), says there are a few popular yet untrue beliefs about the ancient practice - and he's here to bust them.

What Feng Shui Is Not About

- Feng Shui is not just for Chinese culture, as some in the West have similar, energy-related concepts

- It's not about living in harmony with the environment, or getting rich

- Placing objects like statues and talismans does not improve luck (and certain paintings will not exude negative Qi either!). In fact, it's not about where you place your furniture or art, at all!

What Feng Shui Actually Is

Feng Shui translates to Wind and Water, and is used to describe the flow of Qi (energy). Feng Shui is the art of accessing the qualities of the energy converging at, or affecting, a certain location; this is to determine the location's potential and shortcomings.

As Qi can be good and bad, Feng Shui is used to tap on the good, and avoid the bad. It has a lot to do with water and its placement, to identify auspicious directions.

We ask Dato' Joey Yap for some advice...

Question: So if the position of furniture doesn't affect Feng Shui, what does?

Dato' Joey Yap: Positions of furniture will have no effect whatsoever on Feng Shui - that's just superstition! The respectable ancient art depends on factors like Mountain and Water, through which Qi is generated and collected respectively.

So, the placement of water features (such as ponds and fountains) within the premises of the home - like the main door and sleeping areas - is what really matters.

Their positions should be in tandem with individual auspicious directions, which are obtained after delving deeper into the wonders of Feng Shui.

If placed at an unsuitable area, or if it faces an unfavourable direction, the Water Element could bring about the opposite effects of what you initially set out for.

Therefore, it is imperative that one assesses the external environment first, and then proceed to placing the Water Element at an appropriate spot to tap into positive Qi. Only this way would one be able to experience the changes they wish to see in life.