By now many of us heard of the ancient eastern practice of Feng Shui. If not, put simply, Feng Shui is the ancient science (some call it an art) of environmental harmony.

Without going into detail, there are different perspectives and uses of Feng Shui. Keep in mind that no one practice of Feng Shui is more right or wrong than another; they are simply different approaches to the unifying goal of helping individuals achieve balance and harmony in their lives.

One principle commonly used in Feng Shui is that of The Five Element Theory. This theory basically states that there is a cyclical nature between the predominating elements of our world and how we can use those elements to live in harmony with our environment. These predominating elements are seen as: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

As with any cycle, the flow can be clockwise or counter clock wise. When looking at the five-element cycle we can see the same pattern, only it is described as the enhancing cycle or diminishing cycle. An enhancing cycle is depicted as Wood feeding Fire; Fire then creates Earth; Earth then produces Metal; Metal attracts Water (condensation); And, Water the nourishes Wood. Conversely, a diminishing cycle is one where Wood destroys Earth (absorbing its nutrients); Earth destroys Water (turning it into mud); Water destroys Fire; Fire destroys Metal (melting it); and Metal destroys Wood (Metal blades cut Wood).

With these elements and their destructing and enhancing cycles we can then turn our attentions to the environment.

If we look at Seattle, for example, I think that we can all agree that the predominating element in that city is water. We know from our diminishing cycle that water destroys fire, leaving people feeling cold and wet. In the same token, water enhances wood, which can then be used to feed fire. Therefore, from a Feng Shui point of view, a harmonious environment in Seattle would be one with lots of wood, which would then increase the perception of warmth. In the same token, isn't it interesting how mountain communities seem to have more A-frame homes than other places? Well if we look at this from a Feng Shui perspective we will note that mountain communities get quite cold, the opposite of cold (yin and yang concept) is heat, and A-frames take on the fire symbol (triangular) and are typically made from wood and contain many wood features.

Now let's look at this same situation from a different perspective. We agree that the predominate element in Seattle is water and we know that water feeds wood and hence expect to see a great deal of wood in that area. But because of the abundance of water, wood which is not living will decay faster due to excessive growth of living wood (in this case moss). So, what is the element that we need to introduce to this environment to bring about balance? Obviously fire would be important and hence homes with fireplaces will have better environmental harmony. But, it's earth that destroys water and hence earthen building materials such as brick, stone, and slate would bring about better harmony.

From a Feng Shui mindset, a brick building would reduce the water; by reducing the water you're reducing the growth of wood/moss that promotes decay. On the interior, one would want to counteract the cold damp feeling that is associated with water and hence wood accents and furnishing would help feed the fire in the fire place(s). In the mountain communities where wood is the predominating element we would want to introduce the element of metal in the form of wrought iron fencing (wood picket fences will fuel a fire) and metal accessories wherever appropriate. During the winter months, however, mountain communities get cold and the principle of Yin and Yang would have to be applied. Because metal attracts water, and both metal and water are cool elements, we would want to bring in warm elements of wood and fire. Earth is a neutral temperature and would also be appropriate. Hence, earthen fire mantles would the most appropriate as opposed to wooden mantels.

When we look at Feng Shui's five elements and apply simple Yin-Yang principles, we can see how each of our environments differs in their unique characteristics. The key is to understand your environment's predominating element(s) and then to build, decorate, and landscape in accordance to those concepts.

Some environments such as Seattle, Palm Springs, and Denver are obvious in their predominating element. Other environments such as Austin, Miami, and many of the North Eastern cities of the U.S. are a little more challenging.

Miami, for example, has a strong water element with the humidity but also a strong fire element with the heat. Ironically, this balancing of opposing forces (fire and water) might lead one to conclude that the environment is perfectly balanced. However, this is not the case, especially when we consider this environment for human habitation. Miami is an environment where both fire and water are presented in excess. This means that if I were to build a home in this area it would probably be composed of earth elements such as brick, stone, or stucco. I would then want to remove excess heat by incorporating lots of archways, and perhaps metal fences or decorative accents on the outside inside the home. For the interior, I would also capitalize on the metal and earth elements. At this point one might ask why metal when metal attracts water. There are three answers: one is because water destroys fire which means that we need to keep the water; the second is because metal attracts water which means that it is gathering the water to certain places; the third reason is because metal is a cool element, which means that it helps balance the heat brought about from the fire element. Hence, using the metal element in this environment will help to reduce the perception of humidity and invoke feelings of coolness. Again, metal serves as a gathering point for moisture; thus reducing the water to oxygen ratio in the air, and then providing a solid substance (water) to reduce the heat (fire element). Additionally, I would introduce earth elements into the décor. Items such as statuary, ceramic tile floors, and granite can all be used as a means to absorb excess water.

As an Environmental Psychologist, I can not scientifically explain the relationship between the balance among Feng Shui's Five Elements and positive outcomes, but as a Feng Shui Consultant and Instructor, I know that when I balance to the five elements within an environment for either house-staging purposes, home building, or just as an environmental adjustment, people report homes that make a better first impression, people are more satisfied with what they have built, and people report a general feeling of satisfaction and harmony. For me, the end result should always be the health and happiness of the person; how that objective is obtained is not for me to question or criticize. My role as either an Environmental Psychologist or Feng Shui Consultant is to simply assist people in attaining personal health and happiness. Perhaps what this antidotal evidence regarding the use of Feng Shui's Five Elements actually proves is that the holistic spirit, mind, body approach has such a deep human-environment connection that science, which is still in its infancy, has yet to understand.

Published: February 19, 2004

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David Alan Kopec "DAK" has a Ph.D. in Environmental Psychology with a concentration in perception and design and two master's degrees, one in Architecture and another in Community Psychology. He also has a bachelor's degree in community/public health, is certified by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC), a member of Interior Design Education Council (IDEC), and studied the practice and principles of Feng Shui in China. Among DAK's most notable accomplishments include the completion of the first textbook on environmental psychology for design, published by Fairchild Books, which won ASID's 2006 Joel Polsky Prize. He has also authored two monographs; the first analyzes the Americans with Disabilities Act along with the common issues faced by an elderly population, published by ASID. The second monograph discusses the design of long-term care facilities in a multicultural society. This is being published by NCIDQ. Currently DAK is working on a second textbook that analyzes health, sustainability and design. Fairchild Books will release this book in the Spring of 2008. Also, DAK is a 2006 award recipient from Rebuilding Together San Diego. DAK is an Associate Professor of Design at the Newschool of Architecture and Design. In addition, DAK has a private practice, provides consulting services and educational lectures at events such as Neo-Con World’s Trade Fair in Chicago, the annual leadership conference for the American Society for Interior Designers (ASID), and dozens of physician conferences and meetings.