[image error]East and West have comingled long enough now that many of us have heard of chi. According to traditional Chinese culture, chi is the life force that permeates, well…everything. This invisible energy runs through our bodies, our minds, our environments; it is the vibrational play of energy that swirls through our interactions with other people and our surroundings.

This concept of life force is a part of most ancient cultures. In India it’s known as prana, and in Japan ki. Native Americans refer to it as the Great Spirit, and it goes by 95 other names in 95 other cultures.

Feng shui is all about awakening, enlivening, and balancing this chi.

Our physical environment can stifle or stimulate our chi, thereby affecting every component of our lives. Feng shui helps to correct blocked chi, opening up a free flow of energy between our self and our universe. Think of feng shui as earth acupuncture. Stimulate the right point, and voila! You’ve just aligned the earth—with your chi—with your desire.

But is there any scientific basis for a belief in chi?

If we look through the lens of Western science, then no. Empirical effects and subjective experience aren’t enough to substantiate that which can’t be seen. But if we consider chi in light of physics and not chemistry, we can discover that there is indeed a unity behind all existence, and a never-ending exchange between external stimuli and internal reactions. 

Newton’s Third Law of Classical Mechanics states that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” And quantum mechanics has shown that objects can exert influence without making any direct contact.

Consider the continual interplay of energy between your body and the earth. The earth is electrically charged, and science has shown that when you connect with the earth—standing barefoot on grass let’s say—electrons pass from the ground, through the soles of your feet, and into your body. This technique, called grounding or earthing, has been shown to alleviate pain, improve sleep, calm inflammation, and elevate well-being.

Science has also shown that humans (and all of existence for that matter) actually radiate visible light. This light is 1000 times less intense than the light levels we can see with the naked eye, but some people swear they can see it. Auras sound familiar? Those in the science world refer to it as the biophoton field, and it’s been proven to process, store, and retrieve information that controls your biological processes.

Healing therapies that access the bioenergetic field—modalities like reiki, acupuncture, acupressure, and pranic healing—all attempt to activate and re-balance stifled chi. Perhaps you’ve had your own experience with amplifying chi in your life, either through healing touch or feng shui. We’d love to hear about it!

If you like what you’ve read and want more, you can buy our book Feng Shui On A Dime, and even read it on your favorite e-reader.