iVillage

Almost all cultures have some belief or intuition concerning the nature of space and places, the sense that certain locations by virtue of their natural formations have a special energy, “There! Where Power hovers,” to use Don Juan’s expression in the books by Carlos Casteneda. This is especially true in Asian traditions, particularly those of Tibet and China, where sacred places and power centers are very much a way of life. In the Native American tradition, searching for one’s power spots whether on a vision quest or to find a quiet place to reflect is also common. Places are believed to have their own energy.

Feng-shui practitioners figured out early on that going on pilgrimage or searching out places of energy was not the only way to go. They discovered that sacred places were powerful not in some random fashion, but because they had certain physical qualities, and that with a little effort on our part, the local environment surrounding us can be coaxed to produce better conditions than they otherwise might. We can learn to make whatever space we find ourselves living in more powerful, more filled with energy. Often “bad” situations can be remedied and improved by simply redirecting the surrounding energy.