In 1987, when I moved from San Francisco to
New
York, I didn't know a lot about feng shui but I did know
that after 7 years in the Bay Area, I need a different
influence in my life. Last month when I returned
from a vacation in what I think of as my spiritual home
~ San Francisco ~ I started to think about the different
qualities of my two favorite cities.
If I may, I'd like to start from the premise that everything
is made up of 'Chi' (aka energy) or atoms in
scientific
terms. In the Buddhist philosophy, universal energy
then divides into the forces referred to as yin
& yang. Although everything is a
combination of these two
forces - people, places and things tend to represent
one or the other in greater proportion.
In general terms, yang energy is active (like summer),
light, upwardly moving or male. While yin energy is
passive (like winter), dark, downwardly directed or
female. There are endless words to describe these
polarities that are part of all things.
The Tai Chi symbol is multi-dimensional and
always represents yang
containing a bit of yin and yin containing a bit of yang.
OK, back to my
favorite cities. If you look at a map of
the San Francisco Bay area and a map of the New
York Metropolitan area you can immediately see that
New York is more condensed - or yang. San
Francisco on the other hand, is more spread out with
the wide Bay opening to the ocean - or
yin. San Francisco is foggy and moody, surrounded
by
soft hills and curvy roads ~ yin. New York is on a grid
and has more
straight lines - horizontal and vertical or yang.
When driving from the San Francisco airport, the road
curves and then gently reveals the city to you. 
When I
drive from either of the New York airports, the straight
highway does not reveal anything of what's to come
until - POW, you're at the bridge and see the dynamic
NYC
skyline. The pace and intensity of New
York is full out yang. While the slower, more sensual
atmosphere of San Francisco is obviously yin.
When I enter a home or office, I first need to
know what
my client wants to accomplish in that space. My
design ideas and feng shui advice are directed to
attaining those goals. Each one of the elements -
water, wood, fire, earth and metal are chosen for their
balancing qualities, which include their yin or yang
energetic.
We all need balance in our lives. It is
natural for things to have a proclivity for being more yin
or more yang. Right now our planet is too yang or
fiery. We need to correct this imbalance or soon we
will find ourselves with our coastlines flooded and a
watery environment that is too yin - the natural
outcome of the pendulum swinging (out of balance) in
the
opposite direction.
Finding balance in our food, bodies and environment
is what keeps us
healthy. Moving to New York when I did
helped me to balance my already very yin natural with
a shot of yang!
Consider taking a look at your own life and see which
quality - yin or yang - would help to balance you. Is it
meditation or aerobic exercise that you need?
