Before you can begin to Feng Shui your environment, you need to apply what’s called that Bagua (pronounced bog wa) Map.  The Bagua hails from the I Ching, or Book of Changes, a thousands-year-old book of wisdom and divination.The Bagua represents the eight building blocks of life – health, love, wealth, career, wisdom, reputation, children and helpful people plus the center area of chi (pronounced chee).  You need to apply the Bagua Map to your home and/or each room or office you plan to Feng Shui.First, you need to look at the basic structure of your home.There are four basic house shapes – square, rectangle, L-shaped and U-shaped.  In Western Feng Shui, the goal is to turn the dwelling into a square or rectangle.On a large sheet of paper, draw a sketch of the home you wish to Feng Shui.  Include any areas that just out, such as a garage, a breakfast nook or a greenhouse.  Make note of any areas that cut into what would make a perfect square or rectangle, such as an alcove or nook.Note where each room is when you make your drawing.  All areas under a common roof are considered part of the house.  And note where the front door is located.If you live in a U-shaped or L-shaped home, you will need to make some adjustments.

L-shaped and U-shaped homes:If you live in an L-shaped or U-shaped home, chances are, you’re not fully experiencing some area of your life.  The goal of Feng Shui is to restore balance and harmony, and one of the ways you can do this is by completing the square.  The Bagua Map on page 21 will  show you how the missing areas in your home compare to the missing opportunities in your life.U-shaped homes are missing an area in the front of the house of the back that corresponds to the Fame and Reputation or Career Areas.To overcome the missing areas, you can build an arbor in the space, landscape with large potted trees or add a sculpture or windchimes.  This will help symbolically “fill in” the missing area.Completing the square:  In order to complete your square, you’ll fill in any area missing from your L-shaped or U-shaped drawing with dotted lines so you create a complete square.  If you already have a rectangle or square home, you don’t need to do anything to complete your drawing.Once your house sketch is in the form of a square or rectangle, divide it into nine parts.  Split the length into thirds, then split the width into thirds.That is all that is required in sketching your own plan.  Now you’re ready to begin the process of Feng Shui’ing your home or work space.