In Feng Shui, the flow of energies which runs through the Universe is called Qi.

Qi  is not uniform in intensity. Natural obstacles or man made works of art can accelerate or reduce its flow. An isolated villa on top of a mountain, or a house close to a freeway, will receive more energy than a dwelling placed in a basin or isolated by a bunch of trees.

The goal in Feng Shui is to ease and balance the flow of this energy. This makes the Feng Shui Consultant a topographer. He must also ensure that the home is not over-exposed to the Qi, or, conversely, that it does not receive too little of its favorable effects.

The Feng Shui Consultant must consider the external form of the dwelling. Any obstacle made by man will affect the intensity and movement of the Qi. The consultant will usually recommend square or rectangular shaped structures as they tend to receive a better energy flow.

An 'L' form structure gathers in its angles all of the Qi's intensity which will then become too powerful. In the case of a condominium, it's better to choose an apartment situated in one of the extremities of either branch of the 'L'.

A "U" form will draw the flow of Qi between its branches with no possibility of escape. Qi will then stagnate, preventing positive energy to enter the structure situated at the end of the dead end street.

Finally, the Feng Shui consultant will analyse the energy flow inside the home or office. A smooth flow, meandering nicely from room to room is called Shen Qi. When the flow is too weak or, on the contrary, too strong, it is called Sha Qi. The straight line of a corridor or an entrance door facing a back door or a large window tends to accelerate the energy. A room full of furniture or painted with dark colours reduces the intensity of the flow.

To identity and reduce the Sha Qi of a home is the main function of the Feng Shui Consultant. Every room should receive as much good energy as possible, not too strong, and not too weak, bearing in mind that in the same room Sheng Qi and Sha Qi can coexist.