Earth: First, Find Your Center

“Great acts are made up of small deeds.” - Lao Tzu

In Tai Chi and Qigong, before moving, you must first find your center. In music, to make the best sound, you must use the strength and balance that comes from a strong core/center. This is true for Feng Shui, as well. To correct and maintain alignments of all kinds, the best place to start is by finding and supporting your home’s center. When centered, all things around the core move smoothly, harmoniously and maintain a natural equilibrium.

Earth energy is at the core of all other energies. Earth supports all other elements. Seasonally, it’s best represented by autumn, when the sweet golden wheat is ready for harvest and every belly is fully satisfied. It is the center, around which all things move. It is the lower dan tien in the body, located beneath the belly button. It is representative of all relationships but especially the relationship of the mother and father to the child.

In Feng Shui, Earth is the center of the home, and it also rules the northeast corner (Gen) of Knowledge as well as the southwest corner (Kun) of Relationships. When a home or environment has too much Earth energy, the energy can feel sluggish, restricting, thick, and excessively sweet. When there is too little Earth, the energy can feel scattered, suffocating, restless, and lacking sweetness. When Earth energy is out of balance, a house never quite feels like home.

When balanced, Earth is the rich soil seeds grow in, providing a foundation for the seed to grow, put down roots, and develop to fruitful maturity. It is flexible enough to allow for the full expression of the seedlings it cradles, yet firm enough to keep the seedlings grounded, true to their own nature, yet always aware of where home is.

When Earth energies are imbalanced in the natural environment, the soil is inhospitable to new growth, leaching or restricting nutrients and minerals from the plants trying to grown in it. The soil is either so dense that roots can’t spread, or the soil is so forgiving that it lacks structure for roots to hold onto and the slightest wind causes the sandy soil to shift, weakening the seedling’s foundation. In the former Yin-dominant/Yang-deficient situation, the soil holds onto water so long that it drowns the plants which struggle to breathe. In the latter Yin-deficient/Yang-dominant type of soil, water moves through so quickly that the seedlings are often stressed and wanting for more nourishment.

All of these states are experienced from time to time, even in a healthy environment. Problems arise when an imbalance becomes persistent. It’s best to recognize an imbalance early on and take action to return the environment to a healthy equilibrium. If an imbalance is already persistent, it’s beneficial to begin making small, consistent corrections to return to a state of balance without overcorrecting and causing further imbalance by making big corrections too fast.

As you can see, mother/father Earth energies play the same role in our bodies, our relationships, our homes, and our relationship with nature. All women, men, and environments carry some measure of Earth energy, even if it isn’t their dominant energy pattern. When we move from our center, our Earth is strong, balanced, supportive, and harmonizing. While Earth’s balanced, nurturing influence may not always be obvious when it is present, it is always obvious when it is not.

Earth Energy Qualities

Yin (Female/Mother)

• Nurturing

• Fertile/Creative

• Patient

• Resourceful

• Supports growth

• Listens

• Intelligent

• Empathetic

• Kind

• Hospitable

Imbalanced

• Excessive worry

• Meddling

• Oppressive

• Controlling

• Manipulative

• Too gentle/strict

• Unreliable

• Suffocating

• Uprooting

• Unsafe

Yang (Male/Father)

• Stable

• Disciplined

• Protective

• Reliable

• Honest

• Principled

• Structured

• Strong foundation

• Prudent

• Discerning

Men and women have a mixture of Yin and Yang qualities depending on their elemental nature and their personal balance. These qualities vary per individual and should not be considered exclusive to one or the other gender. These qualities are representative of the energy of an environment, as well, such as a home, office, community, or other location.