Feng Shui – Not So Much a Mystery, But a Method to Joy and Comfort

By Audrey Sun and David Burckhard

Feng Shui is not so much about mysterious guidelines dictating furniture arrangement and rules on which direction our doors must face as it is about, “making your home or property a comfortable and joyous place in which to live,” according to Aelita Leto, a Feng Shui expert.

Ms. Leto recently spoke on the principles of Feng Shui to a standing-room crowd as a special guest in DeLeon Realty’s regular public presentations. DeLeon Realty invited Leto, a Feng Shui Master, to speak on the subject to enlighten both the audience as well as DeLeon Realty employees on the topic that nearly everyone has heard about but few fully understand. The classically-trained consultant quickly pointed out that people confuse the essence of Feng Shui with the movement that, according to some, hijacked the phrase during the 1970s and morphed it into a mysterious spiritual or religious movement that is intuitively-based, emphasizes symbols, and focuses on internal space only. In reality, Leto explained, classical Feng Shui is more than 6,400-years-old, is intellectually-based and grounded in science, and focuses on external as well as internal environment.

The essence of Feng Shui, literally “wind water,” Leto says, is the recognition and adaption of Qi which is the energy that permeates our environments. How we relate to Qi becomes immediately understandable in the way we respond when we enter a space whether it be a public square, business lobby, the entrance to a home, or a bedroom. A Feng Shui master, like an experienced architect, is guided by four essential factors: (1) the external environment, (2) the internal environment, (3) the influence of time, and (4) the response of people to the first three factors. In that way, both classical Feng Shui and traditional architectural motivations are remarkably similar. Indeed, while Feng Shui has roots in and is associated with Chinese culture, the final result and appearance of many if not most of Leto’s projects, as well as those of thousands of other Feng Shui experts, are anything but Asian as is Leto herself who is of eastern European heritage.

When it comes to home design – the Feng Shui topic in which most are interested – rather than simply following “rules,” Feng Shui focuses on how humans respond to an environment and creates or remediates spaces, especially those in which we spend the most time. “When we have an understanding of Qi flow and how it affects your property,” says Leto, “we can enhance the areas that already have good Qi and make it even better.” She adds, “I assure property owners who may have concerns that parts of their property may not conform to Feng Shui rules that I am not a pathologist looking for problems. Instead, my focus is to enhance their spaces using Feng Shui principles and achieve harmony.” The product of her consultations, as witnessed in seeing her before and after photographs, result in homes and business spaces that are peaceful, contemporary, and pleasing to the eye. Leto says that using the services of a Feng Shui master will help buyers to “select high quality property by assessing external environmental features, identifying strengths and weaknesses of the surrounding areas, and set up the internal layout of the space.”

Aelita Leto holds several diplomas and certificates including those from the Golden Gate Feng Shui School and the FSIA Feng Shui Institute of America. She holds three Best of Houzz Service Awards including one for 2019. Contact her through email at OM@aelitaleto.com. Her Website is www.aelitaleto.com.