From GMATClub v04: Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of

Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of harmonious design, first became fashionable in the United States in the 1960s, when decorators heavily influenced by New Age sensibilities began selling Feng Shui to their clients as a chance to increase health and wealth as well as to have a more beautiful home. The Chinese practice of Feng Shui depends on directing the healthy flow of Chi, or life energy, by aligning the home itself according to the four cardinal directions and objects in the home in such a way as to receive and maintain this positive energy. In ancient practice, the most important objects in the home include the front door, or “Mouth of Chi,” where most life energy is received; the stove, which represents wealth and abundance; and the bed, whose positive position controls relationship energy. American popularized versions of Feng Shui, by contrast, show hardly any concern for directional alignment or key objects, preferring instead the excessive use of crystals, mirrors, and table-top water features, which, though perhaps entertaining, display precious little respect for the real influence of Chi.