One of today's hottest design trends and conversation topics, feng shui actually began in fourth century B.C. when the Chinese invented the compass and used it as an aid in finding the optimal final resting place for their ancestors.

In China, as well as other Eastern cultures, reverence and inclusion of ancestors in daily life is often considered to be vitally important to the well-being of the entire family. This is due, in part, to the feng shui belief that we are all connected by cosmic, universal energy – called "chi." Families often have altars dedicated to their ancestors set up in their homes, or thank their ancestors at each meal for their part in the family's current wealth and happiness. Proper placement of ancestral graves is also considered essential, in order to ensure health, harmony and prosperity for their descendants. This branch of Feng Shui, devoted to the relationship between the living and their ancestors, is called Yin House Feng Shui - the study of burial grounds.

In today's world, most of us do not have an ancestral altar set up in our homes, but you can still create an arrangement of ancestral photos and place them in the room in your house that has the Family Gua. Alternatively, you can pick the room in your house that lends itself to remembering your roots. Either way, incorporating a little "ancestral energy" into your daily life can't hurt!