Outdoor Feng Shui For Optimal Living
Many people don’t realize that where they live and how their house looks on the outside affects their daily lives in numerous ways. Outdoor Feng Shui is the ancient art of organizing ones garden or outdoor living area in order to maximize the energy flow for peace, health and prosperity. The ancient art of decorating and organizing is over 3000 years old and began in China as a way to balance the energies of a person and their life as well as their belongings.
In Chinese, these two words have the means of wind and water; however their deeper meaning is linked to good things happening to the individual who uses them in the correct way and good fortune being bestowed upon them. With this ancient Chinese method of energy flow, various items bring good luck and good fortune to a person. Items such as clocks, mirrors, certain colors and crystals along with the placement of these items conduct the flow of energy around ones home and around the individual. One must believe that the Earth is a living, breathing part of everyone in order for this to work.
The ancient Chinese practice contains five elements, metal, earth, water, wood and fire. Once these five elements are combined in a certain way, they will put forth a powerful energy and a path to follow that will bring an individual good fortune. There is a certain way of combining these elements in decorating the interior and exterior of a home in order to bring about the good flow of energy. For example, one might use wooden lawn furniture with metal trim in the garden to help with healing and good winds. Water is another item that would help in a garden atmosphere.
In addition to the five natural elements, there are corresponding colors, which could also be found in nature. This includes a homeowner’s backyard in which the colors and elements are combined to help with the way of the wind and water ushering in good spirits. The colors are brown and green for wood; yellow, purple, orange, pink and red for fire; white and gray for metal; light yellow, light brown and sandy or earthy browns for Earth and blue and black for water.
Yet another important part of this ancient Chinese act of good will is how one places the elements or their representations such as furniture. For example, placing something blue in the north portion of the yard will bring about good career changes as well as support for one’s family. This same color in the east will help with family and health issues and placing wood in the southeast corner will help to nourish money and wealth. When hosting an outdoor gathering, place something yellow in the south for good times and happy gatherings.
In order to bring in the good energy and push out the bad, a garden of flowers or vegetables in the backyard of a home would be ideal. In the northeast corner of a garden or yard, an individual could have their self-cultivate and personal growth challenged when they place items of power in this position. A fountain or pond of water should be featured in the southeast portion of a yard or garden in order to usher in abundance and money. Health and family are centered through water near the east of the garden or yard and in the north is where the path of life and career is the best place to put a water feature for help.
When creating a garden to entice energy, do not use straight lines because they are rarely found in nature, so they should not be in one’s garden. Flowing, relaxing shapes are best for this type of energy gathering gardens. Also, in the fountain, use something like gold balls, large gold Christmas ornaments work well, to help bring in abundance working with the gold and the water.
There are many different books and online websites that could help a homeowner to create an outdoor Feng Shui for optimal living. There are many designs of backyard patio and gardens that one could choose from that would be both functional and beautiful. The key is to follow the maps or patterns as precisely as possible in order to make sure the good flows forth and the bad flows away from the home and family.
Find out more about chinese feng shui and feng shui living at the author’s website www.101fengshuitips.com.
