Feng Shui is the study of how the elements of Yin and Yang affect the environment. Some Feng Shui masters refer to the art as one of balancing the two opposite forces in an environment to bring about prosperity and good fortune. The forces of Yin and Yang are often referred to collectively as Qi. Qi energies are present all around us, and they affect the way we think, feel, and behave. Everything, living and inanimate, emanates Qi energy.
To the lay person, Feng Shui Landscaping results in an atmosphere that is calm, serene, and inviting. It creates a feel of peace in a space that could otherwise feel claustrophobic or cramped. Often, Feng Shui is called upon to bring prosperity to businesses, or peace and goodwill to a household. This guide will explain how to use Feng Shui designs in your own home, to hopefully, transform your home into a place for rest, relaxation, and comfort.
Guiding Principles of Feng Shui Landscaping
The guiding principle behind Feng Shui design is to correct the imbalances in the Qi energy. Qi energy comes in the form of Feng Shui Elements consisting of Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metals. Simply put, when it comes to using Feng Shui to design your household, you must balance the effects of each of these elements in every room, and then every room with the house itself.
Water promotes communication, networking and wealth. Wood represents growth and creativity. Metals are conductors of energy, and they focus the Qi energies in their vicinity. Earth represents foundation and stability. And lastly, Fire signifies passion and pure energy. For each element, there is a positive and negative effect. For example, a water fountain feature opposite the entrance to your home may signify wealth flowing in. Conversely, a water fountain that draws water from inside the house and features it outside may signify wealth flowing out of the house.
In the case of each Feng Shui Element, Yin and Yang come into play. Yin being a more positive effect, and Yang being a more negative effect. So with the placement of each item in your house, you must pay consideration to whether the element is Yin or Yang.
Beginner Steps for Feng Shui
Start by making only small changes, as too many changes at once normally result in a complete makeover of the Feng Shui environment of the room – thus resulting in further conflicts. Start by making small adjustments.
As earlier mentioned, a water feature at the enterance of your home is a good place to start. You can simply buy a small water fountain, or a zen fountain, and place in on a pedestal in front of your house door so that it is the first thing you see when the door is opened. Similarly, you can place it in the entrance hall of your home, especially if your home is big, as this signifies wealth “entering” your house.
You can also start buy introducing some Feng Shui plants into your home’s decor. There are many comprehensive guides on choosing Feng Shui Plants available on the internet, but as a general guide for beginners, choose plants that have significance. Every plant adds its own effect on the Feng Shui Landscape by virtue of its size, name and other significant factors. For beginners, adding a Money Plant or a Jade Plant are the simplest ways to adding a Feng Shui effect to the house. As with other features, the placement of plants is important. For plants, use an easterly placement for health and harmony. A southeastern placement for wealth. A western placement for luck. Or a northwestern placement for guidance.
Making the Big Changes in Your Landscape
When choosing a color scheme for the house, know that colors in Feng Shui are divided into Yin and Yang colors. Yin colors bring about relaxation and peace while Yang colors bring about energy and excitement. Examples of Yin colors are white, beige, blue and black, while examples of Yang colors are red, orange and yellow. Use a suitable color in your home depending on the desired effect in the room. For example, white in a study room may promote concentration in a peaceful environment while red in the study room may stimulate creativity. However, avoid using Yang colors in bedrooms and family rooms, as this is significant of too much excitement when resting, and exciting “tension” in the family.
When deciding to redecorate your home with a Feng Shui design in mind, always consult a Feng Shui expert. They will use what is known as the Feng Shui Bagua to determine the layout of the room.
Finally, when applying a Feng Shui Landscape to your home, bear in mind that corners or sharp edges need to be counteracted by soft edges. For example, a rounded coffee table in a sharp corner of the room will bring balance and peace where the Feng Shui energies may be over concentrated. Also, if your home has support beams running overhead, try to avoid sleeping directly over the beams as they will disrupt the Qi flow when you sleep.
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