Let Nature Enhance Your Home

Let Nature Enhance Your Home

According to the principles of feng shui, it is important to create harmony in your exterior space as well as your interior space.

The buildings we live in and the total environment surrounding us must be balanced if we want to be blessed with health, wealth and happiness.

Streets, hills, rivers, trees, plants, adjacent buildings, power lines all affect your ch’i.
In China, parks, streets, business districts, even cemeteries are designed and laid out according to the principles of feng shui because the Chinese think of the entire landscape as being alive—full of ch’i.
We are part of our environment and respond better to vistas of mountains, trees and water than to the backside of another home only feet away. If you don’t have unlimited vistas, you can find ways to enhance your home through feng shui.

Water
Water is essential to all living things. I am reminded of Dune, a planet with very little water, and how its inhabitants cherished and protected water sources. Fortunately, this is a watery planet on which we live. Remember, though, that our very survival depends on the purity of our water.
In feng shui it is auspicious to be able to see a body of water, whether it be a lake, river, stream or the sea, from your home, but it must be pure and free-flowing.

Stagnant water is not only a breeding ground for disease, it is unattractive to look at and can be detrimental to your fortune. But, if you buy a home with water nearby that is out of your price range, you may soon have enough money to afford it easily.

Direction is also important. A river that flows toward your home brings you wealth; a river that flows away from your home takes it away.The best cure for this is to hang a mirror in a window so that it captures the image of the water and attracts positive ch’i back to you. You can also use this to increase the beneficial qualities of a nearby body of water, even if you can’t actually see the water.

Hills and Mountains
Notice how the most costly and elegant homes are situated on high ground? From a practical standpoint, hills provide protection, give you nice views and let you enjoy fresh breezes.

In feng shui, the best location for a building is about halfway up a gently sloping hill. If your home is atop a steep slope, you can cure the imbalance and keep money from slipping away by installing a lamppost at the bottom of the slope. This will direct the wealth back to you.

If you live at the base of a hill, you can offset this by building a pond or swimming pool on your property so that your home is situated between the pond and the mountain. The pond reflects back the energy of the mountain and the receptive yin energy of the water complements the active yang energy of the mountain.

If a pond or swimming pool is out of the question, you can also plant a tree between the house and the mountain.

Trees, Shrubs and Other Plants
Live plants are natural cures in feng shui. They can shield your home from high winds, strong sunlight, traffic noises or an ugly view. On a steep slope, plants help curb erosion. Symbolically, plants represent life and growth and they can invite positive ch’i and protect us from harmful ch’i and balance an awkward site or an ill-sited building.

• Plant bushes on either side of the front door to attract positive ch’i, but make sure they don’t block your entrance.
• If you live in an L-shaped building, plant a tree where the fourth corner would be to expand the building’s footprint. This will give energy to that part of your life.
• If a street leads directly toward your front door, plant a tree between your home and the street.
These fixes should make your home more comfortable and abundant.